The Bible makes a big deal about how we use our minds. Christ commands us (quoting Deuteronomy) to love the Lord with all of our mind. The stuff that we put into our minds has a lasting affect on the way we live or lives.
Colossians 3:2 says to, "Set your mind on things above, not on things that are on the earth." I believe that Paul is (as is his usual custom) comparing those things which are of the flesh (and temporary) with those things which are of the Spirit (and are eternal). Paul is encouraging us to SET our minds on those things which are eternal. Setting is an act of the will. This implies two things: 1.We do have a choice as to where we focus our attention, and 2.We do have the ability to focus our attention on the right things. We are not hopeless victims of circumstance (no matter how bad the circumstance). We can choose to have faith, exhibit patience, and embrace love for others regardless of the distractions around us.
Have you ever had an amazing worship or spiritual experience? Have you ever wished it would just last forever? Do you wonder why it doesn't? Now I'm sure that experiences are not made to last (just read 1 Corinthians 13 - these things will all pass away with time). But I believe there is an element of encouragement, contentment, joy, and peace that we receive from communion with God and other believers that IS intended to last. So, how do we maintain this?
Think of it this way: When we leave a place of worship (or a mindset of worship) and immediately begin to joke around with our friends about earthly things, particularly things that border on sin, we begin to set our minds on things related to this earth, things that are temporary. It is no doubt that our heavenly vision is blurred when we so quickly allow our gaze to return to damnable and destructive thoughts and conversations. I've seen it a thousand times... even in my own life.
I used to go to a worship service in Atlanta called 7:22. On Tuesday nights we would have some of the most amazing times of worship together with other believers. But only ten minutes after these services, at the local Steak-and-Shake, I would find myself indulging in conversation littered with (at best) pop-culture nonsense and (at worst) godless chatter.
Now I don't mean to be a fuddy-dud (not sure on the correct spelling there :). It's not like we can constantly be quoting Scripture to one another or in a state of prayer. I'm not sure God desires that we be, as one person said, "so heavenly minded that we are no earthly good." The point is really about our mindset. Is our Father, Christ, and the Holy Spirit always invited wherever our minds, mouths, and feet take us? OR, are there parts of our lives from which we try to keep them away?
Can I really spend 6 hours in front of a TV or Computer Screen and remain focused on the Gospel? Can someone really spend a whole day playing video games and remain in communion with the Father? Can I really speak harmfully to a brother or sister in Christ and expect God to hear my prayers? Can someone constantly engage in a fleshly lifestyle and expect to find rewards in heaven?
"For the mind set on the flesh is death, but the mind set on the Spirit is life and peace." -Romans 8:6
I don't know about you, but my goal is find and keep that life and that peace.
In Christ,
Andy
Thursday, July 29, 2010
Wednesday, July 21, 2010
Obedience IS Love
In Matthew 22:37, Jesus said that the greatest commandment is to LOVE GOD with all that we are. 1 John 3:16 tells us that WE KNOW WHAT LOVE IS because of Jesus' sacrificial death on the cross. John 3:16 helps us to know that GOD LOVES THE WHOLE WORLD so much that He sent Jesus to make that sacrifice so that we would not be condemned but accepted as sons and daughters of God.
And then... in John 14:15 Jesus says a strange thing: "If you love me, you will keep my commandments."
I honestly expected Him to say, "If you love me you'll have great affection for me." And I expected this because of the culture in which I live. My culture tells me that love is equivalent with emotion and affection. It also doesn't help that one of my primary means of expressing love is through affection. I love to cuddle with Chloe and kiss on Heather and wrestle with Eduke. So much of what LOVE is to me is affection, and, I don't believe that there is anything outright wrong with this.
But Jesus said that when we think of expressing love toward Him, the primary means (at least in this passage) is not affection or emotion, but obedience. I'm not sure that I get this completely, until I start looking at those passages above again.
If the greatest commandment is to LOVE GOD, and the second, which is to love our neighbors as ourselves, is "like unto it," then the two are undoubtedly deeply connected. There is no command of God that does not fall under the realms of Loving God and Loving others. And so, our obedience to the commands of God are part and parcel with love itself.
1 John 3:16 and John 3:16 recound the sacrifice of Christ that has brought us life. I don't know for certain, but I do not see affection as the greatest reason for Christ's decision to allow Himself to be captured and tortured to death. For certain, I know that His affections for us were greater than we can imagine as he hung there and cried "forgive them, for they know not what they do," but in the end it was obedience to the Father that drove Him to the cross. Love and obedience were one in the same.
And so, Jesus tells us that to love Him is to obey Him. This should be comforting for us whose emotions seem to run rampant at times. In those hours when affection for the Father seems the farthest thing from our minds, obedience to the Father is still more than possible. And when simple obedience is all that we can muster day in and day out, maybe for months on end, we can remember that Jesus says this IS LOVE for Him.
Of course, I probably need to clarify a bit. Obedience with a rotten attitude is not true obedience, and, in my opinion, we should always strive to maintain our affection for the Lord. All I am saying is that we need not equate affection and emotion with love, especially when it comes to our relationship with God. Great moments of closeness are needed and appreciated bonuses, but they are not requirements.
Brothers and Sisters, let us learn to OBEY understanding that OBEDIENCE... IS... LOVE.
In Christ,
Andy
And then... in John 14:15 Jesus says a strange thing: "If you love me, you will keep my commandments."
I honestly expected Him to say, "If you love me you'll have great affection for me." And I expected this because of the culture in which I live. My culture tells me that love is equivalent with emotion and affection. It also doesn't help that one of my primary means of expressing love is through affection. I love to cuddle with Chloe and kiss on Heather and wrestle with Eduke. So much of what LOVE is to me is affection, and, I don't believe that there is anything outright wrong with this.
But Jesus said that when we think of expressing love toward Him, the primary means (at least in this passage) is not affection or emotion, but obedience. I'm not sure that I get this completely, until I start looking at those passages above again.
If the greatest commandment is to LOVE GOD, and the second, which is to love our neighbors as ourselves, is "like unto it," then the two are undoubtedly deeply connected. There is no command of God that does not fall under the realms of Loving God and Loving others. And so, our obedience to the commands of God are part and parcel with love itself.
1 John 3:16 and John 3:16 recound the sacrifice of Christ that has brought us life. I don't know for certain, but I do not see affection as the greatest reason for Christ's decision to allow Himself to be captured and tortured to death. For certain, I know that His affections for us were greater than we can imagine as he hung there and cried "forgive them, for they know not what they do," but in the end it was obedience to the Father that drove Him to the cross. Love and obedience were one in the same.
And so, Jesus tells us that to love Him is to obey Him. This should be comforting for us whose emotions seem to run rampant at times. In those hours when affection for the Father seems the farthest thing from our minds, obedience to the Father is still more than possible. And when simple obedience is all that we can muster day in and day out, maybe for months on end, we can remember that Jesus says this IS LOVE for Him.
Of course, I probably need to clarify a bit. Obedience with a rotten attitude is not true obedience, and, in my opinion, we should always strive to maintain our affection for the Lord. All I am saying is that we need not equate affection and emotion with love, especially when it comes to our relationship with God. Great moments of closeness are needed and appreciated bonuses, but they are not requirements.
Brothers and Sisters, let us learn to OBEY understanding that OBEDIENCE... IS... LOVE.
In Christ,
Andy
Thursday, July 8, 2010
Means and Ends
It's so hard for believers to continually remind ourselves that life is not about destinations or even really about the journey but rather the One with whom we are walking. How often we must insult our Lord when this or that accomplishment or activity is out in front of us and we give that thing prominence in our lives. All of a sudden we make God (who should be the end/goal/aim) into our means and the thing (which is, in the eternal perspective, most irrelevant) into the goal or the end. I struggle with this daily.
Undoubtedly, this is the reason for so much discontentment in our lives. It is the reason for such a lack of peace, joy, and contentment. When the only Source of peace, joy, and contentment is degraded to become used as a tool, we will only find disappointment.
May we seek to keep our relationship with Christ at the center of our purpose. May we stop allowing ourselves to simply use Him as a means to our own ends. May we deny all else for the sake of knowing Him and the power of His resurrection and sharing in the fellowship of His sufferings (see Philippians 3:10).
In Christ,
Andy
Undoubtedly, this is the reason for so much discontentment in our lives. It is the reason for such a lack of peace, joy, and contentment. When the only Source of peace, joy, and contentment is degraded to become used as a tool, we will only find disappointment.
May we seek to keep our relationship with Christ at the center of our purpose. May we stop allowing ourselves to simply use Him as a means to our own ends. May we deny all else for the sake of knowing Him and the power of His resurrection and sharing in the fellowship of His sufferings (see Philippians 3:10).
In Christ,
Andy
Tuesday, July 6, 2010
A Glimpse of the Invisible Church: Missions
Ever been on a mission trip? Ever been on one where you didn't know anyone else there? Those may just be the best kind. All comforts have been removed, even social ones. It's on trips like these that I think I've gotten a glimpse of the true, what Augustine called "invisible," church. On a couple of trips I've been with people from all over the country. Different cultures, different perspectives, and different experiences that they brought to the table. I find it enlightening to think about how much unity there was in such a diverse group. Kindness and grace was abundant. It seems as if everyone was just looking for ways to encourage and find the good in their teammates.
But on one particularly long trip I found that within 5 weeks or so we began to get comfortable with each other. Then small irritations started happening, followed by conflicts. Now, I'm not so idealistic as to think that we can rid the human race (or even the church) of selfish conflict, but I think there is an important lesson to be had in this story.
Whatever our individual motivations, when the trip began, we were thinking of our other teammates. How can we encourage? How can we learn about them? What do they like/dislike? Who is this person? And, in affect, almost subconsciously we were NOT thinking about ourselves by being genuinely interested in others.
What if we could capture this same grace and encouragement in the local church? What if our inclinations were toward considering others before ourselves when we met together as the body of Christ?
My experience has been that some truly do exhibit such a Christlike attitude while others find the frailty of other believers too disappointing and either (in most cases) disconnect from true, meaningful relationships, or they become cold and contentious. It is a sad reality that much of the church today is missing out on one of the most fulfilling activities God has ever created. It's Acts 2 fellowship. It's selfless and truly loving.
Brothers and sisters, let us take on this attitude of Christ and speak to one another with love that comes out of a pure heart. If you've never experienced such relationships, I would challenge you (no matter your age) to go on a mission trip that takes you away from all your comforts, especially your social ones. Then come home and live it out in your local body of believers.
In Christ,
Andy
But on one particularly long trip I found that within 5 weeks or so we began to get comfortable with each other. Then small irritations started happening, followed by conflicts. Now, I'm not so idealistic as to think that we can rid the human race (or even the church) of selfish conflict, but I think there is an important lesson to be had in this story.
Whatever our individual motivations, when the trip began, we were thinking of our other teammates. How can we encourage? How can we learn about them? What do they like/dislike? Who is this person? And, in affect, almost subconsciously we were NOT thinking about ourselves by being genuinely interested in others.
What if we could capture this same grace and encouragement in the local church? What if our inclinations were toward considering others before ourselves when we met together as the body of Christ?
My experience has been that some truly do exhibit such a Christlike attitude while others find the frailty of other believers too disappointing and either (in most cases) disconnect from true, meaningful relationships, or they become cold and contentious. It is a sad reality that much of the church today is missing out on one of the most fulfilling activities God has ever created. It's Acts 2 fellowship. It's selfless and truly loving.
Brothers and sisters, let us take on this attitude of Christ and speak to one another with love that comes out of a pure heart. If you've never experienced such relationships, I would challenge you (no matter your age) to go on a mission trip that takes you away from all your comforts, especially your social ones. Then come home and live it out in your local body of believers.
In Christ,
Andy
Sunday, July 4, 2010
Serve One Another in Love
My mother always says, "If you're ever down and discouraged, go do something for someone else." I think she got this quote from her mother, and I hope my children get it from me.
Serving someone else truly is the best medicine, and not just for the other person, but especially for ourselves. When we choose to give of our time or resources for the good of another person, something otherworldly happens, another is cared for, and our spirits are lifted. This doesn't completely make sense to me. My tendency, when struggling with a question or fear, is to turn inward. I like to lock myself in my studio or go back to sleep. But, more often than not, this only compounds the problem.
The mind is limited in its understanding. The reality is that not all of our doubts and fears will receive sufficient answers, particularly in the moment we desire them most. Our emotions also are very limited. They can be a great friend in times of joy or an incredible hindrance during a struggle. But serving another person, loving as Christ loved, seems to supersede the limitations of both the mind and the emotions. Love brings clarity to the mind and balance to the emotions.
I think this is what Paul was hinting at when he said in Galatians 5:13:
"For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. For the whole law is fulfilled in one word: 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.'"
Serving someone else truly is the best medicine, and not just for the other person, but especially for ourselves. When we choose to give of our time or resources for the good of another person, something otherworldly happens, another is cared for, and our spirits are lifted. This doesn't completely make sense to me. My tendency, when struggling with a question or fear, is to turn inward. I like to lock myself in my studio or go back to sleep. But, more often than not, this only compounds the problem.
The mind is limited in its understanding. The reality is that not all of our doubts and fears will receive sufficient answers, particularly in the moment we desire them most. Our emotions also are very limited. They can be a great friend in times of joy or an incredible hindrance during a struggle. But serving another person, loving as Christ loved, seems to supersede the limitations of both the mind and the emotions. Love brings clarity to the mind and balance to the emotions.
I think this is what Paul was hinting at when he said in Galatians 5:13:
"For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. For the whole law is fulfilled in one word: 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.'"
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