Realize I am NOT God. I admit that I am powerless to control my tendency to do the wrong thing and that my life is unmanageable.
It would seem to be easy for most of us to recognize we are not God. If we were, we would sure do things differently. Just look at the movie starring Jim Carrey Bruce Almighty. But truth is we battle with being God all the time. This is most evident in our control issues.
Consider this, what do you have control over? I mean real control. I thought I had control over the schedule for this weekend until Monday when I found out (my wife told me) I did not have control and needed to make other arrangements. There is a gender conflict story there that goes un-written. It’s easy to point out the obvious elements where we lack control the weather, life and death, illness although we spend a lot of money, time and energy being fit and trying to live longer (a control issue I believe). Take for instance what you will eat (I am hungry by the way). You can eat whatever you want as long as you can find it (is or is not in the fridge) pay for it (enough money) or get it (out of season). No control really, any one of those issues could stop you dead in your hunger (I told you I was hungry). But we still spend a lot of time complaining and worrying over what we have no real control over. That seems insane to me.
What do you have control over? Your choices you say. Well, that is true and it is not true. Most times we are not even able to control our tendency to do the wrong thing. Paul speaks of this in Romans 7:19 NIV
“19For what I do is not the good I want to do; no, the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing.”
However, we do have some control over our choices. We can choose to have no control at all. I think that is what Christ meant when he said “take up your cross and follow me.” Could it be that our cross is our insistent desire to have control, power, to be like God as Adam and Eve were tested and failed? I think so. We deceive ourselves into believing we have control. It was even our choice to follow Christ, really? Who does the drawing, convicting and saving? It surly wasn’t me! I had no control. Does that mean I am adrift? No, it means I have a new captain. One who promised to keep good care of me period.
What do I need to have control over?
Nothing, absolutely nothing, you see as I get out of the way and follow I gain more confidence in my captain’s ability to lead and lead well. I trust Jesus more and can say “whatever, It’ll be alright” with humility and confidence because I trust my captain, my savior, my Jesus. It seems like and insane way to live but creation seems insane at times and yet we discover daily order and plan and purpose. I was reminded this week of a familiar saying “when you can’t see the Father’s hand trust His heart.” I am learning HIS heart is good. Oh, yes I still think I’m in control at times (I am God’s comic relief). I am not.
But, that’s O.K. It’ll be alright! Including my trip this weekend!
Thursday, September 30, 2010
Thursday, September 16, 2010
The Third step of recovery is...
Consciously choose to commit my life and will to Christ’s care and control. I like the first word. “Consciously” it tells me I have to think about it, consider it, with a clear mind.
The second word is good too as I must choose. I like to choose, don’t you? I like a choice in food and drink, TV shows, movies, books, political candidates lots of things really. But it is also true I sometimes don’t choose. I don’t want to. I would rather have it decided for me so that I can complain about the decision and the decider (is that a word? It is NOW) and not be responsible.
Why is it that free will, the ability and requirement to choose is God’s plan? I wouldn’t do that if I were god. Nope, I would decide and you would be happy. I might be more happy than you because I am deciding but then again you wouldn’t care because you never had a choice anyway (I digress). Honestly it really bites that I have to consciously choose every day, every minute to submit to Christ. Why couldn’t that be done already? It’s not. I/you have to choose each day that I live.
How do you live life one day at a time? There are plans to be planned, and schedules to keep and obligations to be met. It extends into the future more than tomorrow. How do I live one day at a time? By choosing each day to commit to Christ, that is how. In reality my commitment although passionate and fervent is very short lived, distracted like the dogs in Disney’s UP when a squirrel is mentioned. I have a case of ADD when it comes to Christ and following him. I think that is a blessing that I must consciously choose each day to commit my life and will to Christ care and control. It keeps me focused and fresh. It keeps me looking for and to Him for everything. After all he wants to be my everything, my all in all, for us to be close so that he may care for me.
That’s the third step of 12. That is a hard step to take once much less every day. However, every day is one step closer to forever with God because of Jesus. It’s worth it.
The second word is good too as I must choose. I like to choose, don’t you? I like a choice in food and drink, TV shows, movies, books, political candidates lots of things really. But it is also true I sometimes don’t choose. I don’t want to. I would rather have it decided for me so that I can complain about the decision and the decider (is that a word? It is NOW) and not be responsible.
Why is it that free will, the ability and requirement to choose is God’s plan? I wouldn’t do that if I were god. Nope, I would decide and you would be happy. I might be more happy than you because I am deciding but then again you wouldn’t care because you never had a choice anyway (I digress). Honestly it really bites that I have to consciously choose every day, every minute to submit to Christ. Why couldn’t that be done already? It’s not. I/you have to choose each day that I live.
How do you live life one day at a time? There are plans to be planned, and schedules to keep and obligations to be met. It extends into the future more than tomorrow. How do I live one day at a time? By choosing each day to commit to Christ, that is how. In reality my commitment although passionate and fervent is very short lived, distracted like the dogs in Disney’s UP when a squirrel is mentioned. I have a case of ADD when it comes to Christ and following him. I think that is a blessing that I must consciously choose each day to commit my life and will to Christ care and control. It keeps me focused and fresh. It keeps me looking for and to Him for everything. After all he wants to be my everything, my all in all, for us to be close so that he may care for me.
That’s the third step of 12. That is a hard step to take once much less every day. However, every day is one step closer to forever with God because of Jesus. It’s worth it.
Friday, September 10, 2010
Who would have thought?
Who would have thought…
that six years later we would be constituting as an independent church. I didn’t think it would be six years. I thought sooner. Some may have thought it would never happen. To be honest I have had those thoughts several times.
Here we are on the eve of our Coming of Age Celebration, Sunday September 12, 2010. We are coming of age to embark in the Kingdom of God as an independent church. I don’t know exactly how to say how I feel. In some ways it is just a continuation of life as we have lived for some time. In other ways it is the “drawing of a line in the sand” defining an ending of one relationship and a beginning of another; an ending to a fabulous partnership with First Baptist Church of Springfield and the beginning of a friendship as sister churches in God’s Kingdom.
I could not have imagined how blessed me and my family would be by the process and more importantly the people. The people of First Baptist and the people of Crossroads are and continue to be amazing. It is amazing to me how God works in spite of our thoughts and imagination to will and to create. My thoughts were different. I thought it would be easier to get to this point. I thought we would be larger in numbers at this point. I thought it would be quicker and easier to affect change in lives for God’s glory. All I thought was wrong. Someone asked me how much time I thought something would take and in a moment of clarity I said “it doesn’t matter what number I tell you it won’t be right.” It never has been so why should it start now? God’s time is God‘s time. Always right on and perfect just not much like mine.
Who would have thought?
Certainly not me.
that six years later we would be constituting as an independent church. I didn’t think it would be six years. I thought sooner. Some may have thought it would never happen. To be honest I have had those thoughts several times.
Here we are on the eve of our Coming of Age Celebration, Sunday September 12, 2010. We are coming of age to embark in the Kingdom of God as an independent church. I don’t know exactly how to say how I feel. In some ways it is just a continuation of life as we have lived for some time. In other ways it is the “drawing of a line in the sand” defining an ending of one relationship and a beginning of another; an ending to a fabulous partnership with First Baptist Church of Springfield and the beginning of a friendship as sister churches in God’s Kingdom.
I could not have imagined how blessed me and my family would be by the process and more importantly the people. The people of First Baptist and the people of Crossroads are and continue to be amazing. It is amazing to me how God works in spite of our thoughts and imagination to will and to create. My thoughts were different. I thought it would be easier to get to this point. I thought we would be larger in numbers at this point. I thought it would be quicker and easier to affect change in lives for God’s glory. All I thought was wrong. Someone asked me how much time I thought something would take and in a moment of clarity I said “it doesn’t matter what number I tell you it won’t be right.” It never has been so why should it start now? God’s time is God‘s time. Always right on and perfect just not much like mine.
Who would have thought?
Certainly not me.
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