Do I have your attention?
I bet I do.
Well, it's not what you think. But, I have found out that I do enjoy being naked....before God. It has been a long process for me. I have never really tried to be naked (vulnerable) before God. As I stated in my last post, I have become an expert at playing church. I didn't realize what real living was until I became naked before God, someone with all my faults, failures, and craziness hanging out before a God that already knows what they are.
It is crazy - and unbelievably prideful - for us to think that we can fool God. To play church (in and out of the sanctuary) does damage to our relationship with God. More than that, scripture tells us that God will harshly deal with Christian leaders who misuse their positions. I don't think that warning is just for pastors or church employees. Anyone who is a Christian, is a minister - and when we misuse our positions within the church - or we stand on our Christian soapboxes to do anything but point people to God - we are in danger. Miracles were performed by Jesus in many cities where people were unrepenant. "Then Jesus began to denounce the cities in which most of his miracles had been performed, because they did not repent. 'Woe to you, Korazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida'" (Matthew 2:11:20-21).
We have received grace; we have been forgiven by God (and probably man) - so we have received a miracle - and yet we continue in behaviors that do not glorify God -- but rather us.
“Under the plan God has ordained for the church, leadership is a position of humble, loving service. Church leadership is ministry, not management. Those whom God designates as leaders are called not to be governing monarchs, but humble slaves; not slick celebrities, but laboring servants. Those who would lead God's people must above all exemplify sacrifice, devotion, submission, and lowliness. Jesus Himself gave us the pattern when He stooped to wash His disciples' feet, a task that was customarily done by the lowest of slaves (John 13). If the Lord of the universe would do that, no church leader has a right to think of himself as a bigwig” (Wanted: A Few Good Shepherds (Must Know How to Wash Feet) by John MacArthur).
Working for the church, I often hear people say to me, "Now, I 'm not complaining, but...," or "I'm living in the will, or I'm doing the work of God, I can't understand why these others don't get it." Others? Gosh, why are we looking at others with such disdain and not looking inside us? I am guilty of this too. My Christian platform has often been misused to simply get what I want. My guess is that the same goes for you.
Looking around, I fear that there are many of us who shouldn't be spokespeople for God in our current condition. If anger, retribution, judgment, negative energy, and gossip are our responses to not getting something "our" way in the church --- then I think we are missing the mark. If our response to one negative comment, or one person who makes a suggestion we dislike, or one person doing church a different way than we do --- is to blow our horn loud enough and long enough that other people give in - then we are missing the mark. How dare we blow our horns for any other purpose than to glorify a God who has made us, chosen us, forgiven us, and strengthened us --- despite ourselves. How dare we?
We do have differences in the church. Some of our disagreements are on big social issues that make the news and what scripture has to say, some of our disagreements are about smaller things like what worship should look like at SUMC -- including the furniture! :-) But in all things we should agree on a few "non-negotiables" as my wife would say. She often asks her small group members at the end of an intense discussion or study, "What do we know for sure?" The answers almost always have to do with the essense of who God is - and who he says we are. And that is unifying. We are allowed to disagree, to challenge, and to be challenged - but all of it should be done while assuming the best about one another - and recognizing the work God is doing through other people too.
We need to not get angry and pull away from or mistreat God - or the people he has placed us with.
I feel myself growing and changing through this season. I'm seeing myself for who I am --- probably for the first time in my life. I'm learning to get naked before a God - who has seen it all in the first place. The difference now - is that my offering of nakedness before God doesn't involve shame or fear -- but the simple reality that this is who I am -- and I need help. Maybe we should all be like Naaman in Second Kings 5, and dip in the Jordan seven times. Maybe just maybe that would help us really be cleansed and reflect ho
I bet I do.
Well, it's not what you think. But, I have found out that I do enjoy being naked....before God. It has been a long process for me. I have never really tried to be naked (vulnerable) before God. As I stated in my last post, I have become an expert at playing church. I didn't realize what real living was until I became naked before God, someone with all my faults, failures, and craziness hanging out before a God that already knows what they are.
It is crazy - and unbelievably prideful - for us to think that we can fool God. To play church (in and out of the sanctuary) does damage to our relationship with God. More than that, scripture tells us that God will harshly deal with Christian leaders who misuse their positions. I don't think that warning is just for pastors or church employees. Anyone who is a Christian, is a minister - and when we misuse our positions within the church - or we stand on our Christian soapboxes to do anything but point people to God - we are in danger. Miracles were performed by Jesus in many cities where people were unrepenant. "Then Jesus began to denounce the cities in which most of his miracles had been performed, because they did not repent. 'Woe to you, Korazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida'" (Matthew 2:11:20-21).
We have received grace; we have been forgiven by God (and probably man) - so we have received a miracle - and yet we continue in behaviors that do not glorify God -- but rather us.
“Under the plan God has ordained for the church, leadership is a position of humble, loving service. Church leadership is ministry, not management. Those whom God designates as leaders are called not to be governing monarchs, but humble slaves; not slick celebrities, but laboring servants. Those who would lead God's people must above all exemplify sacrifice, devotion, submission, and lowliness. Jesus Himself gave us the pattern when He stooped to wash His disciples' feet, a task that was customarily done by the lowest of slaves (John 13). If the Lord of the universe would do that, no church leader has a right to think of himself as a bigwig” (Wanted: A Few Good Shepherds (Must Know How to Wash Feet) by John MacArthur).
Working for the church, I often hear people say to me, "Now, I 'm not complaining, but...," or "I'm living in the will, or I'm doing the work of God, I can't understand why these others don't get it." Others? Gosh, why are we looking at others with such disdain and not looking inside us? I am guilty of this too. My Christian platform has often been misused to simply get what I want. My guess is that the same goes for you.
Looking around, I fear that there are many of us who shouldn't be spokespeople for God in our current condition. If anger, retribution, judgment, negative energy, and gossip are our responses to not getting something "our" way in the church --- then I think we are missing the mark. If our response to one negative comment, or one person who makes a suggestion we dislike, or one person doing church a different way than we do --- is to blow our horn loud enough and long enough that other people give in - then we are missing the mark. How dare we blow our horns for any other purpose than to glorify a God who has made us, chosen us, forgiven us, and strengthened us --- despite ourselves. How dare we?
We do have differences in the church. Some of our disagreements are on big social issues that make the news and what scripture has to say, some of our disagreements are about smaller things like what worship should look like at SUMC -- including the furniture! :-) But in all things we should agree on a few "non-negotiables" as my wife would say. She often asks her small group members at the end of an intense discussion or study, "What do we know for sure?" The answers almost always have to do with the essense of who God is - and who he says we are. And that is unifying. We are allowed to disagree, to challenge, and to be challenged - but all of it should be done while assuming the best about one another - and recognizing the work God is doing through other people too.
We need to not get angry and pull away from or mistreat God - or the people he has placed us with.
I feel myself growing and changing through this season. I'm seeing myself for who I am --- probably for the first time in my life. I'm learning to get naked before a God - who has seen it all in the first place. The difference now - is that my offering of nakedness before God doesn't involve shame or fear -- but the simple reality that this is who I am -- and I need help. Maybe we should all be like Naaman in Second Kings 5, and dip in the Jordan seven times. Maybe just maybe that would help us really be cleansed and reflect ho
w much more life can be if we strip off the old and put on a new attitude.
My naked challenge this week:
Get rid of sorrow and put on joy.
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