CAPTAIN YOUR SHIP!

I'm sure you've seen this picture over the last few weeks.  It's a picture of the cruise ship that struck ground and partially sunk. Stories abound regarding those on the ship at the time, those missing, and the 11 who lost their lives.  The biggest and most disheartening story is that of the captain, who apparently abdicated his responsibilities to lead and care for the some 4,200 people aboard his ship.  It is suggested that wanting to show off his cruise liner, he navigated the ship too close to the shore thus running into the reef.  I also read that he left the ship prior to everyone else  (NYTimes story).

This picture should haunt us.  It should haunt us not just because of the trajedy of all those aboard and the cowardice of the captain, but also because it symbolizes the plight of many families today captained by fathers who are captaining their ship.  I do not think I can overemphasize the important role fathers play in their marriages and families.  They are the captain of their homes.  Too many are sinking because of their own pride and cowardice.  Marriages are sinking because men have stopped fighting for their wives and selfishly fight against their wives.  Children find themselves drowning in their cabins wondering where their value and confidence is found. 

David was cognizant of his impact on the next generation.  You'll see this in the Psalms if you do a concordance search of the words "generation" and "generations."  In particular, David realized the effect that wrong thinking would have on them in Psalm 73:15.  He recognized the betrayal he would have been guilty of if he didn't lead them in truth.  Just like the captain of that cruise ship, men we have wives and children looking to us to be for them what this captain should have been for the people on that ship.  They are looking for us to be the godly leaders who lead them through the waters of life.  Guys - CAPTAIN YOUR SHIP!

WARNING: A LITTLE PATIENCE MIGHT BE NEEDED

I noticed something in my Bible reading recently that I would like to share.  I'm reading in the middle portions of Genesis where we find the stories of Abraham and his son, Isaac.  What has struck me is the amount of time that is covered in 10-12 chapters.  We see Abraham leaving his homeland, Ur, when he was 75 years old.  God spoke to him...he listened and obeyed.  We're not given a specifically detailed timeline of many of these events...but we are given Abraham's and Isaac's ages for some of the major ones.  After leaving Ur, Abraham is promised that he will be given a son.  12 years after he leaves (chapter 16) Abraham and Sarah struggle with having children at their old age and concoct a sinful plan to solve this dilemma without God - Ishmael is born to Abraham through Sarah's servant, Hagar.  That's 12 years later! 

I'm thinking about this and considering the amount of time that just passed by has been the amount of time that I have been married...

Continuing in the story, chapter 17 comes along and God promises Isaac to Abraham and Sarah.  At this time, we're told that Abraham is 99 years old.  That's 13 years after Ishmael is born...and 24 years after Abraham left Ur...get that?  25 YEARS!!!  That's longer than I have been married and just 10 years shy of my lifetime.  We continue reading and find Sarah's death leading into Isaac's marriage to Rebekah...at the age of 40!  That's 65 years after Abraham left Ur! 

What is striking to me is that we aren't given a whole lot of what went on in those years in between.  Abraham and Sarah went 12 years living and wondering and waiting for the promised child that God would use to make them a grand nation!  We struggle waiting one day to find out what God will do.  I'm reading this and being reminded that God's timetable is almost never mine.  We live in an instant world with a God who will not be "instantized" (my made up word, sorry).  A little patience is needed as we seek to live by faith every day and wait on God.  Seek faithfulness each day...don't wait for the extraordinary to kick things in gear...you might be waiting 12 years, 25 years, or even 65. 

Winter Retreat 2012 pics

I DEMAND A TRADE!

I'm a Detroit Pistons fan, have been all my life.  Sad to say, though, I haven't missed the NBA recently with all the drama being produced.  What pushed it over the edge for me has been all the demands made by players under contract for trades.  A number of star players have made it known to their team that they don't want to play for them anymore, and pretty much manipulate the situation to the point that the team has no choice but to trade them.  It's prideful and divisive.  The league doesn't seem to be about basketball anymore, but rather about the players - they are showing themselves bigger than the game, and that's a shame and a mistake. 

I was reading chapter 10 in Jeremiah and my focus was turned to my own heart.  I can often be too much like these athletic millionaires who consider themselves bigger than the game.  There is one verse in particular that has gripped my attention these past two weeks.  It is Jeremiah 10:23 and it reads, "I know, O Lord, that the way of man is not in himself, that it is not in man who walks to direct his steps."  I was helped by making this verse personal, something like this - "Steve's way is not himself and it isn't in Steve to direct his steps." 

I am struck by how inept I am to direct the steps of my life...then why do I keep trying?  Ordering events in life is God's business.  Anytime I step in the way and grab the reigns I find myself filled with discouragement and frustration.  I found much contentment living in the day that God has made.  I found hope that today is not the result of some personal, master plan of manipulation that brought me to today...nor will it lead on from this day.  I found hope that today is the culmination of God directing steps and clearing paths in the past, and today is the beginning of God continuing to do the same into the future. 

Demanding a trade doesn't work!  Whether you're employed within the NBA or some other normal job like the rest of us.  We are not bigger than the master plan or master planner.  Live into today with the hope, contentment, and joy that is had when we realize that I am here today because God wants me here to accomplish his will within his story.  There's no better place!

ASKING ALL THE RIGHT QUESTIONS

The key to living in the gray is FREEDOM!  Freedom to:

1. Be God's Creation - playing the role he has for me in his story
2. Be in Relationship with Him - always living in front of Him
3. Be in His Image - always reflecting Him
4. Be His Worshipper - always making a big deal about Him
5. Be His Instrument - always carrying his message

This is the framework and viewpoint with which we need to view every second of every day.  Constantly evaluating every thought and word and action.  II Corinthians 10:5 tells us to "take every thought captive" in order that we can be totally sure that we are in obedience to God.  I would suggest that asking all the right questions is key to evaluating our thoughts...here are some suggested questions that I would recommend asking yourself about all that you do, think, and say each day.  There are questions for each of the 5 aspects of our biblical freedom.

FREE TO BE HIS CREATION: always playing our role in HIS story

“HAS GOD BEEN CLEAR ABOUT THIS?”

“WILL THIS TAKE FOCUS OFF THE BIG PICTURE?”

“WHOSE CONTROL IS THIS ABOUT?”

FREE TO BE IN RELATIONSHIP WITH HIM: always living before his face

“AM I THINKING ABOUT JESUS WITH ME?”

“IS THIS DEEPENING MY LOVE FOR JESUS?”

WHOSE SATISFACTION IS THIS ABOUT?”

FREE TO BE HIS IMAGE: always reflecting him

“HOW AM I REPRESENTING GOD IN THIS?”

“WILL THIS ENSLAVE ME IN ANYTHING THAT IS UNLIKE HIM?”

FREE TO BE HIS WORSHIPPER: always making a big deal about him

“WHO AM I MAKING A BIG DEAL ABOUT?”

FREE TO BE HIS INSTRUMENT: always telling his message

“WHOSE GOAL IS AT THE CENTER OF THIS?”

“WHAT WILL THIS COMMUNICATE TO OTHERS ABOUT GOD?”

theFOLLOWING2011

Living FREE in a life full of GRAY areas!

When we think about freedom, we most often think immediately about what we are allowed to do.  Well, when Scripture speaks of freedom, it speaks of WHO WE ARE ALLOWED TO BE!  Scripture speaks of the bondage in which our sin holds us captive - we are slaves to our sinfulness, always obeying it's desires and direction in life.  Galatians 5:1 tells us that is is for freedom that Christ has set us free!  What is this freedom?  I would suggest this freedom is this:

1.  WE ARE FREE TO BE HIS CREATION - always playing our part in HIS STORY.  God has designed us to fit within his story, not the other way around - where we try to fit God into our story, which is often our tendency. God is the author and determiner of our days and the race set before us! (Psalm 139 and Hebrews 12:1-2)  We need to be constantly reminding ourselves that this life of our fits into the bigger picture of the story God is carrying out - are you fulfilling your role is His Story?  Being free means that we are free to play the role he has designed us for. 

2. WE ARE FREE TO BE IN RELATIONSHIP WITH HIM - always living in front of him.  God put Adam and Eve in the garden to love and relate with each other...AND WITH HIM!  There was never a moment with them that God's presence wasn't acknowledged...so it should be with us.  We have been freed from a worldview or vantage point that ignores the reality of God's presence.  We have been freed to experience his presence and make decisions with his presence in mind.  God is always with us and his eyes are always on us. 

3.  WE ARE FREE TO BE HIS IMAGE - always reflecting him.  We have been freed from a life that distorts what God looks like!  We have been freed to being the real and true representative of his character and desires on this earth.   We have been freed from the never ending and never fullfilled drive to be seen and appreciated!  We have been freed to find the complete satisfaction in letting him be seen and appreciated!

4. WE ARE FREE TO BE HIS WORSHIPPER - always making a big deal about him.  Whether we realize it or not, every moment of life is a moment of worship!  Every second of every day is spent making a big deal about something...worshiping something or someone!  We have been freed from the delusion of self worship to the worthiness of God worship!

5.  WE ARE FREE TO BE HIS INSTRUMENTS - always carrying his message. We learn at an early age that we are constantly communicating...mostly non-verbally.  What we are communicating is key...especially now that we have been freed to communicate the message of Who God is and what he has done!  We have been freed to communicate the character and plan of God in all our reactions to life and people.  What have you been communicating about God to a listening world?

This is freedom, and if you're like me...you're like, "What? This doesn't sound freeing?"  Well, this is our flesh speaking...remember the conflict in the garden between Eve and the serpent.  The serpent led Eve to question God's design and intentions.  Our own sinfulness does the same...in fact right now, our flesh is pulling us to question the degree of joy and satisfaction is available in a freedom we have just described.  FAITH! Faith says that I will live my life as this kind of freed person because I know it to be true even without the feeling of truth. 

Live your life as this kind of free person and you'll find yourself navigating a life of gray issues!