Living Hope

Today we have more conveniences and comforts than at any other time in history. We enjoy a wider variety of choices in literally every area of our lives. Through web cams and Internet technology, we have an unprecedented ability to stay connected to people in almost any area of the world. Who needs the good old days anyway?

Yet, in spite of the multitude of technological advances designed to make our lives easier and less stressful, feelings of despair are at an all-time high. Suicide is the second leading cause of death among teenagers. Adults suffer from "mid-life crises" which is usually nothing more than a realization of unmet expectations. Economic woes, high unemployment rates, lack of confidence in political leaders and increases in domestic and international unrest all add to an unsettling future. Jean-Paul Sartre, a huge proponent of existentialism (the philosophy that focuses on the importance of individual freedom), came to this depressing conclusion: "There is no exit from the human dilemma." Talk about utter hopelessness.

As God's men, we have a promise to claim in 1 Peter 1:3 that shatters all notions of despair: ...According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. Our salvation doesn't just give us hope for eternity; it is a living hope for today, tomorrow and every day of our lives. Because we have an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled and unfading and kept in heaven (v. 4), we can boldly and confidently live in accordance with God's will knowing that He alone holds the future and his promises to us are glorious and beyond compare.

Living hope is rooted in the goodness and promises of God; giving us peace, stability, security and endurance unlike anything else. Jesus didn't defeat death on the cross so that we could live in bondage to the human dilemma without exit. His resurrection is the living hope that gives us no cause to be hopeless.

Burdens

One of the biggest mistakes we can make after accepting Jesus Christ as our Savior is to treat our Christian walk as a solo sport. We place our eternal destiny in His hands, yet often treat our daily burdens as if they are too trivial or too complicated for the Lord. Really? Why would God allow his only Son to suffer and die on the cross to reconcile us if he didn't desire us to be in communion with Him and with others?

How we handle burdens; both those in our lives as well as those in the lives of others, speaks volumes as to whether or not we are connected to the body of Christ. Galatians 6:2 says: Bear one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ. The law of Christ is not the Old Testament law that condemns us because of our sinfulness, but rather the law that Christ took on our sins and paid for them which makes Jesus the ultimate burden-bearer.

How ironic is it that Jesus himself says in Matthew 11:30--For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light? Our savior's yoke is easy because it comes without the weight of legalistic expectations. It comes without a list of demands and requirements to earn our salvation. It comes with a promise of rest to all who are weary and trust in Him. We have the additional promise in Psalm 55:22 to cast your burden on the LORD, and he will sustain you. Jesus is the One who strengthens us and enables us to do all things (Philippians 4:13). He can be trusted because he is the Righteous Judge and he will handle all things in his perfect timing.

Burdens were never meant to wear us down or to be carried alone. Burdens were meant to bring us closer to our fellow believers. Burdens were meant to bring us closer to those who need the Gospel. Burdens were meant to bring us closer to the One whose burden is light.

Your Face or Your Back

Pastor Curtis shared with us on Sunday the notion that God either has your face or your back. In other words, either we are looking to Him and seeking Him or we have our backs turned and we are ignoring Him or running away from Him. We can so easily miss the warning signs and not even be aware that our backs are turned away from him and heading in the wrong direction.

The day before, I was watching a football game where the quarterback took a vicious hit in the back and had to come out of the game. Quarterbacks are taught to do everything possible not to turn their backs on the defense. Their blindside becomes exposed. Injuries are more likely to occur. So are fumbles. Our spiritual walk is not much different. When we turn our backs to the Lord, we stop feeding on His Word. We expose our minds to flawed thinking. We expose our hearts to sinfulness. We take on a greater risk of spiritual injury.

David knew the importance of seeking the Lord's face. In Psalm 27, he shares the dangers and enemies that surround him (v. 2-3) but looks forward with joy and anticipation of how God will deliver him (v. 4-6). He remembers his Lord's command: You have said, "Seek my face." My heart says to you, "Your face, LORD, do I seek." (v. 8). He was not afraid because had complete confidence in God; his light and salvation...the stronghold of his life (v. 1). The notion of turning his back on God was so unpalatable to David that he pleaded, Turn not your servant away in anger...cast me not off; forsake me not, O God of my salvation! (v. 9).

When God commanded Moses to give Aaron the words to bless the people of Israel, they included the LORD make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you (Numbers 6:25). Blessing awaits us when God has our face rather than our back.

Lessons From Happy Valley

Like many, I've watched the recent events unfold at Penn State with a mix of horror, shock and disbelief. Coach Joe Paterno had built over the years what seemed to be a rock solid reputation of integrity that his program would have been the last you'd suspect of covering up the inexcusable crime of child abuse. The majority of my relatives are from central Pennsylvania and Penn State football is a common bond woven into the fabric of the towns they live in. In an area that was economically devastated long before the current downturn, State College was "Happy Valley"; the one ray of sunshine in a mostly depressed area. My uncle, who I was named after, had three passions: his family, banking and Penn State football and I'm glad he's in Heaven and not seeing this tragedy unfold.

We should be sickened by the crimes that were allowed to happen at Penn State. We should be angry that innocent lives have been permanently damaged in the name of protecting an institution's reputation. We should desire that justice prevail; even it if means destroying the legacy of a man many considered to the greatest college football coach of all time. Yet, we should also be aware of the lessons to be learned from what happened at Happy Valley.

Micah 6:8 tells us three things that the Lord requires of us--do justice, love kindness and walk humbly with God. We must always seek justice and never cover up wrongdoing; especially the kind that harms others. Even if it means confronting a supervisor, a peer or a subordinate. We must be merciful toward others; with special diligence towards those who need protection. We must continually lay our lives before God and allow him to root any prideful spirit out of us. We must never allow any position of authority we may have to be used to cover up or facilitate wrong doing. During the ensuing protests on campus, one sign held up speaks to this horrific situation better than any I've seen: "All that is necessary for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing.

John 8:32 reminds us that the truth sets us free. I've also been reminded over the years that the truth always comes to light. Our vain attempts to cover up the truth will often lead to more serious consequences down the road. God will occasionally put us in situations where we must choose whether to seek justice or compromise. A 46-year legacy of excellence has come crashing down due to compromise in a place called Happy Valley. As God's men, may we always choose the path that honors our Lord--a path of justice, mercy and humility.

A Servant's Mindset

One thing Jesus made very clear during his earthly ministry was the importance of serving others. He told his disciples that the greatest among them would be their servant (Matthew 23:11). He told them that he came to earth not to be served but to serve others (Matthew 20:28). He demonstrated true servanthood on the night of the Last Supper by washing his disciples' feet and challenged them to do likewise (John 13:12).

Though Jesus clearly demonstrated servanthood and challenged his disciples to be servants, the fact is serving others goes completely against our human nature. Our natural tendency is to evaluate situations and filter them through our "what's in it for me" grid. Like so many other aspects of our Christian walk, we need to allow our minds to be transformed and renewed (Romans 12:2) if we are going to adopt a servant's mindset that honors our Lord.

Servants don't compare, criticize or compete with other servants or ministries because they recognize that God has gifted all of us differently and all who serve are important and needed. Servants view ministry as an opportunity to help others out of gratitude for what Jesus has done for us to secure our eternal destiny. Servants serve the Lord with gladness (Psalm 100:2). Servants reason for serving is to advance God's Kingdom and give Him the glory; not to make themselves look better than others.

Probably the biggest key to having a servant's mindset is that a servant is secure in his identity in Christ. Servants know they don't have to prove themselves because they are loved and accepted by the Father. Servants base their worth and identity on their relationship with Christ; invalidating any need to serve to build up value and self-esteem. Being freed from self-expectations, they can then devote all of their energy into serving well so that the entire body of Christ will benefit.

Because of You

Sometimes it is difficult to trudge through life believing that what we do is actually making an impact. Days go by and we can easily get swept away in a sea of disappointment and unmet expectations. Every one of us has, at one time or another, gotten excited about an undertaking that we've put a great deal of time and effort into to only feel later that our best efforts went unappreciated or even wasted. How defeating does that feel?

I believe one of the greatest joys of Heaven will be seeing the spiritual fruit of our labor for the Kingdom. We know that God rewards faithfulness (Revelation 2:10) and perseverance (James 1:12) with the crown of life. Not only will we see our Father in all of his majesty and glory, but we will see others who will be there because of our storing up treasure in Heaven. For some, it may be a child you taught in Sunday School. For others, it may be a person you helped who saw the light of Christ shine through you. For me, it may be someone from a far away place like Russia or Indonesia who read this blog and learned that trusting in Jesus Christ as their Savior would bring them eternal life.

Paul encouraged the church in Corinth with these words: Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain (1 Corinthians 15:58). Jesus himself promised that even something as simple as a believer giving someone a drink of water will bring eternal reward. Everything we do for His glory has importance; no matter how mundane, trivial or inconsequential it may seem.

In his infinite wisdom, God has always chosen to do his work through people who have a heart for the things that please Him. The Holy Spirit is always the agent of change in a person's life, but that change is often brought about through the investing of one's self into the lives of others. Yes, there will be people who will know eternal peace---because of you.

In the Right Place

When I share with others some of my life experiences, people often ask me, "What are you doing in Delaware?" Believe it or not, there was once an old country song written where the singer asks himself that very question. The fact is, many of us dream about being somewhere else. Those dreams are often fueled by a lack of excitement and passion in our lives. Maybe we think "If I could just be in (fill in the blank), life we be so much better". We somehow believe that the burdens and stresses of life that weigh us down would just disappear in we changed our address.

The Apostle Paul tells us in Acts 17 that through one man God made every nation that we should inhabit the whole earth and he determined allotted periods and the boundaries of their dwelling place, that they should seek God, and perhaps feel their way toward him and find him. Yet he is actually not far from each one of us (v.26-27). This passage reminds us that God determines the time we have here on earth. It suggests there is action and effort required to finding our way; along with some uncertainty as to the outcome. It also suggests that some will try to find God on their own terms and not be successful. But what it also says is that God is very near to us and not hard to find if we truly seek Him and not our own personal agendas. He is always present--in places of beauty and splendor, in the harshest slums, even in Newark, Delaware!

We forfeit so much peace and purpose in our lives when we focus on where we wish we were rather than rejoicing in where God has placed us to impact His Kingdom. Take a few moment and think about the blessings in your life that wouldn't be possible if you weren't exactly in the place you are right now. Mine are too numerous to mention here. Now take inventory of the difficulties and struggles that you are facing; especially those that are the result of your current location, and lift them up to the One who wants us to seek and find him.