Shaped By The Word (Thursday) – Hebrews 4:12-13

 

Shaped by the Word —Hebrews 4:12-13

 For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart. And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are open and laid bare to the eyes of Him with whom we have to do. (NASB)

Hebrews 4:12 is as meaningful as any verse in scripture to me. As a new believer, I memorized it, and since, it has affected everything that has followed in my walk with Christ.  I was (and I remain) fascinated by the idea of a living word. In a dying world, could there be anything more relevant?

When I became a Christian in 1976, I was not a reader. I had only read a few books in my life. My intellect was awakened at the same time my spirit was. The bible was the first book I read with any kind of absorbed interest. When I read it, it was as though my heart stood to attention, saluted and said, “amen.”

However, my “amen” caught in my throat when I encountered this passage. When I read these verses, my earnest yet naive heart paused and thought, “Wait a second Father. What’s the need for a sword?  Remember, I surrendered. I am holding nothing back. Could you please point that thing in the other direction? Somebody might get hurt here.”  It turns out this thought was as naive as Peter’s: “Lord, with You I am ready to go both to prison and to death!” Here is how the Message says it:

 God means what he says. What he says goes. His powerful Word is sharp as a surgeon’s scalpel, cutting through everything, whether doubt or defense, laying us open to listen and obey. Nothing and no one is impervious to God’s Word. We can’t get away from it—no matter what.

I liked the sword analogy better than the scalpel. I was going to wield that sword of truth and enter into manly warfare. The idea of a scalpel seems to have a different implication. I discovered as I walked on with Christ that He was endeavoring to make me into His likeness and that in spite of my new nature in Christ, there were thoughts and intentions, doubts and defenses imbedded in my heart that only a skillful surgeon and His scalpel could access. I have come to believe that to call Jesus Lord is in essence to say, “Lord, you have permission to operate on my heart at any time you deem necessary.”

While His Word is a comfort and an encouragement, it also exposes my own agenda. I have been shocked and humbled at how frequently (as in—always) my motives contain a little something in it for me. His Word’s living nature exposes death even in its most subtle (but no less deadly) disguises. I have discovered that I can be as unlike Christ in my motivation behind a hidden sexual sin as I can in leading worship.

Perhaps the most death-infected and recurring thought—which He has had to operate on over the years—is my insistence that I have no secrets or hidden things in my heart. And the Lord says, “Really? Be still. This will only hurt for a second.” And the surgeon proceeds:

 And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are open and laid bare to the eyes of Him with whom we have to do.

It is a game-changing revelation when it dawns on us that nothing we think or do can be hidden from Him, not even our motives—where the maturing disciples know the scalpel is most apt to incise. This awareness can be a source of ongoing humility, knowing that we are powerless to hide from Him. No matter where we are or what we are doing, we are laid bare. Those intimate with Him know, always: It is with Him whom we have to do.

Father—however holy or unholy we perceive ourselves, however close or far from You we imagine ourselves to be—let the Spirit and the Word expose our silly and sinful ideas that exalt themselves above Your loving Truth. Whether it’s Your rod and staff or Your scalpel, help our hearts come to rest in Your comprehensive love and care for us. Amen.

 

 

Shaped By The Word (Wednesday) – Joshua 1:1-9

 

Shaped by the Word – Joshua 1:1-9

 The Lord spoke to Joshua, saying, “Moses My servant is dead; now therefore arise, cross this Jordan, you and all this people, to the land which I am giving to them. Every place on which the sole of your foot tread…will be your territory. No man will be able to stand before you all the days of your life. Just as I have been with Moses, I will be with you; I will not fail you or forsake you. Be strong and courageous, for you shall give this people possession of the land which I swore to their fathers to give them. Only be strong and very courageous; be careful to do according to all the law; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, so that you may have success wherever you go. This book of the law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it; for then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have success. Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous! Do not tremble or be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”

For Joshua, it was Canaan, the land of promise. For the believer it’s the kingdom of God. To us both, God says, “With your minds saturated with My words and your wills committed to them, go. Possess the land and establish My dominion. Your enemies will flee before you. Put them to flight. I will be your constant companion so do not fear your opponents. Go. Be strong and courageous. Validate my promises. Vindicate my words.” To us both, He says,You are great. Go and be great.”

I wonder if God isn’t also saying, “Moses’ and Billy Graham’s time has past. It is time for you to arise and recognize your destiny. Christ in you equips you with the promises I made to these men and more. Envision the earth responding to my words, seeing Me as Lord. Lock arms with your tribe—those I am connecting you to—and help each other to recognize and represent My kingdom. Moses and Joshua longed to see the new covenant I have given you—this door into My kingdom. You are the Church. Everywhere you go you shall be My Church. Through you, light and truth will put fear into the enemy’s heart. Keep thinking and praying, “Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.”

I could not help but think of the lyrics to Josh Garrels’ song “White Owl.”

When the night comes

And you don’t know which way to go

Through the shadow lands and forgotten paths,

You will find a road

Like an owl you must fly by moonlight with an open eye

And use your instinct as a guide, to navigate the ways that lay before you,

You were born to

take the greatest flight

Like a serpent and a dove, you will have wisdom born of love

To carry visions from above into the places no man dares to follow

Every hollow in the dark of night

Waiting for the light

Take the flame tonight

Child, the time has come for you to go

You will never be alone

Every dream that you have been shown

Will be like living stone

Building you into a home

A shelter from the storm

Like a messenger of peace, the beauty waits to be released

Upon the sacred path you keep,

leading deeper into the unveiling

As your sailing, across the great divide

Like a wolf at midnight howls,

You use your voice in darkest hours

To break the silence and the power,

Holding back the others from their glory

Every story will be written soon
The blood is on the moon

Morning will come soon

Child the time has come for you to go

You will never be alone

Every dream that you have been shown

Will be like living stone

Building you into a home

A shelter from the storm

From where we are to where we are going, there will be a divide of darkness we must navigate that will require the Word and the Spirit. We will find the way. Our destiny is to take this greatest of all paths. The kingdom dreams that have been planted in our hearts will find expression, connecting us to each other as a shelter of safety for whatever is to come. As messengers of peace with our love-born wisdom, we shall call each other out into our appointed glory.

Father, reveal this part of our stories to the world, demonstrating the incomparable superiority of Your kingdom to any competing principality or power. Awaken us to the glory within. Help us to see ourselves as You see us. Amen.

 

 

Shaped by the Word (Tuesday)—Psalm 119:1-16

Shaped by the Word – Psalm 119:1-16

 How blessed are those whose way is blameless, 

Who walk in the law of the Lord. 

How blessed are those who observe His testimonies, 

Who seek Him with all their heart. 

They also do no unrighteousness;

They walk in His ways. 

You have ordained Your precepts,

That we should keep them diligently. 

Oh that my ways may be established

To keep Your statutes! 

Then I shall not be ashamed 

When I look upon all Your commandments.

I shall give thanks to You with uprightness of heart, 

When I learn Your righteous judgments. 

I shall keep Your statutes; 

Do not forsake me utterly!

           

How can a young man keep his way pure? 

By keeping it according to Your word. 

With all my heart I have sought You; 

Do not let me wander from Your commandments. 

Your word I have treasured in my heart, 

That I may not sin against You.

Blessed are You, O Lord; teach me Your statutes. 

With my lips I have told of all the ordinances of Your mouth. 

I have rejoiced in the way of Your testimonies, 

As much as in all riches. 

I will meditate on Your precepts 

And regard Your ways. 

I shall delight in Your statutes; 

I shall not forget Your word.

With poetic passion an unknown psalmist preaches, prays and vows with all his heart to abide in God’s word. In this longest chapter of scripture, the statutes and law that are referred to are the Torah. I like to imagine what this author would have said had he been present when the Word became flesh and dwelt among us. With the new covenant as the backdrop I believe he might have said something to this effect:

Oh Lord, that You have made me blameless in Your sight,

Inviting me into Your most holy presence,

Has dumbfounded my heart.

That You Yourself have become my great high priest

Is far more than I could have ever anticipated.

This is such a glorious surprise!

This new heart You gave me is spirit-compatible with Your Word.

How utterly blessed I have become having Christ to explain You to me.

When I ponder these things, I am filled with wonder, boldness and joy.

All Your precious words I am treasuring in my heart.

My heart has been made wealthy in You.

Your words are my daily feast and the product of my lips.

I dwelling in You? You dwelling in Me?

Astonishing.

Oh Lord, may the outward expressions of my life

Reflect the untold inner-wealth of my heart.

I am in awe of You. I am in love with You.

Father, please awaken the native hunger of our new hearts for Your Word. Help us to learn to feed ourselves, to personally discover and celebrate the blessed reality of our circumstance with You. I do celebrate You, Lord! Thank You that You will never leave nor forsake me. Amen.

 

 

 

Shaped By The Word ( Monday) – Colossians 3:12-17

Shaped By The Word – Colossians 3:12-17

 Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body; and be thankful. Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you, with all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with thankfulness in your hearts to God. Whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father.

Most Christians know George Barna’s name as it has been made popular through his statistics. They have little good to say about the trends in the Religion of Western Christianity: RWC. Although I am drifting, I am inescapably a part of the Oklahoma Synod of the RWC (RWCOS on our placards). Being a life-member of the RWCOS I have had the opportunity to observe our culture, and I do not take issue with Mr. Barna’s stats. As to his reports, however, I believe that if we can read them and weep, there is hope.

Through what lens would the RWC Christians George Barna polls interpret this passage and answer this question: “How do you let the word of Christ richly dwell within you?” It would naturally be through the lens of our experience. So, we RWC rank and file might answer Mr. Barna, “I let Christ’s word richly dwell within me by listening to my pastor’s sermons, by listening to teachers on TV and radio and by studying my Bible.” Some may even say, “by memorizing scripture.” But to discover what Paul truly meant, isn’t it important to know what this statement meant to the Colossian—who had no Bible, no concept of a paid staff, no concept of practically everything we consider essential to doing Christianity?

It is probable that the first words of Christ heard by the Colossians were from Epaphras, who likely was converted by Paul when he was teaching in Ephesus. The word of Christ came to them in the form of a transformed man and his story. Without the advantages (advantages?) of modern travel, mass communication, and structures with stadium capacity, the New Testament church was left with the primitive, yet obviously effective, means of a stripped down Gospel of Christ crucified and Him resurrected and the story of those whose lives it had transformed. Oh yes, there was also the power of God.

Where modern Christianity depends mostly on a pastor, his staff, and the programs they administer, the New Testament church depended mostly on each other and the simplicity of a fuller and simpler Gospel. Those Mr. Barna interviews probably look at the primitive church and think, “Oh, what the ancients could have accomplished if only they could have enjoyed the advantages we have in accomplishing the Great Commission.” The reality that seems to be escaping us is that the New Testament church and its simple stories and its simple Gospel turned the world upside down. The Barna Group on the other hand is reporting the world has turned the church upside down.

If this is true (and I acknowledge that many would posit that it is not), what are we to do? It seems obvious that we each need to have a story. Like Epaphras, we need to be able to give an account to our neighbors and family of the new hope within us. People don’t want us to invite them to church to hear someone else tell them about Christ. They want to see and hear of the resurrected Christ in our lives.  Are those outside the Church not correct when they observe the RWC and think we have many convictions but not many stories? We, with our political agendas (which have so little congruence to Christ’s teachings) refer novitiates to this book or that sermon. Do they not look at us and see what Barna reports?

We, with our strong convictions are mostly living our lives vicariously through others. Is it not fair for outsiders to ask, “What is Christ doing in their lives that relates to me?”? I believe the fields are white for harvest, full of people who simply want and need to connect with a body of people with a pulse, not an institution with a membership role. Here is a question that could get me lynched, but here goes: is it possible the RWC itself might have as many tares as any foreign mission field?

There is no hope of glory in this earth outside of that which is inherent in creation and that which will be progressively revealed through Christ in His Church. We are each called to work out our salvation with the sober understanding that a great cloud of witnesses is observing our progress (or lack of it). At one point Jesus says, “If I do not do the works of My Father, do not believe Me.” Isn’t He saying, “If My life doesn’t match My claims, then you have a legitimate basis for your unbelief”? My question is, “Have we—the RWC really given the world an accurate portrayal of Christ’s life? Or is it just a sanctified American Dream (SAD).

While the current stewards of our existing wineskin-thinking would justify their ministries by the numbers on the roles or by money in the bank, I think Paul and his New Testament cohort would suggest we adopt a new plumb line by which to measure—the current stories of transformed lives. I am not only referring to those first chapters of new life where we were saved from hell. Rather, I’m referring to the fresh stories of how we are being redeemed from the selfish little hells within our own hearts: updates that chronicle the presence of the resurrected Christ in our lives today, that evidence the presence of the Good Shepherd and His ongoing and intimate work in our hearts. Really, why should the world believe us if all we have is biblical convictions, conservative political affiliations, and second hand truth?

Father thank You that You are present and accessible to us all. Thank you that wherever we are, in You, all can be well with our souls. Help us to discover that incredibly good news and may that revelation update and refresh our souls and stories. May we allow Your word to have the run of our hearts—to the extent that we individually and collectively reflect Your resurrection life to all those who are watching our lives. Amen.

 

Shaped By The Word (Valentines Day Bonus) – A Dad-Daughter Conversation

Genyce: “Dad, can you help me with this? I have a question that is personal and really important to me right now. I have so few who will even engage on this level with me. I would appreciate your thoughtful response.

I’m really just asking one question…I just didn’t know how to ask it so I tried a couple of different ways. (I have taken into consideration components of reason, experience, and church tradition; my question is actually aside from that.)

Does the cannon of scripture fully represent the character and nature of God? Is it comprehensive enough to provide for us a “way” to walk and picture of Who we are to walk with?”

Gene: I’m honored Sweetie that you would entrust your heart to me. Let me break this down. OK? I am going to restate your questions below (as best I understand them) in italics……

              Does the cannon of scripture fully represent the character and nature of God?

The scriptures are to be very highly esteemed. Jesus said that He came to fulfill them; that every jot and tittle would be fulfilled. He held a high view of the O.T. scriptures. Paul taught that they were inspired and profitable for doctrine, reproof, correction and instruction in righteousness. Peter stated that the prophets of old actually spoke by the Spirit of Christ within them.  All that to say, the Scriptures are absolutely sufficient for what they are intended, and one goes contrary to them at great peril. Having said that, I must also say that the Scriptures are not a comprehensive revelation of God. No language, be it Hebrew, Greek or English can contain concepts that are higher above us than the heavens are above the earth: they are even called “inscrutable” in the O.T.  A time will come when we will know as we are now known. That very idea compels us to admit that there are many thing which we do not now know, but it also compels us to admit (since it defers complete knowledge) that we now know enough… all that we truly need for faith.  (Speaking of faith, it is axiomatic that faith only really exists in the realm of the unprovable. The Scriptures, combined with our experience of Him, are a sufficient basis for faith, but faith does not answer inscrutable questions.)

                    Is it (the Bible) comprehensive enough to provide for us a “way” to walk?

Yes, but not in the way that many think. Too often the Scriptures are approached like a “how to” book, a biography, a perfectly coherent book of philosophy, of a collection of propositions (truisms) to be accessed in pregnant moments.  But, in fact, when we talk about “walking,” we are led by the Scriptures to a far more dynamic idea: the Christ Life within us who leads us. Remember the words: “For as many as are led by the spirit, they are the sons of God.”  This is simultaneously the most liberating and the most dangerous idea in the whole of the New Testament.  For on the one hand, it speaks of an integration of our life with His in such a way that much like the folks in NT time, who had nothing of the NT, we find a way to walk that glorifies Him and delivers us from evil. It also takes us away from a kind of life where we try to proof-text everything we feel and believe. That puts us in dangerous territory because as you know, we can feel some pretty wild thing!  The NT antidote for this danger is community (I actually prefer The Integrated Body of Christ. We are, after all, “members one of another.”)

Essentially, He is more interested in a relationship with us than in us having a complete grasp of either His ways or His actions, or His expectations.  (You may recall the “vision” I had back when you were a child and we still had a paneled den at our house. I was sitting in a chair over by the door to the kitchen and you came through the door from what was the living room, into the den. When I saw you, a longing arose in my heart for you to come and sit in my lap and for me to be able to put my arms around you and love on you. You approached me, but sitting on the end table just next to me was a biography of my life. You went, picked it up, began to read and thoroughly enjoyed what you were discovering. But the longing in my heart went unsatisfied. The “vision” ended.) All that to say, the Scriptures provide us a “way to walk,” but their real aim is an invitation to us to walk into the arms and lap of Jesus and our great Father whom He revealed, to love Him and be loved by Him.

Are the Scriptures comprehensive enough to provide for us …a picture of Who we are to walk with?

Yes and no. We see the full face of the Father in the face of Christ. He is a sufficient, if not an entirely comprehensive, revelation of Who it is that we are to walk with. It is Christ in us, but remember, Jesus himself said, that in that day, “we should not ask Him anything, but that we should ask the Father, because the Father Himself loves us because we have loved Jesus and have believed in Him.”  There are way too many questions which arise from the reading and studying of the Scriptures for us to approach them with the hope that we will get a complete picture/understanding of Who He is or what He is like. But that merely brings us full circle back to the question: are they sufficient to achieve a basis for faith, love and trust – to know Him with whom we walk? I say, yes they are, but they are a hallway through which we walk to meet Him, and no one lives in a hallway. At the same time, a view of Him that is discordant with the scriptural revelation of Him, is exceedingly dangerous and can only truly be characterized as a deception. It would be like looking at a photo of Chris (Genyce’s son) and believing it to be a photo of Paul (their other son).

Can He be more than what is revealed in the Old and New Testament? Is it legitimate to look for, even require, a biblical model as a guide for understanding the current Christian culture’s embrace of certain ideologies?

Can He be more than what is revealed in the Old and New Testament?

He is certainly more than the O.T. revelation.  Though I suspect when we see Him we will understand more clearly how the revelation of Him in the O.T. is harmonious with that of Him in the N.T. Is He more than the N.T. revelation of Him? A qualified “Yes.”  When we look at the twinkle of a star 100 million light years away, we will not find in the N.T. an explanation of how He did it. Our minds could not comprehend it even if the answer were staring us in the face. But, is there enough in the N.T (and O.T.) to convince us that He is the Creator? There, I say, yes. We are told in the N.T. that “we shall see Him as He is” when we see Him face to face. So, there is a lot more to Him than what we can now see. Our real problem comes when we try to fill in the gaps in our knowledge with imaginations, speculations, and vain philosophies. With those we almost always miss the mark and come up with something that does not mesh with reality or bear the fruits of peace and holiness.

One of the culprits that gets in the way of simple joyous faith that can come to us through the limited revelation of Him that we do have, is theological constructs. Historically, theologians have operated under a compulsion to make all the parts fit together like a puzzle. They trim the edges of some pieces and create other brand new pieces. They do this from the well-intended motive of protecting us from heresy and giving us the most complete picture of what “fills the gaps.”  So the short answer is, yes, He is more than what the text reveals. But do we need to know that “more?”  If we come to the greater knowledge of Him by means of peaceful revelation that is harmonious with what we can know from the Scriptures, then I think we are free to embrace it, at least tentatively subject to further revelation and scrutiny. [At every step, however, whether within the Scriptures or without, we must avoid the bottomless pit of religion and its false promise that if we dig just a little deeper, we will discover hidden, life-giving truth. We already possess Him – He is already our life. We are already complete in Him however much we may grow in the knowledge of Him.]

Is it legitimate to look for, even require, a biblical model as a guide for understanding the current Christian culture’s embrace of certain ideologies?

If I understand your question, it requires us to define “Christian culture” and to identify “ideologies.”  We are told in Revelation that there will be those saved from every tribe, tongue, people and nations. That being the case, what can we say is the unique Christian Culture – that is, the irreducible minimum which must be present within every social/political (national) culture to describe and identify a Christian. Put differently, what are the minimum characteristics of a Christian that one would find within a culture no matter where on the face of the earth he or she might be? As it turns out, there is a very limited number of universal characteristics which constitutes the “Christian Culture.”  The only reason I start my response there is because it is a fact that in almost every place, especially the USA, we have so integrated civil culture with what is the unique Christian Culture, that we seem to baptize a lot of civil/political culture as being Christian when really it is not. Without understanding that irreducible minimum, our starting place is generally that which my particular group considers the Christian norm.

All that to say, it is very difficult to find a pure biblical model for something that may be very American. Now, when we add the idea of ideologies (rather than theologies) we are really talking about something that is political/social. It has been my observation that those who search for a Biblical model to support an ideology, no matter how varied, can almost always find one.  For example, the Democrats find “caring for the poor” to be very Biblical, even taught by Christ. Republican, would find that those who don’t work shouldn’t eat; that only widows, orphans and those who do the work of ministry should be supported by gifts. [Years ago, Christian in South Carolina – tobacco country – thought drinking beer was sinful but had no problem with smoking. Christian in Milwaukee, Wisconsin saw no problem with drinking beer, but saw smoking as a sinful habit.]

When interrogating an ideology for whether it is supportable by Scripture, labels need to be ignored. It needs to be pulled apart into discrete propositions with each one subjected to the Scriptural light we do have. Perhaps, most importantly, the either/or conclusion which most ideologues insist on should be avoided in search of those discrete beliefs and actions that glorify Christ, edify His body, and extend His kingdom.  By and large, it is my observation that today’s “Christian culture” is tethered so far from home base that it is often unrecognizable from a Biblical perspective, and certainly unrecognizable from the perspective of the simple, uncomplicated God-pleasing life modeled and taught by Jesus.  Yes, by all means, try to anchor current Christian culture and political/social ideologies in the Scriptures but don’t be surprised if what your audience really wants is for you to sprinkle holy water on their beliefs and turn the Pantheon into a Church.

Am I wrong to want to need the components of what we believe today reflected in the scripture?

NO, NO, NO, YOU ARE NOT WRONG, but let me know when the tar and feathering ceremony is scheduled! I simply don’t know if the religious building blocks of what is, can be removed or rearranged without the edifice falling, and woe be to those who suggest that the status quo is missing the mark. Humbly try, and use the secret weapon: questions rather than statements!

Love you,

Dad

P.S.: You are free to completely ignore all my heresies!

Shaped By The Word (Saturday) – Proverbs 4:20-27

Proverbs 4:20-27

When I hear the directive to watch over my heart with all diligence I immediately think of Jesus as the Lord over the “why’s” of “what” I do. It is in our hearts where our why’s form and direct our lives – why we think this or that ultimately shapes  what we choose to do, which in turn determines the courses of our lives.  The “why” in our heart is the spring we are commanded to steward. In a kingdom where the primary law is love “whys” are a big deal. In lives that will ultimately stand before God and give an account, “whys” are a really big deal. David, the psalmist-king knew this…..”O Lord, you examine me and know. You know when I sit down and when I get up; even from far away you understand my motives. (i.e. my “whys”).

I think the author of Hebrews knew this as well when he said, “No creature is hidden from God, but everything is naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must render an account (NET).” The NAS translates this same phrase as with Him whom we have to do. Just prior to this he had said,

The word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart.

We enter this world with a fallen bent on getting from it what we want when we want it.  When we are not doing that (which is practically never) we are protecting ourselves form getting hurt. There is a problem with this. We cannot love well with these as our “why’s” – the thoughts and intentions of our hearts. Someone may be protesting, thinking. “Wait a minute here! I play the piano at my church.” or, “I am an elder.” or, “I am a this or I am a that.” When we give an account of our lives to God one day, are these the things we really want to tell Him? I don’t think so.

That is why God tells us that our hearts and their “whys” are a big deal, because everything (all of life) depends on what flows from this spring. The Word and the Spirit asks, “Why do you play the piano at your church? What motivates you to be an usher? A Sunday school teacher or a missionary?” Our motives are varied but here is a sampler of possible  responses; There is no one else to do it. / I like doing it. / I have been doing it so long it is just my habit. / It’s my duty. / It’s my gift. / I have been called to this ministry. These may be fine motives but sometimes these are just what we tell ourselves while God (who prefers compassion above sacrifice) is searching us for an even deeper “why”.

What if our good deeds are being done simply because they are what we wanted when we wanted it and we are doing them out of hearts that are hurt and/or wounded. There are an incredible number of people who are burning out in their God-serving – just going through the motions. I speculate its because selfish or wounded hearts are incapable of going the distance and the Lord of our “whys” is mercifully intervening. The Word is exposing hurtful ways of the heart (born of our flesh) that are harmful now and will be even more costly later.

If you feel threatened or offended by this post, count it all joy. Consider the possibility that your flesh is reacting to the sword of the Spirit that is coming threateningly close to your heart, or that your Lord has identified something you have mistakenly claimed as your own. Consider that this disruption might be the beginnings of a work of grace within your heart. Wounded hearts are notorious for being insecure and defensive. Insecure fleshly hearts are ingenious at carving out territory, claiming turn and titles for themselves; I am over the Sound Booth. / That was my idea. /  I am Pastor. Again, “I am this and I am that.” If we have founded our identity and self worth upon a title or an activity, there are deep and hurtful ways operating in our motives. God has something so much higher – a promised land of abundant life. If we will let Him work in the deeper places of our hearts, He can take us there. It is what we were created for. This is God’s “why” and it must become ours as well. It is our inheritance and our destiny.

While we are defending our turf and keeping a safe distances from others and God (guarding our wounded hearts) we will inevitably be trafficking in religion – various hurtful ways of compensating for the fact that our hearts are not at rest in Christ. When we stand before Him, Jesus wants us all to be able to say, “Lord, You alone were my satisfaction, my sufficiency, the source of my joy and my strength. The only reason I am here is because You first loved me. Because of Your relentless pursuit of me, my love has been growing. Your presence in my heart has allowed me to serve you more and more out of love. Thank You! Thank You for delivering me from the tyranny of the unseen “whys” of my heart and the subtle hell of religion it had led me into.

Father, make religion an enemy You place beneath Your feet. Continue to pursue and slay every last remnant of this foe even where he has so cleverly hidden himself in the thoughts and intentions of our hearts. Set us free into Your very own liberty and joy. For our heart-pleasure and Your name’s sake. Amen.