Manliness as Soft & Tender?

What is manliness? What is manhood?

A friend of mine recently gave me his copy of Fathered by God, by John Eldridge. Have you ever received a book half marked up and underlined, with an abrupt end to the markings? If you have, you know the special privilege of receiving a book from someone while they are still in the middle of reading it themselves. If you’ve ever given a book away like that, you know the sacrifice parting with your beloved copy containing all of your meaningful notes and markers. When you receive a book like that, you know one thing: if it meant that much to the giver, such that they would abandon their personal copy in the middle of reading so that you could have it, you know that you need to begin reading it right away.

And so I have recently begun reading Fathered by God, which has been both very instructional and very enjoyable. As I was reading tonight, I came across this passage:

“ ‘Oh! Ephraim is my dear, dear son, my child in whom I take pleasure! Every time I mention his name, my heart bursts with longing for him! Everything in me cries out for him. Softly and tenderly I wait for him. (Jer 31:20 MSG)’

Put your own name in this verse, in place of “Ephraim” (a name for God’s people, and that includes you).”

As I put my name in place of Ephraim, the verse really does come alive. So much so, that at the end of the verse, I didn’t get a warm-fuzzy feeling…instead, I found myself saying, “That just doesn’t sound very manly.”

Now, these are God’s words to His beloved children—if there is any conception of manliness as we understand it that is good, God certainly is the source! Therefore, these words aren’t just manly; they are above and beyond manly! Yet, I found myself a little uncomfortable with being told “softly and tenderly I wait for [you]” by my Father God.

And that’s when I was convicted of how far off-center my personal view of manliness has been warped. That is when I realized the answer to the question, “What is true manliness?”

Gen 1:26 – “God said, let us make man in our image…”

If man is made in the image of God, then true manliness is “image-of-God-liness.” True manhood is “image-of-God-hood.” When we as a culture and individuals stop looking to other men to define manhood and manliness and instead look to the pursuit of God, then and only then will we as a culture and individuals lay hold of what it truly means to be a man.

And so, what is manliness? True manliness, as we were created to be, is nothing other than the character of God. If man is created in the image of God, then the character of God seen in men would be the image of true manliness. And so the question of "what is manliness?" is answered by the character traits of God. God is Good. God is Just. God is Strong. God is Tenderhearted. God is Full of Grace. God is Steadfast. God is Faithful. God is Love. You, my fellow man, were created to be all of these things, too.

So man-up and receive the love of your Father God who “softly and tenderly” waits for you. Reject that part of you that says, “that doesn’t sound manly” and embrace it as the only true manhood. I pray that we both live up to our image-of-God-liness legacy, passed down from our Father God, such that we, too can one day say to our sons, “softly and tenderly I wait for you. I love you.” Amen.

The Gospel of Christ--A Systematic Exploration

Our bodies bear evidence of sin.  Disease, affliction, decay.  If our bodies carried no sin in them, they would cease to decay and no disease or affliction would be manifest.  This is how we were created--in the image of God.  Adam and Eve, and the human race, were created to live forever in perfect harmony with God, each other, and all creation.  That is, until they sinned in the Garden.  At that moment, the human body took on sin, by choice, and began to decay.  From this point forward, there is an irreparable rift between God and man, the perfect from imperfect, eternal from dying.  But just as through one man (Adam) sin entered the world, so through one Man (Jesus), sin is conquered and we can be reconciled (Rom 5:12-21).


Show me one man who has defied the decay of the human condition.  Show me one man that has lived even 2 generations, let alone eternally.  You cannot.  But I will show you Christ, who lived, has lived and forever will live.  Jesus is the only God-man to have ever lived and therefore lives forever, being fully God, and gives opportunity for all flesh to be saved--being fully man Himself--the only bridge of this gap between dying man and eternally living God.

Our bodies testify that we are born into sin.  For all flesh is grass and perishes (Isaiah 40:6, 1 Pet 1:24), i.e. all flesh contains sin and is therefore decaying.  If all flesh was not with sin, then not all flesh would be decaying...but the scripture, as well as our experience, testifies that all flesh is dying. Therefore, there is no difference in circumstance, moral code,  in perception or reality--all men have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God (Rom 3:23). All flesh is grass.  All flesh is dying.  All flesh has sin.  All men are dying as a result of being covered in their sins.

Make no mistake--God is incorruptible.  He is too consistent to allow sin to survive.  Therefore, as He has decreed, all sin will die.  And therefore, all men will die.  And though He loves us, He cannot deny Himself.  He has too great of character...perfect character...He will not "change the rules," so that we might live.  We cannot offer any goodness or action such that He says, "I love this one too much to let him burn eternally in Hell.  I will let Him live."  No, God's desire for us to live does not give rise to Him compromising!  He would cease to be God if He could be compromised.  No, God is the same yesterday, today, and forever (Heb 13:8).

How then will we be reconciled to a perfect God?  How will we who are dying ever hope to live more than our short 100 years, if we are so lucky to live even that long?  If we are born into sin, what chance do we have, and how is it fair that God would allow us to be created and born into sin such that we have no chance of avoiding Hell?  God would certainly cease to be good, infallible, and sovereign if the truth was anything short of this: Jesus is the "Lamb slain from the foundation of the world" (Rev 13:8, 1 Pet 1:20, Matt 25:34).  Let's look at this closer.

First of all, God created us knowing our ability to sin.  Not the unavoidable affinity to sin...no, just the possibility and our ability to choose.  Jesus Himself knew what was in man and did not entrust Himself to them (John 2:24).  In the same way, God has never, from the foundation of the world, entrusted His perfect care for the human race to man alone.  No, He is too good, too sovereign, too infallible.  Instead, reconciliation was conceived from the very beginning.  Let's examine free-will, God's foresight, and the means of reconciliation to Him.

Free-will.  This is the capacity to love.  Think about it: can you force someone to love you?  You can force another person to do many of the outward showings of "loving" behaviors in its various forms, but you have no ability to force a person to love from their heart.  This is by design.  Love, it turns out, requires a voluntary choosing of another.  And with any voluntary choice, there are two possibilities: the choosing of someone or something, or the rejection of that same someone or something.  This is free-will.  This is the gift of God to the human race to have the capacity to love!  Anything short of this and we become robots; and we ourselves, as well as God Himself, are deprived of the richness of love, as characterized by freely choosing Him.  And so any question of God's goodness in that He has "allowed" sin (inherently also death and decay, and even Hell that comes with it) to persist is easily answered in the beautiful gift of love made possible by having the choice.  The real question then isn't of God's goodness--the question is of our obedience or rebellion.

However, since God is perfect in foresight and sovereignty, he would have known that all men would sin--all men would choose sin and not Him, and therefore all men would inherit death, both physical and eternal.  "What a flawed system!" you might say.  And you would be correct if not for this truth: God prepared a way for atonement--a way to be reconciled to Him even after experiencing sin and the curse of decay.  This is His Son Jesus Christ, the Lamb slain before the foundation of the world.  This is critical because we might otherwise think God had a moment like this: "Oh no, they are all sinning.  Oh no, through Adam all men have inherited sin and death.  What have I done?  How can I save this?  How can I rectify this?  Oh, I know...I've got it, I'll send my Son to die."  Nonsense. This is not what God did, as it would fall well short of His uncompromising character and power.  Instead, He, from the foundation of the world, made provision for reconciliation through Christ.  Let's examine that at last.

We have established that God is perfect.  Furthermore, He cannot be compromised and is unchanging.  He can accept nothing into His Kingdom except perfection (absolutely zero sin).  The problem arises that all men have sin, and are even born into sin.  This is sin that resides in our flesh, inherited as we are born, as well as willing sin committed as we ourselves have not chosen to love Him by obeying Him (John 14:15, 21, 23-24).  And so every single natural man being born to man is condemned to death.  Therefore, there is a naturally irreconcilable rift, for you can show me no man that has ceased to die, not even Jesus Christ Himself.  This is critical that even the perfect God-Man, the only God-Man, Jesus Christ had to die; though not a natural death of decay in sin--He Himself being perfect and without sin--but rather at the hands of sinful men, willingly taking on death, i.e. voluntarily taking on the sin of man with such sweeping fullness that He being without the curse of death from sin would die, death being the fruit of sin.

Putting it all together, the paradoxical sacrifice of a perfect God-Man is the only Hope of rectifying the chasm between God eternally perfect and man eternally sinful.  There must be a go between--someone or something with a foot on each side, something itself as incorruptible and perfect as the side of God, yet something as perfectly identified with the flesh of Man such that they could exist together and thereby provide a bridge across this great eternal chasm.  In this we see that as Christ's body was crucified, the punishment of death, the inherited death of the flesh was fully upheld and satisfied.  Now, this is satisified in every individual who dies: the body has perished in sin, and the soul is cast eternally into godless Hell for he cannot be reconciled with God.  That is, until through Jesus, something different happened.  In His death, He was still perfect...being perfect, He was the first to ever be reconciled to God after death of His own accord.  Suddenly the gap between God and man has a link, a bridge, a tie-line.  And as Jesus was again raised to life, He secured this passage, this link, this bridge to God--for in His resurrection to life, He did what no natural man could do--He demonstrated the power for perfect God to be greater than the sin of human decay that leads to Hell.  In this, He now remains at the right hand of the throne of God and through Him all can now pass from death to eternal life.

But that's just it--through Him alone.  Without choosing Jesus Christ as Lord, it is as if He never came for that individual...there is no reconciliation, there is no bridge to perfect God--we still have the free-will to choose or reject Him.  But with Jesus--the way, the truth, the life (John 14:6)--we have every fellowship with God the Father and are made perfect in Christ alone, being welcomed into His Kingdom forever.

Questions to consider:
When will you die?
Why will you die?
What will you say to God when you die?
Are you 100% sure that God will accept you?

In Jesus Christ my savior, I can say the previously unthinkable: Yes, I am 100% sure that God will accept me when I die, and I will live eternally with the King.  All the glory to Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior, God the Father, and the Holy Spirit who preserves us through the final day of judgment.  Amen.

Relational Atmospheres: Is Yours Destructive or Constructive?

I feel that the Lord is teaching me more about relationships…with Him and with each other. One recent epiphany concerns things unsaid, undiscovered, hidden, whether purposefully or unintentionally. When considering relationships among humans or with our Father in Heaven, we typically focus on what is seen or known. We define relationship by what is…by what exists…I will call this a “positive” definition, in that it is fabricated from what is known (proof by its presence). However, a useful exercise as well as potentially the source of better definition, is considering “omission,” in that it is fabricated from what is not known or not present (proof by its absence). We know much of what our relationships with God and each other are supposed to contain. There are many more attributes to consider that I will not list here, but with our Savior, let’s limit our focus to faith, hope, and love…and principally love, since “the greatest of these is love” (1 Cor 13:13).

1 Cor 13:4-7 – “Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; 5 does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; 6 does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; 7 bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.”

In 1 Corinthians 13, we see love fairly well defined by positively present attributes, as well as the absence or omission of other attributes that are therefore the opposite of love.

Positive attributes that define godly love: Patience, kindness, rejoices in truth, bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

Love as defined by the absence of these attributes: envy, pride, rudeness, self-seeking, provokable, evil thinking, deception.

It’s interesting that equally as many proofs of love by positively present behaviors are highlighted as are proofs via behaviors that are absent. Thus, considering both what healthy relationship SHOULD and SHOULD NOT be is worthwhile.

Therefore today, I would like to issue a word of warning about the unseen in your relationships, for what is unseen is just as important as what is seen. What defines your relationship with our Lord? Is it something He has done for you? Is it something you have done for Him? Is it something that He has not done for you or that you have not done for Him? Or is it perhaps much deeper than that? More importantly, as you stand here today, what is still keeping you from a deeper relationship with your God? Search your heart and see. Likely, it will be something absent as much as anything present.

We are apt to call out sin in our lives as the answer to the question above, “What is still keeping you from a deeper relationship with your God?” We would be correct, for we know that sin is defined as the separation from a Holy God. However, perhaps it is something we are lacking in our relationship with the Lord that is actually leading us into temptation and sin. Perhaps the root of our sin isn’t anything present at all, but is instead something we’re lacking. An illustration to clarify what I am attempting to explore together:

As a chemical engineer, I know that it takes three things to cause an explosion: fuel, oxygen, and a heat source. Furthermore, the fuel and oxygen must be in the right proportions for the heat source to initiate the violent and destructive chemical reaction known as an explosion. In the manufacturing environment, great care is taken to understand the atmospheres where a heat source or potential spark could be present. As long as the fuel/oxygen content is outside the limits for which an explosion is possible, any heat source is manageable. On the other side of things, as long as there is no heat source, then any mixture is manageable. And of course, we seek to control each of these things in the event of an unexpected failure, in order to preserve the least likelihood of an explosion. Even still, industrial accidents happen.

You can relate this analogy to relationships of all kinds. Our natural interaction with others produces an atmosphere of the relationship (fuel and oxygen). Our experiences and wounds also help to produce this atmosphere. I think you’ll agree that there are those in our lives that produce an explosive atmosphere when we are together! Also, there are those that bring safety and security, eliminating explosive atmospheres. Furthermore, as much as we try to make everything smooth and control disturbances to our relationships, life will bring frequent heat sources into our relational atmospheres. This is a guarantee. It is good to avoid striking a match when we have detected an explosive atmosphere. In that situation, if we purposefully light off the explosion, we are responsible. However, there will be many times when something completely external to the relationship lights a match and we are left picking up the pieces. But the final situation that I want to consider is when we hold the match in our hand, either unknowingly, or knowingly but seemingly benignly because we have misestimated the atmosphere of our relationship.

Have you ever walked into a conversation with something new and exciting only to see the conversation immediately deteriorate into a full-blown confrontation (think of close relationships)? What happened? We mis-estimated the atmosphere. If you walk into a normal room with a match, it burns for a couple seconds and goes out. If you walk into a room standing next to an open container of gasoline, you might just get the shock of your life as the vapors ignite. The point is that the atmosphere dictates the outcome of the “match.” Often these “matches” are much more significant in our relationships. Perhaps you just lost your job or are considering a different location that would require your family to move. Perhaps you want to place your children in a different school or activity. Perhaps you’re considering a different church. Perhaps it is holiday planning. Whatever the specific “match,” the atmosphere of your relationships will determine the outcome in that relationship.

All this to say: take a survey of your relational atmospheres. Take a survey of the atmosphere in your relationship with friends, spouses, children. And if you do none of those, be sure to take a survey of your relational atmosphere with your Creator and Father God. When something unexpected comes up, do you find yourself angry with God or have feelings that God is angry with you? The problem is not the unexpected circumstance (the “match"); the problem is the relational atmosphere. What is being unsaid between you and your Father currently? I know that in my experience with human relationships, the unsaid has been the source of more issues than what is said. Communication is your atmospheric detector. Pray to the Lord your God and let the Holy Spirit search you out and convey to you the pitfalls in your current understanding of our perfect God. Let the Holy Spirit respond in your prayers to cultivate the atmosphere of love between you and your Savior. And as the next “match” is lit, you will find yourself and your relationship with God responding in an entirely different manner.

Finally, the things that cause an explosion to be dangerous and undesirable are the same things that have great value when utilized in the way they are designed. For instance, the right combination of the same fuel, oxygen, and heat source leads to heating your home. Furthermore, your vehicle’s engine is powered by many well-controlled “mini-explosions.” Therefore, even the fuel and the oxygen are not the problem, nor the “match,” but the ability to utilize them in a manner that is constructive instead of destructive. Likewise, every current circumstance, every past wound or experience, and every interaction with your Lord and Savior, can be redeemed and be the very thing that propels you forward with our Lord this very day. The critical element is the Holy Spirit within us who call Jesus Christ our Lord. Without Him, these very same circumstances and interactions will serve to destroy our lives and relationships, with our fellow-man and loved ones, as well as God. The Holy Spirit is the difference.

Romans 5:3-5 – “Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; 4 perseverance, character; and character, hope. 5 And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us.”

You will not be able to control the “matches” that ignite flames in your life. You will not be able to control the relational atmospheres in your life. Try as you might, and as well managed as your life may be at times, you will not be able to control these things. Explosions are coming in your relationships. What certainty do we have that we will even survive them, much less that they would be used for the good of all who are touched by them? Only in the Lord Jesus Christ and Holy Spirit do we have hope…a hope that does not disappoint. I encourage you, whoever you are and whatever state your relationship with our God is in, seek Him today, invite Him to permeate your relationships, and trust Him to do the physically unattainable, and draw you closer to our one, holy, true God. Amen.

Pray It Through: A Loving God’s Response to Our Requests

What are you asking of God today? What is He giving you? Do your requests match His responses? If so, have you noticed that He gives beyond what you asked for? And if they don’t match, have you noticed that He gives you even better things than you asked?

We live in a world of want. Whether it is the homeless man starving on the street or the CEO desiring a larger yacht, we all feel a desire for more than we have. I find this to be true of all humans at all times, independent of social status or upbringing, independent of life experience or education, independent even of character. Though some display and may even feel more want than others, I find this base desire to be present in even the holiest of mortal men. They may conquer it through the Holy Spirit, but it is still an intrinsic part of our flesh.

The root of this want is likely our separation from our holy Creator God. The homeless, starving man does not know he is starving in the pure presence of God (which will only be experienced by men in Heaven), and furthermore, he no longer is homeless or starving in the pure presence of God. Regardless of your perspective, the want is gone. The same is true for the CEO who wants even more, if he is so blessed to be brought to a place in which he turns to Jesus as his Savior. “It is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of Heaven…” (Matt 19:23). There is much to this truth that I will not indulge in tonight, but one aspect of the rich man’s difficulty is that he has distanced himself from his most basic neediness that gets man in touch with his only true need, God Himself.

The same is true in the Church. And in fact, God has beckoned His children to ask things of Him throughout time. One of the greatest examples is Solomon. Solomon had the opportunity to ask of God whatever he wanted and receive it. Let me stop right now, and ask the question of you: If God told you He would grant you one thing, in addition to the salvation that you have already received as a child of God, what one thing would you ask of Him?

1 Kings 3:9-13 – “Therefore give to Your servant an understanding heart to judge Your people, that I may discern between good and evil. For who is able to judge this great people of Yours?”
10 The speech pleased the Lord, that Solomon had asked this thing. 11Then God said to him: “Because you have asked this thing, and have not asked long life for yourself, nor have asked riches for yourself, nor have asked the life of your enemies, but have asked for yourself understanding to discern justice, 12 behold, I have done according to your words; see, I have given you a wise and understanding heart, so that there has not been anyone like you before you, nor shall any like you arise after you. 13And I have also given you what you have not asked: both riches and honor, so that there shall not be anyone like you among the kings all your days.”

Those who know Solomon’s story might jump into the question above with the idea of answering just as Solomon did. I would caution that although Solomon asked for a great thing, that is not necessarily specifically what God would prefer that you as an individual ask of Him. Treat the question seriously: What one thing will you ask of God? Seek His face, seek to be transformed into righteousness, and ask in sincerity with faith, and He will give you what your heart truly desires.

“Delight yourself in the Lord, and He will give you the desires of your heart.” – Psalm 37:4

I would like to build upon the prayer request that we just formulated by examining the interaction of God and Solomon and seeing its application to us this very day. You see, Solomon did not ask for earthly wealth and riches, but that is what he received. He did not ask for greatness, but that is what he received. And in addition, he received a greater gift, that which he asked for: God’s wisdom. In this I see the generosity of God to give “exceedingly abundantly above all that we could ask or imagine” (Eph 3:20). And in addition, I see the power of a prayer when our hearts are truly set on God and not ourselves, delighting ourselves in the Lord, and therefore receiving the desires of our hearts: God Himself. (For more thoughts on this, see “Delight yourself in the Lord, and…”)

“But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all of these things will be added to you.” – Matt 6:33

I challenge you: whatever physical thing you are asking from God, take the request to the next level, just as Solomon did. Solomon likely desired riches and greatness, but he took his request to the next level, asking for Godly wisdom, and God responded by giving him all of these things. God’s response shows that He knows the heart of men! He knows that Solomon and every other man and woman desires well-being, greatness, and good and pleasant things. And so He poured out His kingdom on Solomon, giving him Godly wisdom as a main course or centerpiece, and adding to it the side dishes or garnishes of earthly riches and greatness.

Do you seek physical healing? I encourage you to take your request to the next level and ask for healing of your sinful heart and unrighteousness. Do you seek relationship with others, whether it be a spouse, friends, or family? I encourage you to take your request to the next level and ask for deeper knowledge and intimate relationship with Christ Himself. Do you seek to excel in your career? In encourage you to seek and request of God the highest position in heaven, which is the lowest of positions on earth as servant (“The last shall be first and the first shall be last,” Matt 19:30). Do you seek wealth? In encourage you to request of God heavenly riches stored up through trial and suffering and perseverance in Christ. I have a rare guarantee for you: God will absolutely answer these prayers with a resounding “Yes!” and you will please your Father in Heaven so abundantly! How then will He hold back the Kingdom of Heaven from you, His sincere servant after His own heart?

A note about sincerity. The above is certainly no formula. Take this as a formulaic approach without sincerity and you will by no means receive the greatest blessings that God wishes for you to ask and receive. However, if you are sincere, these things are yours. Perhaps with that conviction, you and I should start with the same prayer and ask for a heart that would change such that these prayers would actually be sincere. I believe this will please God, as well, and begin us both down the path of His good and pleasing will.

You see, I know something as your Christian brother. When we ask for physical healing or meaningful earthly relationships, when we ask for success and wealth, we attempt to express our deepest needs to God, but we do so inadequately. How great is our God, though?! Because in our meager attempts to dig at the root of our desires, failing to see that what we really want is Him, He sees and knows what we really need and want deepest in our souls…and that is just what He gives.

Luke 11:9-13 - “So I say to you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. 10 For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened. 11 If a son asks for bread from any father among you, will he give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a serpent instead of a fish? 12 Or if he asks for an egg, will he offer him a scorpion? 13 If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him!”

You see, when you ask God for a good thing that pleases Him, He gives it. And I see it one step further, especially as it relates to the rest of this conviction: We know that if we ask for bread (a good thing in God’s sight), He doesn’t give us a stone (a lesser thing in God’s sight). But I submit to you that when we are so blind in our humanness apart from God, such that we ask for a stone, He knows that we really need the bread, and that is what He gives anyway! Now, perhaps we are not ready to receive it just yet and we would actually reject the delicious heavenly bread, in whatever form it appears in our lives. But God continues to work in our hearts until we can receive that bread. His work is ongoing and He never ceases to do good work in you and me. It is simple, yet essential that He has given us the power to reject Him, and in that the power to choose Him. This is the essence of love: to choose someone when you have the power to reject them. After all, this is exactly what God has done for us in His love and grace in the wake of our sin. Without this choice given to us, there is no love to be shared and we are just robots. Though many will call the concept of freewill problematic, we can see clearly that freewill presents both extremes: eternal separation from God, or eternal closeness to God in love…in both cases, the result of our choosing. To eliminate the possibility of Hell is to eliminate the possibility of Heaven as it exists and has been designed as our dwelling place—love with God, of God, from God, and all because of the ability to choose Him and be chosen.

And so I implore you: choose God through His Son Jesus, seek His face in sincerity through the Word and prayer, search the desires of your heart and elevate them to a standard of righteousness. Take your physical needs and examine their parallels with your spiritual needs, then focus on the spiritual, attacking your deficiency in prayer. I know what awaits any man or woman who is in this place: the powerful, sweeping arm of God granting His will in the life of His servants in the most pleasing of ways. I pray that God’s power is so displayed in your life this very year, "being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ" (Phil 1:6). Amen.

Pray It Through - Changing God's Mind?

I had a very theologically stimulating conversation with a close friend the other night. We were discussing the purpose of prayer and its results. The concept of “changing God’s mind” was brought forth. Through study of some books by prestigious theologians, he was leaning toward the side that says “prayer can actually change God’s mind and change world events.” At the beginning of the conversation, my reply was that prayer absolutely changes world events—but does that take place because God truly changed His mind or because we took the action that allowed the realization of His greatest will, instead of disobedience? I did not know the answer to these questions, and I still may not, but I feel that my understanding has grown towards the revelation of these answers and I would like to encourage you to engage in your own Spirit-led thoughts as you consider mine below.

“God changed His mind” In the Bible

Consider Moses. We read the following in Exodus 32:19-14, in response to the Israelites' construction of the golden calf, an offense punishable by death:

“'I have seen these people,’ the LORD said to Moses, “and they are a stiff-necked people. ¹⁰ Now leave me alone so that my anger may burn against them and that I may destroy them. Then I will make you into a great nation.”

But Moses sought the favor of the LORD his God. “O LORD,” he said, “why should your anger burn against your people, whom you brought out of Egypt with great power and a mighty hand? ¹² Why should the Egyptians say, ‘It was with evil intent that he brought them out, to kill them in the mountains and to wipe them off the face of the earth’? Turn from your fierce anger; relent and do not bring disaster on your people. ¹³ Remember your servants Abraham, Isaac and Israel, to whom you swore by your own self: ‘I will make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and I will give your descendants all this land I promised them, and it will be their inheritance forever.’” ¹⁴ Then the LORD relented and did not bring on his people the disaster he had threatened.” (NIV)

The word “relent” in verse 14 is translated in a minority of English texts as “changed His mind.” The Hebrew word here is “nacham,” in the Niphal tense, which blueletterbible.com defines as follows:

נָחַם (nacham)

1) to be sorry, console oneself, repent, regret, comfort, be comforted

a) (Niphal)

1) to be sorry, be moved to pity, have compassion

2) to be sorry, rue, suffer grief, repent

3) to comfort oneself, be comforted

4) to comfort oneself, ease oneself

(Note: When you read “changed His mind” in the NLT, NAS, or other version, “nacham” is likely the original language.)

So we see that God was moved to compassion by Moses’ intercession and it did absolutely change what would have occurred, had the intercession not taken place. But did God’s mind change, or was His preferred will for Moses to step up as an intercessor fulfilled by Moses’ prayer? Perhaps the jury is still out in this discussion, but I find the explanation offered in the previous sentences to line up much more harmoniously with the rest of the Bible than the belief that God actually did any changing of His mind, at least in the way that we experience the changing of our own minds—which is to be persuaded unto different thought or action. Was God persuaded here or had He already willed this and honored a prayer within His will?

Practical Importance of the Matter

As my conversation with my friend continued, we began to realize a few things: that our minds were not entirely made up and were open to further “proof” that may be brought forth, that in this moment we differed in our opinions, and most importantly that we absolutely agreed upon the following things: Regardless of whether God is actually changing His mind, it doesn’t alter the fact that prayer works—things in this world change because of and in response to our prayers. The overarching point became less about why God honors prayer (changing His mind or otherwise) but that the answer to that question does not dictate whether or not I pray—we pray because of the following:

1. It brings me closer to God in a loving relationship, and that would be sufficient enough reason to pray even if it availed no impact on the world.

2. When we pray, it does change things.

Addressing point #2 above: When we pray, it does change things.

However, let me very quickly point out that I don’t believe a correct attitude in prayer is to convince God of anything, or to persuade Him. This is hard to grasp because in our interaction with humans, when we speak passionately about something, we perceive the opportunity to spread our point of view, whether by enlightenment, argument, conviction, or otherwise. Even those of us who are the least logical-minded, when we converse, we understand the necessity of satisfying another individual with our words such that our point of view or our desires are accepted and even chosen. So when we pray to a sovereign, holy, all-powerful God, we tend to approach Him in the same way. He understands that—He made us. Nevertheless, do you really want to project your imperfect thoughts and plans onto a perfect God such that they come to fruition? Any thoughts that we have are either in error, whether completely or just slightly, or they are born of God and are perfect. Therefore, we cannot convince Him or bring a plan to Him that is any better than the one He already prefers. We can only come in agreement, be strengthened in our concurrence, and be empowered to go and live out the purpose that God prefers. In that moment, we have taken part in an important transaction that God allows through free-will…and life events change.

Human Observation and Understanding of Cause and Effect

To illustrate our human view of prayer and events versus God’s perspective, consider a car on the street of a highly populated city. We have the view of the driver of the car. We see the immediate landscape in front of us and have a general sense of where we might like to go and how it might be best to get there. God, however, is above the city in something such as a blimp, seeing your very car, where He desires you to go, and the best way to get there. We often go long periods trying to navigate on our own intuition, following the same mistakes of men before us and around us from whom we have learned worldly wisdom. One day, we realize we have a GPS, or a phone line to the overhead blimp (prayer). We ask the GPS or blimp (God) to help us with the direction or to get to a specific destination. What we observe is that our asking led to a change: turn here, go there, the light turned green or another red light. Even when we recognize His hand guiding us, we might be tempted to say in our limited point of view that our prayer actually changed those things and even changed the mind of God. But in reality, God already saw all and knew all, and He would not have guided you in a way that was not within His will. Therefore, we were right that our prayers changed things—we received the right direction as a result of contacting Him. But we were probably wrong in thinking that our prayer actually changed the mind of God—instead, it merely allowed us to interact with God such that His desires were fulfilled, in a way that they weren’t fulfilled apart from our prayer. How important that prayer was! Even if in the beginning we were asking to go 180 degrees opposite of His will. Because when we began to realize the general direction He was guiding us and we continued to pray for direction and for change, we began to walk within His will. None of this would have happened without the prayer.

So prayer is absolutely necessary and vital to God’s will, but it does not change it. I encourage and implore you: pray any matter on your heart to God continually until your heart has been changed or the thing comes to fruition, being open to either, having faith in God and His perfect love. In either case, through prayer, God’s will has been realized.

The Product of Free-Will

Another amazing part of this discussion is the fact that we get to take part in such things and are given free-will. Free-will allows us to make choices. If we have the ability to choose God, then we have the ability to reject Him. There is not one possibility without the other. The possibility of rejecting God opens the door to the amazing relationship of choosing Him—and this is love (agape)! God is sovereign and ruler of all. And in that sovereignty, He by all means has the right to make the choice to limit His control and allow free-will. Please do not misinterpret my words and call this a heresy. This makes God no less sovereign—in fact, it puts an exclamation point on His sovereignty, coupled with His patience and love—that He would purposefully step back ever so slightly from controlling all decisions and actions at all times, such that we would have the capacity to make choices…and in that, have the capacity to love. Otherwise, we are just robots. But since God is love (1 John 4:8), then God is a choice-maker. And by making us in His image, He has made us choice-makers capable of love. This is His design and He looks at this creation and calls it good (Gen 1:31).

So when the world hangs in the balance—our individual worlds or the entire earth—consider prayer. Pray the matter through to completion, knowing that your prayer does matter. “The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective” (James 5:16b). This is because it aligns us with God. This is because it changes our hearts. This is because God willingly gives us this power of Himself to choose and make changes in this world. This is because the angels respond to the word of God and the righteous prayers of His saints. This is because of the power and value God gives an intercessor.

God’s Design: Intercessor

Isaiah 59:15b-16: “Then the LORD saw it, and it displeased Him That there was no justice. ¹⁶ He saw that there was no man, And wondered that there was no intercessor; Therefore His own arm brought salvation for Him; And His own righteousness, it sustained Him.”

God has an almost peculiar affinity to intercession. We read in Isaiah that God “wondered that there was no intercessor” to plead the case of the terribly sinful Israelites, such that they might be spared the punishment and wrath of God. If the presence of an intercessor didn’t matter, the role would not have been mentioned. In the example of Moses and his prayers (discussions with God), he was the sole intercessor and God honored that.

To God and to us, an intercessor means everything. This is because the ultimate prophecy of Isaiah 59 is Jesus Christ as the ultimate intercessor to our Father in Heaven, such that we might be spared His wrath and instead receive eternal life (Rom 8:34, Heb 7:25, 1 John 2:1). The reason that John 3:16 is true—that through the love of God and by belief in Jesus we can be spared eternal death and instead have eternal life—is because when we call on Jesus for who He is, He intercedes to the Father on our behalf. In doing so, we are imparted the Holy Spirit, who cries out “Abba, Father” for us (Gal 4:6-7). If instead in the last day, Jesus says, “Depart from me, I never knew you,” we are damned because of our sin and the lack of righteous intercession (Matt 7:21-23).

So we see that a great component of the power of prayer is God’s value of intercession. In intercession, we agree with Christ for simultaneous grace and justice—a favorable outcome for us through Christ alone—and He responds in a very real way. He responds in eternally saving those interceded for, and He even responds by changing physical circumstances in the lives of those for whom intercession has been made. All within His will, of course. If in my human emotion of anger, I was so zealous to call fire from Heaven down upon the man who just cut me off on the highway, I highly doubt that God would honor that request. If God is pursuing that driver to be His child, then I just prayed outside His will and the Holy Spirit is grieved by that disharmony (Eph 4:30-32). But if instead I pray in sincerity that my co-worker who denies Christ would be saved by faith, and I pray in fervent faith, I know that the Lord will honor that prayer. Simply because God responds to holy intercession, none greater than Christ Jesus.

Conclusions

Whether or not you subscribe to the theory that “God changes His mind,” it becomes a little less relevant and doesn’t change these facts: Prayer does change specific physical things on this earth that are within God’s will. These physical things are changed because of their spiritual impact. Why this is true can likely be summed up by God’s gift of free-will and our capacity to choose and love Him, as well as each other. We should pray to seek God’s face (intimacy, seeking Him for Him alone) and not just His hands, and in a deep relationship, that would be enough. But beyond that, God desires that we are empowered and approach Him with confidence, knowing that He responds to our prayers and changes the world through us for His glory. I challenge you therefore, to approach prayer with the following motives:

1. Seeking God’s face (intimate relationship of knowing Him for the sake of knowing Him alone)

2. As a natural outflow of your love for Him

3. As an intercessor for your fellow man and God’s glory

4. As a subordinate to a sovereign God who has given you this responsibility and privilege

5. To test your desires and be transformed

6. To alter the world forever, making change for God’s preferred will and glory

What would the world look like if we all stepped up with these attitudes in sincere prayer? I don’t know fully, but I do know that it would look differently, for the better, and for God’s glory. I’m making a recommitment to prayer with full confidence of God’s power through it. I’m making a recommitment to prayer to bask in the full loving relationship with a loving God. Will you join me, be changed for good forever, and change this world for good forever? It is my prayer that you do. Amen.

Relationship with God - Church in the Park Message

I had the pure joy and privilege of speaking the message at Church in the Park in Houston, TX this weekend. This ministry seeks to bring Christ to the homeless in downtown Houston, providing worship music, a Bible-based message, and breakfast for all who attend. It is held outdoors in a park right off of downtown.

The experience was amazing. Of course, being given the honor of speaking a sermon was very exciting, but the one-on-one conversations and prayers were most enjoyable. You can listen to the 20-min message by watching the video below. The topic is Relationship with God, with a focus on being children, servants, and friends with God. The Prodigal Son is studied as an example of this relationship. I hope the Lord uses it for good in your life this very day:

(Follow-up post about an amazing story of God working behind the scenes and through Church in the Park that morning: "My Work" vs. the Holy Spirit)

Guest Post: Christ Seen in You and Me

Earlier this month I reiterated a question that pierced me to friends, family, and blog readers: Do others recognize me as a Christian because I'm living to high standards...or are they seeing Christ in me? What does "seeing Christ in me" really mean? (see post Shared Convictions, Apr 7, 2011)

One of my friends responded with some thoughts that were worth sharing. Her response to the question is this month's guest post:

To address my first thoughts on the initial question of whether others "recognize me as a Christian because I'm living high standards...or are they seeing Christ in me," I honestly think it's a combination of both. All of scripture calls us to live our lives to a higher standard. From the wisdom of Proverbs and examples of faith in the Old Testament to the entire New Testament, God's word is Truth meant to help guide and protect us; to sanctify us, set us apart for God. (John 17:13-19)

I definitely believe that the high standards we choose to live by according to God's word should make us different; we are set apart by Christ to be used by God to bring glory to Himself in everything we do. (Col. 3:23)

That said, I also firmly believe that high standards are only a surface layer to our calling as Christians. To know what it means for others to see Christ in us, we have to know about the character and life of Christ. Looking back through Matthew, we are given a plethora of examples of who Christ is and the life He lived. To put it simply, Christian life is about love and obedience.

An all-consuming love for God sparks obedience to Him and a heart of love for others.

Like in Matthew 5:17-20 - Jesus reminds us of the difference between integrity and piousness. It's not just about rules (or high standards), but about the heart; not just intense legal compliance, but rather obedience out of intense love.

Matthew 18 continues to give us examples of this intense kind of love for others.
- Love others enough to not be a stumbling block (Rom. 14:13,19,22)
- Love others with a heart of mercy and compassion (2 Cor. 11:28-29)
- Love others enough to be just and honest (2 Tim. 2:22-26)
- Love others as we love ourselves (Rom. 12)

Matthew 22:34-40 commands us to love God first, then, love others. This is an unselfish love, a Radical love.
- We must put action to our words by humbly loving others as Christ loved us (Matt.23; 25:31-46).

Summarized, we show our love for God by obeying His commands (John 14:15-24), many of which call us to love people (John 13:34-35; 15:1-16).

1 John is all about Love! 1 Corinthians 13 is what a Christian should be! Other verses that show what our mentality should be are: Phil. 3:7-11; Col. 3:15-17; Col. 3:23-24.

But whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. 8 What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ 9 and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ—the righteousness that comes from God and is by faith. 10 I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, 11 and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead. - Phil 3:7-11

Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. 16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God. 17 And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. - Col 3:15-17

Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, 24 since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving. - Col 3:23-24

Wow, right! I want to have a heart like that.

So, I might suggest, rather than the question of "are people 'seeing Christ in me,'" we should perhaps ask "how am I intensely loving people so that they may see Christ in me?"

Having talked some about this topic with friends, there are some arguments that come to mind. For example, when our circumstances are challenging and we're going through different trials, some will argue that they can't show God's love to others when they don't feel like God is close at hand. A recent devotional I did refered to Acts 17:24-28. It talked about how we can complain all we want about the fact that God seems distant, but the reality is that He is not far from anyone who actually seeks Him. He is ready to manifest Himself to anyone who doesn't just hear His word, but lives it out. We always have a choice...feelings are fickle; it's not about what we feel like doing or not doing, it's making the right choice based on the Truth of God's word and call in our lives. We choose to demonstrate His love in His strength to others, no matter our circumstance.

I think another part of loving people that I know I still struggle with is being real with them. Even though we strive to live by higher standards, no one is perfect. We all fall short and make mistakes. No one has it all together all the time. But it's hard admitting to our imperfections and weaknesses. We want people to see us and think everything's fine and good, but if that's how people are seeing us all the time we cannot reach out in love to meet people where they are. Instead they feel pressured to get where we seem to be. And true accountable relationships can't be built on false pretenses. Shouldn't we practice humility and vulnerability to such an extent that the awesome power of our God is revealed rather than what seems to be our own competency? (2 Cor. 11:30; 12:8-10)

Spiritual Exhaustion and Starvation – My Personal Testimony

Have you ever had this thought: “If only I didn’t have to take the time to eat and sleep, I’d have plenty of time to do all of these other things I need to do.” I had that thought today, and looking back, I chuckle at it a bit.

Sometimes I get so busy with work and life that I start to lose sleeping hours and scarcely have time to prepare a proper meal for myself. So I end up sleep deprived and eating way too much fast food or other prepared foods—I just don’t have time to do it all. Example: today I was called into work at 5:30am (on a Sunday). The Lord answered my prayer that I would be able to leave work in time to get to church. After church, I had plans to eat, go for a run (I’m training for a 10k), come back to clean my apartment because I found out this morning that I’ll be hosting our men’s group gathering on Tuesday, then off to a friend’s Superbowl party that will finish off the night. You may say, “wow, that’s a lot!” However, this can often be a typical day, and I know that your life may get so busy from time to time. My conviction came when I was leaving Chipotle with my to-go order (side note: I love Chipotle and it’s worth going when I’m not short on time!). I got my food so lightning quick that I was in a very pleasant frame of mind as I thought the following thoughts: “Wow, that was so quick and I needed it to be quick today. If only I didn’t have to take the time to eat at all, or to sleep. If somehow my body could be nourished and given energy by some other means, I’d have so much more time!”

Now, of course those are just thoughts and don’t make any practical sense. My thoughts weren’t based upon sincerely considering them to be possible—they were simply the natural progression of my mind in time-management mode.

Here is the revelation: do we ever treat our spiritual lives the same way? My thoughts regarding going without food and sleep for any length of time are absurd. Sure, for a short time you can do one or both, but eventually we will need both and need them consistently in order to just stay alive, let alone live a healthy life.

We do the same thing when we consider that we are so busy that we don’t have time to read the Word or pray. Realize that the Word of God is our spiritual bread and water. Jesus speaks many times of himself being the living water and bread of life: “And Jesus said to them, ‘I am the bread of life. He who comes to Me shall never hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst.’ (John 6:35)” To eat and drink of Christ is to believe in Him as the perfect Son of God, coming in the flesh, who bore our sin, setting us free and unto eternal life, and to partake of His Spirit. It is to make Him such a part of our bodies that we are an extension of His very self in this world. We do this by confessing we are a sinner, accepting Him as our Savior and receiving the Holy Spirit to indwell us, having “fellowship in His sufferings” (Phil 3:12-12, Rom 8:17), living obediently as ambassadors for Christ, and going to the Bible often. John writes that “the Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us, (John 1:14)” referring to Jesus. So we see that if Jesus is our spiritual food and is the Word of God, that God’s Word in the Bible is a source of nourishment for our souls.

Additionally, we are to rest in our Lord and Savior. Jesus said in Matt 11:28, “Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest.” How is he to give us rest? When I think of rest, I think of comfort and of relaxation…a place undisturbed, a quiet place…a time where I don’t have to be working hard on anything, and a place of familiarity such as my home. So perhaps going to God in prayer and experiencing rest in Jesus means that He is my comfort and a place of peace and quiet. Perhaps I should get to know Him such that prayer is a place of familiarity and being with Him is like being home. Perhaps resting in Him is where I realize that I do not have to do the hard work—that my salvation is His great gift and He loves me, and I can simply be in His presence, just Him and me.

But what if we lived our physical lives the way that all too many of us live our spiritual lives? How often have you read His Word this week, this month? How often have you prayed and rested in Him? What if I went an entire month on 4 meals and slept only 2 nights? I would likely die or collapse and have to be hospitalized. What if I carried on this way for years? Our bodies would obviously fail us under those conditions. Don’t you think that spiritual lives will be taken to the point of death in the same manner if we are so starved of the Word and of prayer and resting in Him? I think we too often experience these spiritual hunger pains and exhaustion and fail to take action.

Look around—I see frail Christian bodies in the masses of Christians around the world. Spiritual bodies that are gaunt, with skin stretched over ribs, knobby joints, legs that can barely stand, arms that cannot carry their own weight. We are a malnourished culture of Christians in the United States. Take heart, for there are many who stand strong with the full armor of God and spiritual bodies that are growing with the might of Samson. Additionally, many of us are as adolescents with growing bodies and new spiritual muscles all the time. But how long have you merely sat in church, living on that single spiritual “meal” per week? I’ll tell you that I have gone years with that meager nourishment from the Word and perhaps even less rest in His presence. It left me feeble—interestingly, both spiritually and physically, as I was stricken with a disease that nearly took my life. In that time I had lost 40 pounds from a frame that was at my ideal weight. My condition took my entire appetite away and anything that I did actually eat did not strengthen my body as it would a healthy body. This entire experience happened to coincide with the greatest emotional trial I had ever experienced as I worked through the ending of a long-term relationship, making my despair feel complete both physically and emotionally. One day, I got to the point where I was lying on the couch and a pack of crackers was on the table in front of me. I hadn’t eaten in almost two days. I had just slept 14 hours and still barely made it across my apartment from my bed to my couch. I had the slightest desire to eat just 1 or 2 crackers, but I decided that it wasn’t worth the energy to lean forward 12 inches to get them—my body was utterly exhausted, depleted, and failing. Thank the Lord that my mother and I spoke on the phone moments later, and her plea for me to go to the emergency room, combined with what must have been the Lord’s hand on me, gave me the energy to get up and drive down the street to the hospital.

Up to that moment and for months afterward, I experienced the worst pain in my life daily, even hourly. There were things happening in my body that might horrify you—things that unless you are a doctor or someone with medical knowledge, you wouldn’t even think were possible. I remember the night that I prayed the most sincere prayer I have probably ever prayed: “Lord, would you please kill me and let me die?” I knew what would await me upon death: Heaven. I wanted to no longer struggle with this physical body—I so desired to shed it and go to the peace of Heaven. I prayed with sincerity on my bed before falling asleep and truly believed that I would not wake up in the morning, very hopefully expecting to open my eyes in Heaven. But God did not let me die then. I knew in the days that followed that God as my Father desires His children to join Him at home, yet He knows that it is best for both us and His kingdom that we remain here for a time. Similar to a mother or father who’s child has gone overseas to serve the Lord as a missionary—if the parents love their child second to God, they will desire that the child come back home to them, but they would see that it was the Lord’s will for the child to remain at a distance for the time being. And if that child beckoned them to allow a homecoming, the parents would surely agree immediately! So I realized that God heard my cry and desired me to come Home; yet He left me here, and He would only do so if it was best for both Him and me. Additionally, since I could not come “Home,” but He had the means to come to where I am, He would surely do so. So I rested knowing that in my cry for God to let me die, He left me here for a purpose—one that He had in mind for me specifically—and that He would be with me here. Friends, I am not different than any of you—I speak not of some special purpose for me that is unavailable to you and only available to a few. I speak of the fact that we each have a specific purpose for God in this very life and in our everlasting lives in His Kingdom to come.

From the point of going to the emergency room forward, there was a long recovery for my body. I do not know how I made it through, except for the Lord’s presence in my life. Through the experience, I learned what it was to NEED our God. Through the physical and emotional trial, I learned my NEED of a Savior for my sinful soul and of His deep love for me. When no one could comfort me, my God did. When no rest from the pain could be found, rest was found in time with Him. When I could muster no strength of my own, I was sustained by His Word. This was a powerful experience that I will never forget, and I learned the importance of being nourished by God’s Word and the power of resting in Him through prayer. Since that time, my body has been completely restored, perhaps even healthier than before the trial—Praise God alone for this!

I want to encourage you today: feed yourself! Get rest! I should take my own advice and apply it physically. But even more importantly than that, I pray that we would do it for our souls. We are hungry, my friends, and require daily nourishment. We are in need of rest, and require daily re-energizing. Let’s take the initiative to find both nourishment and rest where we know it resides: in God’s Word and in His presence through prayer. Let’s not live starved lives any longer—let’s build our frail frames into strength in Christ. Let’s not live in a state of utter exhaustion any longer—let’s give rest to our weary and heavy laden souls through our comforter, Christ. Let’s make Him our home. In our homes we recharge with food and rest; let’s make Him our home and live in Him daily, inviting Him to live within us perpetually. Times will still get tough and our energy will still wane, but in those times we need even more spiritual “calories” and rest! In my time of physical need, I was spurred onward by another by the Lord’s hand and found help that led to a new healthy body—I pray that today you are spurred onward to seek help where we both know it resides. I knew to go to the emergency room, and I learned to go to the Word and prayer. Whatever your physical needs, I know we are equally needy of the spiritual nourishment and rest that comes only through real relationship with Jesus Christ. Let’s never forget what He has done for us, what we’ve been saved from, and where our livelihood truly resides—in Christ alone. Amen.

In encourage you to meditate upon the lyrics of “In Christ Alone,” in light of the thoughts above:

In Christ Alone
by Keith Getty & Stuart Townend

IN CHRIST ALONE my hope is found,
He is my light, my strength, my song;
This Cornerstone, this solid Ground,
Firm through the fiercest drought and storm.
What heights of love, what depths of peace,
When fears are stilled, when strivings cease!
My Comforter, my All in All,
Here in the love of Christ I stand.

In Christ alone! – who took on flesh,
Fullness of God in helpless babe!
This gift of love and righteousness,
Scorned by the ones He came to save:
Till on that cross as Jesus died,
The wrath of God was satisfied –
For every sin on Him was laid;
Here in the death of Christ I live.

There in the ground His body lay,
Light of the world by darkness slain:
Then bursting forth in glorious Day
Up from the grave He rose again!
And as He stands in victory
Sin’s curse has lost its grip on me,
For I am His and He is mine –
Bought with the precious blood of Christ.

No guilt in life, no fear in death,
This is the power of Christ in me;
From life’s first cry to final breath,
Jesus commands my destiny.
No power of hell, no scheme of man,
Can ever pluck me from His hand;
Till He returns or calls me home,
Here in the power of Christ I’ll stand!

Tithing – More Than Just Money?

If you have grown up in the church or have spent a long period of time there, you likely know the concept of tithing. As a refresher and for those who are eager to learn greater depth of their faith in Jesus and the Almighty God of the Bible, tithing is a basic concept prescribed for followers of God in the Old Testament and is certainly pleasing to God to this day. You can look up Lev 27:30-34 (and many others) to find where God made this requirement of His people.

Moreover, check out Mal 3:8-10 –

“’Will a man rob God? Yet you rob me. "But you ask, 'How do we rob you?' "In tithes and offerings. 9 You are under a curse—the whole nation of you—because you are robbing me. 10 Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this," says the LORD Almighty, "and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it.”

That is very cool, as it is the only place in the Bible that I know of where God actually says to test Him, and what a great promise that follows.

Historically, economies were much more largely based upon the barter and trade system and less on common currency, so many people tithed of their crops, farm animals, or items they made and sold. Today, we mostly tithe of our incomes. In either case, we tithe of our wealth, whether it be money earned or possessions that constitute our means of survival and provision for ourselves and our families. It puts God first and us second, which is only natural, and is an expression of well-placed gratitude. Ask those who tithe and they can attest to the promise of Mal 3:10 being true.

The other day I got hit with another inconvenient conviction: what if we tithed not just of our money, but of our time? Immediately, I felt that familiar inner conflict, and as I did the math, I quickly decided that it might be too tough to consistently uphold such a commitment. But God wouldn’t let it go, so I am bringing this inconvenient conviction to you: what if you and I decided to tithe of our time for our Lord?

Here’s what it might look like: I’m going to throw out sleep and assume the average night’s sleep of 7 hours (individuals may vary). A week has 168 hours, less the 49 hours of average sleep, leaving 119 hours of work time, plus free time, plus all the other time we are awake. What if we tithed of that 119 hours each week? What if we spent 12 hours dedicated to our all-powerful Provider and all-loving Savior? After all, even 10% seems like a meager offering to a God who is to be my everything, to whom I am to pray without ceasing (1 Thess 5:17). In fact, I’m getting convicted again that for most of us that call ourselves Christians, we spend only 1-2% of our weeks in time dedicated to God (1.5 hour church service only). Then we wonder why we have a hard time hearing him and why we feel distant at times and why we struggle with sin in the world around us. If only 2% of ourself is dedicated to God, then what is the other 98% dedicated to?

Now, if 12 hours of real, solid, genuine time dedicated to God each week sounds hard, I understand. You are not alone, for I have been a 2 percent-er for much of my life. So let’s examine a strategy together. Firstly, if you go to church each week, that is probably about 1.5 hours. If you attend a small group, that’s probably another 2 hours. So in that case, we’re already up to 3.5 hours and almost a third of the way there in our normal routine! That’s encouraging. So how do we get to 10%? I propose doing it in small steps. I want to challenge you: this week, commit to 5% of your time dedicated to God. This might be service opportunities, personal prayer time or Bible study, church related activities, or anything else that you can in good conscience offer to the Lord with a pure heart as your time set aside for Him. Each week, add another percent or another hour, working your way to 10%. Once there, it might look like this: 1.5 hours for church, 2 hours for small group, 1 hour each week day in dedicated prayer time or Bible study, and 3.5 hours of time on your weekends for serving or more prayer and Bible study or whatever God leads you to do (when you start seeking things, you’ll find them popping up at or beyond your full capacity to participate in them). Find your own plan that works for you, understanding that some flexibility from week to week will be necessary. I also encourage you to find 1 or 2 “accountability partners,” among whom you can each report, not only to stay the course but also to share the joy of the experience.

Before we dive in, let’s be careful to get something straight. This plan in no way makes you more loved or more “right with God” in and of itself. Do not let the desire to complete the goal get in the way of the purpose behind it: seeing Jesus. Seeing Jesus more personally and meaningfully each day is the desired outcome. Some will be too burdened by this challenge for it to be beneficial. That’s ok. This is certainly not a requirement of God’s. However, it is an opportunity as much as it is a challenge. It is true that “faith without works is dead” (James 2:20-22), for true faith is belief that results in action. However, the converse is also true—action with a “quid pro quo,” or “this for that,” attitude is faithless, concerning the salvation of Jesus Christ, in whom belief leads to everlasting life and cannot be earned by any number of good works in themselves (I would cite verses, but this is basically the entire New Testament.).

And I know something that will happen to you as you approach this challenge in sincerity and with eyes fixed upon Jesus. Firstly, you will have weeks where you fail to reach your goal. Don’t worry, just get right back up and try for the next week. Secondly, at first this will be hard. It will at times feel like pure joy in discovering God in ways you didn’t know before, but it will at times also feel like strict obedience that you have a very difficult time upholding. Here’s the great part: at some point down the road, if you stay consistent and sincere, it will begin to feel less and less like a burden, and more and more like your highest priority in each week. The experience with God and closeness through time spent with Him and for Him is rivaled by nothing else in this world. You will begin to miss it when you have a busy week and can’t get the time, and you will begin to cherish the weeks where you spend the most time with Him, forgetting that it was ever a burden in the beginning.

So don’t be discouraged as you set out on this journey. I encourage you to start small and stay small, such that your commitment matches your sincerity and practical ability to meet the goal. Also, I encourage you to push just slightly past your comfort zone. If you say, “I already do 8 hours each week and could do 9,” go for 9.5 hours. If you’re currently at 1.5 hours each week with no confidence in any additional time, take just 30 additional minutes one day of the week for starters. Ultimately, your hour log doesn’t matter, and unless you are a statistics lover or find organization in writing such things down, I would suggest not even writing down your time. Keep it in your head one week at a time, not keeping a record of past weeks, and try not to be any more legalistic than matches your genuine sincerity, which is the desire to know God. Do not do this in order to meet requirements that make you feel good and as though you’ve gained favor through things you’ve done. Do it not to gain favor, but to draw near to the Lord. If this is your simple motivation, it will be your simple, yet incomprehensibly powerful and joyful outcome.

The overarching point is that we can each spend more time with God. Use your commute to work to talk everything out with Him. It may feel like you’re doing all the talking for a while—that’s ok, start there. In time, you’ll begin to learn how to listen. I think every morning when you wake up, God looks expectantly at you, eagerly awaiting your conversation. Do you even acknowledge Him as you “pass by?” Do you sort of nod or give a muffled “hello?” Do you stop and have a brief conversation, showing obviously by your posture that you’re busy and should be on your way and cannot spend time on Him? Do you perhaps actually sit down to have a meaningful conversation, knowing that He cares about your every care and is listening? Do you ever ask Him what’s bothering Him or giving Him joy and listen to His heart? Perhaps wherever we are on this spectrum, we should each desire to move to the next level tomorrow morning. Then in no time move to the next level. Or if you’re very convicted, sit down with Him right now, as with a best friend or dearest loved one. Just be yourself—He already knows and loves you. See if you can hear Him in those moments, or in reading the Word, or in those you encounter around you as you come to know His heart. Speak it back to Him for concurrence. I think you’ll find an amazing new friend, an amazing providing Father, and an amazing life-changing Savior who is “with you always, even to the end of the age” (Matt 28:20).

More ideas: if you find singing, or writing, or creating or any other gift an effective outlet of your worship, do those things in your 10% time offering to Him. Write Him a note, a letter, or a song. Sing to Him your favorite hymn or just make up your own words and tune, if you are so musically talented. Draw pictures of how you see Him and His relationship to you and those around you. Make something with your hands that is beautiful, if you are gifted by Him to do so, and give it to Him as an offering, perhaps as a gift to another friend or a stranger. I don’t know how you might worship and love Him, but I know He has gifted us each in specific ways and would be touched in His heart to receive such genuine gifts of our hearts and talents poured out back to Him.

Think of the child who has been given Christmas money by their parents. This child goes out and spends 90% of it on him or herself, but they take 10% and buy something heart-felt and meaningful for their parents out of love and appreciation. Would that parent’s heart not about melt in love? Or perhaps a mother taught her child how to paint, and the child immediately paints a picture of the two of them holding hands with a heart between them. How great that mother must feel. Or the father who shows his son how to fish at a young age, then when the son grows old, he begins to take his father fishing. That father will cherish a moment like that forever. When we turn back around the gifts of our parents, they are overjoyed…not by the gift, but by the sincere loving heart of their child.

Wouldn’t you love to make God feel that way today with even the smallest of gifts from your heart?

"Love your neighbor as yourself." An Inconvenient Conviction

Think about Jesus' statement: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” (Matt 10:31) It can only be meaningful if the love of ourselves is quite extensive. If we did not love ourselves, then the command would be to not love others, or love them only so much, only as much as we love ourselves. However, I believe the truth is that for the vast majority of us, we have a supreme love for ourselves, to the extent that it is difficult to approach a place where we would love our neighbor so much. A spouse, sibling, parents, children, etc…maybe…I hope so, but look around: even this is only a maybe. But our neighbor—beyond our family—to love them like we love ourselves.

So how much do we love ourselves and how do we show it? Many, many ways, that start with thoughts of ourselves and end in actions. But let’s look at money, for an example. The first step financially as obedient Christ followers is to do our bare minimum duty of tithing 10% (Deut 14:22-29, Lev 14:30-31, Mal 3:8-10).

Mal 3:8-10 – “"Will a man rob God? Yet you rob me. But you ask, 'How do we rob you?' In tithes and offerings. You are under a curse—the whole nation of you—because you are robbing me. Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this," says the LORD Almighty, "and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it.”"

If we obediently tithe, that leaves 90% for us. Most of us would feel good about that, and this obedience does feel good, especially since God rewards that faithfulness—look at v. 10 above. This is the only part of the Bible that I know of where God actually says to test Him. So what if you give an additional 10%? Now you’re giving 20% total, and we’re feeling really good about ourselves. But we’re still spending 80% on ourselves, family members, or saving for us. So what would loving your neighbor as yourself look like with finances? I think if I love my neighbor truly as myself, I would split my income 50/50 and give half of it away to those in need. Wow, what an inconvenient conviction.

But hold on: is that the extent of it? Let’s re-examine how we were loving ourselves: giving 10% and keeping 90%. Hmmm…so loving ourselves resulted in spending 90% on ourselves. So loving others at that level might actually be sharing 90% of our wealth and keeping only 10% for ourselves. Now that seems like a near impossibility for this self-loving man.

2 Cor 9:7 – “Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.”

God loves a cheerful giver, and giving begrudgingly hardly meets both the action and intention of the heart that so pleases God. So I encourage you to find a way to give the maximum you can as a cheerful giver. If that’s 0%, then we’ve got some praying to do. Think about this: the tithe is an Old Testament law. Now realize that Jesus said, "I did not come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them." (Matt 5:17) In the same passage (the Sermon on the Mount), he describes several laws and broadens their application beyond strict legalistic obedience and into our very hearts. Meaning that Jesus came to fulfill both action and intent of the law, which is supreme Love. I think we can apply this easily to tithing and come to understand being a "cheerful giver" through the law being fulfilled by love. So let’s pray together that we would take on the heart to give in love, have the opportunities visible to our sight, and be able to do it joyfully. I long to be able to love my neighbor so joyfully, so fruitfully, so selflessly. I long to love the way Jesus invites us to, the way He loves us. No matter what we do with our finances, let’s look for every opportunity to love our neighbors as ourselves.

Jesus also said, “As I have loved you, so you must also love one another” (John 13:34). Jesus’ love was a perfect love, self-sacrificing to the point of grueling death that you and I might have the chance to be saved…the chance, not even the guarantee, that we would choose to be saved by believing in Him. So after we begin to love our neighbors as we love ourselves, let’s embark on learning to love them as God loves us. This is just the slightest glimpse at how deep God’s love is for us and how much we have to grow. Thank the Lord that He is with us to do the growing, if we’ll only ask Him with a sincere heart. Amen.