The audience you choose

Kyle Idleman continues Chapter 4 of The End of Me by noting that, in God’s kingdom economy, much is determined by the audience you choose.  If your primary interest is in what other people think, your reward is their applause or attention.  In Matthew 6:1, Jesus says, “Be careful not to practice you righteousness in front of others to be seen by them.  If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven.”

Pastor Idleman explains the problem with this approach:

“The problem comes when we metabolize a habit into a philosophy and come to believe that our faith is defined by things we do with no reference to the heart.”

Conversely, Kyle states, coming to the end of me means you are through with the emptiness of that charade and only seek to praise God.  The reward is from God rather than people- and we are not consumed by appearances.  Kyle adds:

“God calls us to live one life and live it out in the open.  HIs mane for that is purity of heart, and his reward for that is rich and fulfilling blessing in life.”

While very instinct we have draws us to deeply cover our sin, giving the impression we have all the answers, the real me needs to experience the real life available in Christ.

Today’s question (from Kyle): In what ways are you sometimes inauthentic with others?  Please share.

Tomorrow’s blog: “Our level of emptiness”

The audience you choose

Turn around

“Having said this, she (Mary) turned around and saw Jesus standing, but she did not know that it was Jesus.”- John 20:14

“If you’re scared that you don’t matter; if you’re lost and need to be found; if you’re looking for a Savior, all you gotta do is turn around.”- Matt Maher

I would estimate that I supervised approximately one thousand recesses during my twelve years teaching at Northwest Lutheran School in Milwaukee.  Children had three play area options: the athletic field, the black top, or a fenced-in section with swings and a modern jungle gym.  On this particular day, I had duty in the fenced-in section.  Out of the blue, someone exclaimed, “There’s an owl in that tree!”  Being an avid bird watcher, that was my cue to turn around.  Near the top of the tree, completely unperturbed by the bustling activity below, perched a short-eared owl!  It was a one in one thousand experience.

Had I not made the decision to turn around, I would have missed that one in a Northwest-lifetime opportunity.  One brief moment produced a beautiful remembrance of God’s creation and His encompassing  presence.  Indeed, as author and pastor John Ortberg writes, God is present in this instant, offering to partner with us in whatever we face.  Stephen Mansfield reasons that our soul must yearn for long-term righteousness rather than temporary methods to dull our pain. Human solutions fall far short.  Our soul needs to be whole.

Singer/songwriter Matt Maher notes that when one of his guitar strings breaks, it affects not just itself, but also the whole guitar. It’s not enough to tune the replacement string, because the pitches of all the other strings have been altered.  There’s a delicate balance at play between all the strings.  Matt adds that we must turn away from anything that we make more important than God, taking stock of what direction we’re facing: “You don’t need to move, love has come to you, all you gotta do is turn around.”  John Ortberg echoes Matt’s instrumental illustration:

“We are not meant to embrace moments, but to embrace God.  Moments are not always good.  God is never anything but good.  Moments are simply the place where we meet him.  Every moment.  Starting now.”

Each moment of our lives can be a sacrament, a vehicle for God’s love and power (Jean Pierre de Caussade).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-IbgbfmQogo

 

 

 

 

Turn around