R3: radical, revolutionary, different

Life can feel so hard.

Some days the weight of it seems to be crushing. It’s in those moments where all the advice you’ve ever received just doesn’t seem like enough. Things like “trust God” or “God loves you” feel so empty, so meaningless.

Of course it’s not.

Those things are entirely true. But simply saying that doesn’t really solve anything. We need to have some way to put it all into practice. It’s almost as if we need to experience it before we can live it.

Have you ever met someone who just seemed to “shine” with an intense glow, as if there was something special radiating from them? While it’s unlikely they just ate a lamp, what is happening is their faith makes them look different. These are the people who are living out their trust in God. They know that God loves them, no matter what the situation.

Sometimes I think we expect things to come too easily. That believing in God is a magic pill that makes our life easy. When we see these “glowing” people we think their lives must be fine. That they aren’t experiencing problems, because if they had our problems, they wouldn’t be so intensely different.

But nothing is that easy. They have problems just like you and I. But they know something important: faith takes work.

Paul tells us that we should “Train [ourselves] in godliness, for, while physical training is of some value, godliness is valuable in every way, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come.” (1 Timothy 4:7-8)

Living out a life of faith doesn’t happen by accident. And it doesn’t happen over night. It takes (literally) practice. We have to make choices that bring us closer to God. And the more we do this, the more “radiant” we become.

If this seems like an impossible task just remember…even Jesus “grew in wisdom.” (Luke 2: 52)

I don’t know about you, but sometimes I just like a good laugh.  And fortunately that’s where RockTV comes in.  I’ve talked about them before on R3 - and they still make me laugh.  So for an encore performance, kick back for a few minutes and just enjoy yourself.

(Starting at 2:10 it’s pure genius…  “I’m not a scientists so I don’t know what that means”)

A while back I was having lunch with a friend. We talked about the usual things friends talk about. But as always our conversation shifted towards God. I was describing some of the things happening with R3 and what I thought I needed to be working on next. I talked about some of the fears and frustrations I have around a blog like R3. That’s when she said something to me that didn’t really register until a few days later.

She said I was “patient.”

As Moe says, “whaaaaaa-?”

On the surface I find this idea completely ridiculous. I feel so impatient. Some days it’s simply a struggle to believe that God is leading me somewhere because it feels like I’m not making any progress.

Seth Godin has said, “persistence isn’t using the same tactic over and over. That’s just annoying. Persistence is having the same goal over and over.”

I think that’s true. I also think it’s reflected in how God deals with us. He always seems to be willing to change his methods (although never his goals) when he’s dealing with us. Sometimes he talks to us directly, sometimes he uses dreams. Sometimes we get to see miracles, other times we live by faith.

I don’t know if I am patient or not.  I just know that God is always seeking a way to engage us. And that can be a hard thing to remember when we’re waiting on him.

Sometimes I find myself thinking about the 10 commandments.  

They are such a part of of western society that sometimes we don’t even notice the influence they have.  Almost everyone agrees that the “big” one’s are a good idea:  don’t murder, don’t steal, don’t give false testimony.  Other commandments are not always as popular, but most people still think it’s not a good idea to cheat on your spouse, or lust after the things another person has. 

But there’s one commandment that always seems to stand out: “remember the Sabbath.” (Exodus 20:8).  Doesn’t it seem like a weird thing to add to such a short list?  I mean it is a top 10 list.  Shouldn’t there be something, I don’t know, more important in that spot?

And yet, that simple commandment was so important that God included it right before he talked about how we shouldn’t murder or cheat.  I have to think there’s a link there.  I have to believe that God knows when we don’t have the right priorities only bad things can happen.

Out of all the commandments this is the one I break most often.  And for those of you about to dial 911, don’t worry I’ve never killed anyone or stolen anything.  But I have been furious with people, and according to Jesus that’s enough (Matthew 5:21-22).

So the question becomes, why? 

Why do I feel free to break this one?  Is it because the other commandments seem so obviously important?  Is it because maybe I think I’m a little too good to need special time with God?

I’m not sure I have an answer.  But I do know that if God thought this was important enough to be included in such a short list, then I need to rearrange the priorities in my life.  I need to make sure I’m making time to build that relationship with God.

Why can’t God just answer my prayers?

I wonder that all the time. 

I mean he is all powerful.  How hard can it be to snap his fingers and just make something happen?  I don’t see what the issue is.

And that, I think, is the answer.  No matter how much we know, there are simply some things that we can never know.  For instance, we can never know what would happen if we went to a different college, married a different person, or slept through our alarm.  Well that last one might get you fired.  But in general we will never know the road not taken.  

The interesting thing is, God does know.  He’s fully aware of what would happen if things went differently.  When God promised Israel their own land, I’m sure some of them thought, “well why can’t we have it all at once.”  To me that doesn’t seem like an unreasonable question.  God did, after all, promise it to them.  

Yet there were things that Israel couldn’t know.  There were things they probably never even thought of.  Fortunately God had, “But I will not drive them out in a single year, because the land would become desolate and the wild animals too numerous for you. Little by little I will drive them out before you, until you have increased enough to take possession of the land.” (Exodus 23: 29-30)

God knew their lives would be harder, not easier if he simply gave them everything they wanted.  I wonder what I am impatient for, and God is saying “Be patient, trust me, you aren’t ready for this yet.  But you will be.”

I am convinced that God answers prayers.  I’m also convinced that praying is the quickest way to build a relationship with him.  No matter how much you read a biography about someone, or no matter how many times you’ve heard someone describe a stranger, you never really know someone until you talk to them. 

So I’m going to start a new regular feature on R3: prayer thursday. 

On every “prayer thursday”, there will be something to pray about.  Some days it will be for others, some days it will be for ourselves, and other times it will be for whatever you feel like.  I’m also opening up comments so anyone can post their prayer.

Dreams

God - it’s all too easy to live a life where we don’t follow our dreams.  We all have unique skills that you want to use to change the world.  Help us to live out those dreams and not settle for something less.  Something that doesn’t feel so daunting.  Let us reach for the dreams you’ve given us.

comments are open

“You will know that it was the LORD when he gives you meat to eat in the evening and all the bread you want in the morning, because he has heard your grumbling against him.” (Exodus 16: 8)

I’ve often heard people say, “if only God would do something to prove he was real, I’d believe him.”  If I’m honest I have to admit that I’ve said that exact thing.  Sometimes I still do.  But is that really what makes you believe in God?

The Israelites had all the proof they could ever want.  They had just been delivered from years of slavery.  They had seen their families and livestock spared while Egypt’s were destroyed. They had seen miracle after miracle, and yet, they still couldn’t simply believe in God.

Doesn’t this hold true to our experiences as well?  When God gives us exactly what we want, don’t we find a way to discredit the miracle?  We find ourselves saying it was coincidence or “a lucky break.”  Sometimes we even take credit for it ourselves.  After all, it was only your determination that got you that job interview, right?

God is always giving us evidence for his existence.  He was no different with the Israelites.  That’s the amazing thing about God – when Israel doubted him, he simply gave them more reason to believe.   “I have heard the grumbling of the Israelites. Tell them, ‘At twilight you will eat meat, and in the morning you will be filled with bread. Then you will know that I am the LORD your God.’” (Exodus 16: 12)

I would have told Israel they could eat when they found the next Quick-E-Mart.

For some of us no amount of evidence seems to be enough.  But maybe, just maybe, the issue isn’t really about God.  Maybe it’s more about how we respond to what God does show us. 

What would you do for your freedom?  This is exactly the question that Israel was facing.  Of course the answer was simple: follow God’s commandments.  It doesn’t seem like that much really.  God even gave Israel a straightforward ‘to do’ list. Their sole responsibility would be to follow a couple of rules about how they were to prepare the meal (Passover). (Exodus 12: 1-11)  If they did that they would live and escape Egypt.

As we know, they escaped.

You’d think that after seeing everything they saw, they would be forever grateful to the one who set them free.  But you’d be wrong.  By the second month they were already unhappy (Exodus 16:1-3).  As they say, the honeymoon didn’t last long.

We spend so much of our time wondering where God is.  But maybe that’s not really the issue.  Maybe we should wonder why we aren’t willing to do the things necessary to set ourselves free.  Maybe we should ask, “why am I not allowing God to set me free?”

How do we know our lives matter?

That’s a question that seems to haunt me.  On the days that I feel most depressed are the days I question my value to the world the most.  Did I really make a difference?  Does my life really matter?

In a world filled with so much doubt, is it any wonder that we question if we matter?

The answer, of course, is that our lives do matter, and that we can make a difference.  God values each of us.  But we also have to want to make a difference.  We have to choose to embrace God.  We have to embrace curiosity, and be willing to take action.

That sort of sounds like work.  And it its. 

But that’s okay, because part of what God calls us to is to take action.  And sometimes action is difficult; we may not make the impact we want; we may not feel ourselves making radical changes for the kingdom.  Perhaps we should be doing more.  But as long as we’re moving towards God, we’re growing.  And as long as there’s growth, there’s meaning.

We’ve been kind of serious here the last few weeks, discussing dreams, theology, and even our impatience with God.  That’s all good stuff.  But sometimes it helps to keep just a little perspective on life.  And maybe, while we’re at it, laugh a little at ourselves.

 (image courtesy Despair, Inc)