God, in real life

“God, in real life, is nothing like the God we’ve been taught about in church.”- Matt Bays

Matt Bays rivets your attention and at the same time sets the tone for Finding God in the Ruins: How God Redeems Pain with the opening sentence of his preface: “God, in real life, is nothing like the God we’ve been taught about in church.”  Or, as Jeff Manion (The Land Between) wrote in reference to the Israelites wandering in the wilderness: “They had known about God’s faithfulness in theory, but now they would be called upon to know through experience.”

Matt observes that anyone who has experienced pain or devastating loss knows that in the immediate moments- as well as the terrible aftermath- of that horrific experience “hell often feels more powerful than heaven.”  Pastor Bays explains how suffering and doubt are necessary components of faith:

“What if our sufferings and doubt are necessary components- or even the very essence of faith?  [I] was told to be careful, that my questions could drive me away from my faith altogether.  Doubt is a part of life, and our faith can be strengthened when we increase our understanding of who God really is by allowing ourselves to ask the difficult questions.”

Matt has written Finding God in the Ruins so that he can come alongside you in your troubles.  He ends his preface with this encouragement:

“Together, I want to see if we might find God sitting in the ruins of our lives, shaking his head, same as us, over all that has happened.”

Today’s question: Following your ministry downsizing or vocation loss, how has experiencing “God, in real life” strengthened your faith?  Please share.

Coming Monday: the new Short Meditation, “Every falling tear”

Tomorrow’s blog: “Simply being present”

God, in real life

The fruit of forgiveness

“The fruit of forgiveness is always peace. . . . When we forgive, we free ourselves every bit as much as those who have hurt us.”- June Hunt

Today, in Chapter 4 of How to Forgive, June Hunt concludes here discussion of five key factors we know about forgiveness- based on the example of Jesus.

3.  Forgiveness removes the conditions for grace.  When faced with a devastating situation, such as a ministry downsizing or vocation loss, it is common to struggle with drawing the line on forgiveness.  If we don’t draw the line somewhere, we feel we will be overwhelmed.  Who gets forgiven?  Who doesn’t?

We may believe God has set His standards too high, that we can’t live up to them.  Ms. Hunt emphasizes our quandary ends when we adopt a single standard- God’s unconditional love.  We are freed from the burden of judgment.  We become more like Christ.

4.  Forgiveness is a doorway to reconciliation.  It takes two to reconcile, so reconciliation isn’t always possible.  June states:

“Forgiveness is a doorway, but we do not always get to walk over its threshold.”

June adds that when extraordinary forgiveness is in our hearts, even the peace we think is most elusive is attainable- within reach.

5.  Forgiveness erases the debt.  Ms. Hunt truly believes that if Christians understood how much God loves them and how Christ has freed them (at the heart-and-soul level), everything about life would change for the better.  We would manifest the fruit of forgiveness.  June explains that our challenge is:

” . . . to try to grasp, with our finite minds and limited comprehension, the love God lavishes upon us.  If we could fully experience the magnitude of our forgiveness from God down deep at the very core of our being, we would more readily, even eagerly, grant forgiveness to others.”

Today’s question: Which of June’s five key factors of forgiveness resonate most with you?  Please share.

Tomorrow’s blog: “Barriers to forgiveness”

 

The fruit of forgiveness

A stock clerk with a goal

“Give me a stock clerk with a goal, and I will give you a man who will make history.  Give me a man without a goal, and I will give you a stock clerk.”- J. C. Penney

Today, in Chapter 15 of The Circle Maker, Mark Batterson continues his discussion of ten steps to goal-setting with goal three through six.

3.  Think in categories.  Mark recommends looking at the life goal lists of others as a way of stimulating your own unique goals.  Mark also has found it helpful to think in categories, with each category having a spiritual dimension: family, influential, experiential, physical, and travel.

4.  Be specific.  In order for you to know whether you’ve accomplished a goal, it has to be measurable.  For example, losing weight is not a measurable goal.  However, losing a specific number of pounds by a specific date is a measurable goal.

5.  Write it down.  Mark has a saying he repeats often to his family and church staff: “The shortest pencil is longer than the longest memory.”  Verbalizing a goal is powerful.  Verbalizing a goal is more than a good idea.  Mark states it is a God-idea.  Writing down your goals holds you accountable and enables you to celebrate an answer to prayer because you’ve got a record of what you requested.

6.  Include others.  Mark observes that shared goals cement relationships: “Goals are relational glue.”  Going after a goal with another person doubles your joy.  When you go after a God-sized goal, you will draw closer to God.

Today’s question: What goals have you refined or re-created following your ministry downsizing or vocation loss?  Please share.

Tomorrow’s blog: “An ebenezer moment”

A stock clerk with a goal

Get your feet wet

“We say to God, ‘Why don’t you part this river?  And God says to us, ‘Why don’t you get your feet wet?’ “- Mark Batterson

Mark Batterson concludes Chapter 10 of The Circle Maker by expanding on this statement: “God is great, not just because nothing is too big for Him; God is great because nothing is to small for Him.”  If we would learn to obey God’s promptings, especially regarding small things, we’d find ourselves in the middle of miracles far more often.

Pastor Batterson adds that we need to be looking and listening for miracles.  Talking is the easy part of prayer.  Listening to the still small voice of the Holy Spirit is much harder.  When the Israelites were standing on the bank of the Jordan River- the Promised Land on the other side- God gave this command to the priests (Joshua 3:8): “Tell the priests who carry the ark of the covenant: ‘When you reach the edge of the Jordan’s waters, go stand in the river.’ ”

Mark admits he’d much rather have God part the river so then he would step into the miracle.  If God goes first, you don’t have to get your feet wet.  You need to take a step of faith, perhaps in an area where you feel most self-assured.  Mark offers this prompting:

“Now let me ask you a question.  Where do you feel like you need God least?  Where are you most proficient, most sufficient?  Maybe that is precisely where God wants you to trust Him to do something beyond your ability. . . . And it is God’s strange and mysterious ways that renew our awe, our trust, and our dependence.”

Today’s question: Following your ministry downsizing or vocation loss, where do you need to get your feet wet?  Please share.

Tomorrow’s blog: “The litmus test of trust”

Get your feet wet

No failure is fatal

“Failure is a form of quicksand.  Take immediate action or you’ll be sucked under.”- Max Lucado

In Chapter 10 (“No Failure is Fatal”) of Glory Days, Max Lucado writes that when we fail, we hear or presume the voices of others are spewing negativity or condemnation.  We join those voices of failure when we disqualify, berate, or upbraid ourselves.  When we do so, Max sadly observes, we sentence ourselves “to a life of hard labor in the Leavenworth of poor self-worth.”

People may not know how to address failure, but God does.  Max states the Bible is written for failures.  God used Joshua’s failure to conquer Ai in order to show us how to handle ours.  God quickly and urgently calls us to get on with life.  Unless we take immediate action, failure will suck us under.  God’s Promised Land offer depends on His perfection, not ours.

No one is immune from stumbling.  What differentiates people is their response.  Pastor Lucado explains:

“Some tumble into the pit of guilt.  Others tumble into the arms of God.”

Perhaps you’ve made some poor choices during the desert, land between time following your ministry downsizing or vocation loss.  Like the prodigal son, it is time to arise and go to your Father.  The apostle Paul wrote of his choice in Philippians 3:13-14 (Phillips): “I leave the past behind and with hands outstretched to whatever lies ahead I go straight for the goal.”

Today’s question (from the study guide): Have your failures stuck with you?  To what degree have you felt trapped in the “Leavenworth of poor self-worth”?  Please share.

Tomorrow’s blog: the new Short Meditation, “Back in the box”

 

 

No failure is fatal

A reason for every season

“There’s a reason for every season in your life- good or bad, easy or challenging, rewarding or draining.”-Bill Hybels

Bill Hybels concludes Chapter 9 of Simplify with a reminder that “you aren’t in your current season by accident.  God’s hand is in it, and there’s purpose to His activity.”  No other season in your life will be exactly like your current season, and God wants to teach you something during this unique time.

Loneliness is one of the most challenging seasons any of us will face.  Pastor Hybels observes one lesson God wants to teach us is about “the tangible presence, proximity, and friendship of Jesus Christ.”  Without learning this lesson, we might be tempted to let a season of loneliness consume, depress, or cripple us.

Face-to-face relationships also are essential.  We need wise, Christian friends to accurately help us see ourselves.  Loneliness won’t be relieved without relational risks.

Once we’ve identified and understand the season we are in, we need to be fully present in that current season and dive in.  Pastor Hybels adds:

“Rather than trying to dodge your challenging season, lean into it– and learn how God’s strength can infuse your frailty.”

Viewing life as structured around seasons means we’re less likely to spin our wheels in a season that should have ended long ago or avoid change because we fear the unknown.  By viewing life as structured around seasons, we can look forward to the lessons God has for us to learn in our next season.

Today’s question: What lesson do you think God wants you to learn following your ministry downsizing or vocation loss?  Please share.

Tomorrow’s blog: Staying on course”

 

A reason for every season

Beaten by the waves

“When evening came, he (Jesus) was there alone, but the boat was a long way from the land, beaten by the waves, for the wind was against them.”- Matthew 14:23b-24

“You cannot have a comeback without a setback.”- Mark Batterson

Mark Batterson concludes Chapter 18 of The Grave Robber by noting that Matthew chooses his words very carefully  in describing the disciples’ plight on the Sea of Galilee: “beaten by the waves.”  For the disciples, it was a losing battle.

Fighting adversity like a ministry downsizing or vocation loss can make us feel beaten by the waves of discouragement.  Yet, Pastor Batterson stresses, often the prerequisite for the miraculous is a perfect storm- not the smooth sailing we’d prefer.

Although Peter frequently is remembered for his denial of Jesus, he is the only disciple who dared to get out of the boat.  Mark adds that “water walkers would rather make mistakes than miss opportunities.  They’d rather sink than sit.”  However, it is imperative that we are sure Jesus is telling us to come.  Mark concludes:

“There comes a moment when you need to take a radical step of faith.  And that moment will define every moment that follows.”

Today’s question: How has your faith matured since your ministry downsizing or vocation loss?  Please share.

Tomorrow’s blog: “Good eye, bad eye”

 

 

Beaten by the waves

God-given aspirations

“For the Lord is a sun and a shield; the Lord bestows favor and honor; no good thing does he withhold from those whose walk is blameless.”- Psalm 84:11

Charles Stanley wraps up Chapter 4 of Waiting on God with a series of questions designed to enable us to ascertain whether a particular path or decision is the Father’s will for our life.  Dr. Stanley prefaces his questions with an encouragement to trust the Lord’s guidance:

“. . . though He may not show you what your destination is, and though the desires and goals God has put on your heart may appear very far away, indeed, your heavenly Father is leading your step-by-step with love, wisdom, and power to His very best for your life.”

Our God-given aspirations can be the motivation to press on even through the devastation of our ministry downsizing or vocation loss.  Here are Dr. Stanley’s questions to help us evaluate the hopes that drive us.  A more detail discussion is found on pages 120 to 124 of Waiting on God.

1.  Is this choice consistent with the Word of God?

2.  Is this a wise decision?  Are you making your decisions with God in mind?

3.  Can you honestly ask God to enable you to achieve this goal?

4.  Do you have genuine peace about this path?

5.  Is this decision appropriate for who you are as a follower of Jesus?  Would you recommend this choice to another Christian?

6.  Does this fit God’s overall plan for your life?

7.  Will this decision honor God?

Today’s question:  How do these questions help you crystallize your thinking regarding your vocational revisioning?  Please share.

Tomorrow’s blog: “Actively expressing faith”

God-given aspirations

Open Spaces

“It is a sin for the person who knows to do what is good and doesn’t do it.”- James 4:17

“God sometimes removes a person from your life for your protection.  Don’t run after them.”- attributed to Rick Warren

Sara Horn concludes Chapter 6 of How Can I Possibly Forgive? with strong encouragement for us to forgive, explicitly stating that when we refuse to forgive, we are the ones who are offending.  We deem ourselves more important than others- or even more important than God!

Conflicts are inevitable.  The key is our response.  Sara cites the story of Isaac in Genesis 26.  Isaac’s neighbors resented his success and went out of their way to make his life difficult.  Isaac was forced to move his herds and livestock three times because of quarrels that erupted with local herdsman whenever Isaac attempted to settle down in one area.

The first two wells Isaac dug he named Quarrel and Hostility, respectively.  Finally, at the last spot, Isaac named the well Open Spaces because God had “made room” for them (Genesis 26:22).  Similarly, rather than hunkering down and stubbornly asserting our rights following our vocation loss, we need to just move on.  God may be removing us from our place of conflict, negativity, and hurt for our protection.  Don’t run after them!

Today’s question: What is hindering you from moving on following your ministry downsizing or vocation loss?  Please share.

Tomorrow’s blog: “Conviction or condemnation”

Open Spaces

Blame the Other Guy

Sara Horn begins Chapter 5 (“When You’re the One Who’s Wrong”) of How Can I Possibly Forgive?, she reminds us that many of our hurts are legitimate.  Sometimes, however, we are the ones in the wrong.  We still desire to hold on to our grudges.  It’s much easier to think about what “they” need to fix or change than it is to think about making changes in ourselves.  As Sara explains, ” . . . we can become quite comfortable with the idea that it’s them and not us.”

Sara vividly remembers such a time when she was in first grade.  Each student was working on a self-portrait.  When the teacher praised the artistry of the boy sitting next to Sara and ignored her, Sara gave in to her frustration.  Trading pictures with the boy, she took a brown crayon and put freckles everywhere, ruining the boy’s portrait.

Like that messy, ruined picture, our actions toward others can have the same devastating effect in our hearts if we aren’t careful.  We don’t do ourselves or those around us any good when we refuse to take responsibility for our role in the situation.  Instead we play the Blame the Other Guy Game.  If we’re never sorry, Sara emphasizes, we’re never really responsible.  If we refuse to apologize- or, at a minimum, won’t acknowledge our own sinful thoughts and actions- we miss out on fostering our own growth as well as a deeper understanding of others and ourselves.

Today’s question: When reflecting on your response to your ministry downsizing or vocation loss, what areas of change does the Lord bring to mind?  Please share.

Tomorrow’s blog: “Venting versus talking”

Blame the Other Guy