Awesome Wonder—God, His Name and His Works

 This past week I heard the song How Great Thou Art and what has stuck with me are the words “awesome wonder” from the first stanza: O Lord my God, when I in awesome wonder . . . .

The word awesome means to inspire awe (an overwhelming sense of reverence, admiration and fear). Considered in this light, the common use of the word awesome for things like pizza, roller coaster rides and cool cars are a misuse of the word.

While I have no particular problem with this use of the word, as I was thinking about it this week I questioned whether using it in this way to describe things which are in reality very “un-awesome” cheapens its meaning when we transfer it to God. If everything is awesome, nothing is really awesome.

In How Great Thou Art, the hymn writer was specifically referring to the awesome wonder of creation but the Bible itself speaks of other things as “awesome.”

God, Himself, is Awesome   

Deuteronomy 10:17 says: For the LORD your God is the God of gods and the Lord of lords, the great, the mighty, and the awesome God who does not show partiality nor take a bribe.

Does this reflect your daily view of God? When you question, complain and covet, have you forgotten that God deserves your awesome wonder and not your opinion of how He can do better? An awesome God calls for awesome wonder about that God.

God’s Name is Awesome

Psalm 111:9 says: He has sent redemption to His people; He has ordained His covenant forever; Holy and awesome is His name.

Do you consider the name of God an awesome wonder, something which moves you to reverence, or do you use it lightly or without thought? Do you speak honorably of God when you use His name? God’s awesome name, representing all He is, calls for awesome wonder about that name.

God’s Works are Awesome

Deuteronomy 10:21 says: He is your praise and He is your God, who has done these great and awesome things for you which your eyes have seen.

Do you stand in awesome wonder of what God has done, is doing and will do? Do these things move you to praise and gratitude? God’s works in creation, redemption and restoration call for awesome wonder about those works.

The result of thinking about these things this week is that I have a desire to increase my capacity for awesome wonder. It is yet another way of adding glory to the grind.

I Believe – Help My Unbelief

You know the story. It is found in Mark 9:14-27.

The Situation in the Passage

A man’s son was possessed by an evil and violent spirit. This spirit gave the boy convulsions and cast him into fire and water threatening his destruction. It is easy to imagine that this father had tried everything he could think of and probably struggled with hopelessness. He asked the disciples to cast out the spirit but they were not able to cast it out.

Then Jesus enters the scene. In desperation, the man pleads for his son: If you can do anything, have compassion on us and help us. Jesus responds: If you can! All things are possible for one who believes.

The man gives his classic reply: I believe; help my unbelief.

Your Situation in Life

Perhaps you have experienced this tension in your life. You believe but sometimes struggle with unbelief, especially when things seem to be spinning out of control. The prayer of this man might be your prayer: I believe; help my unbelief.

If so, you can be encouraged by two things in this passage:

1. The man’s incomplete faith was enough: Jesus responded to the man’s desperate request; he rebuked and drove out the evil spirit (vs. 25-27).

In situations where this is your prayer, it is enough for Jesus to work. You need to look to him to give you the grace to believe and to pray as this man prayed.

2. Faith is more than inner comfort—it changes human reality. When Jesus acts, situations change; when Jesus is present, the impossible can happen.

Even this week, you may face times of difficulty and doubt, of feeling like things are beginning to spin out of control. This passage is an encouragement to bring those things to Jesus knowing that you can pray, I believe; help my unbelief, and it will be enough for you to experience the presence and grace of Jesus.

The Triangle of Discipleship: Self-Denial, Self-Sacrifice, Self-Control

Do the words self-denial, self-sacrifice, and self-control strike fear into your heart?

There are not many people who delightfully pursue self-denial, self-sacrifice or self-control. We prefer pleasure, security and comfort. Graciously, sometimes our relationships and circumstances provide pleasure, security and comfort to us.

But if you have been a Christian for any amount of time, you know that the Christian life is not all butterflies and rainbows. This should not surprise us since Jesus Himself tells us that in this world we will have tribulation (John 16:33).

Living in a fallen creation populated by sinful people leads to many difficult relationships and circumstances.

It is in the midst of these difficulties that Jesus calls us to what might be called the “Triangle of Discipleship” in Mark 8:34. This Triangle challenges us to move beyond the pursuit of pleasure and security and comfort if we desire to go after Him and to make a difference for His kingdom.

This Triangle of Discipleship consists of the following three things:

Self-denial: Jesus says, Deny yourself. The idea here is not so much denying things to yourself as it is saying “No” to yourself—to desires, motives, ambitions, lusts, and longings that draw you away from Christ rather than draw you to Him in submission. It means that everyday you open yourself up to God’s initiatives and control rather than to your will and wants.

Self-sacrifice: Jesus says, Take up your cross. The cross is not the aches and pains of life which we bear patiently. It is an instrument of execution. The cross is the way of suffering. Jesus doesn’t ask you to try it on for size or call for volunteers to give it a shot.  It is what separates disciples of Jesus from admirers of Jesus. It is rejecting lesser joys in favor of experiencing greater joys; to be willing to suffer now to experience glory later.

Self-control: Jesus says, Follow me. It is obedience to His teaching, following His example. It is committing your life to Christ in an “I can’t turn back” kind of way. The root of the word discipleship is the word discipline—training to be a faithful follower.

This Triangle of Discipleship—self-denial, self-sacrifice, self-control—would be daunting, even overwhelming, were it not for one truth: each of these practices is rooted in grace. Jesus Himself comes to live in us by His Holy Spirit and grants us the grace to perform what He requires.

Then we can confess with Paul: I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. The strength is Jesus’ strength, not ours. But Jesus in us means that His strength resides in us.

Will you draw on Jesus; strength this week so you can follow after Him and make a difference for His kingdom?

Vocational Leadership: How to Capture Leadership Moments

Are you a leader at work? Answer this question before reading on.

I mean it—answer the question.

If you answered “No” to the above question, it may be because at work you have no executive or administrative title or because you have no one who reports to you. Drew Dudley would not agree with your “No” answer!

He believes that the term “leadership” is defined too narrowly to mean only those who have recognized positions, titles or authority. He broadens the meaning to include what he calls “Everyday Leadership”—leadership moments which are present whenever we influence or impact another person for their good and so act like leaders.

Watch his six-minute video on this issue at: www.ted.com/talks/drew_dudley_everyday_leadership.html

There is no question that many of us have jobs which can seem, or actually are, mundane or repetitive producing little satisfaction or pleasure (see my post: Expanding Your Vocational Horizon). Truthfully, this idea will not change that.

However, each one of us has the opportunity to be a leader through leadership moments whenever they present themselves. If you have watched Dudley’s video, or plan to watch, he describes how he had a tremendous impact on a person though he was not even aware of that impact until four years later. The incident which so affected this girl’s life was one he could not even remember. It illustrates the power of our actions and words. He had unknowingly captured a leadership moment.

Capturing the Leadership Moments

How do you intentionally capture these leadership moments? The answer is not complicated. Those of us who believe the Bible accept that people are made in the image of God and this fact gives every person, believers and unbelievers alike, inherent value. This being true, they deserve to be treated with dignity.

When you are mindful of this truth, and look for opportunities to “dignify” people by seeking to influence or impact them for their good, you are practicing vocational leadership, regardless of what your position in your organization might be. Admittedly, this is more difficult with some people than with others.

I would venture a guess that many of you, if not most of you, actually performed acts of vocational leadership in the past week. Whether consciously or unconsciously you captured the leadership moment by influencing a person for their good and so performed the task of a leader.

I had a young woman in my office this past week who felt that the grade a professor had given her was unfair. Rather than hammer her with the policy she had failed to follow leading to this grade, I explained to her that the situation was not irredeemable and walked her through the process of how that could be accomplished. She was visibly relieved and, on her way out, told the administrative assistant that I had been “sweet” in handling her situation. I had influenced her in a way that was for her good. I had captured the leadership moment.

A difficult, mundane or monotonous job can be part of the grind we experience in life. But there is a good chance that opportunities to practice vocational leadership will be present.

Could you add some glory to your grind by intentionally seeking to capture leadership moments that present themselves this week?

How a Misplaced “I” Can Lead to a Frustrating Experience

Earlier this week I had to fly to Chicago from southern California. Our college was in the last step to receiving a reaffirmation of our accreditation. One of my two colleagues who travelled with me had graciously offered to make all the arrangements. When I received my boarding pass, I realized that this colleague had inadvertently spelled my name wrong so that it would not match anything I could use for identification. It was a small mistake—a misplaced “I”—but it was enough to cause problems.

I was removed from the line, denied admittance to the screening area and sent to a supervisor. My carry-on luggage was thoroughly searched. The person who searched the luggage confiscated a few things and then, by mistake, dumped everything out of my carry-on luggage onto the floor. When I explained it was just a spelling error, I was sent to another line to wait to speak with an airline representative. When I finally got to the front of the line this representative first told me she could not change the ticket and then told me it would cost $150 if she was able to make the change. I will spare you all the other details that enabled me to finally pass through the screening area and make my plane. It was a very frustrating experience—one of those “grinds” in life not of my own making, and all because of a misplaced “I.”

As I thought back over this frustrating experience I realized that many of the frustrating experiences I have, some of which are of my own making, result from a misplaced “I”—not the letter but when everything becomes about me. It happens when I dwell upon the rights that “I” am entitled to, the unfairness that “I” experience, the lack of contentment that “I” feel. It is “I” – “I” – “I” all the time. It is as if “I” am the center of the universe and everything should focus on me.

One of my favorite Anne Lamott quotes is this: The difference between you and God is that God doesn’t think He’s you. When my every thought becomes what “I” need, want, think, say, feel, etc. I have strayed from the path of faith in Christ and have deified myself.

When I recognize that I am in this place, I bring to mind one of the first verses I memorized as a young believer in Jesus: I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me [Galatians 2:20]. This verse encourages me to remember that it is all about Jesus and not about me and that I am most fully the new person in Christ when He is living His life in me. The grinds of life still come but when Christ is living His life in me, they do not become overwhelmingly frustrating and I begin again to see the glory of the grind.

Do you have a misplaced “I” in some area of your life?

 

Four Easy Steps for Studying a Biblical Passage

Every Christian would acknowledge that reading the Bible is important. One way to approach the Bible is to read it devotionally, that is, for inspiration or experientially in relation to specific life situations. There is a place for devotional reading and I often read the Bible this way myself.

Another way to approach the Bible is to do what is generally called “Bible Study” which seeks a deeper understanding of a biblical passage. One of the marks of a maturing Christian is that he or she becomes a “self-feeder,” one who is able to study a passage with understanding, draw out principles and make personal application.

There are many methods for doing this kind of personal Bible study, though sometimes these methods can be complicated or confusing. I am going to present a simple method which will still enable you to effectively study a biblical passage. It is based on the word “BALD” (something which is becoming a greater and greater reality in my own life). The method focuses on four steps. You should always write down your answers because this helps you clarify your thinking and enables you to go back to your ideas. You should also begin with prayer for the Holy Spirit to teach you.

Step 1: Identify the BIG idea.

When you are studying a passage, the first thing you want to find is the main point or subject—what is this passage about? In seventh grade English this was called a theme. It is the central concept the author is trying to communicate (write it down). If you are having trouble identifying the big idea, try reading the passage in other translations.

Step 2: ASK the natural question of the big idea and ANSWER it from the passage.

Every passage of Scripture has a flow, a reasonable presentation of the big idea. This flow may be logical, chronological, historical, etc. You are seeking to find this flow and it usually can be found by asking one of these questions: Who, What, When, Where, Why, or How. So ask these questions of the big idea and see which question fits what the passage says (sometimes it will be more than one). Then answer the question from the passage.

Step 3: What LESSONS for my life are seen here?

The answers to the question(s) in step 2 will be lessons or principles that you are to practice or avoid; or perhaps they present a perspective that you are to have. Spend some time thinking about these principles and what the implications for you might be.

Step 4: What am I going to DO about this?

Bible study without application is only information. It is the application of biblical principles which leads to transformation. How can you apply the above principles? Your goals must be specific, measurable and realistic so you know if you are making progress.

Here is an illustration of the process using Psalm 1 (you might want to read Psalm 1 before proceeding).

Step 1: Big Idea    The profit of being in the Word

Step 2: Ask             How does being in the Word profit me?

Answers    It keeps me close to the source of life (vs. 3)

I will be fruitful and prosperous (vs. 3)

Step 3: Lessons    If I don’t spend time in the Word my spiritual life will wither and I

will not prosper

If I’m not having a consistent time in the Word my spiritual life

will become dull and listless

Step 4: Do              Using this Bible study method I will study one paragraph a day from

the gospel of John

[You could also study Psalm 1 with the big idea being “Contrasting Lifestyles”]

The great temptation in studying the Bible is to go directly to commentaries. I would encourage you not to do that because you rob yourself of the joy of discovering biblical truth on your own (with the guidance of the Holy Spirit, of course). Once you complete your study, then commentaries become useful to see if you were on track and what else you can learn that you may have missed.

The people of Berea were commended because they received the word with great eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily . . . . May we show the same diligence!

The Discipline of Solitude

Regularly, though not as often as I would like, I wait until the business of the day is gone and the sky has darkened and I go out and sit in my backyard. It is quite dark though the small, dim backyard lights from my yard and the yards of neighbors soften the darkness and off in the distance I can see reflections of the downtown lights in the night sky. In the summer I share these evenings with crickets and other humming and clicking insects as well as the occasional possum, which provoke barks, yelps and jumping up against the fence from our dog, Jersey (though we live in southern California). In the winter, a more intense darkness and quiet seem to settle like a mantle over the yard. I am seeking solitude—not simply an absence from people but an openness to the presence of the Lord.

I do not usually enter into this time with an agenda but seek to sit quietly before the Lord. At times it begins like free-writing or a stream-of-consciousness as my cluttered mind flits from one subject to another before it is able to slow and settle into a more relaxed state. In these times I pray about what comes to mind lifting them up to the Lord.

However, there are some times when major decisions or family crises dominate my thoughts. During those times I often don’t know what specifically to pray for and my inability to control the circumstances leads to both a sense of helplessness and a temptation to fear. Sometimes my mind is reeling with confusion and my heart is breaking with sorrow. I see no glory in the grind. So I pray for grace to believe that the Lord sees what I cannot see, knows what I cannot know, understands what I cannot understand, and does all of this in a context of covenant love. When I remember who He is, I can surrender to a sovereign Lord even in the midst of my lack of understanding.

That is why solitude is so valuable. Carving out time to sit quietly by yourself without distraction can unearth that helplessness and fear which you are able to mask with activity throughout your day. But it also grants you the opportunity for gaining perspective as you bring your internal struggles and your external circumstances to the throne of grace. In the darkness, quietness and aloneness of the evening you may realize in a deeper way what is going on inside you and discover in a fresh way that Jesus is your great treasure—a perspective you may have overlooked. You may even begin to see the glory of the grind.

How long has it been since you have taken time for solitude?