Is it time to do the dance?

One of my favorite movies is "Evan Almighty," despite the fact it was a financial loss for Hollywood, and generally wasn't well-received by the critics.  I especially love the scene at the end of the move, when God tells Evan "It's time," that means, it is time to do the dance.  And, together, Evan and God dance.  Can you imagine how cool that would be to do a happy dance with God?

I am not very good at celebrating achievements.  It isn't that I haven't had many, like Paul, I could boast of several things that I have accomplished in my life.  But, I have a tendency to de-value many of the things that I have done, to not consider them things that I should be proud of.  In fact, I worry about appearing to be too proud, to the point, I don't like talking about myself at all, and I find it difficult to hear others compliment me.

Yesterday was one of those times.  In fact, the whole day was.  It started with a Skype interview where I was paid several compliments, including being told that I was humble.  I immediately felt convicted that I needed to correct them and let them know how proud and selfish I really was.  The rest of the day, I was complimented by several of my clients, who told me that I had given them good advice or was very helpful.  Now, forgive me because this isn't typical.  I am not bragging and letting you know how wonderful I am, but I believe all of this came about as a way for God to let me know that I was accomplishing what He had been calling me to do.  So, for me, it was time to do the dance.

Too often, we boast of the wrong things, even though we are told in Scripture that  boasting and prideful displays are sinful.  We boast about what the world values, physical abilities, material possessions, social status, etc.  We are specifically warned about letting these things become too important, and letting them define who we are.  In contrast, we are told that if we boast, there is only one thing worth boasting about, and that is that we know God and we do His will.  Consider the following Scriptures:

"Let not the wise man boast of his wisdom or the strong man boast of his strength or the rich man boast of his riches, but let him who boasts boast about this: that he understands and knows me, that I am the Lord, who exercisses kindness, justice and righteousness on earth, for in these I delight (Jer. 9:23-24)."

"For everything in the world--the cravings of sinful man, the lust of his eyes and the boasting of what he has and does--comes not from the Father but from the world.  The world and its desires pass away, but the man who does the will of God lives forever (I John 2:16-17)."

"But whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ.  What is more, I consdier everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord...I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in Him (Phil. 3:7-9)."

There have been times in my life, where God has had to strip me of things that I had allowed to become too important.  He doesn't do this to embarrass me, to humiliate me, and make me feel unimportant.  The truth is that while these things are of some value, they are rubbish in light of the things that are of eternal significance.  Foster writes that we should learn to "recognize and abandon those things that must be counted as losses in light of our encounter with Christ, so that we might focus on the 'gain' of relationship with Christ."

During your prayer time, when you are alone with God, ask Him to reveal the rubbish you need to get rid of in order to create more space for Him and His will for  your life.

Godspeed, Phil

Risk it!!

"Two roads diverged..."  You have probably heard this well-known poem by Robert Frost.  It describes so many aspects of our lives.  It certainly applies to some of the decisions we are called to make.  Often, we are confronted with two seemingly equal decisions.  Both appear to be "good" choices.  Either seems as though it could be the direction God would have us to go.

So, how do we choose?

How do we normally choose?  Quite often, we tend towards the familiar, the road we have travelled before and know well.  I like the familiar.  Fewer surprises.  Less risk.  That seems like a good thing.  Sometimes, if I have never been on either road, I consider what I know about each one.  I try to make a reasonable choice.  I weigh the pros and cons.  I consider all the evidence.  I may even consult with an expert, someone who has done a lot of travelling.  Here, I eliminate as much risk as I am able.  Again, seems like the right thing to do.  Right?  After all, am I not a steward of my time, my energy, my resources?  I don't want to waste the opportunity by making the wrong decision.

I like having control.  That usually earns some consideration when I am making decisions.  A lot of people seem to be like me in that respect.  Not being in control often leads to consequences we would just as soon not have to experience.  So, typically, I attempt to control anything that I think is within my power to control.  Oh, I know I need to accept some things that are clearly outside my control.  But, I like the illusion of having some control and being able to keep myself from the consequences.

Often, I find myself making decisions that are mostly about my being able to be "successful."  Again, nothing wrong with wanting to be successful.  Ruth Haley Barton, in "Invitation to Solitude and Silence," comments on the need to place our reputation and success into the hands of God, and act entirely in dependence on God.  Typically, when I act, I am acting based upon decisions that I believe will lead to certain outcomes.  These, also I need to trust God.  Only God can possibly know the future and the outcomes of our decisions with absolute certainty.

Trusting God for successful outcomes does not mean I am to be inactive, Barton comments, but our part "will always be chastened by a sense of who is God--not you!"  It sometimes will mean we act without knowing the outcomes or having any feedback whatsoever.  The only thing that we can know for sure is that God is God, and He is faithful.  Jesus lost many of His followers at a critical juncture in His ministry, because they didn't like the direction they thought He was going.  His disciples didn't continue to follow Him because they knew and understood what He was planning to do.  They followed because the other path, though having less risk, had little else to promise, other than that.  No risk.  But, no risk, no results.  The other road, though less travelled...well, that made all the difference.

Take a risk.

Godspeed, Phil