Misfits

As we go through life, we meet a few people that seem to have “it”. But, what is “it”? That’s a good question. There are those schools that you want your kids to attend and the businesses that people huddle in mass to buy from. They seem to have “it”. Mentors and leaders that attract larger gatherings of followers because of their charisma. They must have “it”. Could it be the groups of kids we think of as cool or the “in crowd”, the popular ones with which we long to associate? It can be Scouts, sports teams, school programs, or church groups, all of these offer their approval of you when you are allowed to join. We work so hard to make ourselves look the part of their advertised membership traits. How often do we look at our effort to belong and find that we have become something very unlike who we really are?

Throughout the years, one of the personality traits that I have worked on the most in myself has been being genuine. It isn’t always the prettiest journey, many times I do it completely wrong, with far too little tact, love, and compassion. My quest to be genuine has at times turned into a mission to help everyone else realize their faults instead of correcting my own. That is definitely not the way to work on your own personal character flaws, by showing others theirs. I am so embarrassed and ashamed when I realize that I have done that. I have used my own desire to change and belong to something better, to judge others. So wrong, and sadly so common.

Self-worth doesn’t come from the groups or clubs we belong to. Even the best of us have faults, and surely focusing on those isn’t the way to live a happy and productive life. In fact, the Bible talks about our inability to do what’s right, saying, “All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God”. That’s not a reflection of our worth, it’s just a fact that we are born into an imperfect world. Our worth, if we measure it by the people and things around us, can fluctuate wildly with circumstances.

There is no way we can find a stable idea of inner value if we allow that which surrounds us to dictate our standing.

In fact, many of us might think, “Hey, I’m a good person, look at what I do in the community” or “I volunteer at church or the shelter, so at least I’m not like those people who don’t”. It becomes very easy to set yourself aside from others as better than some, or not as good as most. I’ve spoken to people from both ends of that argument; Sadly, discussing anything but that false belief often leads to arguing the age-old question, where does self-worth come from? Who decides?

Class warfare isn’t all about weapons and a physical battlefield. It's often a struggle of thought and attitude. It's one of my pet peeves when a group of people thinks of themselves as a “higher” class of person than another group. In history, this has made for some of the greatest divides between societies, creating the perceived haves, and the have-nots. I’m not writing necessarily here of the political separations so much, as the spiritual ones. During much of history, the religious elites held high prominence over the average person, dictating how people could come to God for their needs, how they could be healed, and who was worthy of God's love and who was not. If you haven’t heard, Jesus came to reveal that those ideas of segregation among the children of God were no longer going to be acceptable in His church. It’s my belief that He sought to repair the relationship between man and the Creator. To encourage conversation and faith from us, toward a God that has always wanted to be personal and connected to each of us. This isn’t possible when we allow ourselves to feel beyond the reach, mercy, or forgiveness of Him. And it becomes far too easy to let arrogance slip in when we think we’re doing it right, and others just don’t get it.

Jesus taught us about worthiness and knowing our place of honor in the kingdom by relating a parable. While sharing a meal and in the presence of the church leadership of the day, they were discussing which of them should have the most prominent seating. The discussion must have reflected a lot on the class difference that existed among the Jews of the day. Those who had attended religious learning and knew the Torah and all its laws and the difference between them and the working class Jew, barely scraping by and working night and day to provide for a family. Why had wealth become a factor when it came time for the blessing of God? And why would men educated enough to read and write consider themselves to be more blessed than someone that was hard working, providing a home, and raising a family? This is what happens when we allow society to choose our worth. Jesus had just warned them that the people they choose as worthy friends to associate with would easily disappoint them when their priorities didn’t align with each other. He told them to beware that when you place too high a value on a certain group, they may not live up to your expectations, especially if your outlook on value and worth is skewed by worldly ideals such as money and position in society, or the church.

When one of the men boasted a little about enjoying his place and position, Jesus followed up with the following story. He said, “Yes. For there was once a man who threw a great dinner party and invited many. When it was time for dinner, he sent out his servant to the invited guests, saying, ‘Come on in; the food’s on the table.’ “Then they all began to beg off, one after another making excuses. The first said, ‘I bought a piece of property and need to look it over. Send my regrets.’ “Another said, ‘I just bought five teams of oxen, and I really need to check them out. Send my regrets.’ “And yet another said, ‘I just got married and need to get home to my wife.’ “The servant went back and told the master what had happened. He was outraged and told the servant, ‘Quickly, get out into the city streets and alleys. Collect all who look like they need a square meal, all the misfits and homeless and wretched you can lay your hands on, and bring them here.’ “The servant reported back, ‘Master, I did what you commanded—and there’s still room.’ “The master said, ‘Then go to the country roads. Whoever you find, drag them in. I want my house full! Let me tell you, not one of those originally invited is going to get so much as a bite at my dinner party.’”

What a great life lesson Jesus gave to them and us with this short story. The invitation went out to the destitute, the corrupt, anyone and everyone, come and enjoy my banquet. Certainly, this was not just talking about how you and I should make dinner plans. It made one thing pretty clear, the message of grace and hope, the message of forgiveness and salvation was not merely for the Jews, the highly educated or religious elites. It was for everyone, equally. Jesus taught them, don’t just invite your wealthy and distinguished friends, invite the lost and the hurting. This is the message for today just as surely as it was for them.

In the church, we often lose sight of those that have made mistakes. It may be a  former member that crossed us or worse. It might be someone who was once a church member that was cast aside for falling from the pedestal they were expected to stay firmly on top of. Perhaps, someone that has a societal blemish of poor judgment or obvious sin. You see, back in the days before Christ, just like now, there were sins that were private, only God knew, and there were sins that were public, everyone knew your story of failure. It always seems like the public sins get ridiculed and harshly pointed out, especially in the church, but the less obvious ones such as pride, lust, envy, or love of power; so many times these stay hidden, without public judgment or scrutiny. What I think Jesus was telling us here was that we are all misfits. I’ll say it differently, we’re all sinners. He didn’t assign a class hierarchy to sin. He invites all of us to His banquet, His grace, His perfect gift of salvation.

So as Christians, and as churches, we need to remember that there is no value greater than another child of God coming to the table of the Gospel. We are all ragamuffins, soiled by our bad choices, our poor performances in life, our hurtful words, and our lack of understanding of perfect love. I speak to me as much as any of you, only Jesus can deliver us from the mess we’ve made. And when we find a table set such as the banquet of salvation that Jesus offers, free for everyone and as simple as a prayer for Him to come in and change our lives, we should leave not one stone unturned trying to find every misfit and ragamuffin we can and show them where to find the bread of life.

Luke 14:15-24 MSG

Another New Year

  It happens every January first. A new year begins, new goals are set, and a whole new chain of events is put into motion. We decide to lose weight or get a new job,  all with the best intentions. Year after year, we look with longing at the opportunity to change something about ourselves. Something that will make life better, or renew our self-image. Perhaps you start a business that you have always wanted to be a part of. I think we can all admit that these agreements that we enter into with ourselves can be overrun by eventual thoughts of doubt and failure. I appreciate that some people succeed in these endeavors to change and or improve,  but more often than not, they fall short of our expectations and leave us feeling like we've let ourselves down. But before you go with me too far down this road of pity and self-depredation, let me share with you one of my favorite verses from the Bible.

Written by the Apostle Paul and paraphrased here in my thoughts, Romans 12, 1-2 goes something like this; 'go out in your everyday life, in everything that you do, eating, working, exercising, playing and all, and do it knowing that you are a child of God. That everything you do should honor that relationship, giving the best that you have, mistakes and all, to Him as a gift of yourself, without holding back. Don't get used to being like everyone else, but keep reminding yourself of that task, to give God your best effort, your most honest behavior, and your unbridled thoughts, even when you fail. If you continue to do that, you will find purpose and peace on the inside. And unlike many of the people that you might know, who when tough times come to them they fall apart, you will have strength and wisdom, that few will understand. You will be at the top of your game because your game will be God's plan for your life.'

Over and over again, Paul spoke about grace. It's important for us to remember that, like human anatomy, we each get our meaning from being part of the whole body, not the other way around. If you separate an arm or a foot from its owner, they don't amount to much more than just incomplete pieces of something greater. So we too are important to each other. In all of our planning to "do better" or "live more healthily" we sometimes forget the value of being genuine with each other and the importance of who we are and whose we are. I know for myself, it is hard to accept the fact that I may have gained more weight than I want to, or cannot see as accurately as I once did. As life moves along, we can become overly aware that we aren't as young as we once were. That we can't run or heal as fast as we used to. And certainly, responsibilities and life circumstances change how we look at ourselves, both positively and negatively. I write to you about this way of thinking because more often than not, we make these deals with ourselves, these resolutions, not based on positive and uplifting goals, but because we feel less than perfect, substandard, or inadequate. But go back to what Paul wrote, do everything that you do in life as if it were a gift to honor God, even when you cannot possibly see a way for God to use it for something good. Don't second guess Him, just keep going and giving your best.

 God's grace does not depend on what we accomplish,

in fact, it doesn't need us at all. 

But what does matter to God is how we accomplish what we do. Is it our best effort? And realize this, sometimes our best still fails. You've heard it said that 'it isn't whether you win or lose, but how you play the game'. That is a life lesson for us to tuck away, and keep for all future reference. Win or lose, resolution kept or not, did you run the race with conviction and purpose? Did you give your gift of 100% effort to your calling? I believe you know the answer to that. And certainly, God knows as well.

Whether your 'new' year is your first year sober, being a new Christian, or striving to be more healthy, we all need to focus on honoring God and each other, when we eat, work, play, and struggle through our lives. That's never an easy thing. I write this as much to myself as I do to you. The difficulty for all of us is in our disbelief in true grace. We know our past and our weaknesses. I believe it is within our nature to realize that there are consequences to actions, both good and bad ones. But the miracle gift of God's grace is very simple. Just ask Him and accept it. 

          So back to our 'new year' scenario. Whatever yours is today, the answer to fulfilling that resolution is believing as Paul wrote; that you are a child of God, believing that He loves you, and if you are willing to live obediently, your life will be changed, forever. I suppose our problem is the obedient part. But here is where the gift of grace comes in. In our failures, God's grace fills the gap. This is how we stay obedient to serving and honoring Him. The pattern here emerges for how to have success in many kinds of resolutions; whether they are to stop smoking, lose weight, find true love, or live a more Christlike life. When we fail, God understands that imperfection in us; through His forgiving grace, He grants us a new beginning, and in our life's journey the chance to begin again. So let us endeavor to give God our best and most grace-centered effort in another new year.

Romans 12: 1-2

#ShoeBoxProphet

Saturday

The Marvel of Hope

During the week of Jesus’ trial and eventual execution by the Romans, He taught through many parables and made predictions of the things to come, both far and near. Most especially, He foretold of His impending death and reminded them that on the third day, He would rise again. No doubt the subject matter of many songs and writings, the events of these three days have become cornerstones of today’s Christianity. Although we have the luxury of historical perspective to aid us in our understanding; the eyewitness accounts of the empty tomb, and the personal testimony of His sightings by many, are numerous and make a great foundation in our faith that He did what He said He would do. We also have historical data that supports the life of a man named Jesus, the Romans recorded His execution, and the type of punishment was in line with the times for Rome and her rivals. The accounts and testimonials during these three days vary slightly from person to person, nevertheless, the narrative remains consistent; However, there may be something in-between Friday and Sunday that we need to consider.

Saturday was a definite day of emotional and spiritual darkness for the followers of Christ. Most of them did not understand the complete salvation story playing out in their very circle. They had heard the predictions and knew of His power to renew and restore, but who would do that for their teacher? That seems like a skeptical and heretical thing to think or say, even now as I write it. Of course, they thought as we would, God would come for His son, but how would that look, and what would it mean to those left behind? Death occurred on Friday, life was predicted for Sunday, but what about Saturday?

The Bible tells us of a man named Abraham. By all accounts Abraham lived a Godly life, trusting God, praying for others, if anyone would be blessed by God it would be him. But year after year his wife, Sarah, was not able to conceive a child. In those days it was imperative to have children to pass along the family history, and sometimes the land or authority of the family name. Especially important, would have been a son, a name bearer, a continuing heir. Abraham had none of that, and I’m sure there were rumors as to why. What sin or terrible thing had they done for God to “punish” them in this way? If you’ll read through their story, this couple went year after year believing in an outcome that would seemingly never arrive. They had gone through much adversity together, their ‘Friday’ of longsuffering and doubts had caused turmoil and confusion. At one point, they took things into their own hands to “help God out”, what a disaster that turned out to be. When Sarah gave her servant Hagar to Abraham so that she could bear him a son, it caused all kinds of suffering in their family, including jealousy, and resentment. And just think, a new dad at 86 years old. When God renewed His promise to Abraham some 13 years later, Abraham laughed at becoming a father at 100 years of age. Yet, God did what He promised, and 99-year-old Sarah had a son, Isaac.

Fast forward a few years later. Can you imagine how proud Abraham was of young Isaac? His first-born son of Sarah, a promise of God fulfilled, and as trials sometimes follow triumph, Abraham was about to experience another biggie. One day, God spoke to Abraham and told him to take his son Isaac to a far-off mountain top where he was to build an altar. He was to supply the wood and the burnt sacrifice to God there in that place, the wood they carried, the sacrifice followed along, in the person of his son, Isaac. Without hesitation, Abraham gathered the supplies necessary for the trip and told Isaac, let's get going, God has called us to make a sacrifice and it’s a long journey, three days the bible tells us. Along the way, young Isaac notices that they have the wood, flint, and knife to slaughter the animal, but no animal. As young children do, he asked his dad about what he thought might be an oversight. ‘Hey dad’ he says, ‘we have everything but the lamb for the sacrifice’. Abraham answers him saying, ‘God will provide’. I cannot imagine the struggle in Abraham's heart at that moment. Believing that obedience to God would not lead to destruction and knowing God had promised to bless his children and the many to come, still his heart must have been heavy. He was certainly in-between his own Friday and Sunday, not knowing what would come next.

Finally, they reach the mountain for the sacrifice, Abraham leaves the helpers and the animals and tells them, ‘We’ll be back after we worship God’. Notice he doesn’t say, ‘I’ll be back? He still has faith that God’s promises are true, and both he and Isaac will return. At this point, I’m not sure how a father goes forward, but the alter is built, the wood is laid into place, and somehow, with words that I cannot find to elaborate, Abraham tells young Isaac that God has called him to be the sacrifice. How can that be? To let go and let God… This is a moment in time that I cannot fathom. Abraham ties up Isaac and lays him on the altar before God, raising the knife, I imagine him with his arms held high and his eyes closed, trusting God, and just as he gives in to obey God’s command, an angel calls out to Abraham. ‘I’m listening’ he says. Don’t hurt Isaac, still your hand and put the knife back in its sheath. God sees your faithful heart, lacking any hesitation to follow His commands, He will pour out blessings to you, and your family will thrive. As promised, God sends a ram, caught in a nearby bush as the final sacrifice. Together, Isaac and Abraham return to their home, Sunday had come. God’s plan had fulfilled itself for both to see, blessed them in their faith, kept Isaac safe, and protected a dad from a heartbreaking decision. God had provided a rescue from a decision and circumstances because of faithfulness.