Hope for the Road

If you read yesterday's post, you might have walked away feeling overwhelmed, discouraged, or frustrated. It is inconceivable to imagine living like Jesus in our world today. At least, it is hard to believe that we could do it with any measure of true success. Every moment of every day it seems we are bombarded with messages that directly oppose the cross of Christ. Every day we have to choose to place our faith and trust in Him and not the promises of this world. And boy, it is not easy to make those choices, is it?

As difficult as it seems, it truly is possible. So today, I want to encourage you. There is nothing for you to be afraid of or ashamed of. Its ok to admit that you have failed. I want to make a proposition here that will hopefully give you strength and courage for the journey.

We do a greater disservice to the lost in this world when we act like we have it all together. It is better by far that we admit our failures and inability to live every moment as Jesus did than to put on a holy front and act like sin is repulsive and unknown to us.

You see, there are a whole lot of non-Christians out there who hate Christianity for one very legitimate reason: hypocrisy. They watch us enforce values that we ourselves struggle to uphold and judge the sins of others without admitting our own sinful ways. We seem to look down our noses to the lost and hurting rather than looking straight into their eyes.

Have you seen this? I have. And to be totally honest, I have at times seen that attitude in myself. But there is hope and joy and freedom and peace in realizing that we are the SAME as every single lost person out there!! The ONLY thing that separates us from them is Jesus. And we don't deserve to have Him on our side anyway. . . it is by grace that we are saved.

So how does this give us hope for the road? It means we can stop pretending. We can admit that we've fallen down, get back up, and start running again. We can feel the wind at our backs when we extend others the same grace we have received.

I truly believe that the more in love we are with Jesus the more capable we are of successfully waking like Him on this earth. But we have to drop the pretenses and pretending; we have to finally be honest.

Along the way, that honesty will do more than enable us to walk like Jesus did. It will soften and open the hearts of unbelievers to us. Rather than seeing righteous, self-centered Christians they will see followers of Jesus who are longing and striving to live rightly and fill this world with love and hope. . . followers who don't claim to be any more worthy than the person standing next to them. Just people who have found purpose, life, and forgiveness in someone who sees them as worthy because of Himself.

I am praying for you right now. . . praying that your heart is filled with a deep longing to know this man called Jesus; filled with a desire to model every moment of your life after His. It won't be an easy journey (He never promised that, after all), but it will be worth every drop of sweat and blood and every tear of frustration and discouragement.

Jesus believes that we can do it.

I, for one, am not about to doubt Him.

Off we go, then. Head held high, heart running wildly after Christ. . .

Revolutionary Jesus

I'm pretty much convinced that Jesus isn't who we have made him out to be. I think if we were all to reread the Gospels with brand new eyes we would see a wild revolutionary who talked about the kingdom of God to some pretty undeserving people.

But I don't want you to just take my word for it. Maybe I'm totally off the mark here. . . So I've pasted some verses that I think challenge our current standards as Americans and Christians. Let me know what you think. . .

On being liked. . .

Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you. Matthew 5:11-12

Do I even need to comment here? Seriously, how much time do we spend rejoicing over being rejected for our faith? I think our greater tendency is to see how closely we can walk the line so that no one really notices that we're Christian (or if they do they at least think we're one of the 10 really pretty cool ones).

On relationships with difficult people. . .

But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you. Matthew 5:44

On hearing this, Jesus said, "It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. But go and learn what this means: 'I desire mercy, not sacrifice.' For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners." Matthew 9:12-13

If we are to correctly understand what Jesus meant when he said, "Love your enemies," we have to understand what he means when he says love. Love to Jesus was not a feeling, or a forced smile and hello. Love was bending over backwards to express true compassion and concern for others. Love is action, not words - service, not feelings.

And often, those who we are called to love are difficult. They are mean, or dirty, or totally unrefined. They are sinners. We have done a lovely job of convincing ourselves that it is totally legitimate and even Godly to remove ourselves from the midst of such individuals and surround ourselves with other righteous and religious people like us. Except once again, we are totally disregarding the example of our Savior.

He didn't run from these people. He pursued them. If we are going to truly follow after Jesus' example we are going to love some pretty unlovable people in some seriously tangible, physical ways.

On our money and stuff. . .

Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But
store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. Matthew 6:19-20

Jesus answered, "If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me." Matthew 19:21

Jesus replied, "Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head." Matthew 8:20

Loving Jesus and following after him means developing a "whatever" perspective about our stuff and our comfort in this life. Jesus didn't acquire stuff, and he wasn't concerned with his own personal comfort. We are so rich, and we are so comfortable. I think those two facts alone do most of the work in separating us from God and tearing our hearts away from His path and purpose for our lives.

On sacrifice and humility. . .

Then Jesus said to his disciples, "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. Matthew 16:24

Therefore, whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. Matthew 18:4

Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be your slave— just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many." Matthew 20:26-28

Does this remind you of the perspective of most Christians today? Not what they say, necessarily, but how they live? I'm guessing not. It is one thing to admit that God calls us to a life of humility, sacrifice and service - but it is an entirely new thing to actually do it.

I'm not saying any of this is easy. And by no means is this list comprehensive. This is just a short little look at the perspective of Christ, and I'm hoping that you can see for yourself some of the ways that we have watered down his message and given ourself false security in our partial view.

If you have some time this morning, open up to one of the Gospels and do your own little research. Read until you hear Jesus say something that challenges your own perspective. Then put your bible down and pray for the humility, courage, and wisdom to start living it out the way it is actually written.

dusty roads. . .

So, how do we walk as Jesus walked? How do we live the calling of 1 John 2:6?

It starts with knowing Jesus himself; reading the gospels and meditating on his words, his actions, and his passions. If you don't know Christ, you can't very well imitate him. So, it begins with knowing him.

But it doesn't end there. You can't just know Him and walk away feeling content. Step 2 is to actually do what he did. Live like he lived. And that, my friends, is where it gets dicey.

The more I read about Jesus, the more I realize that walking like he walked is going to make me very, very different from the average Joe today. My words, actions, and passions will probably appear to be borderline outrageous to most average Americans. But what looks outrageous to them translates into obedience, faith, and joy to my Father - and my Savior.

I long to walk as Jesus walked. . . to stand so closely behind him on this journey of life that I am covered in his dust. Its hard, though, and it goes against the grain of this world in which I live. I have to be completely dependent on God's strength and power working in and through me to actually see any success. I have to pray every moment of every day for God to give me the courage and grace to boldly be Jesus.

And I fail. A lot. Oh, how I fail. . . But the deepest desire of my heart is for Jesus - and I truly believe that when I get back up, refocus on Christ and once again begin running after him, that his grace is enough and his love does not end.

I am so excited for the day when I will never fail again; when my faith will be made sight and the only way I will know to walk will be as Jesus does.

Until that day, we keep striving! We keep trying. We always get up when we fall and we look to Jesus to guide us home.

I am crying out for you to join me on this journey. Don't be afraid to be covered in his dust. And don't be intimidated by the people who look at you like you've lost it. The truth of the matter is, you kinda have lost it. That's the whole point of this Jesus thing anyway, you know. . . And I can promise you that losing it for Christ is the greatest, most fulfilling decision you will ever make.

"Whoever find his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it." -Jesus, Mt 10:39

God & Man

It is dark and quiet in the Fisher house this morning. . . I am going to soak up these precious few moments before Erin becomes Mom and spend some time alone with Jesus. I'm not sure how long I'll have, so I'm going to get straight to the point here.

I have been reading a fabulous book called "ReJesus." I absolutely love it. One of the main points the author makes is totally convicting and is transforming the way I view Christ. I'll paraphrase as best I can. . .

Jesus was both God and man. Somehow, miraculously, he was 100% God and simultaneously 100% man. I don't know how that worked exactly, but finding that even balance of Jesus' deity and humanity is crucial to understanding who he really was.

Some of us (as individuals or as congregations) tend to overemphasize one of the aspects of Jesus' character over the other. We focus so greatly on his deity that we lose sight of his humanity, or we make him so human that he no longer holds the place of God. I believe (as does the author) that most Christians in America have done the former.

We have so focused on Jesus' deity that we have forgotten that he was also completely human. This is huge, because each aspect of Jesus' person shapes the way we respond to him. When we focus on Jesus as God the result is adoration. When we focus on Jesus as man the result is imitation. We, as Christians, are called to do both.

When we see Jesus solely as God, then we only have to adore him because we could never be him anyway. We gain a false sense of confidence in our Christian lives because it feels right to simply adore Christ. But the bible teaches all over the place that we are supposed to actually live like Jesus did! Jesus himself said that we could do even greater things than him (Jn 14:12)!!

I long to adore Christ in the deepest parts of my soul, but I also recognize that he lived his life on this earth as a man -and in that capacity I am called to follow in his footsteps.

Today, remember both sides of the person of Jesus and live out both callings of the Christian life.

Adore him, and then go and be him.

We know that we have come to know him if we obey his commands. The man who says, "I know him," but does not do what he commands is a liar, and the truth is
not in him. But if anyone obeys his word, God's love is truly made complete in him. This is how we know we are in him: Whoever claims to live in him must walk as Jesus did. 1 John 2:3-6

Like A Child

We really tend to over complicate life sometimes. Personally, I like to analyze life's experiences to the point where absolutely nothing actually makes sense anymore (well, I probably shouldn't say "I like to," because it is a really rather annoying habit that I seem incapable of breaking).

So, after recognizing and admitting that tendency (which is the first step in recovery, yes?) I am trying to find ways of keeping simple what is meant to be simple. One example?

God's love.

There is so much about God that I will never fully understand; never successfully analyze and compartmentalize. But God's love is something that we can all know quite simply to be true. It is unchanging, unfading, and completely unrelated to our own personal consistency in loving Him.

That is awesome, is it not?

Last week we got a new children's bible in the mail. It has silly illustrations and retells many of the bible's great stories in language that children can understand. I was excited for Caleb to have another avenue of learning about the God who became man and walked on this earth to rescue him. What has surprised me, though, is how it has provided an avenue for me to do the same.

Reading a children's bible is kind of like figuring out a Connect-the-Dots puzzle after you've spent 10 weeks laboring over the New York Times Crossword Puzzles. It is a complete change of pace that is refreshing, simple, and yet surprisingly deep. To be completely honest, the author's depiction of God's love after the story of Noah's Ark brought me to tears. . . good tears - you know, the kind that flow out of the pure joy of an overwhelmed and thankful heart.

It has been a crazy few weeks in our home. I think it only felt crazy because we just came back from a week of vacation over Christmas. . . But what I cling to on those days when things are chaotic and I can't catch my breath is the simply profound and eternal love of my Savior.

Jesus loves me, this I know.


Just knowing that this is true brings a peace that passes all understanding, and it gives perspective when life becomes complicated.

For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Romans 8:38-39

Praying that you are soaking up the love of Jesus today and allowing the knowledge of His love to uncomplicate the messes that you face - no matter how complicated they might seem. . .

Exposed

I threw out the entire contents of my makeup bag this morning (including the bag itself). I have never worn tons of makeup, but the contents of that bag have provided a lot of security and comfort on days when I feel slightly less than stellar.

I would really love to tell you that I threw it out on principle alone; that it was my small act of rebellion against the priorities and values of this world. I would love to commit to never wearing makeup again, never worrying more about my physical appearance than the hungry, hurting, and hopeless people in my midst.

I would love that.

But, the truth of the matter is that I have this persistent eye infection that has come back for round two and my makeup bag could very well be hosting this little bug and causing the reinfections to occur. So, wisdom says - throw out the makeup bag and start all over.

The other truth of the matter is that once this infection is gone I will be purchasing new makeup, and I will once again place a small amount of my trust and faith in that makeup to help me feel beautiful when my insides feel like mush. There really isn't anything sinful or wrong with makeup in and of itself, you know.

But in these in between moments, I am kind of excited to be exposed. I am looking forward to spending a little less time in front of the mirror, worrying about superficial, worldly things.

Who needs makeup anyway? We are all beautifully created in the image of our Savior.

So here is a little challenge for the day: go naked. Don't paint your face, worry about the zits, or take any second glances in the mirror. Don't allow the unrealistic expectations of this world to make you crazy. . . You are beautiful just the way you are.

Then, tomorrow, when you inevitably open the makeup bag to miraculously fix all of the fatal flaws on your perfect face, just remember that it was actually kinda ok to be exposed.

Coming Out

We have to admit that there is an immeasurable distance between all that we read in the Bible and the practice of the church and of Christians. This is why I can speak validly of perversion or subversion, for, as I shall show, practice has been the total opposite of what is required of us.
- Jacques Ellul

I have been convicted lately. I'm beginning to feel like my words are more powerful than my life; my verbiage more passionate and Christ-centered than my actions. There is, in other words, a gap between what I say, and what I do. Its not an intentional gap, but it exists none the less.

Mainly, I think I'm pretty good at living like Jesus when it comes to individual and private matters. I'm a great rule-follower (and rule-maker for that matter) and I sincerely love and adore my Savior.

The problem is that when I look at Jesus I see someone who wasn't just about an individual and private faith (the kind of faith that I possess so easily). When I read the Gospels I see not just a good, moral guide but a radical, passionate example of what true life really is. I see what faith looks like when it is applied in all of life's varying circumstances. He created a community; one filled with messy, messed-up, rejected, poor, filthy sinners! He poured out His love and mercy on the people in His midst. And while He did make time to privately, individually connect with His Father - that alone time was just a part (not the crux) of His life on earth!

Honestly, I think I do it because it is easier. Its easier to be moral than compassionate, and its easier to be a good steward than radically generous. But the more that I think about it, the more I see that the easier road is way less fulfilling than the path of Christ.

My resolution this year is to actually live the faith I possess outside of the private boundaries I had previously established. Jesus paints a picture of how hugely important it is for us to be living a real faith in the real world, with real people, who have real needs in Matthew 25. . .

"Then the King will say to those on his right, 'Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.'

"Then the righteous will answer him, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you? "The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.'

"Then he will say to those on his left, 'Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.' "They also will answer, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?' "He will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.' "Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life."
Matthew 25:34-46