Worry is NOT a Virtue

S - Matthew 6:25-34; 7:13-14, 24-27 (NIV): "“Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? 26 Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? 27 Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life? 28 “And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. 29 Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. 30 If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? 31 So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. 33 But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. 34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own. … “Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. 14 But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it. … “Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. 25 The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. 26 But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. 27 The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.” "

O - The narrow gate does NOT allow worry, even the most natural expressions of it. The teaching of Jesus does not allow or include worry as an unavoidable part of living nor as that which is acceptable to him and to his kingdom. Worry is NOT life giving, life sustaining or even life "neutral". It is deadly, death producing and tragically distracting from the issues which really do matter. It is one of the frequent storms which those who do the words (rather than just listen to them) do not succumb to nor are they overpowered or destroyed by it. Worry must be removed, repelled and refused for us to gain entrance into that narrow door which opens up to a broad and life-giving, life sustaining, eternally vibrant and refreshing place. Worry is not an expression of love or of stewardship or of taking responsibility. It is an expression which obscures Jesus, hinders and blocks his love, creates a life crushing pressure and lives in denial of his authority, goodness, power and brilliance.

A - The narrow gate requires me to consistently take off the worry which so easily attaches itself to my thoughts, emotions and current view of my world. The teaching of Jesus insists that I turn away from worry and turn to him … personally, intentionally and consistently. To do his words is to turn away from and refuse worry. To fail at this is to fail and risk collapse under the storms of life which are not only sure to come but sure to leave as well. Storms will come but all on their own storms also go. The question is not will we face such storms but rather what will be left standing when (not if) the storms blow over. Jesus makes it very clear that there is only one right, loving, responsible and reasonable response to worry. "Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own." The narrow door of today is the only real and lasting focus because the King of Eternity has today and all the tomorrows well in hand. I can only interface with today. The teaching and doing of the words today is the key to refusing this most insidious, pervasive and toxic element. Worry inspires very different responses to life than faith. Without faith I cannot please God … so even if I worry my way to a good conclusion I have failed to please God. This too belongs to the narrow door. Today, I have assignments to complete. Today, I have a Savior to love back and to obey. Today, none of the reoccurring and oppressive points of worry will happen … they intimidate and threaten and loom from the platform of tomorrow. Since today already has enough trouble (the Greek term references malignity, malice, ill-will, desire to injure, wickedness that is not ashamed to break laws, depravity, evil, trouble) of its own my assignment remains the same … trust and obey for there's no other way to be happy in Jesus (to be in touch with real, vibrant, eternal life) than to trust and obey.

P - Dear Lord who is the LORD,

Thank you for the narrow gate, the narrow door, the words of life which require me to choose to live in striking opposition to that which seems so natural and to do this because of the awesome interface you give to us/me. Lord, today I will turn away from worry and into you. Lord, today while it is called today, I will trust, welcome you and your promises and take off the worry which masquerades as concern, responsibility and care. Thank you for breaking the snare of the fowler, for calling me to life, for calling me to yourself and for insisting that I simply, completely and consistently take you at your word. Lord Jesus, I choose to turn from worry to you and to willingly yield to your awesome brilliance, limitless power and extreme goodness.
Turning in,

Steve

Reality Check: Sheep are Sheep

S - Psalm 119:169-176 (NIV): "May my cry come before you, O LORD; give me understanding according to your word. 170 May my supplication come before you; deliver me according to your promise. 171 May my lips overflow with praise, for you teach me your decrees. 172 May my tongue sing of your word, for all your commands are righteous. 173 May your hand be ready to help me, for I have chosen your precepts. 174 I long for your salvation, O LORD, and your law is my delight. 175 Let me live that I may praise you, and may your laws sustain me. 176 I have strayed like a lost sheep. Seek your servant, for I have not forgotten your commands."

O - What a great ending to the longest chapter the Scriptures hold. It expresses the necessary interface between us and the Lord, us and his word, us and his activity and between us and ourselves. Even with the best intensions we can drift (stray like a lost sheep). The lost sheep is not a rogue animal or one who has no owner. Rather, it’s ignorance and inabilities have rendered it more vulnerable than usual and its designed need of a shepherd is even more pronounced. At our best, we will still consistently need the Lord, the Shepherd, the Good One, to seek us out … even when we are remembering his commands and seeking him. We are always at risk to keep the words and lose their meaning.

A - Recognizing, embracing and living out loud the truth about ourselves and our need of the Lord is the point. As his sheep I will always have certain points of ignorance and inability which will put me at risk even when I think I'm at no risk. This reality is reality and I get to live in the open admission and embrace of my desperate and ongoing need of Jesus. Literally, apart from him I can do nothing!

P - Dear Shepherd of the Sheep,

Thank you for loving us/me as we are … sheep who will always need a shepherd. No matter how long I've been in the flock, no matter how familiar the way, the routine, the pastures, I am every day in desperate need of you and your shepherding of my life. Forgive my moments of self-reliance, self-assuredness and self-preservation. I want to rely on you, be assured by your presence and trust your awesome will and person; and to do this not only in the preservation of my well-being but of all who are with me. Lord, thank you for letting me love you back. Thank you for loving and wanting me/us no matter what. Lead on … I will follow (even when I think I know the way).

Steve

Stop Trying, Start Believing

S - Romans 9:30-33; 10:4 (NLT): "Well then, what shall we say about these things? Just this: The Gentiles have been made right with God by faith, even though they were not seeking him. But the Jews, who tried so hard to get right with God by keeping the law, never succeeded. Why not? Because they were trying to get right with God by keeping the law and being good instead of by depending on faith. They stumbled over the great rock in their path. God warned them of this in the Scriptures when he said, "I am placing a stone in Jerusalem that causes people to stumble, and a rock that makes them fall. But anyone who believes in him will not be disappointed. … For Christ has accomplished the whole purpose of the law. All who believe in him are made right with God."

O - The stumbling block is Jesus. The fulfillment of the law is Jesus. The focus of faith which makes people right with (adopted by) God is Jesus. Jesus is the gospel. The beauty of faith is that it is to be placed in a person not an event or conclusion about that person. Those, all, any who believe IN him will not be disappointed (literally to be ashamed or disgraced). The cross has NO efficacy … Jesus does. The empty tomb has NO resurrection power … Jesus does. Hope does not flow because of God's promises but because of the person of Jesus. God's promises are yes IN Jesus and as his followers we say the amen. Jesus is the point of "saving faith" and he shares this reality with no other (person, place, activity or thing). A life depending on faith in Jesus is very different than one involving truths about Jesus and yet depends on itself. One lives forever and the other is already dying.

A - The whole purpose of the law has been accomplished in Jesus. This awesome truth undercuts all religious performance and cultural demands. Getting right and staying right with God is exclusively accomplished by a life which depends on Jesus. The problem with this for religion and culture (personal and corporate) is that it is too easy and too easy to be misused and impossible for another to judge. The last (the judging) is the real deal breaker for all religion and culture. The inability to judge another or another's performance or status is unacceptable to those who "live for show." And the truth is that all culture and religion is about the show … about what is seen. The Kingdom is forever about what is unseen. Religion/culture focuses on how things look and the Kingdom on how things are (even when they're not very good). Religion and culture are always trying to "be right" and Jesus is calling all to be near. We draw near by faith. This is my assignment today … come what may.

P - Only God, Above all and Near All,

Thank you for revealing yourself in Jesus. Thank you for deciding to have mercy on all. Thank you for calling all and making the way for all. Thank you for bring life, hope, power, forgiveness, transformation and forever to us in the person of Jesus. Thank you that anyone can put their faith in him and join your family and never be disappointed. Lord, my faith is in you, not just in what I'm asking you to do. My faith depends on you, not my performance … though I admit I want to do well. My faith is the faith you've given to me and groomed in me and I desire to please you by it. Thank you for the privilege of living out the unseen and welcoming that which has yet to be seen. Even so, come Lord Jesus!

Happy New Year,

Steve