Monday Musings: What’s your story?

Last week, I went to Chicago…

And, I saw lots of different people with lots of different stories.

Young and old.

Rich and poor.

Black and white…

And everything in between.

We all have a story.

A story of where we’ve been…and where we’re going.

A story of who we’ve been…and who we want to be.

A story of what we’ve lost…and what we hope to find.

A story of when our life changed…and when it might change again.

A story of how we became who we are…and how we want to be better.

A story of why we think we exist…and why that matters.

We all have a story that is our unique story.

But, at the end of the day, we are all image-bearers…

Created by a God who doesn’t make mistakes.

Loved by a God who can save you from anything (including yourself).

Forgiven by a God who sacrificed his greatest love to pay for your sin.

Cared for by a God who knows your needs better than you know them.

Rescued by a God who does impossible things every day.

Accepted by a God who knows what it feels like to be rejected.

If you have a personal relationship with God, this is your story.

If you don’t have a personal relationship with God, this can be your story.

So, what’s your story?

5 things you need when life goes sideways

Last week, life went sideways at our house…

On Thursday night, our 16-year old son was diagnosed with diabetes, which set off an unexpected domino of events that included two ER visits and a hospital stay in the span of three days.

“Normal” is a thing of the past for us now…but really we’re just a little ahead of the curve as we all adjust to the “new normal” ahead of us in a post-pandemic world.

Life has gone sideways for many of us for different reasons, and it will continue to go sideways as long as we live in a world broken by sin.

So, I started thinking…

(Actually, if I’m honest, I went into survival mode.)

What did I need to get through the last several days?

Really, what do we all need when life goes sideways?

I’m sure the list could be longer…even should be longer. But, I’m keeping it to five today, and I hope that these five things will help/encourage you the next time your life goes sideways.

Number one: You need to remember that the LORD is your strength.

The Bible is literally full of verses that remind us of this, but today I stumbled on this one…

“Praise the LORD! For he has heard my cry for mercy. The LORD is my strength and shield. I trust him with all my heart. He helps me, and my heart is filled with joy. I burst out in songs of thanksgiving.” (Psalm 28:6-7)

Number two: You need to remember that the LORD’s mercies are new every morning.

In other words, every day you get a full helping of God’s mercy…and He’s not stingy with it.

“The faithful love of the LORD never ends! His mercies never cease. Great is his faithfulness; his mercies begin afresh each morning.” (Lamentations 3:22-23)

Number three: You need to remember that God’s grace is sufficient for whatever it is that you are going through.

The important thing to remember here is that you are not sufficient, but God is. And, he’s not stingy with his grace either.

“My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.” – the LORD speaking to Paul in 2 Corinthians 12:9

Number four: You need to remember that the trials we go through are meant to make us stronger, not weaker (see number three).

The trials we go through are part of living in a broken world…yes. But they are not purposeless or even necessarily punishment for sin. In fact, we need trials to make us stronger in our faith and in our dependence on God.

“…when troubles come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing.” (James 1:2-4)

Number five: You need to remember that you are not meant to go through life’s challenges alone.

When life goes sideways, you need people in your life to mourn with you, comfort you, encourage you, and just be there for you. It’s no wonder that the Bible is full of verses that talk about caring for one another.

“God is our merciful Father and the source of all comfort. He comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others. When they are troubled, we will be able to give them the same comfort God has given us.” (2 Corinthians 1:3-4)

Like I said, this list could go on and on and on. But, I’ll stop at five.

As I think back on the last several days, I am thankful…

…that the LORD has been my strength,

…that I’ve woken up every day to a full helping of his mercy,

…that his grace is sufficient for whatever the “new normal” is going to be,

…that this trial is helping me depend more on him every day,

…and that my family has been surrounded by so many people who have loved and encouraged us as our life went sideways.

Monday Musings: waking up with a case of the anxious Mondays

Woke up today with a bad case of the anxious Mondays.

It’s often what happens when I wake up before my alarm goes off, and my mind starts going through the day (and the week) in front of me.

As I was lying there in bed with the anxiety levels rising, I remembered a dream that I had just had that night.

(I know…super random. But just hang with me for a sec.)

I was in the ocean on a boogie board…and this huge wave was starting to form a little further out from where I was paddling.

And, I realized in that brief moment that I had to stare at the wave that it was either going to come crashing down on me…or I was going to ride it.

If you’ve ever been out in the ocean on a surfboard or a boogie board or even just body surfing, you probably have experienced the difference between a wave crashing down on you and catching one perfectly.

When a wave crashes down on you, it’s a helpless feeling.

You just end up getting thrown around in every direction until the wave decides it’s done with you.

Needless to say, it’s not a good feeling.

But, when you catch a wave perfectly and you are riding it the way a wave is meant to be surfed, it’s an amazing feeling.

The chaos the wave creates is still there, but it doesn’t affect you the same way it does when it’s crashing down on you.

Instead of feeling like you’ve been stuffed into a washing machine, you feel like you’re flying on water…which is probably why surfers risk so much to find the perfect wave.

Anyway, back to the dream.

I had two choices in the brief moment I had staring at that wave.

I could either sit there and do nothing and let it crash down on me…

Or, I could start paddling as hard as I could and try to ride it.

When you put it that way, it’s an easy choice…right?

So, I started paddling and paddling and paddling, but also bracing myself for that wave to come crashing down.

And, the next thing I knew…

I was riding the wave.

Even in the midst of so much force and power and water crashing around me, I was in the perfect spot to ride it out…and it was strangely peaceful.

Okay, so what’s the point?

Life is a lot like being in the ocean trying to catch a wave.

Sometimes, those “waves” come crashing down on you, and sometimes you find yourself riding the “wave.”

This morning, I had a choice to make.

I could either sit there and let the wave of anxiety that I woke up with come crashing down on me…or I could start paddling.

I chose to start paddling.

I started remembering specific promises of God that help me when I feel anxious.

I prayed through Philippians 4:6-7.

I spent time reading God’s Word.

And, the next thing I knew…

I was right where I needed to be…riding the wave, so to speak.

The day is still in front of me.

I still have anxious thoughts about the week.

But, they’re not crashing down on me anymore.

And, I’m starting my Monday in peace.

If you’re like me, and you woke up today with a bad case of the anxious Mondays, you can either sit there and do nothing…or you can start paddling.

Here’s a couple of verses to help you start moving…

⁶ Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. ⁷ Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:6-7

3 You will keep in perfect peace
    all who trust in you,
    all whose thoughts are fixed on you!
⁴ Trust in the Lord always,
    for the Lord God is the eternal Rock. Isaiah 26:3-4

Monday Musings: where are your questions leading you?

Ah Monday morning…

So much is swirling around in my head right now as I try to focus on one thing to write about…to muse on.

I give up.

There’s just too many questions to focus on just one…

What is truth…or true when I turn on the news or scroll through my social media feeds or talk to my neighbor down the street?

What is normal…is it really just going back to the “good ol'” days of 2019?

What is freedom…is the freedom we really want tied to politics, religion, or personal preference (or is it all of the above)?

When will this pandemic go away?

When will people learn to disagree without making the people they disagree with their enemy?

When will I be able to work in a coffee shop again? (okay, maybe that’s not as big of a question as the rest, but I’m still asking it)

What will the people living in 2070 say about the people living in 2020?

When is Jesus coming back?

What are we as Christians supposed to be learning from the coronavirus, the recent elections, and anything and everything else that’s creating division in our country?

What is God thinking right now?

Does He have a plan or an end game for all of this?

Are we living in an intense (and in some ways, unprecedented) season of suffering as Christians in America or is it discipline…or both?

Is God pulling out the weeds right now…or is Satan sifting us like wheat?

You see, I’ve got lots of questions with no easy or clear answers…and I’m guessing that you do to.

And we both have to choose where those questions will ultimately lead us.

This morning, these questions led me to Romans 11, where Paul says…

³³ Oh, how great are God’s riches and wisdom and knowledge! How impossible it is for us to understand his decisions and his ways!

³⁴ For who can know the Lord’s thoughts?
    Who knows enough to give him advice?
³⁵ And who has given him so much
    that he needs to pay it back?

³⁶ For everything comes from him and exists by his power and is intended for his glory. All glory to him forever! Amen.

The truth is, I may never understand the answers to all my questions…

But, I know a God who does.

And that is good enough for me on a Monday morning.

Monday Musings: why we can (and should) still be thankful this Thanksgiving

Thankful.

If there’s anything that I’ve learned this year, it’s that we can (and should) be thankful in all circumstances.

Why?

Because it’s God’s will for us to be thankful in all circumstances. (1 Thessalonians 5:18)

(Really, we could just stop right there with that…it’s kind of a mic drop statement that Paul makes in that verse.)

But, let’s be honest…this year has been unlike any other circumstance that we have all collectively faced in our lifetimes together.

And, it’s testing us in lots of ways.

Being thankful seems so 2019…the good old days, when everything was still normal. Back then, it was relatively easy to be thankful.

But, thankfulness isn’t so easy in 2020.

In many ways, this year has been a total dumpster fire, a train wreck, a sinking ship, or whatever other word picture you like to use.

And, it’s hard to be thankful in any of those circumstances.

In times like these, we can learn a lot from those who have gone before us, and David is no exception.

David (as in King David) was literally running for his life, trying to get away from Saul, who was literally trying to kill him.

Needless to say, his circumstances were less than ideal…literally.

So, David ends up finding a cave to hide in, and he starts writing (think of something like the equivalent of journaling today).

He starts off crying out to God, asking Him for protection and help and mercy. (Psalm 57:1-3)

He then acknowledges how bad his circumstances are…he’s surrounded by his enemies and he knows how bad they want to destroy him. (Psalm 57:4 & 6)

And then he praises God! (Psalm 57:7-11)

He’s still in the cave.

He’s still being chased by Saul.

And, yet he is still thanking the Lord for His unfailing love and His faithfulness to him. (Psalm 57:9-10)

Why?

Because David believes that God will ultimately fulfill His purpose for him (Psalm 57:2).

He believes that God will send His unfailing love and faithfulness to him (Psalm 57:3).

And, he believes that God is sovereign, and that He rules over not just his circumstances, but all of creation (Psalm 57:5 & 11).

May we all be a people whose hearts are confident in God no matter the circumstances (Psalm 57:7).

May we trust in His unfailing love and faithfulness at all times (Psalm 57:10).

And, may we continue to thank the Lord among all the people and sing His praises among the nations this Thanksgiving week and beyond. (Psalm 57:9)

My heart is confident in you, O God;
    my heart is confident.
    No wonder I can sing your praises!
⁸ Wake up, my heart!
    Wake up, O lyre and harp!
    I will wake the dawn with my song.
⁹ I will thank you, Lord, among all the people.
    I will sing your praises among the nations.
¹⁰ For your unfailing love is as high as the heavens.
    Your faithfulness reaches to the clouds.

¹¹ Be exalted, O God, above the highest heavens.
    May your glory shine over all the earth.

Monday Musings: free drinks for life

“Free is a very good price!”

Growing up in Portland, I used the hear that phrase a lot.

It came out of the mouth of a local businessman who used it to promote his business on TV and entice people to come into his stores…and spend money.

Ahhh the catch.

Seems like there is always some kind of catch when something is “free” doesn’t it?

Buy one get one free.

Free drink with 12 points.

Now, don’t get me wrong…I like free stuff.

It’s just that we often have to spend money or work at something before it actually becomes “free.”

Because nothing in life worth having is truly free…right?

Wrong.

The truth is that the best thing you can have in life is free.

The prophet Isaiah put it this way in Isaiah 55:1…

“Is anyone thirsty? Come and drink-even if you have no money! Come, take your choice of wine or milk-it’s all free!”

And, then there was Jesus, who told a woman who was filling up her empty bucket with water at a well…

“Anyone who drinks this water will soon become thirsty again. But those who drink the water I give will never be thirsty again. It becomes a fresh, bubbling spring within them, giving them eternal life.” (John 4:13-14)

Both the prophet Isaiah and Jesus understood that we’re all thirsty…and not just physically thirsty.

We all have spiritual thirsts.

We all have relational thirsts.

We all thirst for significance, security, and acceptance.

We all thirst for meaning and purpose.

The bottom line is, we were all created to be thirsty beings.

And, we all go after all kinds of things to quench our thirsts.

Power.

Status.

Money/possessions.

Comfort.

Control.

Relationships.

Idols.

Religion.

But, here’s the deal…

All of those things will cost you something.

And only leave you more thirsty.

God created us to be thirsty beings, but he also gave us the opportunity to quench all of our thirsts forever in Jesus.

At the end of the day…

At the end of your days…the only way that your thirsts will be quenched forever is by accepting something that is actually free.

So, take Isaiah’s advice back in Isaiah 55 when he says…

“Seek the LORD while you can find him. Call on him now while he is near.”

Jesus paid to quench your thirsts forever with his life. But, there will be a day where your time on this earth will run out.

A day when this free offer is no longer available for you to accept.

A day where Jesus will be the one sitting on his throne in heaven saying…

“It is finished! I am the Alpha and the Omega-the Beginning and the End. To all who are thirsty I will give freely from the springs of the water of life.” (Revelation 21:6)

Free is a very good price…especially when it’s truly free.

The invitation is there from Jesus.

Free drinks for life.

Are you ready to accept his invitation before it’s too late?

Advent Musings: Is God’s Way the Only Way?

Religion is like a mountain…so the saying goes.*

And, we’re just all at the bottom of that mountain trying to figure out the best way to climb it.

My path may be different than your path, but that’s okay…

Because all the paths lead to God (or whatever you call him).

The Buddhist path.

The Hindu path.

The Christian Scientist path.

The Muslim path.

The Mormon path.

The Christian path.

(Insert your path of choice here).

One mountain…many paths…same destination.

The question is, can this even be possible?

Can all religions by true?

Or, to put it another way, can all religious paths lead to the same place?

For all religions to be true (and lead to the same place), two things would have to happen…

1. God would have to be a universalist.**

2. We would have to be able to achieve the impossible…

We would have to be able to save ourselves.

But, the reality is, we can’t save ourselves.

We can never be good enough.

Nice enough.

Generous enough.

Holy enough.

Separatist enough.

Perfect enough.

Or religious enough to save ourselves.

Because religion doesn’t save anyone…only God saves.

So, God looks down on His creation from the top of that mountain and sees the impossibility of anyone reaching Him…

And He makes a way.

The way.

He sends an angel named Gabriel to a virgin named Mary, who tells her that she will bear a son whose name is Jesus.

This Jesus will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High.

The Lord God will give to Him the throne of his father David…and of his kingdom there will be no end.

Because, as Gabriel says, nothing will be impossible with God.***

God did the impossible.

God is doing the impossible.

God will do the impossible.

He has made the impossible possible by sending His Son Jesus down the mountain to us.

Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me.” (John 14:6)

He is the way, because He is the path.

He is the truth, because He is the only path that truly leads to God.

He is the life, because the end of His path is eternal life with God.

Every religious path requires faith.

But, the Christian path is the only path where you’re putting your faith in someone other than yourself.

And, that someone is Jesus Christ.

The Bible says that God loved the world so much that He gave His only Son, and that whoever believes in Him will not die…but have everlasting life. (John 3:16)

God’s way to salvation is Him coming down to us and doing the impossible.

All of the other paths to Him require us to find a way to save ourselves…

And, that’s just not possible.

*Oprah made this viewpoint popular back in the early 2000’s, and it’s still going strong in our culture today.

**A universalist believes that all humankind will eventually be saved.

***For the rest of story, read Luke 1:26-38.

Failing is an earth thing…and why that should give you hope

We all want hope.

We all want a reason to get out of bed in the morning.

And so we go searching for it…

We go to work hoping that we’ll like our jobs and make enough money to be comfortable.

We go to school hoping that someday all those classes will lead to a job that we’ll like and make us enough money to be comfortable.

We play sports hoping that someday we’ll get paid to play a sport we love and make us more than enough money to be comfortable.

We make friends hoping that someday we’ll find the one that we’ll spend the rest of our comfortable lives with on this earth.

But, then things go sideways.

We don’t like our jobs, or we can never seem to make enough money.

We don’t like school.

We love the sports we play, but our bodies fail us.

And, we just can’t seem to find the one.

Deep down, we ask ourselves, where can I find hope?

Because failing seems to be a big part of this world that we live in.

But, here’s where it actually gets better.

Yes, failing is an earth thing. Failing is part of living in a broken world.

But God is not of this world.

And, because God is not of this world, He doesn’t fail. (Hebrews 13:5)

We live in a world where people are searching for hope in places that ultimately fail them…work, education, money, relationships, and the list goes on.

The good news is that real, lasting, get-out-of-bed-everyday hope doesn’t fail…and it’s found in a personal relationship with God.

This is the hope we all want.

This is the hope this failing world needs.

This is really good news.

The question is…are you ready to share it?

If someone asks you today what is it about believing in Jesus that gives you hope, what would you say?

“I will never forget this awful time…
²¹ Yet I still dare to hope
    when I remember this:

²² The faithful love of the Lord never ends!^[b]
    His mercies never cease.
²³ Great is his faithfulness;
    his mercies begin afresh each morning.
²⁴ I say to myself, “The Lord is my inheritance;
    therefore, I will hope in him!” (Lamentations 3:20-24)

“…if someone asks about your hope as a believer, always be ready to explain it.” (1 Peter 3:15b)