Wishing Game

Psalm 73 captures something that feels truly timeless. It was written by Asaph one of the musicians of David and Solomon’s time. It captures the envy we have when we see other people doing well even when they don’t live a righteous life. He starts, “1 Surely God is good to Israel, to those who are pure in heart. 2 But as for me, my feet had almost slipped; I had nearly lost my foothold. 3 For I envied the arrogant when I saw the prosperity of the wicked.

It is so easy to play the wishing game. I wish I had their house. I wish I had their money. I wish my kids behaved the way their kids behaved. It is so easy to get sucked into thinking like this when we only get a glimpse. We start thinking like Asaph confesses in verse 13, “13 Surely in vain I have kept my heart pure and have washed my hands in innocence.14 All day long I have been afflicted, and every morning brings new punishments.

When we see someone who appears to have the life we want, it’s easy to question why we put up with living the life we’ve been called to. When we see people get away with crimes or see that some people never face the consequences of their actions, we wonder if we should leave it all behind and just jump down in the mud with them.

However, we realize, as Asaph did, (v.21) “when my heart was grieved and my spirit embittered, I was senseless and ignorant…” It’s easy to fall into the mindset of making worldly pleasures our priority. But you have been called to keep your focus on things that are eternal. God only looks at you and your heart, God isn’t comparing you to anyone else.

You were not called to live any other life but your own. Keep your eyes on things that last. Asaph closes his Psalm with these words, “28 But as for me, it is good to be near God. I have made the Sovereign Lord my refuge;”

I hope we can do the same.

Shema

Deuteronomy 6:4-5 4 “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. 5 You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. 

In Hebrew, these verses are called the Shema, which translates to hear. It is a confession of faith about who God is and our calling in following him. It is as true now as was when it was written 700 hundred(ish) years before the birth of Christ. The first phrase, “the Lord our God, the Lord is one,” Contains the essential truth that God is a singular entity and not some vague force like “will” or “the universe” or “the force.” This establishes the truth of the trinity, we have one God that exists in three persons of God the Father, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit.

From this understanding of God we receive our call. You are called to love the Lord your God with ALL your heart, ALL your soul, and ALL your might. On first reading, this call can feel daunting or overwhelming. There are so many things in our modern world that try to call your attention away. It is so easy to get distracted, and that is why the Shema became a daily prayer. Short, and to the point, the Shema is a reminder of where our hope comes from and where our focus should be.

My hope, as a minister, is that you spend regular time studying the scriptures, praying to God, and growing in your faith. My hope, as a person also facing all the distractions the world can offer, is that I do, too. God loves us very much, and loves hearing our hopes and struggles. Even on your busiest days I hope you can all find time to remind yourself of the words of the Shema, 

“The Lord my God, the Lord is one. I willl love the Lord my God with all my heart and with all my soul and with all my might.”

Really?!

The other day, the little rubber nose-pad thingy on my glasses fell off. I hadn’t taken a blow to the face; there was nothing that prompted it. I just went to adjust my glasses, as I do hundreds of times a day, and I felt something small fall down my face. I’ve worn glasses since the second grade, and this has never happened before. To keep it classy I will just say that I was perturbed!

Something like this, while annoying, isn’t usually an event to get worked up about. But it happened during a run of days that just weren’t going too great for me, and I was about ready to pop off. Thankfully, no one was around because I’m sure we’ve all had those occasions to place our anger about one thing on to someone who has nothing to do with it. I don’t want to be that person.

We all have those things that can send us down a path of anger, and we can tend to leave a wake of destruction as we travel down it. This is the time when we must practice self-control. Proverbs 16:32 says, “Whoever is slow to anger is better than the mighty, and they who rule their spirit than they who take a city.”

Being slow to anger almost seems like a superpower when you’re in a bad mood. It can be difficult (and feel impossible) when there are so many things in this world that seem like they are designed to perturb us. We live in a world where “ragebait” is a word, this is a piece of content that gets engagement by intentionally making people frustrated. Someone sees it and shares it saying, “can you believe how dumb this is?” or “How can they say something like this?” 

Thankfully, you get to choose what is most important to you. You don’t need to engage with everything that bothers you. Some things will happen. We don’t control the world around us as much as we wish we could. When things happen, and they are definitely going to happen, we just need to do our best to remember the bigger picture.

Being slow to anger makes you strong enough to rule a city!

Risen Indeed

When the disciples learned that the stone had been rolled away from the tomb that was supposed to contain Jesus they ran to investigate. The writer of John wants us to be sure that we know he outran Peter. Instead of seeing a body wrapped in cloth they just saw the linens neatly folded. Knowing the whole story, it’s easy for us to point at the folly of the disciples. Jesus told them he would return several times. But if you looked closely at any time Jesus taught the disciples, you would see that he needed to also explain what he meant multiple times. We laugh at the disciple’s history of not getting it, until we remember all the times we have missed things that should have been obvious. 

One of the people near the tomb was Mary Magdalene. As she stood there confused and weeping two angels appeared to her, and asked her why she was crying. This is what we find in John 20:13-16 

She said to them, “They have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid him.” 14 Having said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing, but she did not know that it was Jesus. 15 Jesus said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you seeking?” Supposing him to be the gardener, she said to him, “Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have laid him, and I will take him away.” 16 Jesus said to her, “Mary.” She turned and said to him in Aramaic, “Rabboni!” (which means Teacher).

Mary, so lost in her confusion and grief, couldn’t recognize that the one she was looking for was standing right in front of her. How often does this happen to us? We get so worked up that we can’t recognize a solution that is right in front of our faces. Once Mary recognized that Jesus was there with her, her entire countenance changes. In verse 18 she announces to the other disciples, “I have seen the Lord!”

There are times when we need to slow down from the frenetic pace of life and realize that Jesus is standing right there with us. 

Healed

1 Peter 2:22-25 - 22 He committed no sin, neither was deceit found in his mouth.

23 When he was reviled, he did not revile in return; when he suffered, he did not threaten, but continued entrusting himself to him who judges justly. 24 He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed. 25 For you were straying like sheep, but have now returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.

As we reach the mid-point of Holy Week, it’s easy to get lost in the fanfare of celebrating Easter. Do we have the right candy? Does everyone have the right pastel clothes to wear? What else do we need to have at our Easter feast? And like any other holiday, the questions go on and on about how we can celebrate “right.”

It makes sense that the resurrection we celebrate on Easter Sunday is one of the main lynchpins of our faith. Christianity is a faith centered around renewal and second chances. However, it is easy to forget the sacrifice that was made to get us to where we are today. Christ’s death on the cross was not an easy thing for Jesus to face.

Jesus took up a cross that was not his to carry. He faced scorn and ridicule that he did not deserve. As he was tortured and hung on that tree he did not lash out, he did not try to escape, he trusted in the promises made by God the Father—the one who judges justly. And he did it for one reason, that those who would believe in him should not perish but have everlasting life.

By his wounds we are healed. We have hope for the future. Before you get caught up in the fanfare of knowing the end of the story, take some time to recognize how it began. Jesus knew what was going to happen and came to seek and to save the lost anyway.

Where once we were lost, now we are found!

Brave Face

I knew a guy once who broke his back—twice. The second time it took and, short of the Lord’s intervention, he will be in a wheelchair for the rest of his life. In spite of this, he was probably one of the most positive people I have ever met. He had to deal with constant general pain, the loss of a very active lifestyle, and living in a world that was no longer built for him. Through it all he kept a smile on his face and tried to take life one day at a time.

For him, the obstacle was obvious, he was in a wheelchair. For other people, the struggles they are dealing with can be hidden, but through it all they put on a brave face. I’m sure you know the struggles that you fight through every day, and how some days it feels like the struggle wins. But even when we feel like we’ve lost, God encourages us to keep going.

The prophet Zephaniah reminds us of this promise in Zephaniah 3:16-17 

On that day it shall be said to Jerusalem:
“Fear not, O Zion;
    let not your hands grow weak.
The Lord your God is in your midst,
    a mighty one who will save;
he will rejoice over you with gladness;
    he will quiet you by his love;
he will exult over you with loud singing.

For most of us, our struggles are hidden beneath a few layers of self-protection and a desire to follow social norms. If we are honest, we know that they exist. And knowing they exist for us; means we can safely assume that they exist for others. A little compassion goes a long way. It costs you nothing to be kind, but it could change someone else’s whole day.

There are a lot of people walking around with brave faces these days. Some much braver than others. Let’s go out there and love people well. Everyone needs compassion, everyone needs forgiveness, let’s show them the kindness of the Savior. God is mighty to save.

Praise

Why do you do what you do? The long reaching implications of that seven-word question reach much farther than we would expect. It dives much deeper than just wanting an explanation of your vocation. From the food we prefer, to how we interact with someone who can do nothing for us, we are all have hidden needs and motivations that moves us towards a goal.

Jesus warns us against one of the most dangerous ones in John 12:43, “for they loved the glory that comes from man more than the glory that comes from God.” Some translations render this verse as “they loved the praise of other people more than the praise of God.” The praise of the people around us is dangerous because feels good! It feels nice when someone appreciates your hard work or the effort you put in. However, when that becomes your only motivation, you can lose what made the work worthy of praise in the first place.

We can all be fickle people, what earned the praise of your peers one day is suddenly annoying and earns ridicule another day. We have been given a higher calling. We have been called to leave the rat race behind and reach for what really matters.

Jesus continues in verses 45-46, “And whoever sees me sees him who sent me. I have come into the world as light, so that whoever believes in me may not remain in darkness.” Trying to live a life pleasing people that don’t matter is exhausting and pointless. You have been called to something greater and don’t need to remain in that darkness. 

Jesus wants you to step into the light, a light that allows you to make bold choices. When God is for us who can be against us? Granted, this call is not an easy one. Following the praise of the crowd feels easy because you can just google the trends, but then they change and you’re stuck chasing something that you can never really reach.

With God the call is clear: “Be holy. Show Love. Follow me.”

Rooted

Jeremiah 17:7-8 “Blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord,

    whose trust is the Lord.
They are like a tree planted by water,
    that sends out its roots by the stream,
and does not fear when heat comes,
    for its leaves remain green,
and is not anxious in the year of drought,
    for it does not cease to bear fruit.”

Spring has begun in New Jersey. It really isn’t all that warm yet, and the trees haven’t grown back all their foliage, but (as I write this) the sun is shining and the hint of things to come is in the air. This is the time that we celebrate regrowth and renewal. This is the time we plant the things we want to see grow. And this is the time that we can shake off the seasonally affected funk of winter to see a new way forward.

In the wintery seasons of life, it is easy to lose hope and perspective, and that is why it is so important to root yourself in the Lord. When a tree has strong roots it can weather the storms, it can face the heat, and it can still bear good fruit. However, the roots stay hidden beneath the surface. For us, this is our internal journey of faith.

It is fairly easy to say the right churchy thing in a decently convincing way and convince everyone around you that you’ve got it all figured out. Unfortunately, putting on that façade only limits your own ability to put down deeper roots. You don’t need to be in complete control of everything all the time.

We have a God that wants to take care of us. When we don’t feel like we can face an oncoming storm of disappointment / loss / stress or any number of the problems we face in life, we can rely in the roots we have placed in the Lord. Our roots can run deep and bring us the nourishment we need.

Plant yourself somewhere you can grow strong.

Journey

2 Peter 1:3; 5-7 – 3 [God’s] divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence… 5 For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge, 6 and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness, 7 and godliness with mutual affection, and mutual affection with love.

When you read it, it always sounds inspiring and just that easy, “I know the gifts I have received, I’ll go share that with other people.” And filled with faith, hope, and love you set out to make the world a little bit better, but then you are actually around other people—and they are the worst! They seem to do everything they can to make you forget all the good gifts you have received. 

This is why we are called to “make every effort.” From the start God knew that what we are being called to would take time and determination. We know that we won’t reach perfection, thankfully we are given steps on how to grow. It starts with the faith we have; this is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. To grow our faith, we live with virtue; that is, we are honest or show integrity. On and on we learn more about ourselves, we grow closer to God, and through that all we can show love to the people around us.

Looking at the passage from 2 Peter, where do you find yourself on the path? Your answer can change depending on your life or circumstances. Thankfully we serve the God of second chances (or 3rd, or 53rd, or 10,264th). You will have days that you are so filled with glory that you shine like a lighthouse of love to the people around you. And you will have days where all you can do is cling to the assurance of things hoped for.

Wherever you find yourself what can you do to move one step further in the journey?

That Word

How often do you use the F-word? 

Maybe you use it to describe your day. Or your boss. Or how you are doing. I am of course talking about the word fine. Fine, the catch-all word that has lost almost all relevance and meaning because we have been so loose with how we use it. If you say your day was fine, it could mean that you accomplished all the things you wanted to accomplish and felt pretty positive about the whole thing. Or saying your day was fine could mean that nothing went the way you planned it, you were constantly interrupted, and you feel like you got nothing done.

There are times that you don’t want to talk about how you are doing in an honest and frank manner. That’s okay. But there are also times that you need to find someone you can trust and unload the burdens of your soul. They won’t be freaked out or scared because they really and truly care about you and your wellbeing. 

When you feel weighed down, you can feel the need to put on a brave face and say that everything is fine. Even to the point that we don’t want to turn to God with our troubles. It is in those times that we need to remember these words from Psalm 145:14-18 

The Lord upholds all who are falling
    and raises up all who are bowed down.
The eyes of all look to you [God],
    and you give them their food in due season.
You open your hand;
    you satisfy the desire of every living thing.
The Lord is righteous in all his ways
    and kind in all his works.
The Lord is near to all who call on him,
    to all who call on him in truth.

The Lord wants to help us with our burdens and help us up when we feel like we are being crushed down. My prayer is that you know you can look to the Lord. God wants to help you up and for you to know that he is with you every step of the way whether you’re have a fine day or a fine day. 

Smudged

When I lived in Colorado, I briefly worked at a self-contained high school that had about 20 students. This was a middle step for students who were either coming out of, or possibly going into residential programs. These kids all had rough lives, emotional issues, or a combination of the two. On a day that happened to be Ash Wednesday, a kid we’ll call Tory showed up late. These kids were required to take the city bus to school so a few minutes here or there wasn’t made into an issue, but Tory was an hour and a half late, and when arrived he had a smudge that looked like the letter T on his forehead.

He tried to sneak in unnoticed—he was noticed. As the teacher saw him walking in, she was about to confront him when she saw the mark on his head, and let it slide. It wasn’t until lunch that she asked him about where he went to get his cross this morning? Tory was confused. He looked in the mirror and said, “Why would I go to a HECKING church? That STUFF is from my HECKING bike.” 

As we enter this season of Lent and Easter it’s easy to forget that not everyone celebrates the Easter season for the same reasons. For many, it’s just the time of year when everything turns pastel, and Reese’s Eggs are available. However, for those of us inside the church, it is the pinnacle of our church calendar, the time when we mourn the death and celebrate the resurrection of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

Psalm 138:7-8 says

7 Though I walk in the midst of trouble,
    you preserve my life;
you stretch out your hand against the wrath of my enemies,
    and your right hand delivers me.
8 The Lord will fulfill his purpose for me;
    your steadfast love, O Lord, endures forever.
    Do not forsake the work of your hands.

Not everyone knows why this time of year is important. Even some people who look the part, just have stuff from their bike on their forehead and have no idea what it means. This year, whether it is through fasting or study, I hope you will take the time to investigate what Easter and the resurrection mean in your life, and how you can show that to other people.

On this Ash Wednesday, “Remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return.” †

Dude, Be Nice

I once had a roommate that was a musician, and the year we lived together he was in the process of writing and recording an album. Let me assure you this wasn’t fancy or glamorous, anyone with the money and time can go lay down some tracks. He was plenty talented and could write a pretty good song. However, when he would ask what I thought of his latest song, I made the mistake of giving him my honest opinion. He did not want my honest opinion, he just wanted me to say, “oh yeah that’s great!”

It took me a while to figure out that he was just looking for encouragement. Encouragement is one of those gifts that some people hit out of the park with what seems like no effort. Anytime you see them it’s like a breath of fresh air or the sun coming out on a rainy day. The rest of us need to work at it.

It’s weird, we all know that warm feeling we get when someone gives us some honest encouragement. Why wouldn’t we want to give that to the people around us? As believers we have a hope that others have not yet found. From that hope we should be able to be a shining light to others. Hebrews 10:22-24 tells us,

22 let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. 23 Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful. 24 And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works,

It feels like this should be simple, “you know how much you have been forgiven just live a life of thankfulness and share the love you have with the everyone you meet.” But like most things in life the things that sound simple they turn out to be a thorn in your side. You want to be healthy? Just eat right and exercise. Sounds great but I’m too hungry, too busy, to whatever right now. 

And that is why we need to make a resolute effort to reach out and be encouraging to the people around us. A simple compliment or kind gesture can turn someone’s whole day around. I pray we can be the bright spot in otherwise gloomy times. 

Clutch

Psalm 121:1-4 I lift up my eyes to the hills.

    From where does my help come?
2 My help comes from the Lord,
    who made heaven and earth.

3 He will not let your foot be moved;
    he who keeps you will not slumber.
4 Behold, he who keeps Israel
    will neither slumber nor sleep.

Confession: I hate asking for help. Whether it is something big or small, there is a small voice in the back of my head that shouts, “you should be able to figure this out yourself!” Unfortunately, hermit caves never have good wi-fi, and life was meant to be lived in community with other people.

I know I’m not alone in my hesitance to ask for help. It is easy to feel like asking for help is a sign of weakness, or that it opens us up to judgment. When the truth is, most of the people we consider friends are more than happy to lend a hand. The author of Psalm 121 seems to be far away from the place that they want to be. However, even when they are far away, they know that they are not alone. Their help comes from the Lord who neither sleeps nor slumbers.

We all have those times when we need the reassurance that we are not alone, but sometimes all it takes to find that reassurance is reaching out to a friend. You just might have a problem that they’ll understand, we all need someone to lean on.

Over the past 6 months that we have been in this new location as a church, I’ve had to make a lot of calls and send a lot of texts asking people for help. And I’ve hated making every one of them. Some were emergencies, some were odd jobs that needed to get done, and some turned out to just be dumb questions. With every request I made, no matter how I felt about asking, people were happy to help with their time, tools, or knowledge.

If you’re one of those people that Restore has looked to for help, then thank you. We thank God for your heart for ministry, for this community, and for the Lord. Our help comes from the Lord, and sometimes that help takes the form of the people around us. 

Still There

Romans 8:31 What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?

As you go through life, and live out your faith, this verse can take on a few different meanings depending on your current circumstances. When you know you’re on the right path and feel close to God this verse can make you feel even more unstoppable. However, in those dark nights of the soul we can respond to, “who can be against us?” with, “everyone and everything.” We feel tired, overwhelmed, and separate from a source that once gave us strength.

In those times we need to cling to Paul’s reminder in verse 35, “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword?” –or busyness, or parenting stress, or social media, or any of the hundreds of other things that fill the minds and schedules of modern people.

I wish that our faith meant that we would live charmed lives. Everything is sunshine and rainbows, you make just a little bit more money than you need, your children always mind you, the dogs only bark when you say speak, and all the lights are green whenever you hit the road. Unfortunately, we are reminded time and again that we will face troubles, but we don’t need to face them alone. 

Romans 8:37-39 “37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. 38 For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, 39 nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

Nothing can disconnect you from the love of God—no busy schedule, no stress at home or work, nothing! How connected we feel will ebb and flow, but God’s love never leaves you. There are times we need to pause for a moment to remember that love, and there are times we need turn and run back to God’s loving arms.

Wherever you find yourself there is connection. There is always a way home. 

Restarts

I saw a friend’s post the other day that said, “My 2022 starts February 1. I kinda screwed up in January.” I think it’s something that can resonate with all of us, that feeling of “I’ve messed things up.” The hard part is not stopping when you feel that way. One bad month doesn’t need to define your entire year. This year can still be great after a rough beginning. 

As of now, we have 332 days left in 2022, and, while we should plan for the future, we can only control what we do and how we react today. Some days you’re going to nail it, some days you’re going to totally blow it, and some days will just be the intervening steps you need to take to move forward. Through all these days we have a God and Savior that is with us.

Lamentations 3:21-24 tells us

21 But this I call to mind,
    and therefore I have hope:
22 The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases;
    his mercies never come to an end;
23 they are new every morning;
    great is your faithfulness.
24 “The Lord is my portion,” says my soul,
    “therefore I will hope in him.”

We can have hope because, even on our bad days, there is someone with us. God’s mercies never come to an end. Whether you need to apologize 1 time, or a 100 times God says, “It’s okay kid, let’s just do better next time.” 

Lamentations was (probably) written by the prophet Jeremiah as he mourned the destruction of Jerusalem. It combines poetry that he uses to try and express the depth of loss felt by the Hebrew people. Having sunk so low and having felt so lost he remembers the hope that he leans on. 

On your worst days where do you turn? Do you succumb to despair or look for hope? We will all have days where it feels like we have ruined everything, but it is in those days that we need to remember that the mercy we have received is new every morning. Mercy that never comes to an end.

We have a God that loves and cares about us deeply. Even in times where our minds are troubled our souls can be satisfied. I pray you know where you can find your hope.

Fullness

Ephesians 3:14-19 – I bow my knees before [God] the Father, 15 from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named, 16 that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being, 17 so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love, 18 may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, 19 and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.

The basis of Paul’s prayer was his knowledge of God’s purpose. Paul had a depth of faith that was enviable to all of us. He seemed to be able to reach to his inner being and show the love of Christ to the people he met and ministered to. And that is something we all wish we had. We want to have perfect faith that never faulters, peace that surpasses all understanding, knowledge of the love we’ve received always at the front of mind, and the power to answer any question that might come our way.

Unfortunately, we don’t, and the truth is neither did Paul. There are plenty of times when Paul mentions his struggles and feeling like he had a thorn in his side that he couldn’t remove. As you go through life there will be times that you face troubles, times if feels like there is a thorn in your side. However, the troubles you face do not define who you are. It is how you react in those times of trouble that you learn the most about yourself.

Do you isolate? Do you blame others? Blame yourself? Lash out at people that aren’t even involved? Or do you reach out to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being? One of those things is not like the other. One of those things isn’t the same.

Having the ability to not react the way we naturally want to react isn’t a mystical talent, it’s more like a muscle. We need to be intentional with recognizing what our knee jerk reaction is and seeing if or how it needs to be modified when we face hard days.

My prayer is that you may be filled with all the fullness of God and know that the fullness starts small and grows as you reach for more.

Sides

Have you ever come across something that has aged horribly? Maybe it’s a movie you loved as a kid, but as soon as you try to show it to your own kids you realize that it has some wildly inappropriate parts. Or declaring your undying love for a band on social media and knowing you haven’t listened to them in at least a decade and their last few albums just weren’t that good. I came across an article recently that did not age well. Written in April of 2020 it declared that the pandemic would put an end to polarization.

I don’t know how your personal pandemic is going, but if there is one thing that is abundantly clear it’s that we are, sadly, as polarized as ever. And it feels like every issue gets pushed and pressed until it is an us vs them battle with no room for leeway on either side. Granted there are some capital T Truths that we hold close to our hearts and do our best to live within. 

However, there are also many places where we should be showing grace and kindness even when we disagree. Nowhere in the Bible are we commanded to go out and be right every time and everywhere. We are called to love and live out the grace we have been given by giving it to others. Paul in Ephesians 5 says,

“Awake, O sleeper,
    and arise from the dead,
and Christ will shine on you.”

15 Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise,16 making the best use of the time, because the days are evil.17 Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is.

We weren’t called to beat people into submission with our thoughts and opinions. We are called to use our time well, wake up from the sleep that blinds you to the experience of people around you. Let Christ’s love shine on you and through you. It’s easy to see that the world isn’t perfect, but we can all do our small part to try and nudge people closer to the God that is. 

Quick Descent

What’s your favorite song about January? Or what’s your favorite party holiday in January? Unless you have a birthday, this month there are not a lot of parties going on. The beginning of the year can feel like a huge letdown after the big holiday season we celebrate at the end of the year. Kicked off by Halloween, we spend the last 62 days of the year looking at decorations, being reminded to be thankful, and looking forward to some (if not all) the parties we will attend. Then we count down from ten, yell, “Happy New Year,” go to bed and it’s like a switch gets flipped.

Your first day back at work in January hits you like a slap in the face. All that stuff you decided could wait ‘til after the holidays, now needs to get done. You drive past the house and can be a little annoyed that your neighbor still has their lights up. It is annoying but not unexpected. It is just one of the ebbs and flows of life. 

We love those mountain top experiences: times when you feel the happiest, the most accomplished, the closest to your friends and family, or those times you felt closest to God. Unfortunately, we can’t live our lives feeling that way all the time. You still need to do the hard work of living life on earth. It’s in coming down from these mountain top experiences that we need to remind ourselves that we still carry those memories with us. 

Psalm 118:19-24

19 Open to me the gates of righteousness,
    that I may enter through them
    and give thanks to the Lord.
20 This is the gate of the Lord;
    the righteous shall enter through it.
21 I thank you that you have answered me
    and have become my salvation.
22 The stone that the builders rejected
    has become the cornerstone. 
23 This is the Lord's doing;
    it is marvelous in our eyes.
24 This is the day that the Lord has made;
    let us rejoice and be glad in it.

Even when January comes in like a ton of bricks, we can express joy. It might be a little quieter than it was a month ago. We might not see the delight of hopeful expectation on the faces around us, but God hasn’t changed. God is the same no matter what the calendar says. No matter how far we get from the mountain top we can hold in our hearts the joy we felt when we were there and strive to get there again.

It’s Lit

It's been a long December and there's reason to believe maybe this year will be better than the last. Thankfully the last 20-or-so months have left a pretty low bar, so improvement is hopefully inevitable. As we look towards 2022, I pray that we are hopeful that things get better on their own, but also recognize that we should take an active role in making the lives of those around us better.

Jesus in Matthew 5:14-16 says this, “14 You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden.15 Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. 16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.

As Christians we have been called to be a light to the world, and we are called to share that light with the world around us. There are times we feel unworthy or times we feel like we need to hide who we are, and it is in those times that we need to let our lights shine the most. The smallest flame can light even the darkest caves.

When you feel unworthy or unloved remind yourself that the Lord doesn’t see as you do: we look on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart. We want to judge by outward accomplishments or through comparison to other people we think have perfect lives. However, this is something to which you were never called. You can’t shine someone else’s light, can’t live someone else’s life, you can only be you!

And God loves you for that! This year I hope you can shine your light a little brighter. I hope you can help illuminate the joy that is in your heart for the people around you. And should you feel that light getting a little bit dim turn your face back towards the source. The light inside you is a beacon let’s people see you giving glory to your Father in heaven.

Shine on, the world needs the light

Wrapping Up

Well, it looks like we made it. It’s the last week of the year, Christmas festivities are winding down, and we have one more party holiday to close out the season in New Year’s Eve. This year, 2021, has flown by faster than any year I can remember. It’s usually busyness and too much activity that makes time fly by; I never thought sameness could make that happen too. Trying to pin down when things happened, especially during the times we all stayed home, can be tricky. You need to use some memory context clues. Was it hot or cold outside? Was it sunny or rainy? Was it before or after I watched Tiger King? 

In this week, where the collective urge is to say, “That is now January me’s problem to deal with,” I hope you take some time to pause and reflect on the year—even if it feels like it barely happened. When I worked with students, we used to do an exercise called High/Low. You simple reflected on your day, your week, your month, or even your year and asked what a low point of your year was and what was a high point. You don’t need make a fancy chart and rank everything that happened you just take whatever comes to mind.

Most of us will have varying degrees of each experience, which can determine whether we view 2021 as an overall positive or negative year. If you’ve had a great year, praise God, use that joy to help encourage other people. If you’ve had a not-so-great year, that’s okay to admit also. All of us need to lean on the hope that we have that God wants to bless us and draw us closer to his glory.

1 Peter 1:2-9

May grace and peace be multiplied to you.

3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, 5 who by God's power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. 6 In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, 7 so that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ. 8 Though you have not seen him, you love him. Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory, 9 obtaining the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls.

We have hope for the future! Our current circumstances test us, but we know our futures will be filled with glory. Celebrate when you can, and hold strong when you can’t. 

May grace and peace be multiplied to you.