WHO AM I?

 

Genesis 1:26

Then God said, "Let us make man in our image, in our likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all the earth, and over all the creatures that move along the ground."

                 One of the universal questions of humanity is, who am I? We are the only beings on planet earth that struggle with this question. It is a question that goes far beyond our physical appearance or abilities.

                There are many ways that we seek to answer that question. When we are young, we find our answer in our family relationships. I am a Banfield, a Smith, a Johnson, etc. But as we grow, that answer doesn’t seem to do the trick. Somewhere during our adolescent days, we begin to grapple with our unique personal identity. I am not just a member of my family. I am an individual. We begin a quest to define ourselves for ourselves. We send our lives searching for the answer to our true identity.

                The first place that we look for answers is in our abilities. If we are athletic, then we seek our identity in sports. If we are artistic, we seek our identity in the arts. If we are cerebral, we seek our identity in academics. For a time, we are satisfied with what we have discovered, but it doesn’t last.

                As we mature, we realize that what we do is only a part of our identity. We desire a fully understanding of our identity. Yet many times we get stuck trying to define ourselves by our accomplishments. We pour ourselves into our jobs or our hobbies seeking reassurance of our worth and value. When we can no longer perform on the athletic field, or when we hit a wall in our chosen profession, we again struggle with our identity.

                Many people look to relationships for their identity; for their sense of purpose and meaning. They may find it for a time in friends, a spouse, or in children. This is great for a time. Then our friends fail us, our spouse disappoints us, and our children grow up and move away. We are left again to look in the mirror and ask the question, who am I?

                The people in the Bible struggled with the same questions that we struggle with. The Psalmist wrote, what is man that you are mindful of him, the son of man that you care for him? (Psalm 8:4) They too were looking for an answer to the question, who am I? Many of those people settled for an answer found in their ethnic identity; I am a Jew, one of God’s chosen people. There was nothing wrong with this sense of identity, but over time it fell far short of the ultimate goal.

                When Jesus came onto the scene, He upset the ethnic identity apple cart. He challenged those who held onto their ethnic identity without grasping the true spiritual nature of their identity. Our true identity is not found in our ethnic identity but in our relationship with God. When God created humanity, He did something unique. He gave us a unique identity. He made us in His image. It is only as we embrace this reality that we can put all of the other pieces of our identity puzzle into place.

                Because we are created in the image of God, we have an intrinsic value and purpose that are independent of our circumstances, our abilities, or our ethnic background. We are valued by God. This intrinsic identity underpins and transforms everything.

                Being created in the image of God, we are relational people. God designed us to find joy and purpose in life through our relationships. So our family is an important part of our identity. But not just our biological family. Our spiritual family plays a major role in shaping our identity. As Peter tells us in 1 Peter 2:9-10, But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy. We can never fully embrace our identity until we embrace our relationship with God through faith in Christ. We are not just anyone, we are a child of God.

                Being created in the image of God, we are a creative people. So what we do is also a part of our identity. God has endowed each of us with certain talents and abilities that help to define us. These abilities are not our identity, but signposts to our true identity. In their proper place, they allow us to blossom and thrive in our world.

                If we look to anything but our relationship with God in Christ for our identity, we will ultimately be disappointed. Our physical, mental, economic, and relationship assets will all fail at some point. But our relationship with God in Christ will never fail. It remains constant no matter what our circumstances my be.

                Who am I? I am a child of God, with certain talents and abilities that I can use for His glory.

Galatians 2:20

I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.

 

FREE LOVE?

Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body. (1 Corinthians 6:19-20)

                 Back in the 1960’s, the concept of free love was widely proclaimed. The constraints of traditional morality were cast aside and unrestricted sexual expression was celebrated. For many young adults, this seemed like a very liberating course of action. But is free love really free or even love?

                Genuine love is never free. Genuine love always comes at a cost. In order to genuinely love another person, you have to give up some of your independence. You have to begin thinking more about what pleases the other person than about what pleases you. As Paul says in Philippians 2:3-4, Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others. Genuine love is always a sacrificial act. It is giving yourself to another person.

                Jesus set the standard for what genuine love is. He commanded us to love one another as He has loved us. How did Jesus show His love for us? He laid down His life. My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends. (John 15:12-13) Genuine love always comes at a cost.

                What people really mean when they talk about “free love” is free sex. They want to have sex without the responsibilities of a genuine loving relationship. But free sex is not free either. God designed sex to be experienced in an intimate relationship with one person within the bounds of marriage. When it is experienced in this context, it fosters true intimacy and connects two people together in a spiritual union that goes beyond the physical act. As the Bible states in Genesis 2:24, For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and they will become one flesh.

                Casual sex comes at a high price that most people realize too late. It short circuits true intimacy. It scars a person’s heart and makes them more callus to others. Other people become objects to be used rather than persons to share life with. Sex becomes an addiction to the momentary thrill that quickly fades. Each episode requires something more to acquire the same thrill. Soon sex becomes stale and rote and devoid of any meaning. Casual sex damages future relationships, making it harder to enter into a true covenant marriage. Casual sex is not free, it comes at a cost.

                The only truly free love is the love of God. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. (1 John 4:10) God’s love is free to all who will receive it. There is nothing we can do to earn God’s love. There is nothing we can do to deserve God’s love. God’s love is unconditional and free. For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. (John 3:16)

                Although God’s love is totally free, it will cost us everything to embrace God’s love. To experience God’s love requires a total abandonment to Him. We must give Him all of us and in return He will give us all of Himself. Jesus said, “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will save it. What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, and yet lose or forfeit his very self?” (Luke 9:23-25)

                The concept of “free love” has become a political slogan. It is the carrot at the end of the stick to blindly lead people into more self-centered living. Certain politicians have loudly asserted that no one has the right to tell others who they can and cannot love. I would agree with that statement to a degree. In fact, Jesus challenges us to love all people. But what these politicians really mean is that there are not moral boundaries to who a person can have sex with. That is a different matter altogether. The kind of free love that they are promoting is undercutting the very fabric of our society. That kind of free love is not free. It comes with a hefty price tag.

                Genuine love is costly, but it is worth more than we will ever fully know. It was genuine love that sent Jesus to the cross. It is that kind of sacrificial love that will ultimately fulfill all of our desires.

Romans 5:6-8

You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

 

   

 

TRUE CONTENTMENT

 1 Timothy 6:6

But godliness with contentment is great gain.

                 We have been watching a show on TV called “Log Cabin Living.” In each episode a couple is looking for a log cabin to buy. A realtor shows them three cabins and they usually choose to buy one of them. The cabins that are featured are amazing. Many have cathedral ceilings and amazing views. Most of them are modern and spacious, even extravagant. Yet in almost every case, the potential buyers are dissatisfied with some aspect of the cabin. The appliances are not new enough. There is carpet instead of hardwood floors. The kitchen is too small. The house is too close to the road. They can see other houses from the windows. Instead of focusing on all of the positives, they tend to zero in on the few things they don’t like.

                As a society, we are no longer content with having a home to live in. We must have an amazing home. We are no longer content with having food on our table. It must be gourmet food and at least trendy food. We are no longer content to have a closet filled with clothes. We have to have all of the latest fashions. In many ways, our affluence has fostered a continuous sense of discontent. No matter what we have, we are not satisfied. As soon as we acquire the latest whatever, we are looking on to the next thing to come down the line.

                There are many problems with living a life of discontent. One of the greatest is that we never fully appreciate and enjoy what we have. We actually devalue the things we have by constantly comparing them with the thing we do not have. From a purely materialistic point of view, this fosters an insatiable consumer mentality. But it also does damage to our relationships.

                Too many marriages collapse because they don’t match up to what is depicted on TV, the movies, or in the latest gossip magazine. People are programmed to compare their spouse to others. Consequently, when there is tension or struggle in a marriage, they go looking for a better partner. Of course, the sheen quickly fades from that new relationship and discontent settles in again.

                Paul tells us in 1 Timothy that true contentment comes from keeping our perspective right.

    But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that. People who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge men into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs. (1 Timothy 6:6-10)

                Paul is not advocating an ascetic lifestyle. He is calling us to adjust our focus. When we focus on the treasures of this world, we will be led into a life of disappointment and discontent. As it says in Ecclesiastes 5:10, Whoever loves money never has money enough; whoever loves wealth is never satisfied with his income. This too is meaningless.

                Paul is telling us to learn to be content with what we have been given. Until we learn to be content where we are right now, we will never be content in any situation in the future. God has blessed us in many amazing ways. We need to learn to not just receive these blessing, but celebrate them as well. As Paul says in Philippians 4, I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do everything through him who gives me strength.

                Our true contentment is found in our relationship with Christ. When we seek Him first in our life, all the other aspects of our life fall into place. We begin to see just how blessed we really are. We can begin to celebrate what we have. Contentment is really a choice. That choice is directed by our expectations. Those expectations are shaped by the dominant voices in our life. If we allow the voices of the world to dominate our thinking, we will be discontented. If we allow the voice of Christ to dominate our thinking, we will discover true contentment.

Matthew 6:31-33

So do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.

ONE-SIDED OFFENSE

 John 6:35, 61

    Then Jesus declared, "I am the bread of life. He who comes to me will never go hungry, and he who believes in me will never be thirsty.

Aware that his disciples were grumbling about this, Jesus said to them, "Does this offend you?

                One of the most heinous crimes a person can commit today is to offend someone. “I am offended” has become the watch word of activism. All a person or group has to do is claim offense and people scramble to accommodate them. Sports teams change their names. Personal pronouns are redefined and imposed on all.

                But “I am offended” is very one-sided. In an age that demands tolerance, there is no tolerance for those who hold conservative views or who are “offended” by some of the behavior of others. People are offended by the claim that Jesus is the only way to God. Yet they see no offense when they use the name of Jesus as a swear word. It is seen as offensive to believe that homosexuality is wrong, yet it is okay to label someone homophobic. Minority groups routinely claim offense, yet when a white person is offended by the actions of some minority group they are shouted down as racist.

                As a follower of Christ, we should not be surprised by our culture of offense. Jesus warned us that if we followed Him, we would be on the wrong end of this debate. The Gospel of Jesus Christ is an offense to those who do not want to acknowledge who Jesus is. Jesus said, All men will hate you because of me, but he who stands firm to the end will be saved. (Matthew 10:22) Routinely the Pharisees were offended by Jesus because He challenged their traditions and customs. Ultimately their offense led to Jesus’ crucifixion.

                In a culture of offense, how do we respond? We can get mad and fight back. We can call for our rights to be honored. Or we can take a completely different approach. We can accept the insults of others while continuing to live godly lives.

                In Romans 12, Paul gives us a strategy for disarming our culture of offense.

Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another above yourselves. Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. Share with God's people who are in need. Practice hospitality.

Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn. Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position. Do not be conceited.

Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everybody. If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. Do not take revenge, my friends, but leave room for God's wrath, for it is written: "It is mine to avenge; I will repay," says the Lord. On the contrary:

 

"If your enemy is hungry, feed him;

if he is thirsty, give him something to drink.

In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head."

 

Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. (Romans 12:9-21)

                There are three things that we can focus on from what Paul tells us. First, we need to resist giving in to the culture of offense. It is far too easy for us to stomp our feet and demand to be respected for what we believe. All that that will accomplish is more ridicule and abuse.

                The second thing is to genuinely live out our faith toward one another. What set the early church apart from the rest of their society was how they loved one another. They didn’t set out to change their culture. They embraced their new life in Christ and shared it freely with other believers.

                The third thing is to intentionally go beyond tolerance to genuine respect. To put it in Jesus’ terms, we need to go the extra mile. Paul says that we are to pray for those who disrespect us and then actively serve them in tangible ways. We can never argue someone into the Kingdom of God, but we can love them into the Kingdom.

                In a culture of offense, we have choices. We can choose to not be offended in life. We can choose to treat others with respect even when we disagree with them. We can choose to love others as Christ has loved us.

1 Peter 2:11-12

Dear friends, I urge you, as aliens and strangers in the world, to abstain from sinful desires, which war against your soul. Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us.

 

   

DIMENSIONS OF PRAYER

 Luke 18:13

"But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, 'God, have mercy on me, a sinner.'

                I have been puzzling over the question, what is effective prayer? Do our prayers have to be long and drawn out to be effective? Are long periods of prayer more pleasing to God than short prayers?

                In some ways, we have been taught that effective prayer requires long times of prayer. For a time, concerts of prayer were a mainstay of evangelical life. People would gather together to pray for extended times over the course of an entire day. Often fasting was included in these concerts of prayer. Personally, I found these experiences exhausting and, in some ways, discouraging. I have always felt guilty about that.

                Those who are more in tune with “the life of prayer” often point to notable examples of people who spent hours in prayer. For example, it is said that Martin Luther would get up early in the morning and pray for hours before he began his day. Examples like this energize some people and demoralize others.

                If we look at what the Bible has to say about prayer, we see a wide variety of examples. Jesus often spent entire nights in prayer. At other times, such as at the raising of Lazarus, His prayer was short and to the point. In the Sermon on the Mount as recorded in Matthew 6, Jesus warns us against long, repetitive prayers. And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. (Matthew 6:7) In that same context, Jesus gave us the Lord’s Prayer, which is relatively short and to the point.

                The Gospel of Luke records a parable of Jesus that centered on effective prayer. (Luke 18: 9-14) Two men came to the Temple to pray. One was a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee prayed long and loud about his piety and good works. The tax collector was repentant and asked only for God’s mercy. Verse 14 summarizes Jesus point about effective prayer. "I tell you that this man, (the tax collector) rather than the other, (the Pharisee) went home justified before God. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted."

                The Apostle Paul commends us to pray continually as we go through our day. He also challenges us to pray widely for a vast array of people. And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints. (Ephesians 6:18) Prayer is an essential part of the Christian life. It is something that should be practiced on a daily basis. But there is a wide range of ways to pray. The most important thing about prayer is that it needs to be genuine.

                In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus warns against showy prayers that are really for the benefit of those who might hear. “And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full.” (Matthew 6:5) I have been in prayer meetings where it was obvious that the person praying was really giving a sermon to those around them. Instead, Jesus said to go into your closet and pray in secret. In other words, there should be a single audience for our prayers; God.

                For me, I have to keep in mind that prayer is my response to God speaking into my life. Prayer is not for God, but for me; to redirect my thoughts and actions in His direction. God already knows our prayers before we pray them, as David explains in Psalm 139:4. Before a word is on my tongue you know it completely, O Lord. In no way are our prayers a way to impress God with our holiness. Prayer is a conversation that calls us to be honest with ourselves and with God. We cannot hide even our thoughts from God. Prayer reminds us that God is fully aware of all that goes on in our lives.

                We need to be careful that we don’t turn prayer into some kind of performance; either for God or for others. Isaiah, speaking for God, warns against this. The Lord says: "These people come near to me with their mouth and honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. Their worship of me is made up only of rules taught by men. (Isaiah 29:13)

                At the heart of effective prayer is our heart. Is our heart in tune with God or not? Are we being honest and genuine before God or are we putting on a show? In the end, the ultimate judge of our prayers in God, and no one else.

                So, which is it? Do our prayers have to be long and drawn out to be effective, or can we offer short prayers that are just as effective? If we see prayer as a genuine conversation with God, then there is a place for both. There are times when we should linger in prayer. There are other times when a short prayer is all that is needed. God did not make us to be cookie-cutter believers. He created each of us with a unique personality. He wants to interact with us within the dimensions of that personality. Our forms of prayer will reflect who God created us to be; whether we pray long or short.

Hebrews 10:22

…let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water.