February 23, 2011
Break It Down Again
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Sometimes when I look at the horizon, I have no idea if I am looking at a sunset – as if my whole world is coming to an end… many of the plans and ambitions that my life has created for myself have never come to light. I spent twelve years preparing for two different professions I never got a chance to advance and practice in my life. Even in my current profession, I am earning half the salary I originally was at over a decade ago. I have been skipped over for raises and promotions despite a diligent work ethic. Even attempts at self-promotion through tireless job hunting has lead to several years of fruitless and disappointing dead ends.
Lord, I give up.
Everything I have tried to do and achieve in this life has led me to here: sad, frustrated and broken. I am tired of struggling at work to do good work… then to only have a coworker or my boss snatch up my labors to take the credit. I am tired of being overlooked for promotions, awards or raises because despite my hard work these things seem totally out of my control.
Most of all, I am tired. I am weary because I have lost my way. I always thought that working hard, achieving and tireless ambition would bring to me success and prosperity in my life. I thought by now I would be living in a large house with my family, be an executive or some high ranking official in my original chosen area of work. Instead, I am here – at a crossroads – thunder and steam gone and the gleam in my eyes have faded away to a dull gray.
Then this morning, I turn to the First Book of Corinthians and started to read this:
Brothers, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth. (1 Corinthians 1:26)
I thought I was destined for nobility and influence in my life. But that is where I have made my mistake. Paul reminds us of the folly of pride and human achievement when he writes:
For it is written: “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise; the intelligence of the intlligent I will frustrate.” (1 Corinthians 1:19)
And now it all makes better sense. Perfect grades and test scores in school, countless awards and personal achievements all spelled a recipe for success in my eyes… except God’s. God chooses the opposite of the things that mankind elevates and admires.
He chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things – and the things that are not – to nullify the things that are, so that no one may boast before Him. (1 Corinthians 1:28)
Even Paul, a shining figure of Christianity came from a humble heart when he says
When I came to you, brothers, I did not come with eloquence or superior wisdom as I proclaimed to you the testimony about God. For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified. I came to you in weakness and in fear, and with much trembling. My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit’s power, so that you faith might not rest on mens’ wisdom, but on God’s power. (1 Corinthians 2:1-5)
When God chose his messengers of the Gospel, he did not pick from the rich and the haughty or the wise and the scholarly. Human knowledge and wisdom falls short of comprehension of God. I realize now that my ambitions or life plans were not the way God had planned for me. Every time I build myself up, He breaks it down with a crushing blow.
But God is a loving God.
I firmly believe that these crushing blows are God’s attempt to remove me from my ingrained, scholarly approach to life. These beliefs in human constructs an achievements were leading me away from Him. The moment I realized that my human failures were simply the result of God breaking through to my heart, it all made sense.
True, I am broken, tired and disappointed (in myself). True, I might not be achieving at the level that I believe I have earned through my labors. The life God calls us to isn’t about that. When life is over, God despises the man who is boastful before Him. For the “foolishness of God is wiser than man’s wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than man’s strength” (1 Corinthians 1:25) It’s about time that I settle down amongst my failures and take a large dose of humility.
I am at a crossroads in my professional life and there again, I have found God waiting for me; asking me to leave it all behind. It is not through my achievement that I have come this far. It is through His grace and guidance that has taken me here today.
This morning, as I look at the horizon. For certain it is a sunrise. It is a beginning. “Let him who boasts, boast in the Lord” (1 Corinthians 1:31) I am letting go of my self-promotion and have further resolve to promoting Christ the Lord, through whom we receive our righteousness, holiness and redemption.
February 14, 2011
Where Will You Be?
How Will You Spend It?
Today’s reflection isn’t on designer perfume, but on the concept of “Eternity”. I just found that the ad campaign for this Calvin Klein product seemed fancy and eye-catching enough for the discussion.Ironically, this symbol of “high fashion” is an example of the material comforts that do not last the test of time and in fact, are a part of what we leave behind when we die.
As believers in Christ, we are reminded that life on earth is a mere temporary stop on our journey. Life here is intended only as a testing ground for what lies ahead: an eternal feast in the true presence of the Lord our God.
John 14:1-3
“Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me. In my Father’s house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.”
There is a place for us that is prepared and not one of us spends a day more than God intends us to have on this earth.
Many of us grieve when we have lost a loved one also often ask the question “why“? Author Max Lucado said it best when he writes: “You and I both know I can’t answer that question. Only God knows the reasons behind his actions. But here is a key truth on which we can stand. Our God is a good God.” (Traveling Light, Max Lucado). As inspired in the Book of Psalms: “You are good, Lord. The Lord is good and right.” (Psalms 25:7-8) God’s plan may not be revealed completely to us, but the motivations are pure and loving; it truly is “for the good” that these things happen.
But how could death be good? Isaiah writes: “Good people are taken away, but no one understands. Those who do right are being taken away from evil and are given peace. Those who live as God wants find rest in death.” Death is God’s way of taking people away from evil.What is this evil that the Bible speaks of? It could be a number of things, but mostly they are the things that turn us away from God or the things that harm us or cause unnecessary suffering in ourselves and in others.
That’s where eternity comes into the picture. What length of time is our life here on earth compared to eternity? It’s almost nothing… “In God’s plan every life is long enough and every death is timely.” (Lucado) We all have our season of life and our time, though highly unpredictable is completely intentional and planned by the Lord.
Psalm 23:6
Surely goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever.
These “days” are the eternity that believers long for – for those of us left behind to live, we should take comfort in the loss knowing that the sacrifice of Christ has ensured the continuation of the journey for the dead in the life of the world to come.
January 31, 2011
Inspiration in Times of Trouble
As I sit down to write today’s article, I am reminded by a quote from Saint Nicholas of Flue who says that
Each stage of life has its special duties; by accomplishing them, one may find happiness.
Indeed there are many duties we are called to attend to, be it in our daily jobs, parenting roles, relationships and interactions. Try to find time to discover the fulfillment of each of our busy, daily tasks and relish the happiness that they bring to your life.
In times of trouble, we are often faced with the question… why? The answer is not always apparent, but with prayer and faith we learn to be at peace with the outcomes because these outcomes are always a product of God’s glory in this world.
To the question: Why is God testing me?
Rick Warren writes that “Character is both developed and revealed by tests, and all of life is a test.” Life is a test for the next world beyond. Character is something that you carry with you every day – it is shaped and formed by the Lord. It is a measure of the thing that God sees without fail. As the Bible writes: “Man looks at the outward appearance, but God sees the heart.” What you should be concerned about is this measure that God sees in us… not in the outward nature that man looks at first.
At the “heart” of the matter, “Your true character is something that no one can injure but yourself.” -C.H. Spurgeon; We are constantly tested and molded in our character… a part of us that is of high importance in matters of faith.
To the question: Why do bad things happen to good people?
“God doesn’t always change the circumstances, but He can change us to meet the circumstances. That’s what it means to live by faith.” – Warren Wiersbe
“Sometimes your medicine bottle says, ‘Shake well before using.’ That is what God has to do with some of His people. He has to shake them well before they are usable.” – Vance Havner
“After all, a crisis doesn’t make a person; it reveals what a person is made of.” – Warren Wiersbe
A crisis isn’t meant to be a punishment or a product of God’s wrath. Faith reminds us that the Lord is a loving God, watchful of our needs and constantly guiding us in matters of the heart. The circumstances we are under aren’t meant to bring us down – they should be treated as opportunities to “shake ourselves up” so that we are useful to the Lord and His purpose. God doesn’t abolish “bad” things or negative outcomes. These are circumstances intended to change us instead – they are opportunities to elevate ourselves to a stronger moral fiber and character.
To the question: How do I survive this difficult time?
To this, C.H. Spurgeon writes: “If you seek to know the path of your duty, use God as your compass.” Steer your way with faith. Pray for guidance and look carefully for the messages and the hints left behind for you to follow.
To the problems we encounter, Victor Hugo reminds us to
“Have courage for the great sorrows of life and patience for the small ones; and when you have laboriously accomplished your daily task, go to sleep in peace. God is awake.”
Go in peace knowing that God is preparing you for the challenge and testing those changes so that you too will notice and give praise to Him for his greatness. Have courage because God is at the helm, steering your journey through life. Your role is to take heed and notice all the contributions He has made towards your character and your survival in this life.
Go in peace. God Bless.
January 28, 2011
Surviving Through Change
Change is inevitable. So goes the saying. As in a previous post on changing life circumstances, the book of Malachi presents God’s promise, “I am the Lord, I do not change” (Malachi 3:6 NKJV). So, I may have to edit that adage and say that “Change (for us humans) is inevitable but we can put faith in the Lord that He will not change and His promises are non-negotiable.”
Here are some inspirational quotes from other historical figures and thinkers on the nature of change and the type of character-building experience they have to offer:
The only way a person can remain consistent amid changing circumstances is to change with them while preserving the same dominating purpose. – Winston Churchill
We must adjust to changing times and still hold to unchanging principles. – Jimmy Carter
It is well and good if all things change, Lord, if we are rooted in You. – St. John of the Cross
He who is fretted by his own failings will not correct them; all profitable correction comes from a calm, peaceful mind. – St. Francis of Sales
Life is too short and the world too compassion-starved for you to keep subsisting in situations that drag you down and curtail your potential to help advance the Kingdom. There’s just too much at stake. – Bill Hybels
I think the quote from Bill Hybels is an important parting note for this post. In difficult times of change, we as Christians and born again followers of Christ have a mission that can’t be bogged down by the shifting sands of everyday life.
The scriptures tell us as Christians it is our duty to preach the Gospel to every living creature. And Jesus said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the Gospel to all creation. He who has believed and has been baptized shall be saved; but he who has disbelieved shall be condemned.” -Mark 16:15-16
He wasn’t asking us to do this. He was commanding us to do this. The advancement of the Kingdom is in the preaching of the Gospel. EVERYTHING is at stake when it comes to this. As Abiel Disciple posted in her blog post on preaching the gospel, she writes:
Every born-again believer has a responsibility to preach the Gospel, to share the Good News of Jesus Christ crucified with lost sinners so that they can be forgiven and spend eternity in Heaven.
I like Winston Churchill’s words when he talks of a “dominating purpose”. As Christians we do have a dominating purpose to fulfill His command to preach and spread the word of the Gospel for all to hear… and it is a mark of our character as Christians. So when you are faced with adversity, seek God. When times get tough, stick to your principles. When you are challenged, remember your faith and God’s greater challenge to spread word and win believers for Christ our savior. Tough, changing times aren’t easy, but they are a hallmark of how circumstance builds our character and tests our resolve for Christ.
