The View Inside My Head

"Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven." Ephesians 2:7 - It's about Who gets the glory for the good things they see in my. And I think more important for me today, it's about the dialogue in my head when someone compliments me. Do I believe that I am somehow worthy of that praise inherently? Or do I believe that I am working out who God designed me to be and so the glory goes to Him? I am salt. I am light. I am not behaving as both or either. Does my light blind people with its intensity? Does my salt kill fields? Or does my light illuminate the road? Does my salt bring out other flavors and help maintain health? Jesus, May I always be about You, not me. And when I'm not, would You gently shed light on that place so it becomes clear? Then help me knock down the idol I've erected and clean up the mess it leaves when it is destroyed?

"Rejoice and be exceedingly glad for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you." How counter-intuitive is it to rejoice in the face of suffering! The previous verse gives the context - when people are mean to me because I love Jesus. This is the suffering that should move me to rejoice. I didn't want to stop and write about this. I can't escape, though, that this is a command. Rejoice! Be exceedingly glad! The pursuit of joy is something I know well. And, in my experience, it comes when I know who and Whose I am. Maybe this is God's message to me: It's time to return to joy. Put away the sadness and suffering you are experiencing. Remember that I've got you and I will not let you fall.

"Follow Me and I will make you fishers of men." I grew up hearing those words as something Jesus said to the disciples . I never thought He was calling me to be a fisher. After all, I don't particularly like fishing. But my faith isn't only a faith that makes me happy. Or, at least my initial revulsion at something - like this command - is an indication that my own stuff is getting in the way of following. Because Jesus promises me joy in the end . From The Vulnerable Way (sermon) the other week, I remember it was for the joy set before Him that He endured the cross. This promise that the last thing will be the best thing - it's hard to remember in the midst of pain and struggle. And what if the whole "fishers of men" bit is about giving me a higher calling than the job I do? Might He say instead to me, since web accessibility is my primary focus at work, "You can make my Kingdom accessible to all people. Leave behind the wor...

"Repent, for the Kingdom of God is at hand." It is God's cry through the prophets throughout the Old Testament - "Repent! Turn back to Me." This is different - "Repent! I have come close to you." In the light of all Jesus did, all He said when he took on flesh, how can I respond with anything but what He asks? Repent - turn away from. Replace the things that draw my attention with the wholly attractive and all consuming face of God mad flesh. What would it look like if I replaced all the time I spend on my phone with contemplation of the One who loves me? How would I manifest the love of God in new ways when I know it so much better because it consumes my random thought? All things but Jesus in moderation. Repentance in full measure because God has come near to me and calls me away from a life wasted on inconsequential things.

I have known the Bible well for a very long time now. Recently, I've become convinced that I need to return to it again, but with a new focus: What does Jesus tell me to do? I'm not throwing away the words of Peter or Paul or Moses. I am turning towards the One who taught them, made them His disciples and prophets, the source of holiness and a radical way of living. How do His words instruct and protect me? How is my life transformed when my behavior matches how He tells me to live? What questions do I have? And, most important, how do I respond to what I hear? These posts are not meant to be Inspired Teaching for you. They are the reflections of my heart as it listens to and responds to God. You'll notice along the way that how I approach this time has grown and changed. I started just to record what I heard and knew about a particular command and now each command includes a prayer at the end. I can no longer know without responding and changing. I am working my wa...

In my first post I took a lot of time to describe the room where I meet Jesus in detail. But the point of that exercise is not just to have the room; it is to have a mental place where I am comfortable meeting my Savior any time. If I were to close my eyes right now, I could be in my room in a split second. This morning when I do that Jesus is waiting for me, standing with his arms outstretched right inside the door. I'm happy to be there with no particular need or something weighing me down. In fact, I could see us whirling around like a couple little kids on the playground. Remember those times when you crossed hands, held on tight, leaned back, and started turning? There are times when I enter the room full of life. On other days when I've felt great, there have been a couple palominos waiting and we've gone for a long ride, our hair flowing in the wind (and it never gets tangled, either!). There are times when I enter the room full of joy. I can't begin...

Once a long time ago my mom read a book to our family called Discovering How to Pray by Hope McDonald. In the chapter called "Find a Quiet Place" she describes a process where you create a place in your mind to which you can retreat to meet with God. It's a concept that caught my attention and has been with me for over 25 years now. The room I created in my mind has evolved over time, but I'm constantly surprised that the things I imagined as a kid have held true over time. My room is a stand-alone building in the middle of forever green rolling meadows. Regardless of the wind and rain that are a common theme in Oregon, I can close my eyes and find myself bathed in sunlight. Small pastel flowers are scattered in the grass and on the back side of the room stands a massive oak tree - except for the times when I'm feeling a bit down and the oak becomes a willow tree. Walk with me inside. The entire front of the room is leadded glass with grand french doors set i...