Just to give credit where credit is due, the inspiration from this blogpost came from comments made by my friend John Forester.
A lot of times we think that we need to really get our act together with God. We think that we are far away from him at times, or that maybe things would be going better for us spiritually if we could just get have a little more time with him or know a little more about the Bible. And maybe those things might make us feel better, but in reality we can't be any closer to God than we already are.
As John said "We are already as in with him as we will ever be." We don't need to wait for more of God because we already have access to all that there is--even when it doesn't feel that way.
Most people would probably tell you that winter happens because the earth moves away from the sun. But actually it's the opposite. In the Northern Hemisphere the earth is actually closer to the sun than at any other time of the year. The difference is that we are tilted away from it at an angle, and its rays hit us indirectly.
So really, when we are coldest, and feel the farthest away from the sun, the truth of the matter is that we are very close, we are just turned away, but when we turn to face the sun again in the summer, we can be warmed and rejuvenated by its rays no matter the distance.
Many times it feels like we are going through a spiritual "winter" in which God seems far away. But that's never actually the case. God is as close now as He has ever been or as He ever will be. But you must turn and face him directly. Just like the planet, our spiritual life will have different seasons. Though, I probably wouldn’t set my calendar on them. They are probably a little less predictable
Showing posts with label thoughtful. Show all posts
Showing posts with label thoughtful. Show all posts
Tuesday, July 26, 2011
Monday, November 15, 2010
Assessment
As we have learned in higher education, assessment is a really good thing that gets a really bad reputation. Mainly because professors don't want other people telling them what to do. But professors use assessment too. they do it all the time. But when they do it it's called "grading."
I've seen grading from both sides, I've been a student for a long time, and I married a teacher, so I understand that students and teachers look at grading in very different ways. For the student, the grade is something you strive for. Everything you do is to "make the grade" and it is the end goal. For a teacher, the grade is largely irrelevant except that it is a way of measuring learning, which is actually the end goal.
Teachers don't really care about grades because they are arbitrary letters. What they care about is learning, and grades are just the methods they use to measure them. Students, on the other hand, are always confusing the measurement for the goal itself. That's why they will sometimes ask professors "is this going to be on the test?" Students want to know what they will be evaluated on. Professors hate that question because it shows them that the students are just trying to jump through the hoops for the purpose of grades instead of trying to actually become a master of the material.
As a student,I know professors sometimes got frustrated that we wanted to know about the test, and that we focused so much on grades (I am personally guilty of this as well), but I always wanted to say "I promise that I'll stop thinking about the grade the moment you promise to stop grading me." It's hard not to focus on the grade when that is the only measurement you have to go by, and when that measurement is permanently recorded on a transcript that might affect your future.
All of this brings me to my point about Christian living. I believe a student struggling for his grade is caught in the same conundrum as a Christian reading the words of Paul. Paul is saying that it is not our works that save us, it is our faith. We need to be less concerned with the things we do, with the rules we observe, and with the level of righteousness we seem to be obtaining though our actions. Instead, we should be concerned more with drawing closer to God.
The question always comes up (and you've seen it on my blog before) "so Paul, does that mean we should just sin away without a care in the world?" To which Paul always responds "absolutely not."
A professor might tell a student "you need to worry less about grades and testing and papers, and focus more on learning the material, and developing a passion for the subject matter. You are too caught up on what you are going to get on each assignment that you aren't focusing at all on actually learning from what you are doing. And that's the most important thing." The student's response would probably be "does that mean that you don't care at all what I get for grades? So that as long as I think I"m learning I don't need to actually turn in the papers or answer any of the questions correctly?"
Unless this is the Dead Poet's Society the teacher will say "Absolutely not!"
Grades should be a natural outflow of learning. They are a reflection of true learning that helps the teacher understand what the student knows, and holds the student accountable for learning the true answers to the correct material. Good grading means that students who know more about the subject matter will naturally get better grades. Though this is not a perfect system, and sometimes tests and papers ask unfair questions or measure the wrong thing, this just means that sometimes teachers issue bad assignments, and not that grading is a bad practice in general.
You might say that grades aren't really a good measure because sometimes we know much about the subject but just miss a few specific things. For example, a senior in a calculus class might not do as well as a freshman in algebra class on an algebra exam because the senior now takes for granted many of the skills he once used in algebra and has relied on his calculator to do most of the work for him the past few years. But does that mean the senior knows less about math? No, that only shows a limited range of tests and grading. A different test with higher level math would clearly show that the senior in calculus understood much more math than the freshman. The algebra test was designed to measure a certain set of skills, not all mathematical ability in general. This just shows that a single test doesn't tell the whole story.
I hope you see that the above example is not an argument against grading. It's an example of why we should not place the ultimate emphasis on grading. Grades are relevant, but they are fallible. In the same way, we should not put the ultimate emphasis of our Christian walk on the fruits of our relationship with Christ. The emphasis should be on the relationship itself.
We should focus most strongly on what draws us nearer to Christ and on being transformed into His likeness. We should know His character and spend time with Him and reflecting on Him. However, we should not be unaware of, or irresponsible for the good things He would like us to do. I've heard it said "love God, and don't worry about the rest." And that's true if you are a perfect person with a perfect, unfailing love. But if you are a sinner like me, it might be a good idea to consciously pay some attention to some of the other "stuff" that goes into being a Christian, such as being honest, generous, patient, and humble etc... These are good things to work on because they are hopefully the kinds of things that will be revealed when we grow in our relationship with God, just like good grades should come when we grow in our understanding of math. Just don't make these good things the end goal, keep them in perspective where they should be...the results of true learning.
Perhaps I've gone around in circles too much on this post. Maybe I should have stopped earlier and let you draw all the inferences instead of trying to point them out myself. I wanted so much to get some of these ideas out there that this might be a poorly written post in which I just throw around words willy nilly and get as redundant as most pastors in a 3 point sermon. If that's the case forgive me, but I would like to create one more image with my words before I go. Now that I've said all this, I'll boil it down to one last thought.
A student who focuses on grades runs the risk of not truly learning. He may not develop a passion for his studies and will likely not retain much of the material. He shows no respect for the subject and has missed the point. A student who focuses solely on the material is much better and shows he understands what school is for. But if he fails to turn in his assignments how will the teachers know if he is learning correctly, or even the right material? He will eventually fail out of school because his great knowledge, unpracticed, will be worthless to him. A good student does focus on the material and not the grades. But it is still important for him to take the time to actually complete his assignments, as this is a form of studying too. They are not the most important thing, but they go hand in hand with the most important thing.
In short, I've spent way too much time worrying about my grade. I don't want to do that any more, and I don't think that me, or anyone else should ever ask God "is this going to be on the test?"
I've seen grading from both sides, I've been a student for a long time, and I married a teacher, so I understand that students and teachers look at grading in very different ways. For the student, the grade is something you strive for. Everything you do is to "make the grade" and it is the end goal. For a teacher, the grade is largely irrelevant except that it is a way of measuring learning, which is actually the end goal.
Teachers don't really care about grades because they are arbitrary letters. What they care about is learning, and grades are just the methods they use to measure them. Students, on the other hand, are always confusing the measurement for the goal itself. That's why they will sometimes ask professors "is this going to be on the test?" Students want to know what they will be evaluated on. Professors hate that question because it shows them that the students are just trying to jump through the hoops for the purpose of grades instead of trying to actually become a master of the material.
As a student,I know professors sometimes got frustrated that we wanted to know about the test, and that we focused so much on grades (I am personally guilty of this as well), but I always wanted to say "I promise that I'll stop thinking about the grade the moment you promise to stop grading me." It's hard not to focus on the grade when that is the only measurement you have to go by, and when that measurement is permanently recorded on a transcript that might affect your future.
All of this brings me to my point about Christian living. I believe a student struggling for his grade is caught in the same conundrum as a Christian reading the words of Paul. Paul is saying that it is not our works that save us, it is our faith. We need to be less concerned with the things we do, with the rules we observe, and with the level of righteousness we seem to be obtaining though our actions. Instead, we should be concerned more with drawing closer to God.
The question always comes up (and you've seen it on my blog before) "so Paul, does that mean we should just sin away without a care in the world?" To which Paul always responds "absolutely not."
A professor might tell a student "you need to worry less about grades and testing and papers, and focus more on learning the material, and developing a passion for the subject matter. You are too caught up on what you are going to get on each assignment that you aren't focusing at all on actually learning from what you are doing. And that's the most important thing." The student's response would probably be "does that mean that you don't care at all what I get for grades? So that as long as I think I"m learning I don't need to actually turn in the papers or answer any of the questions correctly?"
Unless this is the Dead Poet's Society the teacher will say "Absolutely not!"
Grades should be a natural outflow of learning. They are a reflection of true learning that helps the teacher understand what the student knows, and holds the student accountable for learning the true answers to the correct material. Good grading means that students who know more about the subject matter will naturally get better grades. Though this is not a perfect system, and sometimes tests and papers ask unfair questions or measure the wrong thing, this just means that sometimes teachers issue bad assignments, and not that grading is a bad practice in general.
You might say that grades aren't really a good measure because sometimes we know much about the subject but just miss a few specific things. For example, a senior in a calculus class might not do as well as a freshman in algebra class on an algebra exam because the senior now takes for granted many of the skills he once used in algebra and has relied on his calculator to do most of the work for him the past few years. But does that mean the senior knows less about math? No, that only shows a limited range of tests and grading. A different test with higher level math would clearly show that the senior in calculus understood much more math than the freshman. The algebra test was designed to measure a certain set of skills, not all mathematical ability in general. This just shows that a single test doesn't tell the whole story.
I hope you see that the above example is not an argument against grading. It's an example of why we should not place the ultimate emphasis on grading. Grades are relevant, but they are fallible. In the same way, we should not put the ultimate emphasis of our Christian walk on the fruits of our relationship with Christ. The emphasis should be on the relationship itself.
We should focus most strongly on what draws us nearer to Christ and on being transformed into His likeness. We should know His character and spend time with Him and reflecting on Him. However, we should not be unaware of, or irresponsible for the good things He would like us to do. I've heard it said "love God, and don't worry about the rest." And that's true if you are a perfect person with a perfect, unfailing love. But if you are a sinner like me, it might be a good idea to consciously pay some attention to some of the other "stuff" that goes into being a Christian, such as being honest, generous, patient, and humble etc... These are good things to work on because they are hopefully the kinds of things that will be revealed when we grow in our relationship with God, just like good grades should come when we grow in our understanding of math. Just don't make these good things the end goal, keep them in perspective where they should be...the results of true learning.
Perhaps I've gone around in circles too much on this post. Maybe I should have stopped earlier and let you draw all the inferences instead of trying to point them out myself. I wanted so much to get some of these ideas out there that this might be a poorly written post in which I just throw around words willy nilly and get as redundant as most pastors in a 3 point sermon. If that's the case forgive me, but I would like to create one more image with my words before I go. Now that I've said all this, I'll boil it down to one last thought.
A student who focuses on grades runs the risk of not truly learning. He may not develop a passion for his studies and will likely not retain much of the material. He shows no respect for the subject and has missed the point. A student who focuses solely on the material is much better and shows he understands what school is for. But if he fails to turn in his assignments how will the teachers know if he is learning correctly, or even the right material? He will eventually fail out of school because his great knowledge, unpracticed, will be worthless to him. A good student does focus on the material and not the grades. But it is still important for him to take the time to actually complete his assignments, as this is a form of studying too. They are not the most important thing, but they go hand in hand with the most important thing.
In short, I've spent way too much time worrying about my grade. I don't want to do that any more, and I don't think that me, or anyone else should ever ask God "is this going to be on the test?"
Thursday, November 4, 2010
Greatest Hits
Hey Friends
So I get a lot of feedback about my blog. Sometimes people say things like "hey Steve, I really liked that one post about the mini. Why haven't you written anything that funny the past couple of years." Or else they will say "Hey Steve, your spelling errors and typos are embarrassing. Seriously, it's painful."
And that's lead me to believe that my readers are loyal fans that have stuck with me over the years no matter how bad my spelling or how long my absences are. And I thought..."wow...that's weird." But I'm going to operate under the assumption that if you are reading my blog right now, there is a good chance that you actually like reading my blog. That's why I've gone back and categorized some of my favorite entries into an easy to find format. So that all readers, new, and old, can enjoy some of my best posts. (Or, actually, maybe the reason I did it was because I realized that I had posted some things twice, that I couldn't find stuff I was looking for, and that the reason I started a blog in the first place was to keep track of my thoughts, and that's kinda impossible if there is no system.)
Well whatever.
At the bottom of this post I've included some "labels." If you click on the labels they will take you to all my previous posts that have the same labels on them. So for example, all of my favorite "serious" posts are under the label "thoughtful."
All my favorite funny posts are labeled under "classic"
I felt a little presumptuous labeling stuff as "classic" and about half-way through I decided that was stupid, and that I was going to change it. But by that point...I was already half way through. And there was no way I was going back.
A smarter person would figure out a way to post all of these "labels" somewhere permanently. But you are reading my blog, so for now, if you want to find your favorite post, you are going to have to click around through the labels at the bottom. Hope you enjoy!
P.S. There has been some conversation about going back and fixing spelling errors and typos. I think I'm actually going to work on that some, but it's going to take a while, Rome wasn't built in a day...Though I doubt you could compare my Blog to Rome. Few cities though, no matter how small and crappy, were ever built in a day.
So I get a lot of feedback about my blog. Sometimes people say things like "hey Steve, I really liked that one post about the mini. Why haven't you written anything that funny the past couple of years." Or else they will say "Hey Steve, your spelling errors and typos are embarrassing. Seriously, it's painful."
And that's lead me to believe that my readers are loyal fans that have stuck with me over the years no matter how bad my spelling or how long my absences are. And I thought..."wow...that's weird." But I'm going to operate under the assumption that if you are reading my blog right now, there is a good chance that you actually like reading my blog. That's why I've gone back and categorized some of my favorite entries into an easy to find format. So that all readers, new, and old, can enjoy some of my best posts. (Or, actually, maybe the reason I did it was because I realized that I had posted some things twice, that I couldn't find stuff I was looking for, and that the reason I started a blog in the first place was to keep track of my thoughts, and that's kinda impossible if there is no system.)
Well whatever.
At the bottom of this post I've included some "labels." If you click on the labels they will take you to all my previous posts that have the same labels on them. So for example, all of my favorite "serious" posts are under the label "thoughtful."
All my favorite funny posts are labeled under "classic"
I felt a little presumptuous labeling stuff as "classic" and about half-way through I decided that was stupid, and that I was going to change it. But by that point...I was already half way through. And there was no way I was going back.
A smarter person would figure out a way to post all of these "labels" somewhere permanently. But you are reading my blog, so for now, if you want to find your favorite post, you are going to have to click around through the labels at the bottom. Hope you enjoy!
P.S. There has been some conversation about going back and fixing spelling errors and typos. I think I'm actually going to work on that some, but it's going to take a while, Rome wasn't built in a day...Though I doubt you could compare my Blog to Rome. Few cities though, no matter how small and crappy, were ever built in a day.
Saturday, October 23, 2010
comparing
A wise man once told me that nothing good can ever come from coparing yourself to others. An annoyed man once told me that he worked at a camp where they paid employees differently from week to week depending on who they thought had a good attitude. They also told everyone not to compare paychecks becuase "comparison robs us of our joy."
I will never work at Gull lake Camp. But I agree with them about comparison. It's not a good thing.
I think we compare ourselves to other people because we are insecure, and want affirmation or reassurance that we are doing alright, that we are doing good enough. We compare ourselves to people in every imaginable way, but for this instance (because this is a blog and not a book, and brevity is everything) I would like to only focus on how we tend to compare ourselves in a Christian sense. We might think that another guy is "more spiritual" or a "better person" than us. We might think that he is "accomplishing more" or is really "making a difference." On the other hand, maybe we look around at the people we interact with every day and find that on the measures that matter to us most, we are doing pretty good.
There's a whole lot I could say about this, and I think there is a lot in there worth thinking about when it comes to value, comparison, and our need to measure ourselves. But again, that's too much to go into here. Instead I'm going to skip right to a metaphor.
Lets say two men were trying to jump to the moon. Tom was able to jump two inches higher than Sam. Sam goes home to his family depressed and feeling down on himself. Not because he didn't make it to the moon; but because Tom was two inches closer than he was, and he feels bad that he is doing relatively worse on something that is important to him. At the same time, Tom goes home feeling pretty good about himself because he is a good jumper. It doesn't matter to him that he is never going to make it to the moon, he's just glad that he's getting a little bit closer than the next guy. After all, that's really all you can ask for, since no one could ever actually jump to the moon.
You can see where both of these men are in error, and they are both missing the point. It's not about how high they are jumping compared to each other, it's about getting to the moon.
Now you might say to me "but Steve, if your metaphor is about getting closer to God, or living the way that He would want us to live, I think it's important to "jump" as high as you can, and you should feel good about jumping higher and higher, even if you never get to the moon."
Good point. That's the logic I use all too often. And that's the logic that "Tom" uses. But that's assuming that our relationship with God is measured quantitatively instead of qualitatively. That's assuming that God says "good work, through your effort at being Holy you are 1.2% deserving of my Grace. Sam is only 1.1% worthy." We all know that we'll never be good enough, but we want to be as close to good enough as we can be.
What Tom and Sam should both stop and think about is that they are going about this all wrong. Lets think outside the box* and realize that no matter how high a person can jump, literally; they will never get to the moon. Even assuming that Tom could quantitatively increase his jumping powers a million times over, even if he could jump so high that he could escape the earth's gravity, he will still never get to the moon. He would burn up in the atmosphere or die without oxygen in space. In the end, it's not really about how high you can jump, it's about finding a space ship.
Am I cheating in this metaphor? Maybe you feel a little ripped off but I'm going to stick with it. Because God does not say that any of us are 1.1% or 1.2% worthy of his grace. We are all 0.0000000% worthy and Jesus is 100% worthy because really it's an all or nothing kind of thing.
Does that mean then that we should never try jumping? Can we be jealous of people who are better astronauts? Does that make John Glenn like Jesus? I don't know, it's a metaphor! Don't get too literal. It breaks down eventually.**
The point I want to make though, is that we should not be comparing ourselves to others when it comes down to this kind of thing. We should not be competing because God doesn't measure us that way. We pretend we are measured that way, but pride and insecurity are the only rewards we get for doing well or poorly on made up measures that don't matter. It's not a good competition to enter cause everyone is a loser.
*Which, in this instance, means "not like an idiot"
**As Ben Taylor taught me, it is not to be a "heuristic" metaphor
I will never work at Gull lake Camp. But I agree with them about comparison. It's not a good thing.
I think we compare ourselves to other people because we are insecure, and want affirmation or reassurance that we are doing alright, that we are doing good enough. We compare ourselves to people in every imaginable way, but for this instance (because this is a blog and not a book, and brevity is everything) I would like to only focus on how we tend to compare ourselves in a Christian sense. We might think that another guy is "more spiritual" or a "better person" than us. We might think that he is "accomplishing more" or is really "making a difference." On the other hand, maybe we look around at the people we interact with every day and find that on the measures that matter to us most, we are doing pretty good.
There's a whole lot I could say about this, and I think there is a lot in there worth thinking about when it comes to value, comparison, and our need to measure ourselves. But again, that's too much to go into here. Instead I'm going to skip right to a metaphor.
Lets say two men were trying to jump to the moon. Tom was able to jump two inches higher than Sam. Sam goes home to his family depressed and feeling down on himself. Not because he didn't make it to the moon; but because Tom was two inches closer than he was, and he feels bad that he is doing relatively worse on something that is important to him. At the same time, Tom goes home feeling pretty good about himself because he is a good jumper. It doesn't matter to him that he is never going to make it to the moon, he's just glad that he's getting a little bit closer than the next guy. After all, that's really all you can ask for, since no one could ever actually jump to the moon.
You can see where both of these men are in error, and they are both missing the point. It's not about how high they are jumping compared to each other, it's about getting to the moon.
Now you might say to me "but Steve, if your metaphor is about getting closer to God, or living the way that He would want us to live, I think it's important to "jump" as high as you can, and you should feel good about jumping higher and higher, even if you never get to the moon."
Good point. That's the logic I use all too often. And that's the logic that "Tom" uses. But that's assuming that our relationship with God is measured quantitatively instead of qualitatively. That's assuming that God says "good work, through your effort at being Holy you are 1.2% deserving of my Grace. Sam is only 1.1% worthy." We all know that we'll never be good enough, but we want to be as close to good enough as we can be.
What Tom and Sam should both stop and think about is that they are going about this all wrong. Lets think outside the box* and realize that no matter how high a person can jump, literally; they will never get to the moon. Even assuming that Tom could quantitatively increase his jumping powers a million times over, even if he could jump so high that he could escape the earth's gravity, he will still never get to the moon. He would burn up in the atmosphere or die without oxygen in space. In the end, it's not really about how high you can jump, it's about finding a space ship.
Am I cheating in this metaphor? Maybe you feel a little ripped off but I'm going to stick with it. Because God does not say that any of us are 1.1% or 1.2% worthy of his grace. We are all 0.0000000% worthy and Jesus is 100% worthy because really it's an all or nothing kind of thing.
Does that mean then that we should never try jumping? Can we be jealous of people who are better astronauts? Does that make John Glenn like Jesus? I don't know, it's a metaphor! Don't get too literal. It breaks down eventually.**
The point I want to make though, is that we should not be comparing ourselves to others when it comes down to this kind of thing. We should not be competing because God doesn't measure us that way. We pretend we are measured that way, but pride and insecurity are the only rewards we get for doing well or poorly on made up measures that don't matter. It's not a good competition to enter cause everyone is a loser.
*Which, in this instance, means "not like an idiot"
**As Ben Taylor taught me, it is not to be a "heuristic" metaphor
Tuesday, September 21, 2010
The Plans I have
"For I know the plans I have for you, plans to prosper you, and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future"
Anyone ever head this wonderful verse from Jeremiah 29 before? It actually is a wonderful verse, as it demonstrates God's faithfulness to Israel. One of my favorite professors*, Phil Collins, says that this is one of the most misquoted verses in the entire Bible. Today when I was talking with one of my students, I got some better perspective on why.
If you read the verse in context you see that God basically says "stay put in Babylonian captivity, settle down, plant a garden, get married, and settle in for the long haul because you aren't going anywhere for at least 70 years. So why don't you just be faithful and do the best you can with what you have.
In case you didn't know, Americans are obsessed with the idea of individualism, and the idea of instant gratification. We love it. That's why we have personalized little devices that carry all our favorite music, we are positive that everyone wants to read our facebook pages (and our blogs) and we can customize everything from our academic majors to our drink at starbucks. All of which is available on the internet instantly.
So God tells his people, as a nation, to stay faithful and wait. Pass the faith onto future generations, because this generation is going to live in captivity. We have taken this as individuals to mean "God is going to lead me to some awesome calling, and after a tough ride, I am going to experience something great. This verse promises me that he has a happy plan just for me."
Notice how, in the case of Israel, God TOTALLY keeps his promises, delivers on what he says he will do, and remains faithful to a people who do not deserve it. God is the real deal, and no one is calling that into question. He really did have a plan for the Israelites, and it came true. And yet, the majority of people who originally heard this prophecy probably died slaving away in Babylonian captivity.
I know that we give the Israelites a hard time for turning their backs on God. I'm not sure how they responded to this, but I know how we would respond in today's America. Not positively.
I believe in God and his plan. I really do. But I would not be surprised not only if His plan looked different than mine (which we seem to understand) but also that it might not even look like anything that resembles a "plan" in my understanding of the word. God's ways are higher than my ways, his thoughts are higher than my thoughts, and I think that his plans might just be higher than my plans. Qualitatively as well as quantitatively.
*I just said ONE of my favorites, I still have room in my heart for Tim.
Anyone ever head this wonderful verse from Jeremiah 29 before? It actually is a wonderful verse, as it demonstrates God's faithfulness to Israel. One of my favorite professors*, Phil Collins, says that this is one of the most misquoted verses in the entire Bible. Today when I was talking with one of my students, I got some better perspective on why.
If you read the verse in context you see that God basically says "stay put in Babylonian captivity, settle down, plant a garden, get married, and settle in for the long haul because you aren't going anywhere for at least 70 years. So why don't you just be faithful and do the best you can with what you have.
In case you didn't know, Americans are obsessed with the idea of individualism, and the idea of instant gratification. We love it. That's why we have personalized little devices that carry all our favorite music, we are positive that everyone wants to read our facebook pages (and our blogs) and we can customize everything from our academic majors to our drink at starbucks. All of which is available on the internet instantly.
So God tells his people, as a nation, to stay faithful and wait. Pass the faith onto future generations, because this generation is going to live in captivity. We have taken this as individuals to mean "God is going to lead me to some awesome calling, and after a tough ride, I am going to experience something great. This verse promises me that he has a happy plan just for me."
Notice how, in the case of Israel, God TOTALLY keeps his promises, delivers on what he says he will do, and remains faithful to a people who do not deserve it. God is the real deal, and no one is calling that into question. He really did have a plan for the Israelites, and it came true. And yet, the majority of people who originally heard this prophecy probably died slaving away in Babylonian captivity.
I know that we give the Israelites a hard time for turning their backs on God. I'm not sure how they responded to this, but I know how we would respond in today's America. Not positively.
I believe in God and his plan. I really do. But I would not be surprised not only if His plan looked different than mine (which we seem to understand) but also that it might not even look like anything that resembles a "plan" in my understanding of the word. God's ways are higher than my ways, his thoughts are higher than my thoughts, and I think that his plans might just be higher than my plans. Qualitatively as well as quantitatively.
*I just said ONE of my favorites, I still have room in my heart for Tim.
Monday, June 21, 2010
It's the thought that counts
If anyone thinks too much and doesn't understand his/her faith, I hope this is an encouragement to you.
Sometimes I struggle with or question things about the Christian faith that we seem to commonly accept here in this little place I like to call 21st century, white, middle-class, evangelical America*. I think by now you all know that I struggle with the idea of "calling."
Well here's another one that keeps me up at night. Prayer. Good night, I do not understand this thing. Using the best of my logic I have decided that God deciding to supernaturally intervene in the affairs of man because I asked him to doesn't really make sense. What happens when two different people pray for opposing outcomes? (Michigan Wolverines pray they will beat the Buckeyes, I pray that their bus catches on fire on the way to the game). God cannot grant mutually exclusive requests,** so who gets to have their prayer answered? And if the bus did catch fire, and police realized it was because a brave patriot doused it in gasoline the night before, did GOD make the bus catch fire, or did some man (who is my hero) really do the work? In that case, who gets the credit? One might say that God "used" that man, but if the man had decided differently, could he have then thwarted God's plan? Or does the man not have free-will? oops. Didn't mean to get into that conversation. But then again if you don't really have free-will then prayer is kind of a moot point anyway because God has already done what he is going to do.
what? Wait, does this stack up with what I read in the Bible? I can't even tell anymore.
I get skeptical when people tell me stories. A girl at Taylor had a spontaneous remission of Cancer. There were people who would be quick to tell you that God performed a miracle. Why? Because of prayer. A lot of people who pray still die, and a lot of people who don't pray live. So what gives? Instead of getting all excited and praising God....I get curious.
And sometimes I dislike that. Sometimes I think it means that I have a weak faith are that I am doubting God. But I am not really doubting. I am just questioning. And then I came across this little verse-nugget
Proverbs 25:2--It is the glory of god to conceal a matter; to search out a matter is the glory of kings.
We will never be like Christ, but the effort to be Christ-like is honoring to God. We emphasize the journey, because we know we are traveling towards a destination we know we cannot reach this side of Heaven...so the journey is king. In the same way, I will never understand God, but I hope that these endless circular patterns of thought are honoring to God. Because I am searching after him with my brain. My intellectual journey, is hopefully in it's own way, as much of a praise as the person who shouts hallelujah. Because we are both saying the same thing.
"Lord, I want more of you"
*Located in the Mid-West
**But God can do ANYTHING...yeah, but not stuff that just doesn't even make sense. I guess maybe He could, but that would mean suspending the boundaries of reality as we know them...which maybe He does...but if He does that we might as well give up trying to understand anything because at that point anything and everything is fair game. In which case, I am going to stop writing blogs and concentrate more on video games.
Sometimes I struggle with or question things about the Christian faith that we seem to commonly accept here in this little place I like to call 21st century, white, middle-class, evangelical America*. I think by now you all know that I struggle with the idea of "calling."
Well here's another one that keeps me up at night. Prayer. Good night, I do not understand this thing. Using the best of my logic I have decided that God deciding to supernaturally intervene in the affairs of man because I asked him to doesn't really make sense. What happens when two different people pray for opposing outcomes? (Michigan Wolverines pray they will beat the Buckeyes, I pray that their bus catches on fire on the way to the game). God cannot grant mutually exclusive requests,** so who gets to have their prayer answered? And if the bus did catch fire, and police realized it was because a brave patriot doused it in gasoline the night before, did GOD make the bus catch fire, or did some man (who is my hero) really do the work? In that case, who gets the credit? One might say that God "used" that man, but if the man had decided differently, could he have then thwarted God's plan? Or does the man not have free-will? oops. Didn't mean to get into that conversation. But then again if you don't really have free-will then prayer is kind of a moot point anyway because God has already done what he is going to do.
what? Wait, does this stack up with what I read in the Bible? I can't even tell anymore.
I get skeptical when people tell me stories. A girl at Taylor had a spontaneous remission of Cancer. There were people who would be quick to tell you that God performed a miracle. Why? Because of prayer. A lot of people who pray still die, and a lot of people who don't pray live. So what gives? Instead of getting all excited and praising God....I get curious.
And sometimes I dislike that. Sometimes I think it means that I have a weak faith are that I am doubting God. But I am not really doubting. I am just questioning. And then I came across this little verse-nugget
Proverbs 25:2--It is the glory of god to conceal a matter; to search out a matter is the glory of kings.
We will never be like Christ, but the effort to be Christ-like is honoring to God. We emphasize the journey, because we know we are traveling towards a destination we know we cannot reach this side of Heaven...so the journey is king. In the same way, I will never understand God, but I hope that these endless circular patterns of thought are honoring to God. Because I am searching after him with my brain. My intellectual journey, is hopefully in it's own way, as much of a praise as the person who shouts hallelujah. Because we are both saying the same thing.
"Lord, I want more of you"
*Located in the Mid-West
**But God can do ANYTHING...yeah, but not stuff that just doesn't even make sense. I guess maybe He could, but that would mean suspending the boundaries of reality as we know them...which maybe He does...but if He does that we might as well give up trying to understand anything because at that point anything and everything is fair game. In which case, I am going to stop writing blogs and concentrate more on video games.
Thursday, April 29, 2010
I surrender all
Sorry it's been so long since I've blogged. my life has been "a crazy town" as Mallory Jones would say.
So I was in church the other day and I sang these words:
All to Jesus I surrender;
All to Him I freely give;
I will ever love and trust Him,
In His presence daily live.
I surrender all,
I surrender all;
All to Thee, my blessed Savior,
I surrender all.
Then it struck me "good night, that is a frightening thought."
I had to stop singing.
Not that I think it's bad to surrender all to Jesus, but rather, it has frightening implications. George McDonald once said that asking Jesus to fix something in your heart was dangerous because as soon as He was in He would start fixing all kinds of things you didn't ask for. And soon he'd be tearing down walls and building additions and doing any number of things you're uncomfortable with. For those of you who loved the 90's imagine inviting Tim Taylor from Home Improvement to remodel your bathroom.
Anyway, it is easy to surrender stuff to God when it’s the stuff you expect to surrender. You are ready to make hard sacrifices as long as they are the sacrifices you expect. For example, as Christians we are probably on board with the fact that money should not be our ultimate priority and God might “call” us to a career that doesn’t make a lot of money. Ok, done. But what if God wanted you to surrender something surprising?
For example, I think of myself as a pretty intelligent guy, and I’m finishing up my masters degree. So you could say I am willing to surrender all and use my intelligence and my degree for the Lord any way He sees fit…As long as that means I actually get to feel like I’m using my intelligence and my education.
What if, (horror of horrors) God “calls” me somewhere where I don’t get to make use of my brain? Henri Nowen decided to leave his position as a regarded priest and scholar to work at a mental institution where patients neither understood nor appreciated his words, his experience, or his education. It was hard and humbling. But he CHOSE that. What if that just kind of “happens” to me? What if God wants me to surrender many of my skills and passions not by using them for Him, but by not using them at all?
“Oh no Steve, that could never happen,” I can hear you say. “God does not work that way.” Oh really? God’s ways are beyond my ways. Maybe to him me “wasting” my talents isn’t a waste at all. Maybe that’s His way of making me humble, and to Him that is a great use of my talents.
It freaked me out. Because I realized that God could actually ask me to surrender anything, and according to the song I was singing, I’m just going to go along with it.
And I will, (I hope) but sit back and think about it. Could you surrender your health? Your friendships? The best years of your life? I think that my whole life I’ve really been singing
“I surrender all, as long as I think it’s a good thing to surrender.”
Now I am not suggesting that God is going to make me "surrender" by committing crazy sins and doing things that are inconsistent with God's character but I think that as a 21st century American evangelical I am tempted to imagine that God's character is pretty convenient for me.
So I was in church the other day and I sang these words:
All to Jesus I surrender;
All to Him I freely give;
I will ever love and trust Him,
In His presence daily live.
I surrender all,
I surrender all;
All to Thee, my blessed Savior,
I surrender all.
Then it struck me "good night, that is a frightening thought."
I had to stop singing.
Not that I think it's bad to surrender all to Jesus, but rather, it has frightening implications. George McDonald once said that asking Jesus to fix something in your heart was dangerous because as soon as He was in He would start fixing all kinds of things you didn't ask for. And soon he'd be tearing down walls and building additions and doing any number of things you're uncomfortable with. For those of you who loved the 90's imagine inviting Tim Taylor from Home Improvement to remodel your bathroom.
Anyway, it is easy to surrender stuff to God when it’s the stuff you expect to surrender. You are ready to make hard sacrifices as long as they are the sacrifices you expect. For example, as Christians we are probably on board with the fact that money should not be our ultimate priority and God might “call” us to a career that doesn’t make a lot of money. Ok, done. But what if God wanted you to surrender something surprising?
For example, I think of myself as a pretty intelligent guy, and I’m finishing up my masters degree. So you could say I am willing to surrender all and use my intelligence and my degree for the Lord any way He sees fit…As long as that means I actually get to feel like I’m using my intelligence and my education.
What if, (horror of horrors) God “calls” me somewhere where I don’t get to make use of my brain? Henri Nowen decided to leave his position as a regarded priest and scholar to work at a mental institution where patients neither understood nor appreciated his words, his experience, or his education. It was hard and humbling. But he CHOSE that. What if that just kind of “happens” to me? What if God wants me to surrender many of my skills and passions not by using them for Him, but by not using them at all?
“Oh no Steve, that could never happen,” I can hear you say. “God does not work that way.” Oh really? God’s ways are beyond my ways. Maybe to him me “wasting” my talents isn’t a waste at all. Maybe that’s His way of making me humble, and to Him that is a great use of my talents.
It freaked me out. Because I realized that God could actually ask me to surrender anything, and according to the song I was singing, I’m just going to go along with it.
And I will, (I hope) but sit back and think about it. Could you surrender your health? Your friendships? The best years of your life? I think that my whole life I’ve really been singing
“I surrender all, as long as I think it’s a good thing to surrender.”
Now I am not suggesting that God is going to make me "surrender" by committing crazy sins and doing things that are inconsistent with God's character but I think that as a 21st century American evangelical I am tempted to imagine that God's character is pretty convenient for me.
Tuesday, April 20, 2010
The privilege of calling
The title of this post was suggested by the one and only Ben Taylor, who’s first album, entitled fist full of nothing should be released this coming summer.
But earlier I went on a rant about how we are doing ourselves a disservice by looking so hard for a vocational “calling” that it becomes a source of guilt and stress. Since I know both of my readers have already seen that post I don’t need to reference it any more.
But now I would like to offer an alternative. Did you know that the Apostle Paul made tents for a living while he was doing his ministry?* Paul probably went home every day feeling like a loser because when he went to work he made tents and that is SO unfulfilling and insignificant. I think we would all agree that Paul the tent-maker wasted his life. So sad. Too bad he couldn’t find a calling.
Paul had other things he wanted to do in life. Things that he valued. So he took a job that paid him money (gasp). But we don’t call him Paul the tent-maker; we call him the Apostle Paul, because we know that his job wasn’t his identity.
Now some of us can get excited and feel satisfied about our jobs. That’s honestly great. It really is. I hope I fit into that category some day soon.** But for others lets consider a few things.
Who are you while you’re at work? Can you be a witness or a loving, caring person?
Can you honor God with your money? If so, work can provide you with resources to honor God
Can you envision your work as an act of service?
Who are you after work?
Do you honor God where you are?
* Of course you did Ben. Why don’t you stop reading my blog and start working on your album?
**I actually really like the job I have now but I am getting kicked out of Huntington after graduation
But earlier I went on a rant about how we are doing ourselves a disservice by looking so hard for a vocational “calling” that it becomes a source of guilt and stress. Since I know both of my readers have already seen that post I don’t need to reference it any more.
But now I would like to offer an alternative. Did you know that the Apostle Paul made tents for a living while he was doing his ministry?* Paul probably went home every day feeling like a loser because when he went to work he made tents and that is SO unfulfilling and insignificant. I think we would all agree that Paul the tent-maker wasted his life. So sad. Too bad he couldn’t find a calling.
Paul had other things he wanted to do in life. Things that he valued. So he took a job that paid him money (gasp). But we don’t call him Paul the tent-maker; we call him the Apostle Paul, because we know that his job wasn’t his identity.
Now some of us can get excited and feel satisfied about our jobs. That’s honestly great. It really is. I hope I fit into that category some day soon.** But for others lets consider a few things.
Who are you while you’re at work? Can you be a witness or a loving, caring person?
Can you honor God with your money? If so, work can provide you with resources to honor God
Can you envision your work as an act of service?
Who are you after work?
Do you honor God where you are?
* Of course you did Ben. Why don’t you stop reading my blog and start working on your album?
**I actually really like the job I have now but I am getting kicked out of Huntington after graduation
Thursday, March 25, 2010
Ballast
Giving credit where credit is due. This idea comes from a reading I had for Dr. Gaier's class.
Humility is an important thing. I think we've covered that in the past. Humility is also not one of the things that I'm best at. I think we've already covered that too. I think a good and accurate epitaph for me at this point in my life would be
"Humility and football were two things that were very important to Steve, he wasn't very good at either of them."
But that's not the point. What is the point is the secret to humility.
Ballast. You gotta have a lot of Ballast. Charles Spurgeon, whom you know as that really awesome preacher guy that Phil Byers reads about, was said to be such a great man because he was aware of just how broken and sinful he was. Spurgeon struggled with feelings of inadequacy because his sin was always before him. He was always aware of what was bringing him down. And it was exactly THAT, that enabled him to stay upright.
Ballast is a sailing term. It's used in boats. Ever wondered why boats never just tip over in the water? Well they are heavy obviously they sink into the water a little bit and don't just float on top. That's true. But what you might NOT have known is that the thing that is MAKING it heavy is ballast. Ballast refers to anything heavy that is loaded into the keel of the boat while it is being constructed. It is usually a heavy, dense, material like iron, cement, or sand. And this stuff just chills out at the bottom of the boat making it heavy. The larger of a boat you have the more water it will displace, meaning it will be more buoyant. Or put more simply. The bigger the boat, the more ballast you need.
That's what Spurgeon had. Instead of the high and lofty self image that so many of our leaders have today, Spurgeon had a keen sense of his ballast, his shortcoming, his sins. But probably without him knowing it, his ballast enabled him to become a really big ship. Too many leaders today build great big boats with tall masts and fancy sails. And that's great until the wind gets too strong or the water gets a little choppy. At the first sign of a storm the boat capsizes and it's ruined. Only by starting low, with a large ballast, is any large ship ever going to be able to float.
So, then, are you saying that we should sin more so that we can have a greater ballast? In the words of the Apostle Paul "by no means." In the words of Ben Taylor interpreting the words of the Apostle Paul "Hell no." We've all got enough sin to sink any ocean liner, so don't worry about that. It's not the sin that's the ballast, it's the awareness of the sin--the understanding of the sin. It's understanding ourselves in the context of sin that gives us ballast and help keeps us upright.
Humility is an important thing. I think we've covered that in the past. Humility is also not one of the things that I'm best at. I think we've already covered that too. I think a good and accurate epitaph for me at this point in my life would be
"Humility and football were two things that were very important to Steve, he wasn't very good at either of them."
But that's not the point. What is the point is the secret to humility.
Ballast. You gotta have a lot of Ballast. Charles Spurgeon, whom you know as that really awesome preacher guy that Phil Byers reads about, was said to be such a great man because he was aware of just how broken and sinful he was. Spurgeon struggled with feelings of inadequacy because his sin was always before him. He was always aware of what was bringing him down. And it was exactly THAT, that enabled him to stay upright.
Ballast is a sailing term. It's used in boats. Ever wondered why boats never just tip over in the water? Well they are heavy obviously they sink into the water a little bit and don't just float on top. That's true. But what you might NOT have known is that the thing that is MAKING it heavy is ballast. Ballast refers to anything heavy that is loaded into the keel of the boat while it is being constructed. It is usually a heavy, dense, material like iron, cement, or sand. And this stuff just chills out at the bottom of the boat making it heavy. The larger of a boat you have the more water it will displace, meaning it will be more buoyant. Or put more simply. The bigger the boat, the more ballast you need.
That's what Spurgeon had. Instead of the high and lofty self image that so many of our leaders have today, Spurgeon had a keen sense of his ballast, his shortcoming, his sins. But probably without him knowing it, his ballast enabled him to become a really big ship. Too many leaders today build great big boats with tall masts and fancy sails. And that's great until the wind gets too strong or the water gets a little choppy. At the first sign of a storm the boat capsizes and it's ruined. Only by starting low, with a large ballast, is any large ship ever going to be able to float.
So, then, are you saying that we should sin more so that we can have a greater ballast? In the words of the Apostle Paul "by no means." In the words of Ben Taylor interpreting the words of the Apostle Paul "Hell no." We've all got enough sin to sink any ocean liner, so don't worry about that. It's not the sin that's the ballast, it's the awareness of the sin--the understanding of the sin. It's understanding ourselves in the context of sin that gives us ballast and help keeps us upright.
Tuesday, March 16, 2010
Calling out "Calling"
I would like to challenge an idea that I've been struggling with this year. I'm not sure if I've really found my "calling" in higher education. For those of you who don't speak "Christianese" as well as us Taylor Grads, Fredrich Beuchner and my Intro to Christian Ed. prof would both say that a Christian calling is where "your deepest passion meets the world's greatest need."
In other words. Don't just get a job. Go out and serve a need where you are passionate. That is the job you should get. That's you're calling. It's how you live a fulfilling Christian life. That's why it's almost a sin if someone at a Christian school or a church or any non-profit organization says "Egh, it's just a job." Simply terrible.
I think that "Calling" is one of the most miss-applied and overused term in our vernacular. Before I start ranting, I would like to say that I think God does "call" some people to do things. But I think that makes up a VERY small part of the population. I don't think that everyone is supposed to go out and "find their calling" in the vocational sense. So keep in mind here that the arguments I'm going to make specifically speak to people who believe that a "calling" refers to finding "the right" job.
I think the idea of the "calling" is a very American, and not actually from the Bible. "Whoa whoa whoa" you might say. "Don't you be saying the Bible doesn't say things that it says. What about the "calling of the twelve?"
Well, I did say that I do think God does "call" people to do things. But I think that's an exception, not a rule. First of all look at that passage (Luke 6) and you'll notice that he calls his disciples to him and selects 12. Jesus had more than 12 disciples. WAY more. But we normally only think of the 12 because we hear stories about that. Disciple is one of those words we think is ONLY a Christian word and we actually begin to forget what it really means* (And that's a thought for another day).
But the point is that out of ALL of his disciples Jesus "called" 12. So what happened to the other guys? Sorry, no calling for you. Don't quit your day job, which by the way, is not your calling.
"finding your calling" means finding that job you would do for free because it completes you and you kind of think of it as a ministry. That's a great idea, but I've compiled a very small list of the few people who fall between the cracks and aren't fortunate enough to have the opportunity to find a job that "fits" them like that. In short, this is a list of people who don't have callings.
Anyone who is forced to stay at a job they don't like for financial reasons
Anyone who is forced who failed to get the job they wanted (I got cut from the NBA)
Anyone who was drafted by the army
Anyone who got (or got his girlfriend) pregnant in high school
Anyone in prison
Anyone born in America before 1950 except for white men
Anyone who died before reaching adulthood
Anyone born into a caste system
Anyone who was ever a slave in the history of the entire world
Anyone in civilization who was born into an economic class that did not facilitate prioritizing "personal fulfillment" as a criteria for a job
Considering all the people born in the history of the world, the relatively short life of technology and the leisure time it affords, the fact that the "middle class" is a social construct that doesn't even go back 100 years, the state of many third world countries today, and a few other factors...I would say that the number of people who had NO opportunity to fulfill their calling would probably figure somewhere around 99% (unless a lot of people had callings like "Build pyramid by hand").
Steve are you being a little harsh? Are you taking this a little too far? Why yes as a matter of fact I am. But it's only to make a point. I think that God does "Call" people. And a lot of people who use the word "calling" really mean "I like this job a lot and I feel like I get a chance to serve God here." Well that's great. I'm not mad at you. But let's not make guys like me (and all the seniors I know who are graduating) panic because we are afraid we won't find our calling and we might have to settle for a "job." I feel guilty about this sometimes. I hate the idea that I might actually just get a job because it pays money and not because it's where my deepest passion meets the world's greatest need. But then again, if I did, I would probably be in fairly good company
* Just like stewardship and baptize. Go ahead and use these words to talk to a non Christian about how you thought it was a good use of your time to do the dishes before you went to bed. They will think you are speaking Christianese, but you will know that you just have a good vocabulary "I thought it was good stewardship to baptize the dishes in water before bed"
In other words. Don't just get a job. Go out and serve a need where you are passionate. That is the job you should get. That's you're calling. It's how you live a fulfilling Christian life. That's why it's almost a sin if someone at a Christian school or a church or any non-profit organization says "Egh, it's just a job." Simply terrible.
I think that "Calling" is one of the most miss-applied and overused term in our vernacular. Before I start ranting, I would like to say that I think God does "call" some people to do things. But I think that makes up a VERY small part of the population. I don't think that everyone is supposed to go out and "find their calling" in the vocational sense. So keep in mind here that the arguments I'm going to make specifically speak to people who believe that a "calling" refers to finding "the right" job.
I think the idea of the "calling" is a very American, and not actually from the Bible. "Whoa whoa whoa" you might say. "Don't you be saying the Bible doesn't say things that it says. What about the "calling of the twelve?"
Well, I did say that I do think God does "call" people to do things. But I think that's an exception, not a rule. First of all look at that passage (Luke 6) and you'll notice that he calls his disciples to him and selects 12. Jesus had more than 12 disciples. WAY more. But we normally only think of the 12 because we hear stories about that. Disciple is one of those words we think is ONLY a Christian word and we actually begin to forget what it really means* (And that's a thought for another day).
But the point is that out of ALL of his disciples Jesus "called" 12. So what happened to the other guys? Sorry, no calling for you. Don't quit your day job, which by the way, is not your calling.
"finding your calling" means finding that job you would do for free because it completes you and you kind of think of it as a ministry. That's a great idea, but I've compiled a very small list of the few people who fall between the cracks and aren't fortunate enough to have the opportunity to find a job that "fits" them like that. In short, this is a list of people who don't have callings.
Anyone who is forced to stay at a job they don't like for financial reasons
Anyone who is forced who failed to get the job they wanted (I got cut from the NBA)
Anyone who was drafted by the army
Anyone who got (or got his girlfriend) pregnant in high school
Anyone in prison
Anyone born in America before 1950 except for white men
Anyone who died before reaching adulthood
Anyone born into a caste system
Anyone who was ever a slave in the history of the entire world
Anyone in civilization who was born into an economic class that did not facilitate prioritizing "personal fulfillment" as a criteria for a job
Considering all the people born in the history of the world, the relatively short life of technology and the leisure time it affords, the fact that the "middle class" is a social construct that doesn't even go back 100 years, the state of many third world countries today, and a few other factors...I would say that the number of people who had NO opportunity to fulfill their calling would probably figure somewhere around 99% (unless a lot of people had callings like "Build pyramid by hand").
Steve are you being a little harsh? Are you taking this a little too far? Why yes as a matter of fact I am. But it's only to make a point. I think that God does "Call" people. And a lot of people who use the word "calling" really mean "I like this job a lot and I feel like I get a chance to serve God here." Well that's great. I'm not mad at you. But let's not make guys like me (and all the seniors I know who are graduating) panic because we are afraid we won't find our calling and we might have to settle for a "job." I feel guilty about this sometimes. I hate the idea that I might actually just get a job because it pays money and not because it's where my deepest passion meets the world's greatest need. But then again, if I did, I would probably be in fairly good company
* Just like stewardship and baptize. Go ahead and use these words to talk to a non Christian about how you thought it was a good use of your time to do the dishes before you went to bed. They will think you are speaking Christianese, but you will know that you just have a good vocabulary "I thought it was good stewardship to baptize the dishes in water before bed"
Friday, February 26, 2010
Pressure Valves
An interesting thought occurs to me. I was telling my dad about the time I insulted a celebrity on my blog and was called to task for it. He told me that it was good to have humbling experiences before I became too prideful. Not very sympathetic it's true, but that's what I have an fiancee for.
You know how they say you shouldn't keep your anger all bottled up and let it explode all at once? I wonder if the same is true for pride. I think I have a natural tendancy to accrue feelings of pride and arrogance. I would consider myself a sucsessfull person* and it stands to reason that unchecked, my pride would get out of hand.
I imagined myself like a canister of gas under pressure (why I thought of this specifically, I'm not sure, I think it's because I used big cannisters of Helium every year at home-coming to inflate balloons at Taylor). And the gas inside was pride.
Now the terrible thing would be if more and more gas got pent up intside the cannister until eventually it just blew up. This happens to people. Think about Tiger Woods or anyone else who was so "larger than life" that they could do anything. Until it caught up with them.
A much healthier thing would be events along the way the let out some of my "hot air." For example, insult a celebrity on your blog or invite a dirty comedian to campus. That's like a saftey valve kicking on and letting out a good amount of air and relievving some of the pressure before things turn dangerous. It's still kind of explosive (and painful) but way better than it would have been if everything has stayed all bottled up inside.
The BEST alternative would be to just poke a bunch of holes in the container so that everything that flows in flows back out naturally and safely. But until I can figure out how to do that I suppose I'll just be thankful to God for safety valve expreinces.
*not financially
You know how they say you shouldn't keep your anger all bottled up and let it explode all at once? I wonder if the same is true for pride. I think I have a natural tendancy to accrue feelings of pride and arrogance. I would consider myself a sucsessfull person* and it stands to reason that unchecked, my pride would get out of hand.
I imagined myself like a canister of gas under pressure (why I thought of this specifically, I'm not sure, I think it's because I used big cannisters of Helium every year at home-coming to inflate balloons at Taylor). And the gas inside was pride.
Now the terrible thing would be if more and more gas got pent up intside the cannister until eventually it just blew up. This happens to people. Think about Tiger Woods or anyone else who was so "larger than life" that they could do anything. Until it caught up with them.
A much healthier thing would be events along the way the let out some of my "hot air." For example, insult a celebrity on your blog or invite a dirty comedian to campus. That's like a saftey valve kicking on and letting out a good amount of air and relievving some of the pressure before things turn dangerous. It's still kind of explosive (and painful) but way better than it would have been if everything has stayed all bottled up inside.
The BEST alternative would be to just poke a bunch of holes in the container so that everything that flows in flows back out naturally and safely. But until I can figure out how to do that I suppose I'll just be thankful to God for safety valve expreinces.
*not financially
Monday, February 15, 2010
From Great to Good
It makes sense that we should always be trying to get better. And I know that we are all sinners in need of God's redeeming grace. But I would like to take a moment to reconsider the obsession we have with growth and improvement.
I am constantly bombarded with the idea of how I need to change to be different and better. The Steve of tomorrow should be a better man than the Steve of today. the Huntington of tomorrow should be better than the Huntington of today. Completely true. Not arguing.
But as we go to the words of Jim Collins* "Good is the enemy of great." His point was that doing "a pretty good job" would ruin any business that wanted to be great because it would lull them into complacency. Good isn't good enough. Let us then disdain good, "fix" what isn't broken and change, change, change.
That's not bad if you have a clear vision of what you want to change into. It's kind of a problem though if you are changing for the sake of change or because you hate the fact that you are just "good." I'm all for growth and I do want to be more like Christ, but we should slow down and celebrate small victories, celebrate who people are, and understand that we want to be changing for the sake of honoring Christ. Not for the sake of being perfect. Lets need Christ and worship Christ, thankfully accept the gift of Christ, and not pretend that we are going to BE Christ tomorrow. Guilt is a sign of an impossible goal.
I thought flipping Jim Collin's words around would be original. But it turns out that a french thinker by the name of Voltair thought of it long before I did.
"perfection is the enemy of good."
* Author of Good to Great and apparently the 14th disciple** if you are a business or a mega church. Also, interesting note. If you have actually read good to great you might be interested to know that Circuit City is going out of business.
**A thirteenth disciple was selected to replace Judas
I am constantly bombarded with the idea of how I need to change to be different and better. The Steve of tomorrow should be a better man than the Steve of today. the Huntington of tomorrow should be better than the Huntington of today. Completely true. Not arguing.
But as we go to the words of Jim Collins* "Good is the enemy of great." His point was that doing "a pretty good job" would ruin any business that wanted to be great because it would lull them into complacency. Good isn't good enough. Let us then disdain good, "fix" what isn't broken and change, change, change.
That's not bad if you have a clear vision of what you want to change into. It's kind of a problem though if you are changing for the sake of change or because you hate the fact that you are just "good." I'm all for growth and I do want to be more like Christ, but we should slow down and celebrate small victories, celebrate who people are, and understand that we want to be changing for the sake of honoring Christ. Not for the sake of being perfect. Lets need Christ and worship Christ, thankfully accept the gift of Christ, and not pretend that we are going to BE Christ tomorrow. Guilt is a sign of an impossible goal.
I thought flipping Jim Collin's words around would be original. But it turns out that a french thinker by the name of Voltair thought of it long before I did.
"perfection is the enemy of good."
* Author of Good to Great and apparently the 14th disciple** if you are a business or a mega church. Also, interesting note. If you have actually read good to great you might be interested to know that Circuit City is going out of business.
**A thirteenth disciple was selected to replace Judas
Sunday, February 7, 2010
Worth
I just saw The Who perform at half-time at the super bowl. They are really really old and perhaps just a little bit out of it. But they were most definitely the best part of the game. Sadly, I was watching them in a room full of students who weren't sure who they were.
Anyway. A thought on worth.
So good parents continue to tell their kids that they don't need to change who they are to impress their peers. They don't need to try to accomplish things or "be someone" so that we can feel good about ourselves. We shouldn't to other people to affirm our value and define our sense of self and worth.
This is a good thing.
But the bad thing is that we often take this logic. These same good parents then tell their kids that they are special just for being who they are and we try to make everyone believe that they have intrinsic value. The shocking news is...people don't have intrinsic value. We DO need to look to someone outside ourselves to validate ourselves as a person of value who is worthy of being loved.*
The problem is that we go to the wrong people. I don't think I need to point out that it is a bad idea to try to gain affirmation from "the world" or to try to "earn" affirmation from God, (though both of those thoughts are worth further consideration) But I do want to emphasis that our value really DOES come from outside ourselves.
If you took a look at my shoes and I asked you "what do you think these are worth?" You would name some price pretty close to "$0" (And you would be right).
But here are three things could really change your opinion on that question. What if my shoes cost me $15,000, were previously owned by Theodore Roosevelt, and were hand-made my Leonardo Da Vinci? First of all you would be very impressed by the prolific nature of my shoes. Second, you would wonder why I was actually wearing them. But the conclusion you would eventually draw was that these shoes were very valuable. And that is because
1) They were bought at a great price
2) they were owned by some one great
3) they were hand-made by a master craftsman
In all of these instances, value was bestowed on the object by some one external to the object itself. Just like the way God gave us value. By creating us Himself, calling us His own, and buying us at a great price.
Intrinsic value is overrated anyway.
*Note: Ladies, if any of you are freshmen in high school please read the rest of this entry before you run out and get pregnant.
Anyway. A thought on worth.
So good parents continue to tell their kids that they don't need to change who they are to impress their peers. They don't need to try to accomplish things or "be someone" so that we can feel good about ourselves. We shouldn't to other people to affirm our value and define our sense of self and worth.
This is a good thing.
But the bad thing is that we often take this logic. These same good parents then tell their kids that they are special just for being who they are and we try to make everyone believe that they have intrinsic value. The shocking news is...people don't have intrinsic value. We DO need to look to someone outside ourselves to validate ourselves as a person of value who is worthy of being loved.*
The problem is that we go to the wrong people. I don't think I need to point out that it is a bad idea to try to gain affirmation from "the world" or to try to "earn" affirmation from God, (though both of those thoughts are worth further consideration) But I do want to emphasis that our value really DOES come from outside ourselves.
If you took a look at my shoes and I asked you "what do you think these are worth?" You would name some price pretty close to "$0" (And you would be right).
But here are three things could really change your opinion on that question. What if my shoes cost me $15,000, were previously owned by Theodore Roosevelt, and were hand-made my Leonardo Da Vinci? First of all you would be very impressed by the prolific nature of my shoes. Second, you would wonder why I was actually wearing them. But the conclusion you would eventually draw was that these shoes were very valuable. And that is because
1) They were bought at a great price
2) they were owned by some one great
3) they were hand-made by a master craftsman
In all of these instances, value was bestowed on the object by some one external to the object itself. Just like the way God gave us value. By creating us Himself, calling us His own, and buying us at a great price.
Intrinsic value is overrated anyway.
*Note: Ladies, if any of you are freshmen in high school please read the rest of this entry before you run out and get pregnant.
Wednesday, February 3, 2010
Tri-Bond
Ok I've got a question for you. What do Bob Ross, Jim Tressel, and God have in common?
If you said an affinity for "happy trees" you could be right. But that's not what I was thinking of.
I was actually thinking about how these guys all have a plan for their work that far outstrips my humble understanding.
Have any of you watched Bob Ross paint? It's like watching a lava lamp. Really nothing interesting happens and what does happen is slow and extremely predictable. You don't really have a reason to watch and you wouldn't say it's actually entertaining you but either you're easily distracted, or very bored and lonely.
But for those of you who have seen Bob whip up some happy bushes and trees you know one thing happens every time. He's painting away and you say "hey, this looks pretty good, I think I'm going to take up painting." And just when you think his painting is finished he throws some ugly dark blobs on it and you flip out at the T.V.
"Bob what are you doing? You MADMAN! You've ruined it! Oh Bob you FOOL when will you learn to leave good enough alone!?"
Yet by the end he is able tie it all together and the ugly blobs turn into a natural part of the picture and you say to yourself "Bob you son of a gun....you've done it again."
Now let's go to Jim Tressel. The greatest coach in the history of sports.* Jim does something that makes every Buckeye fan go insane at least once a game. He plays such conservative football that sometimes you wonder if he is even trying to win. I'm honestly surprised he hasn't punted on 3rd down yet just to play it on the safe side. I think it's quite possible that he's trying to set a world record for the most wins with the fewest points in history.
But. The man wins games. He almost always wins games.** He doesn't get over excited like the fans or succumb to knee jerk reactions every time something happens on the field he doesn't like. Jim is always in calm, cool, collect mode while I am trying not to swear in front of Cortney. And in the end Jim is right and the Buckeyes win another game.
I realized one day that Bob and Jim are to professionals that are great at what they do, and I don't trust them enough. I sit on the couch with zero coaching or painting talent, annoyed that these guys are ruining something cool. But every time I see them at their work I am proved wrong, and once again they show why they are the professionals and I am making negative dollars every year to eat at the DC and plan student activities.
Do I need to draw the comparison to God? The man has a bigger picture in mind than I do and he knows how to stick to his guns even when I think he should "fix it" right now. He is patient and wise. He knows where he is going and has the skill of a master artist who can visualize the end before he even begins. After 7 years I have learned to trust Jim Tressel, when will I learn to trust God?
Oh, for your enjoyment...Bob Ross
*He's the greatest coach since before sports too.
** He loses some on purpose, just to be safe.
If you said an affinity for "happy trees" you could be right. But that's not what I was thinking of.
I was actually thinking about how these guys all have a plan for their work that far outstrips my humble understanding.
Have any of you watched Bob Ross paint? It's like watching a lava lamp. Really nothing interesting happens and what does happen is slow and extremely predictable. You don't really have a reason to watch and you wouldn't say it's actually entertaining you but either you're easily distracted, or very bored and lonely.
But for those of you who have seen Bob whip up some happy bushes and trees you know one thing happens every time. He's painting away and you say "hey, this looks pretty good, I think I'm going to take up painting." And just when you think his painting is finished he throws some ugly dark blobs on it and you flip out at the T.V.
"Bob what are you doing? You MADMAN! You've ruined it! Oh Bob you FOOL when will you learn to leave good enough alone!?"
Yet by the end he is able tie it all together and the ugly blobs turn into a natural part of the picture and you say to yourself "Bob you son of a gun....you've done it again."
Now let's go to Jim Tressel. The greatest coach in the history of sports.* Jim does something that makes every Buckeye fan go insane at least once a game. He plays such conservative football that sometimes you wonder if he is even trying to win. I'm honestly surprised he hasn't punted on 3rd down yet just to play it on the safe side. I think it's quite possible that he's trying to set a world record for the most wins with the fewest points in history.
But. The man wins games. He almost always wins games.** He doesn't get over excited like the fans or succumb to knee jerk reactions every time something happens on the field he doesn't like. Jim is always in calm, cool, collect mode while I am trying not to swear in front of Cortney. And in the end Jim is right and the Buckeyes win another game.
I realized one day that Bob and Jim are to professionals that are great at what they do, and I don't trust them enough. I sit on the couch with zero coaching or painting talent, annoyed that these guys are ruining something cool. But every time I see them at their work I am proved wrong, and once again they show why they are the professionals and I am making negative dollars every year to eat at the DC and plan student activities.
Do I need to draw the comparison to God? The man has a bigger picture in mind than I do and he knows how to stick to his guns even when I think he should "fix it" right now. He is patient and wise. He knows where he is going and has the skill of a master artist who can visualize the end before he even begins. After 7 years I have learned to trust Jim Tressel, when will I learn to trust God?
Oh, for your enjoyment...Bob Ross
*He's the greatest coach since before sports too.
** He loses some on purpose, just to be safe.
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
Freedom of Humilty
Friends, I'm on the verge of something here. I think we should all put this in our pipes and smoke it for a while. I'm not saying that I've figured out something great, but I think there is something great yet to be discovered in the freedom of Humility. So feel free to take this idea and run farther with it than I have.
But I just read a GREAT book for class. It was called "Humilty, True Greatness" and I've decided that I am going to wage war with pride in my life. I mean I've been trying to be more humble for a long time becuase that's a Biblical commandment, but I've never really stopped and said "I'm going to develop a plan and tackle this issue head on." It's just like unbuilding walls, we need to take it one step at a time and by changing the condition of our hearts, and unlearning habits and thoughts that we've picked up through a fallen world can help us rearrange our feelings and our instincts.
I haven't fully formulated my game plan on that one yet, I'll keep you posted. But I have been thinking about how great it would be to truly have humility. You see my problem is that for some reason I'm convinced that I have to perform before an imaginary audience so I feel like I'm "good enough."
I need to make sure that I have a good enough job, that I am a good enough student, that I'm a good enough friend, or boyfriend, or whatever. I'm trying so hard to make sure I live life the "right way" or that I'm doing good enough for God to be proud of me.
But remember a few posts ago when I talked about surrender? We're not fast enough to win the 200 meter dash? Well I've realized that in this life we are totally down on the track with the rest of the runners, but we're not going to run.
I imagine muyself eating a hot-dog and snapping pictures while all the other runners are stretching out and getting ready for the race. I understand that I'm not really a runner and I'm never going to win. But I'm here on God's invitation. He never expected me to run and neither did anyone else. People know I'm too slow for that. But if I'm truly humble and understand who I am I can enjoy my hot-dog and look forward to watching the race.
Getting away from the racing image: I envision a scenario like this some time.
Imagine a child overhears his parents talking about how money is a little tight. What is the child supposed to do? Wouldn't it break your heart if you came into your childs room and he was crying? You'd ask
"what's the matter?"
And your chld replies in tears "I've been saving my lunch money and trying to do chores around the neighborhood so I could make money so we wont have to be homeless...but I only made 4 dollars."
And of course you would sweep that child into your arms and tell him that you were going to take care of him and that he didn't have to make the money for the family and that everything was fine and he could live his life and be a normal kid and he should eat lunch every day and rest assured that his mother and father were going to take care of the money for him and make sure he was allright.
And the child would be so relieved. That relief is the freedom of humilty.
What if that child wasn't saving up money for a week, but for a year? For two years? For an entire life time? When I feel the need to perform for God or for Cortney or for "people" in general so I can be "good enough" to feel good about myself I'm just a little boy crying in his bed becuase he couldnt' make enough money to pay the rent. I think it breaks my Father's heart.
But I just read a GREAT book for class. It was called "Humilty, True Greatness" and I've decided that I am going to wage war with pride in my life. I mean I've been trying to be more humble for a long time becuase that's a Biblical commandment, but I've never really stopped and said "I'm going to develop a plan and tackle this issue head on." It's just like unbuilding walls, we need to take it one step at a time and by changing the condition of our hearts, and unlearning habits and thoughts that we've picked up through a fallen world can help us rearrange our feelings and our instincts.
I haven't fully formulated my game plan on that one yet, I'll keep you posted. But I have been thinking about how great it would be to truly have humility. You see my problem is that for some reason I'm convinced that I have to perform before an imaginary audience so I feel like I'm "good enough."
I need to make sure that I have a good enough job, that I am a good enough student, that I'm a good enough friend, or boyfriend, or whatever. I'm trying so hard to make sure I live life the "right way" or that I'm doing good enough for God to be proud of me.
But remember a few posts ago when I talked about surrender? We're not fast enough to win the 200 meter dash? Well I've realized that in this life we are totally down on the track with the rest of the runners, but we're not going to run.
I imagine muyself eating a hot-dog and snapping pictures while all the other runners are stretching out and getting ready for the race. I understand that I'm not really a runner and I'm never going to win. But I'm here on God's invitation. He never expected me to run and neither did anyone else. People know I'm too slow for that. But if I'm truly humble and understand who I am I can enjoy my hot-dog and look forward to watching the race.
Getting away from the racing image: I envision a scenario like this some time.
Imagine a child overhears his parents talking about how money is a little tight. What is the child supposed to do? Wouldn't it break your heart if you came into your childs room and he was crying? You'd ask
"what's the matter?"
And your chld replies in tears "I've been saving my lunch money and trying to do chores around the neighborhood so I could make money so we wont have to be homeless...but I only made 4 dollars."
And of course you would sweep that child into your arms and tell him that you were going to take care of him and that he didn't have to make the money for the family and that everything was fine and he could live his life and be a normal kid and he should eat lunch every day and rest assured that his mother and father were going to take care of the money for him and make sure he was allright.
And the child would be so relieved. That relief is the freedom of humilty.
What if that child wasn't saving up money for a week, but for a year? For two years? For an entire life time? When I feel the need to perform for God or for Cortney or for "people" in general so I can be "good enough" to feel good about myself I'm just a little boy crying in his bed becuase he couldnt' make enough money to pay the rent. I think it breaks my Father's heart.
Thursday, September 3, 2009
Nothing to fear but...
Ok so here is something weird. I don't know if anyone else is going to say they feel the same way as I do, but we'll see.
Yesterday I was reading some kind of book about blagh blagh blagh education grad school blagh blagh you get where I"m going with this.
Well anyway. It goes on to talk about all the "desert fathers," and monks and people who have lived their entire lives ensconced in spiritual disciplines, scripture, and the pursuit of knowing God better. And we all say that we are dedicated to these things but I mean for real...these people didn't have jobs. They just did this stuff all day every day.
And I was thinking to myself that that didn't sound so bad, but then I realized I was a little afraid to really get deep with God myself. You see the thing of it is I'm a little afraid to lose what I have these days. I have a beautiful fiancee, a degree in a field I kinda like, a shelf full of books I haven't read yet, and a Nintendo wii. Good night why would I want to change the status quo?
I realized that whenever you really love something you give that thing power over you. My fanatic-like love for the Buckeyes enslaves me to the T.V. every Saturday in the fall and my love for Cortney keeps me tied to my cell-phone. And I think these are good deals. I'm willing to do these things.
But MAN. Really loving God, I mean REALLY loving God. He could make you do ANYTHING. Like, I don't know anyone as crazy and unpredictable as God, he is a wild-card. And it's my goal in life to be completely besotted and helplessly head over heels with a wild-card.
I think that's part pf what it means when the Bible talks about "fear of the Lord." Aslan was never a tame lion. And so I'm signing up. It sounds like a good deal. And I really DO want to fall deeper and deeper in love with God. But I'm kinda afraid to see what he's going to make me do in the future. They say Jesus came to comfort the disturbed and disturb the comfortable, and for once I'm comfortable.
Yesterday I was reading some kind of book about blagh blagh blagh education grad school blagh blagh you get where I"m going with this.
Well anyway. It goes on to talk about all the "desert fathers," and monks and people who have lived their entire lives ensconced in spiritual disciplines, scripture, and the pursuit of knowing God better. And we all say that we are dedicated to these things but I mean for real...these people didn't have jobs. They just did this stuff all day every day.
And I was thinking to myself that that didn't sound so bad, but then I realized I was a little afraid to really get deep with God myself. You see the thing of it is I'm a little afraid to lose what I have these days. I have a beautiful fiancee, a degree in a field I kinda like, a shelf full of books I haven't read yet, and a Nintendo wii. Good night why would I want to change the status quo?
I realized that whenever you really love something you give that thing power over you. My fanatic-like love for the Buckeyes enslaves me to the T.V. every Saturday in the fall and my love for Cortney keeps me tied to my cell-phone. And I think these are good deals. I'm willing to do these things.
But MAN. Really loving God, I mean REALLY loving God. He could make you do ANYTHING. Like, I don't know anyone as crazy and unpredictable as God, he is a wild-card. And it's my goal in life to be completely besotted and helplessly head over heels with a wild-card.
I think that's part pf what it means when the Bible talks about "fear of the Lord." Aslan was never a tame lion. And so I'm signing up. It sounds like a good deal. And I really DO want to fall deeper and deeper in love with God. But I'm kinda afraid to see what he's going to make me do in the future. They say Jesus came to comfort the disturbed and disturb the comfortable, and for once I'm comfortable.
Friday, August 28, 2009
Glorious Defeat
As is often the case when exploring the nature of our Lord, we may have to live in a little tension between two truths that seem mutually exclusive. Most people like to say that we need to learn how to hold these truths in balance. I like to say "you're not going to figure it out ever because you are a dirty sinner and sinners don't get to understand all the ways of God." It helps me sleep better at night because I spend less time thinking about questions without answers.
But anyway, I give that disclaimer so that you understand I know that what I am about to tell you is not the end all be all of how you are to live your life, but rather something you must consider while trying your hardest to live a God honoring lifestyle. End disclaimer.
I think that sometimes defeat is a good thing. I know that's not a winner's attitude, but some situations aren't set up for you to win. They* say guilt is a sign of an impossible goal. I'm not one of them, but I would say despair probably fits in with that too.
Because if you were utterly convinced that it was vitally important for you to win a gold medal in the 200m dash, that idea would probably consume your life. All the training and dieting, all the effort, all the living breathing, and thinking about sprinting would really wear on a person. Especially if your name isn't Usain Bolt. See the thing is, everyone who ISN'T named Usain Bolt is incapable of winning the gold. And therefore, if winning that medal is something of vital importance to you, you are set up for a life of guilt, despair, and feelings of inadequacy.
So maybe it wouldn't be so bad of a thing if one day you got in a car accident and the doctor told you you would never run again. True, your dream was unrealized, but lets be honest, it was going to be unrealized anyway. Now you are free to live your life because you are no longer consumed or haunted by the feeling that you need to achieve the unachievable.
You see where I'm going with this? I am a sinner. I can't be perfect. Never will be. And try and try as I can to be the perfect friend, student, boyfriend, student activity coordinator, what have you, it's not going to happen. See we all know that Jesus takes care of our sins, but for some reason there is still a temptation to "Be the best that we can be."
Ok I'm all for that but I think we must also realize that we have already lost the battle. We have already lost the war. We will never win the gold. In fact, we will never even qualify or the Olympic trials...because we are slow. The thing is, we've been going about it all wrong. Because Usain runs for us and he is willing to give us the gold medal that we couldn't win for ourselves. You might say that you don't like that and you'd rather train for it and earn it. Well that's called pride. And the real truth about the matter is that it doesn't matter what you think, you are never going to win.
But God is willing to run the race and fight the battle for us. So I think that while many of us are feeling guilty and distraught it is time to put up the white flag of surrender and accept the glorious defeat that comes from letting God do what only He can do, while you enjoy the comfort of watching from the sidelines.
Does this mean that we should all sin the more so that God can show his glory even more and win bigger battles for us? In the words of the apostle Paul "Hell no."** It's a tension. Learn to live with it.
*Clinical psychologists
** Yeah, I went there, but if you translate the Greek, so did Paul.
But anyway, I give that disclaimer so that you understand I know that what I am about to tell you is not the end all be all of how you are to live your life, but rather something you must consider while trying your hardest to live a God honoring lifestyle. End disclaimer.
I think that sometimes defeat is a good thing. I know that's not a winner's attitude, but some situations aren't set up for you to win. They* say guilt is a sign of an impossible goal. I'm not one of them, but I would say despair probably fits in with that too.
Because if you were utterly convinced that it was vitally important for you to win a gold medal in the 200m dash, that idea would probably consume your life. All the training and dieting, all the effort, all the living breathing, and thinking about sprinting would really wear on a person. Especially if your name isn't Usain Bolt. See the thing is, everyone who ISN'T named Usain Bolt is incapable of winning the gold. And therefore, if winning that medal is something of vital importance to you, you are set up for a life of guilt, despair, and feelings of inadequacy.
So maybe it wouldn't be so bad of a thing if one day you got in a car accident and the doctor told you you would never run again. True, your dream was unrealized, but lets be honest, it was going to be unrealized anyway. Now you are free to live your life because you are no longer consumed or haunted by the feeling that you need to achieve the unachievable.
You see where I'm going with this? I am a sinner. I can't be perfect. Never will be. And try and try as I can to be the perfect friend, student, boyfriend, student activity coordinator, what have you, it's not going to happen. See we all know that Jesus takes care of our sins, but for some reason there is still a temptation to "Be the best that we can be."
Ok I'm all for that but I think we must also realize that we have already lost the battle. We have already lost the war. We will never win the gold. In fact, we will never even qualify or the Olympic trials...because we are slow. The thing is, we've been going about it all wrong. Because Usain runs for us and he is willing to give us the gold medal that we couldn't win for ourselves. You might say that you don't like that and you'd rather train for it and earn it. Well that's called pride. And the real truth about the matter is that it doesn't matter what you think, you are never going to win.
But God is willing to run the race and fight the battle for us. So I think that while many of us are feeling guilty and distraught it is time to put up the white flag of surrender and accept the glorious defeat that comes from letting God do what only He can do, while you enjoy the comfort of watching from the sidelines.
Does this mean that we should all sin the more so that God can show his glory even more and win bigger battles for us? In the words of the apostle Paul "Hell no."** It's a tension. Learn to live with it.
*Clinical psychologists
** Yeah, I went there, but if you translate the Greek, so did Paul.
Wednesday, July 29, 2009
disillusion
"Young Adulthood is a time of disillusionment."
No one to my knowledge has ever said this quote but if you want to maybe someday someone would quote you and put a "~" next to it with your name. And after you die maybe even your name and a date after it.
Because I think it's pretty true. There are a lot of things that happen for the first time at this little stage of life I like to call "kinda like being an adult but with less money." Like getting a job, moving out on your own, being able to do whatever you want whenever you want, etc... And as it turns out a lot of it is less glamorous than we had previously been lead to believe. But the point of this post is not to focus on my life (which is actually doing pretty good right now, thanks for asking) but to focus on the idea of disillusionment itself.
We normally associate being disillusioned with negative experiences and sad times. In effect, we have negative connotations with this word. But really, why is that? Because to become disillusioned is to leave behind the illusion and to understand reality.* To become disillusioned is to learn the truth, and in general, I consider that a good thing.
What it generally comes down to is that things in this world are not as good as we think they are and that they will not make us as happy as we think they will. This isn't depressing, its just how it is.
Because we are fallen people. And we are desperately trying to fill the hole in our heart created by the separation we experience apart from God. And we have these illusions that money, success, healthy relationships, security, entertainment, or whatever, can fill this hole and make us complete.
But the truth is these things don't cut it. And one by one as our illusions fade we are able to more fully understand the truth of the matter- that only God will fill us up. So every time you are disappointed or disillusioned, praise God and turn over your expectations to Him.
*I Believe it was Denis Dee Young of Styx who once said "Take me tonight, to the river, and wash my illusions away...SHOW ME THE WAYYYYYYYYYY."
No one to my knowledge has ever said this quote but if you want to maybe someday someone would quote you and put a "~" next to it with your name. And after you die maybe even your name and a date after it.
Because I think it's pretty true. There are a lot of things that happen for the first time at this little stage of life I like to call "kinda like being an adult but with less money." Like getting a job, moving out on your own, being able to do whatever you want whenever you want, etc... And as it turns out a lot of it is less glamorous than we had previously been lead to believe. But the point of this post is not to focus on my life (which is actually doing pretty good right now, thanks for asking) but to focus on the idea of disillusionment itself.
We normally associate being disillusioned with negative experiences and sad times. In effect, we have negative connotations with this word. But really, why is that? Because to become disillusioned is to leave behind the illusion and to understand reality.* To become disillusioned is to learn the truth, and in general, I consider that a good thing.
What it generally comes down to is that things in this world are not as good as we think they are and that they will not make us as happy as we think they will. This isn't depressing, its just how it is.
Because we are fallen people. And we are desperately trying to fill the hole in our heart created by the separation we experience apart from God. And we have these illusions that money, success, healthy relationships, security, entertainment, or whatever, can fill this hole and make us complete.
But the truth is these things don't cut it. And one by one as our illusions fade we are able to more fully understand the truth of the matter- that only God will fill us up. So every time you are disappointed or disillusioned, praise God and turn over your expectations to Him.
*I Believe it was Denis Dee Young of Styx who once said "Take me tonight, to the river, and wash my illusions away...SHOW ME THE WAYYYYYYYYYY."
Friday, June 26, 2009
A basic question
So, I've been taught two things about God. They don't seem to add up. As we all know, sometimes things that seem mutually exclusive can be true about God becaue he's just that smart. But I'm going to take a look at this anyway because it's something I've been thinking about lately.
1) Is the chief purpose of our lives to go out into the world, making disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit? Are we here to build God's kingdom? Are we on a mission? Are we harvesters in the field?
OR
2) Is the cheif end of man to know and enjoy God?* The Bible is a story of God pursuing us, and our only aim is to know Him better. As we are drawn into a more intimate relationship with him we are transformed, and all else preceeds as a natural outflow of that relationship.
Now, it's pretty popular to write a book that says our purpose is soley to know God. Thank you John Piper and Larry Crabb.** It's also very popular to appeal to our sense of being on "A mission from God" when we are speaking from the pulpit and trying to convince Christians "on the fence" that it's time to do "x, y, or z."
I tried the first one out for most of my life, and recently decided I thought there was more truth in the second approach. This decision was reached when I realized that enjoying God as the purpose of life was much more sustainable and do-able, or as Dr. Mark Cosgrove would say less "exestentially repugnant."
But I try to be cautious any time I come across a new approach to God that makes me feel better and that life is easier than I thought. Why? Not becuase I think God hates me, but becuase I understand that the Christian life isn't inherrently a call to feel good and take it easy.
So I've been trying to decide. If I had a face to face conversation with God*** would I feel unbelievably relieved that He had the situation at hand (like a 5 year old who found out he doesn't have to make enough money at his lemonade stand to support the family when he thinks his dady might get laid off), or will I be a bit ashamed when I begin to realize the mantle of responsability that has been laid on me and how I've not been paying enough attention to it?
BOTH you say? Well you have a high tolerence for ambiguity. And when dealing with God that's a really good thing. I agree with you, it's both. But dang, we make a lot of decisions, preach a lot of sermons and feel a lot of anxiety/relief based on which frame of reference we are opperating out of at the time. I suggest we try to be aware of that.
*Heidelberg Catechism
**I liked these books, I'm just saying
***And was not blasted to freaking smithereens by his refulgent glory
1) Is the chief purpose of our lives to go out into the world, making disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit? Are we here to build God's kingdom? Are we on a mission? Are we harvesters in the field?
OR
2) Is the cheif end of man to know and enjoy God?* The Bible is a story of God pursuing us, and our only aim is to know Him better. As we are drawn into a more intimate relationship with him we are transformed, and all else preceeds as a natural outflow of that relationship.
Now, it's pretty popular to write a book that says our purpose is soley to know God. Thank you John Piper and Larry Crabb.** It's also very popular to appeal to our sense of being on "A mission from God" when we are speaking from the pulpit and trying to convince Christians "on the fence" that it's time to do "x, y, or z."
I tried the first one out for most of my life, and recently decided I thought there was more truth in the second approach. This decision was reached when I realized that enjoying God as the purpose of life was much more sustainable and do-able, or as Dr. Mark Cosgrove would say less "exestentially repugnant."
But I try to be cautious any time I come across a new approach to God that makes me feel better and that life is easier than I thought. Why? Not becuase I think God hates me, but becuase I understand that the Christian life isn't inherrently a call to feel good and take it easy.
So I've been trying to decide. If I had a face to face conversation with God*** would I feel unbelievably relieved that He had the situation at hand (like a 5 year old who found out he doesn't have to make enough money at his lemonade stand to support the family when he thinks his dady might get laid off), or will I be a bit ashamed when I begin to realize the mantle of responsability that has been laid on me and how I've not been paying enough attention to it?
BOTH you say? Well you have a high tolerence for ambiguity. And when dealing with God that's a really good thing. I agree with you, it's both. But dang, we make a lot of decisions, preach a lot of sermons and feel a lot of anxiety/relief based on which frame of reference we are opperating out of at the time. I suggest we try to be aware of that.
*Heidelberg Catechism
**I liked these books, I'm just saying
***And was not blasted to freaking smithereens by his refulgent glory
Tuesday, June 2, 2009
Another Brick in the Wall
I just read a book with an ending almost as shocking as Ender's Game. Which brings me to my next point. Why haven't you read Ender's Game yet?
I've learned something by being at a private Christian college for five years. Education is expensive. But I have also learned that people expect you to find your vocation and calling. What is calling you might ask? I had a Christian Ed. Proff once tell me that calling was "Where your deepest desire meets the world's greatest need."*
I sincerely hope that the world's greatest need involves me playing final fantasy and eating Reeces Pieces
Like I'm assuming at least one other Christian feels, I find myself overwhelmed by guilt and a feeling of inferiority because I don't think I've found a fulfilling and significant vocation that is "good enough" to justify all the faith and encouragement that has been invested in me by loved ones throughout my life.
But then it occurs to me, "when did we become obsessed with finding a calling?" Is that mandated by God? I think not.
Don't get me wrong, I'm not suggesting we take jobs we hate and put as little of ourselves into our work as possible. But we (I) need to stop acting like we (I) will only be living half a life if we (I) don't find that right vocation out there that is both at once the worlds greatest need and our (my) deepest passion.
Only in Western Industrialized societies would we care about crap like this. In the distant past women kept the home and men did whatever the heck their dads did. Were these people a disappointment to God because farming or shoe making was a way of life that contributed to society and supported their families rather than met their inner longings for ministry?
Even today in some cultures almost everybody is a farmer. If we told them some peoples were dance instructors for a living they'd be so confused.
If I told the people in my cohort that I was in higher ed because I liked it and I was good at it but it wasn't some burning passion or deep calling I think they would probably tell me to try a different field after I graduated.
I really want to be open to God's voice, but He has never spoken to me as clearly as He apparently speaks to some people. So until he does I suppose I'll just have to exchange hours of my talent and service in a useful way for monetary compensation in a manner that I enjoy. Hope that's enough for all you purists out there.
*I believe this guy was quoting fredrich Beuchner
I've learned something by being at a private Christian college for five years. Education is expensive. But I have also learned that people expect you to find your vocation and calling. What is calling you might ask? I had a Christian Ed. Proff once tell me that calling was "Where your deepest desire meets the world's greatest need."*
I sincerely hope that the world's greatest need involves me playing final fantasy and eating Reeces Pieces
Like I'm assuming at least one other Christian feels, I find myself overwhelmed by guilt and a feeling of inferiority because I don't think I've found a fulfilling and significant vocation that is "good enough" to justify all the faith and encouragement that has been invested in me by loved ones throughout my life.
But then it occurs to me, "when did we become obsessed with finding a calling?" Is that mandated by God? I think not.
Don't get me wrong, I'm not suggesting we take jobs we hate and put as little of ourselves into our work as possible. But we (I) need to stop acting like we (I) will only be living half a life if we (I) don't find that right vocation out there that is both at once the worlds greatest need and our (my) deepest passion.
Only in Western Industrialized societies would we care about crap like this. In the distant past women kept the home and men did whatever the heck their dads did. Were these people a disappointment to God because farming or shoe making was a way of life that contributed to society and supported their families rather than met their inner longings for ministry?
Even today in some cultures almost everybody is a farmer. If we told them some peoples were dance instructors for a living they'd be so confused.
If I told the people in my cohort that I was in higher ed because I liked it and I was good at it but it wasn't some burning passion or deep calling I think they would probably tell me to try a different field after I graduated.
I really want to be open to God's voice, but He has never spoken to me as clearly as He apparently speaks to some people. So until he does I suppose I'll just have to exchange hours of my talent and service in a useful way for monetary compensation in a manner that I enjoy. Hope that's enough for all you purists out there.
*I believe this guy was quoting fredrich Beuchner
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