Rethink Glorifying God

The trouble with saying, “Glorify God” is the language doesn’t fit everyday life. It’s the language of religion. Churchy people love religious mumbo jumbo. But saying, “Glorify God,” doesn’t sound liberating and vibrant to average folk.

But how:

Glorify God by enjoying his provision. Include everything from colors to sensations. Persistently miserable people can’t and don’t glorify God, regardless of what they say.

Those without joy, can’t glorify God.

You powerfully glorify God when you enjoy life even when life hurts. James 1:2 says; consider it joy when adversity or suffering invades (paraphrase). Joyful hearts glorify God.

Respectful language, apart from joyful hearts, dishonors God.

God’s provision reveals Him. Nature, relationships, human capacity, art, and imagination tell us who God is. See His splendor in the snow, for example. But, of course, if you hate life, you hate the one who made you and it’s impossible to glorify Him.

Glorify God by enjoying his person. If you believe God is a heavenly kill-joy, it’s impossible to enjoy Him and impossible to glorify Him.

If you’re a miserable Christian, please find joy or practice some other religion, for God’s sake.

• Take a breath and enjoy it.
• Hold a loved one and find God, again.
• Believe life has purpose even during chaos.

Accept Him:

Joy bubbles up when you accept God for who he is. One way to accept God is to acknowledge His control. Joy drains when you play the role of controller. Perhaps you want to be God, Adam did. But you aren’t. The sooner you get clear on that, the sooner you’ll find joy.

Joy spills into everyday life when you enjoy God’s provision and person. Let’s toss out religious hocus pocus and live joyfully.

Then next time someone says, Glorify God, thinking about living joyfully. Go one step more, let others know you enjoy Him.

P.S. I’m not suggesting that Christians must always be happy. 1Peter 1:6 acknowledges seasons when believers may be in heaviness, to use the KJV translation.

But I Don’t Want to be a Butt

Church people love trying to mold others into acceptability. I hear them complain how others aren’t behaving or thinking “properly.” Arrogance oozes from their words.

I seldom hear Church people explore ways to maximize the strengths of others while minimizing and compensating for their weaknesses. Usually, they want to fix them.

Personal illustration:

I’m skilled at a few things and unskilled at many. Worse than that, my strengths are often weakness, too. I love changing things and hate repeating things, for example. Imaging how troubling that is to Churchy folk who love ritual. (They seldom attend Good News, surprisingly.)

My love for innovation isn’t a fluke. It’s how my Maker made me. Neglecting it insults Him.

Some don’t appreciate change like I do, just like I don’t appreciate sameness like they do.

The choice:

We can celebrate and leverage the difference or we can try molding others into our image, fixing them. The first approach expresses grace and faith; the second approach arrogance and manipulation.

The Body:

If some had their way, the entire Body/Church would be a butt, like they are. But, celebrating difference expands, enhances, and elevates the Body. We are members of each other. Hands don’t smell and noses don’t see.

Butt Christians:

1. Think they have all the gifts.
2. Believe everyone should be butts.
3. Know the best way to do everything.
4. Don’t accept or share their weaknesses.
5. Work to mold others into butts.

Back to me:

The downside of innovation is instability. I tolerate ambiguity.  Actually, I love it. Forget fixing me. I ain’t broke. However, all innovation is like a Church that’s all butt. That’s why I must embrace those different from me.

Belonging:

Everyone wants to belong. The only way everyone belongs is by:

1. Building transparent relationships.
2. Celebrating diversity.
3. Maximizing strengths.
4. Compensating for weaknesses.
5. Aligning around shared mission and vision.

Why So Much Self-Righteousness

I often see self-righteous believers who think they are better than others. I’m not proud of it, but I’ve felt that way too.

Worse yet, unbelievers often complain that Christians are self-righteous – holier than thou – people.

How do we get that reputation?

We become self-righteous when we reject faith and grace and embrace law and works. Legalists are always arrogant. Grace always humbles.

Justification:

Even if you don’t feel it, all believers are declared righteous – JUSTIFIED. God’s declaration of your righteousness isn’t a fiction. He’s not closing his eyes and pretending. Justification isn’t a fairy-tale  It’s a validated verdict by God the judge. (Rom. 3:23-25)

How many of your sins has Jesus taken away? Is your guilty conscience greater than God’s verdict? Can you accept what God says?

Justification is a grace-benefit received by faith alone. It’s not a behavior-based benefit like rewards.

Self-justification:

Even though justification is a grace-benefit, nearly everyone feels a need to earn it. Jesus says there are two attributes of those who validate their own righteousness.

Two qualities of the Self-Righteous:

First, they look down their noses at others.

Second, they compare themselves with those they deem less worthy.

Read Luke 18:9-14 to get the word from the horse’s mouth.

Self-justification – self-righteousness – forces you to find a point of comparison below yourself. You need to compare yourself with someone less worthy in order to feel better about yourself.

Condemning:

Who has judged you as “less worthy?” I’ll tell you who judges me, Christians. Sure, there are a few unbelievers who love to gossip and put down. But, by far, it’s people who claim to be Christians who are putting other Christians down.

Why do we condemn? If Jesus is right, we are self-validating, self-righteous Pharisees.

Note: There is a difference between thinking someone is wrong and using their wrongness as a point of self-righteousness.

There is No Merit in Unmerited Favor

Merit badges are great when it comes to awards for achievement in Scouting. But, merit is repulsive when it comes to grace.

Any benefit received from God based on behavior – merit – is not a grace-benefit. ALL grace-benefits are irrevocable gifts received by faith alone.

Grace always comes before and excludes the recognition of behavior or works. It cannot take into account our evil deeds or our good works. Grace is UNmerited on the good side and the bad.

If God extended grace to you because of some good work, you would take credit for His grace. Something He’ll never allow anyone to do. Especially you.

There is no, if you do this for me,
then I’ll do that for you, in grace.

Works and grace:

If you say, “God did this for me because I did that for Him,” it’s not a grace-benefit. It’s merited benefit.

Rewards are always earned by works. Grace-benefits are always, only received by faith alone.

Result:

Grace is always disruptive; even disorienting to the legalist that lives within. Even as I type this, my inner legalist is grasping for something more concrete than grace to grab hold of. Something that satisfies my arrogant need to compensate God for His goodness.

Pride needs to feel like it deserves things. But, grace never considers what’s deserved.

Grace-benefits include:

1. Nearness
2. Justification
3. Reconciliation
4. Spiritual gifts
5. Access

Grace frees; legalism obligates.

Grace enables the Christian life. We never begin living the Christian life until we realize we don’t have to.

Religious legalists have one goal in mind, controlling God – getting Him to do what we want – to “bless” us. In this regard, religious practices are nauseating manipulation.

Response:

Grace is an expression of God’s love. Live up to love not down to law.

Living up to love is loving in return.

Believers Always Move Second

Obedience is never a standalone thing. Life would be simpler if it was.

Obedience, from a Christian point of view, is only meaningful as an expression of love. Jesus put it this way, “If you love me, you will keep my commandments.” I’ll say the opposite. If you don’t love Him, don’t bother. Oh, go ahead and still lead a “good” life. But…

It’s degrading and insulting to call
obedience without love Christian living.

Paul explains the centrality of love when he explains that love gives meaning and worth to everything we do. On the other hand, without love it doesn’t matter what we do. (1Cor 13:1-3)

But how can we love Jesus?

The Bible’s one answer to loving Jesus is be loved by him. The reason we don’t know the love of God is we cling to self-sufficiency. We wrongly hope we can earn God’s love. It’s hard to be loved for no good reason.

Brokenness lets love in; sufficiency keeps it out.

The believer’s first privilege.

God always moves first, especially when it comes to love. God loves us before we love him. God loves us because of himself not because of us. It’s our privilege to believe in God’s unimaginable love.

The believer’s second privilege.

Christians always move second – in response. Our second moves are called many things, worship, gratitude and in 1 John 5:3, obedience. “This is love for God: to obey his commands. And his commands are not burdensome.”

Love transforms obedience from burden to privilege.

Religious systems are evil when the focus on conformity and compliance while leaving out what really matters.

Do You Serve or are You a Servant

Service is about who you are not what you do.

When serving is something you do, service becomes an optional point of convenience or inconvenience. People who “do service” check their schedules, timelines, and agendas before serving. Leaders convince, cajole, or guilt people who “do service” into serving.

When serving is who you are, service is the only option.

Servants aren’t inconvenienced by service. The only question is, “Where is your most useful place of service.” Servants never ask “if” they should serve, only “where.”

Jesus didn’t simply perform acts of service. He was a servant.

Philippians 2:5–7 (NIV84) ⁵ Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: ⁶ Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, ⁷ but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness.

Grasping:

Jesus didn’t grasp for high position. He made himself low. What are you grasping? Do you grasp to be like God? Adam did. Or, are you making yourself nothing.

The God who made the world from nothing can make something of you.

Free to serve:

Jesus’ serves us so we can serve each other.

John 13:5 (NIV84) ⁵ After that (after dinner and before the crucifixion), he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around him.

John 13:14 (NIV84) ¹⁴ Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, …

It’s normal to complete verse 14, “You wash my feet.” But that’s not how servants operate. Jesus actually said, “Wash one another’s feet.”

His service frees us to serve.

Think how Jesus served the unworthy. Servants don’t embrace the worthy and ignore the unworthy because serving is who they are not what what they do. Legalism makes us serve. Grace makes us servants.

The Day I Heard Dad Sing

My dad was a quiet man; not weak, just quiet. We had his funeral yesterday, June 28, 2012 at 1 p.m. He was 84.

He trusted Jesus at the funeral of his best friend, Gene Niles, about 40 years ago. I remember the day when he walked to the front during the public invitation, knelt down and became a believer.

It was one of the few times he spontaneously embraced me. The only person he persistently expressed affection to was mom and he did it a lot.  I’m not complaining. We never doubted dad’s love.

One summer morning, when I was a teenager and dad was finishing the chores in the milk room, (the place we kept all the milking equipment). I heard dad sing. It was early yet and I was just waking up. From across the driveway I heard a god-awful baritone voice belting out, “Amazing Grace…”

He sang like no one could hear. But I did. Now that I think about it, he was probably singing to God.

I checked with family and friends; no one ever heard dad sing, ever. And, I never mentioned it to him.

He was a regular at church but during the singing his lips never moved. You might have thought he didn’t love Jesus or that he had no passion.

Truth is the quiet man from Maine – the man I call dad – was passionate about grace. Over the years, with typical tenacity, he studied grace. We talked about it, from time to time. He didn’t run around like a cheerleader; he lived it. Grace touched him and set him free.

The same passion he brought to his work he brought to Jesus. Even though he worked harder than anyone I ever knew, he always faithfully served. Grace changed him.

I’ll never forget the day I heard dad sing “Amazing Grace …”

Grace, Transparency, and Fullness

Intimacy dies where fakery prevails. Legalism creates emptiness because it blocks transparency.

Last night the Good News Ladies powerful illustrated freedom in grace. From different sides of the circle they shared favorite passages of Scripture. But, what makes a favorite a favorite?

Suffering, stress, or tension lift Bible verses to favorite status. Our weaknesses give value to truths that strengthen. The best way to explain a favorite passage of Scripture is to share the frailty it answers.

The beauty of grace is it frees us to acknowledge our frailties. In our weakness, His strength has meaning.

The path to an empty relationship with God is paved with competence and strength. But, the path to richness is on the well-worn trail of inadequacy, incompetence, and falling short.

You never get there till you know you can’t make it.

The Myth of Distance

Walk into church on a Sunday morning and it’s likely you’ll hear a message of self-improvement, good works, and moral development. All three are fine but they never bring anyone nearer to God, ever.

Unbelievers, atheists, and infidels – people who are our friends not the enemy – can improve themselves, engage in good works, and learn not to lie. That doesn’t make them Christians, far from it. Many Christians are shocked to hear that Christianity isn’t morality, it’s Jesus only.

No distance:

Doing something to close the distance between God and man is irrelevant and repugnant.

It’s irrelevant because there’s no distance between an unbeliever and Jesus. He couldn’t be nearer or more available. They may feel distant but He is not. They may reject Jesus but Jesus hasn’t rejected them. There is no “far” or “near” when it comes to becoming a believer. There is only faith.

It’s repugnant to think we can close the distance between God. It insults Jesus by devaluing His work on the cross. Satan must love it when religious knuckle-heads undermine the work of Jesus by working to reform sinners. Dry drunks, apart from Jesus, are just as lost as wet ones.

Apply:

Does the message of the gospel for sinners still apply to us after we’ve become believers? Or does it mystically change? After believing, do we maintain nearness by our goodness and lose it when we’re bad?

Truth is, when believers run from Jesus, He runs after them – think Peter. If they persist in running, He anxiously waits for them – think the Prodigal.

Arrogance:

It’s our arrogance and doubt that motivate us to believe nearness depends on good works, self-improvement, and morality.

Daily faith:

Step back and trust Him again today. Don’t think you’re becoming a Christian again. Think you’re being a Christian anew. Humbling isn’t it?

Breaking Free from Barrenness to Fruitfullness

^“ … the worries of the world, … choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful.” Mk. 4:19 (NASB)

Worry makes you barren.

Caring deeply:

It’s a mistake to believe all worry is wrong. Worry – as in caring deeply – is useful. We need more believers who worry about eternal issues. Paul said he “worried” – felt anxiety – for the churches. (2Cor. 11:28)

Good worries make us fruitful.
Bad worries make us unfruitful.

Negative worries:

Over and over I’ve seen distraction create barrenness. I’ve seen believers distracted from fruitfulness by trying to make others happy or concern over what others think while neglecting the good that’s in their hearts.

Churches aren’t fruitful because their leaders worry about pleasing the wrong person. Show me leaders who run around worrying about making others happy and I’ll show you unfruitful worry warts. They’ll stress-out over trivialities and neglect greater issues like telling people about Jesus! Preach it!

Barrenness comes from:

1. Pursuing success.
2. Craving approval.
3. Greed for money.
4. Hunger for power.
5. Needing respect.

Worry is concern over things to the point of distraction.

Positive worries:

1. Pleasing Jesus. Thankfully pleasing Jesus may include pleasing others, especially sinners.
2. Serving.
3. Giving .
4. Enabling.
5. Respecting.

Barren:

You may be barren because you’re an ignorant jerk. However, you may be unfruitful because worry distracts you from eternal issues.

Ultimately you’re barren because worry distracts you from your relationship with Jesus (Jn. 15). Every time we center on life’s circumstances, success, or pleasing people while neglecting Jesus we step toward barrenness. All of life is about a person. Circumstances only matter in the context of knowing Jesus.

Freedom for fruitfulness happens when we let go of negative worry and begin worrying about our relationship with Jesus.

What worries do you see that create barrenness in believers lives?

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