is it true?

Posted by e. barrett | Posted on 30-01-2008

Category : bible, faith, trust

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Is it true?

Sometimes I think we doubt God is real just because it’s so fantastic.  Can it really be true we’re forgiven?  That we’re loved?  That someone really cares about all our choices?

And yet it is all true.

But God doesn’t stop there.  He gives us proof so we will know it’s true.  Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego had something really bad happen to them: they were thrown into a fire.  Yet they believed that God had the power to save them.  And they told King Nebuchadnezzar just that.  When they weren’t killed by the fire, Nebuchadnezzar had a choice to make.  He had to decide if what he saw proved God existed, or if he would ignore the evidence he saw with his own eyes.  I think this is one of the reasons why “bad” things happen to us, so that others will see God in action, and they can know too.

what i’m watching: Cloverfield

Posted by e. barrett | Posted on 28-01-2008

Category : Jesus, barbarian, faith, feeding my brain

Tags: , , , , ,

       

Some movies stick with you.  They make you think long after you’ve seen the ending.  That’s how it is with Cloverfield. It seems strange that a monster movie would have such a strong impact on me.  But I can’t stop thinking about it. As with any good movie it makes you think about your own life.

Before I go any further I want to warn people that there may be some spoilers here.  So if you don’t want to know anything about this movie, then you might want to skip this post.

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Okay, now we can move on.  After watching Cloverfield I was left thinking about a few things.

1.  The movie involved sacrifice.  Not in the traditional Hollywood way.  The characters you saw in the movie weren’t action heroes, they were ordinary people.  But they chose to stick together and try and save a friend – even thought it may cost them their lives (and even though most of them didn’t want to go).  There was something intense about that.

When I watch Arnold Schwarzenegger or Chuck Norris I know they are going to survive.  After all they’re the Terminator or Walker Texas Ranger.  But an ordinary person?  That has “monster food” written all over it.

As I watched them roam around an abandoned, monster infested New York, I couldn’t help but ask myself, “would I have been willing to do that for someone?”  I would like to think so, but to be honest, I have no idea.  And I think if I’m really honest…I probably wouldn’t.

How hard must it be to know you’re going to die, but still act?

That’s one of the things that strikes me about Jesus.  He knew exactly what he was going to do.  He knew that by following his path he would die.  And he knew better than any of us, exactly what that would mean.  And yet he still did it.  He still went through with it, suffering one of most painful ways to die.

Cloverfield reminds me that I don’t think about that sacrifice enough.  I don’t consider what that cost God, especially when I’m busy being selfish and needy.

2. We don’t have much time to act.  Cloverfield opens up with a group of friends and family celebrating.  It’s just a bunch of people who are living out an ordinary day.  But their lives were destroyed and they never saw it coming.  I think this is the most shocking aspect of the whole movie.  We simply don’t know when tragedy will strike, and by the time we realize it, it’s probably too late.

No one believed a 500 foot tall monster would go on a rampage in NYC.  Just like we never believe we’ll die in a car accident, or of a heart attack.  Characters in that movie said and did things because they thought they had time to make it right later.  But they didn’t.  And that regret ate at them.

There’s something insidious about that thought process.  Because sometimes death really is a long way off, and we never act because we procrastinate.  We assume that because we have all the time in the world we’ll use that time to make things right.  But so often we don’t.

Cloverfield manages to catch both sides of that thought.  And it haunts me.

God calls us to take action, and almost always it’s to act now.  Very rarely does God ever ask someone to act in the distant future; when God asks us to do something it’s to fill an immediate need.

I don’t want to leave this world knowing that I never got around to doing something God asked of me.  Just like I don’t want to live my life for word counts and blogs, I also don’t want to live a life that is empty of accomplishments for the Kingdom.  I want to be able to look back and say, “Yes.  I seized those divine moments.”

Tomorrow is that day that may never come.  So I choose to embrace today.

busy, busy

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Posted by e. barrett | Posted on 25-01-2008

Category : God, bible, faith, mission

Tags: , , , , , ,

      

One of the interesting aspects about blogging is the sense of obligation you develop.  I feel like I’ve made a commitment to you, the reader, to have something new here three times a week.  When I don’t post new material it feels like I’m not holding up my end of the bargain.  I begin to feel like I need to apologize for any irregular posting.  I feel like I’m letting you down.

Isn’t that strange?

Isn’t it strange that something we start out doing with good intentions changes into something that becomes consuming?  How is it that something we start as a joy, so quickly becomes a burden?  Why is it that we get so wrapped up in accomplishing tasks, that we miss the whole point?

What first got me thinking about this was reading the Bible.  I try to do that regularly.  My goal is to read the Bible within one year.  I have no idea why I chose a year.  It just seemed like a good length of time.  The problem is I started in February.  And a quick glance at the calendar reveals that February is not, in fact, the start of the year.  So since February I’ve been trying to squeeze a year’s plan into 10 months.  This means I need to really stay on top of my reading.  Unfortunately on some days, the reason why I started reading the Bible gets completely lost.  I’m only concerned about the fact that I’m supposed to read 12 pages today.

Completing the task becomes my goal, not learning about God.  When that happens God loses out to my agenda.  So what happens when God wants you to do other things?  What happens when God wants to interrupt your agenda to insert his own?

You get annoyed.  Or at least I do. 

God isn’t really impressed with my streak of reading the Bible on consecutive days.  Or impressed when I post regularly.   He’s more impressed when I drop what I’m doing and serve someone else.  Even if that’s a major inconvenience. 

No matter what I’m doing, or how important I think I am to something, nothing is more important than keeping God the focal point of your life.  We are created to be in relationships with others.  We are created to serve.  And anything that gets in the way of that is unhealthy.  Even if it’s reading the Bible, posting on a blog, watching TV, or volunteering for charity.

I never want my life to be about word counts, or regular blogging.  I want my life to be about serving God, wherever that may take me.  And to do that, I need to leave space in my life for God to fill, so I can be revolutionary just like him. 

redemption: finding the way home

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Posted by e. barrett | Posted on 24-01-2008

Category : God, bible, sin, taking action

Tags: , , , , , ,

         

Like Darth Vader, the King of Tyre turned his gifts into his curse.  His looks, his wisdom and his wealth all turned against him.  All because he began to misuse them.  But he’s not the only one to do that, is he?  You’ve done it.  I know I’ve done it.  We all use our talents and gifts to abuse our power.  To manipulate people.  And to make ourselves feel better when we should be helping others.

Scientists have a term for this, it’s called “human nature.”

But God always calls us to something greater.  That’s what makes our sins so tragic – the very gifts God has given us to change the world, we use to destroy ourselves and other people.  When I screw up, and I realize it, I find it hard to turn back to God.  I know I should, but he feels so distant, and unreachable.  I tell myself, “I don’t deserve to talk to God right now.  I haven’t earned my way back.”  I feel like I need to make amends, to set things “right” before I can start talking with God again.

But that’s not what God wants.  He doesn’t want us to be punished, he wants us to be saved.

“As surely as I live, declares the Sovereign LORD, I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather that they turn from their ways and live.” (Ezekiel 33:11)

That doesn’t sound like a God who wants us to suffer.  It sounds like a God who loves us a great deal and is heart broken when we fight against him.  It sounds like a God who just wants us to turn from our mistakes and embrace him.

I am constantly amazed at God’s patience.  No matter how many times we openly, and aggressively reject him, God is always willing to forgive us.  “If I say to the wicked man, ‘You will surely die,’ but he then turns away from his sin and does what is just and right….None of the sins he has committed will be remembered against him.” (Ezekiel 33: 14-16)

It’s hard in our culture to accept things we don’t earn.  We want to earn things so we can prove our worth.  We want to show that we deserve to be here.  But neither our salvation nor our worth is something we earn.  They are both things that God gives to us.  Freely.  Simply because he loves us. 

All the King of Tyre had to do was tell God he was sorry, and turn away from his pride and arrogance.  But he couldn’t do that.  He had lost control of his greatest strengths and they had become his greatest liabilities.   He began to worship himself instead of God.  And that’s not how we’re designed to operate.  No matter how many times he was warned, he didn’t want to hear it.  

At least Darth Vader recognized his mistake, and repented.  And just like God often does, his weaknesses once again became his strengths, and he was able to save not only his son, but the galaxy.   

God wants to forgive us, we just have to be willing to ask.   

talent show

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Posted by e. barrett | Posted on 21-01-2008

Category : God, bible, faith, mission, sin

Tags: , , , , , ,

  

God wants us to change the world.

Sometimes that’s hard to believe.  We’re so used to hearing “it can’t be done” or “you’re not good enough” that it’s hard to imagine God would give us such a crazy task.  Of course God would never send us out to do something he hasn’t prepared us for.  That’s why he gives us each a unique set of gifts.  That set of skills and experiences is something only we can use.

No matter how talented you think someone is, or how brilliant you think they are, there are things that they can’t do, and only you can.  That’s why God calls each of us to a mission.  Because there are tasks that only we can perform.

One of my favorite movie scenes is the moment when Darth Vader reveals his true identity.  “Luke, I am your father” is probably one of the most quoted lines in movie history.  It was such a huge moment that Lucas eventually went back and made three prequels to explore how Anakin Skywalker became Darth Vader.

Anakin, as we learn, was a kid of near unimaginable potential.  He was naturally gifted.  Naturally talented.  And naturally better than almost anyone.  He excelled quickly despite his surroundings.  In fact he had more gifts than most of us combined.  But what started out as his greatest gift turned into something that nearly destroyed an entire galaxy.

When he lost focus of what was important – using his gifts to improve the world – and because of that he became Darth Vader and lead a life consumed with revenge and hatred.

Rick Warren, in the Purpose Driven Life, says “even abilities used to sin are God-given; they are just being misused or abused.”

We see this played out in the writings of a man named Ezekiel.  His mission was to tell Israel why it was being punished.  But he also spoke to the surrounding nations, and even addresses his comments to specific people, such as the King of Tyre.

Now the King of Tyre was an interesting guy.  God had given him some pretty amazing gifts.  He was good looking, had a knack for making money, and was wise.  As they say, it’s good to be the King!  The problem was he lost track of what was really important and allowed his greatest gifts to become twisted.  The King of Tyre became proud because of his looks (Ezekiel 28:17), he had become violent because of his wealth (28: 16), and lost his wisdom because he was focused on luxury (28:17).

The King threw everything away.  In fact it got so bad that he actually began to believe his own marketing hype, and declared himself a god!  (28:2)

Just like Darth Vader (but without the cool helmet) the King of Tyre lost track of his mission.  By losing his focus on the eternal, and focusing exclusively on the present he went completely astray.  In fact he went so far off course that it led to the destruction of both his kingdom and himself.

It is so easy to lose focus on what’s really important (God).  We get busy, and tired, and scared.  And just as dangerous we get wealthy, comfortable, and lazy.  That’s why it’s so important to remind ourselves that the race really is long, and we need to plan accordingly.   

what are we here for?

Posted by e. barrett | Posted on 16-01-2008

Category : God, radical, taking action

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Do you ever wonder what you’re here for?  I mean really wonder?

I think that’s one of the most important questions you can ever ask yourself.  Because the answer really changes the way you live your life.  If you’re here only for yourself, well you’re probably going to be selfish.  If you’re here just to make a lot of money, then you’re probably more likely to move the family for a new job.  Or pick a career with a higher earning potential than enjoyment factor. 

But what if you’re here because God has a plan for you?  What if you’re here because God wants you to change the world?  And what if you embrace that?

Kind of makes you look at your life differently, doesn’t it?

being real

Posted by e. barrett | Posted on 14-01-2008

Category : God, different, faith

Tags: , , , , , , ,

   

One of the things that tells me the Bible is true is that people in these stories are so honest with their feelings.  No one attempts to cover up their mistakes, sins, or weaknesses.  We get to read all of their mistakes.  In a way it’s very humbling.  How would you like to know that people will be reading about your fears and doubts 2000 years from now?

I find that honesty encouraging.  If people as amazing as Peter, or David, or Moses made mistakes and had doubts, then God is probably okay with my problems.  God doesn’t expect us to be perfect. 

As I look back on my journey with God it’s very obvious that I’ve had lots of ups and downs.  And some of those downs are on the same day I had the ups.

One passage in the Bible I find interesting was written by a guy named Jeremiah.  Now Jeremiah had an average, run of the mill, job.  Y’know, the kind where you tell everyone around you that they are going to be destroyed by God because they had been so awful for so long.  (And you thought giving a presentation at work was rough!)  Naturally this job caused a lot of emotional and physical pain for Jeremiah.  Israel didn’t really like being told about their sins.  And they certainly didn’t want to hear they were going to be destroyed by an invading army. 

So instead of telling God they were sorry, and changing their behavior (which would have saved them) they insulted and punished Jeremiah.  I picture them collectively sticking their fingers in their ears and yelling, “we’re not listening…we’re not listening…”

After one particularly rough period in Jeremiah’s life he calls God out, saying “you deceived me.”  Think about that for a moment, someone who God hand picked for the job is yelling “God!  What are you doing to me?! This job description you gave me is crap!” 

It’s clear that Jeremiah is angry.  From his perspective he’s only been doing what God asked.  He’s being honest toward Israel, and doing the “right” thing.  And instead of being rewarded he’s put in jail.  Seems to me he has a case for being angry.

His anger fades, however, and a few sentences later he says, “Give praise to the Lord! He rescues the life of the needy from the hands of the wicked.”  Now Jeremiah seems pretty happy, and grateful for God.

But one sentence later Jeremiah says this, “cursed be the day I was born!”

The man is all over the place.

Just like we are.

A few days ago I wrote that maintaining a relationship is a hard task.  Considering it’s such hard work, how do you manage that if you can’t be honest with God?  How can you expect a real relationship of trust and faith and love to develop if you can’t tell God what you really feel?

The answer is obviously that you can’t.  Fortunately God wants us to be honest and real.  He didn’t ask Jeremiah to pretend he was okay, and to “man up.”  Instead he lets Jeremiah vent, and express his feelings.  In fact just about everyone in the Bible has a moment where they are angry at God.  And not a single person is struck down by a Divine Lightning Bolt of Justice ™.

So the next time you’re upset, don’t hide it from God.  Tell him what you really feel.  If you have questions about him that you don’t understand: ask.  If you have fears: tell him.  If you’re lonely: share that with him.  God didn’t ask Jeremiah (or David, or Paul, or Jesus) to hide their feelings.  And he’s not asking that of you.    

training for God

Posted by e. barrett | Posted on 11-01-2008

Category : God, bible, faith, taking action

Tags: , , ,

    

There’s a line in 1 Timothy that really caught my attention: “Train yourself to be godly” (1 Timothy 4:7).  Why is this so great?  Because of the word “train”.  Paul doesn’t say, “suddenly know”, or “don’t work too hard at it”, or “it will come naturally”.  No!  He says “Train yourself”.

If you’ve ever trained in anything you know it’s hard work.  It takes time, dedication, commitment, and a plan.  You have to do it even when you don’t want to.  It’s not always a picnic, but if you stick with it, it always pays off.

So how are you training?

when we screw up

Posted by e. barrett | Posted on 09-01-2008

Category : God, bible, faith, taking action

Tags: , , , , ,

   

I had lunch with a friend the other day, and as we often do our conversation shifted towards God.  As we talked, I began to describe some of the things happening with R3 and what personal challenges I needed to be working on next.  That’s when she said something to me that didn’t fully register until a few days later.  (Hey, no one ever said I was quick!)  She told me I was “patient.”  Now let me put this in perspective; patience is not a trait I view myself as having.  Put me behind a slow moving car, shopping cart, pedestrian and I start to twitch with irritation.  But more than that, I’ve always viewed patience as a weak area, because I can see all the times I’ve failed.

However her comment got me thinking.  Over the next few days I began to ask myself, what if I am more patient than I think?  What if an area I think I struggle in, is an area she views as my strength?  What if she wished she had my level of “weakness”?

It’s surprisingly easy to assume someone else has it all together, while we are complete failures.

I suspect we all have the tendency to look around and say, “if only I could be more like them, then I’d be set.”  But in reality “they” struggle just as much as we do – just with different things. The truth is we all have areas of weakness.  And if you’re like me, sometimes it feels like you collect them!

So what do we do then?  One option is to say we’re so messed up that we’ll never be able to fix our lives.  But that doesn’t seem like a very Biblical approach to me.  I think a better solution is this: we keep working at it.  In fact, a “righteous man falls seven times, and rises again.”  (Proverbs 24:16). 

Part of being “righteous” is simply the act of getting up again.   And again.  And again.

If we look at people who have done amazing things for God, they aren’t characterized by perfection, but by the fact that they keep getting up.  David committed adultery.  Moses killed someone.  Jeremiah questioned whether God had the right person.  But they all did amazing things simply because they got back up when they fell down.

And so can you.

working at faith

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Posted by e. barrett | Posted on 07-01-2008

Category : God, faith

Tags: , , ,

   

I am beginning to realize that faith involves a lot of work.  I used to think that becoming a Christian was the hard part, that once I worked through my doubts it would be smooth sailing.  But it’s not.  And in some ways it’s harder.

When I first became a Christian there was the excitement of understanding.  The excitement of it all being new.  Every day brought some astonishing realization.  But eventually the newness wears off.

This, I think, is a dangerous time for Christians.  We can so easily lapse into bad habits.  Excitement can be replaced by staleness.  Joy replaced by repetition and habits.  We can fall away from God, just because it’s easier than staying close.

Maintaining your faith takes a lot of work, and unfortunately a fair amount of the D-word, “discipline.”  We need to craft new habits of reading our Bibles, praying, going to church, and whatever else you may need to stay focused on God.

It’s hard to do this on days we’re busy or tired.  Trust me, I know.  There are many days (like today) I don’t feel like studying or praying.  Sometimes I even want God to leave me alone.  But I fight against those urges.  If there’s one thing I’ve learned in the last few years it is this: God is the only place we can really find meaning and worth.  

Maintaining any relationship, even one with God, is hard work. But it is always worth it.

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