Integrity
Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 15:58, “Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.” As we seek to get ahead and make a name for ourselves in the world, there is always a temptation to compromise our principles or fudge a bit on what we believe. Cultivating a life filled with integrity takes time and patience. It takes a commitment to know the truth and to live it out. I used the following story last weekend in a talk I did. I was unable to find the author, but I think it makes the point well.
A Chinese emperor was growing old and he needed a successor. He didn’t want to choose someone high up in the government, or one of his own relatives. Instead, he called all of the school children to a meeting, and told them he was going to give each one of them a seed, and he wanted them to plant the seed and return a year later with their plant. Based on their progress, he would choose one of them to take over as emperor after he died.
One particular boy, named Ling, planted his seed very carefully in a pot of rich black soil, and faithfully watered it. However, day after day passed, and it did not sprout. Soon weeks had passed, and there was no sign of growth at all. He visited some of his friends, and their seeds were growing nicely. For the entire year he tried everything he could think of to make his seed grow, but nothing worked. When it came time for the children to bring their plants to the meeting with the emperor, Ling was almost too embarrassed to go. However, he felt that it was his duty to tell the emperor the truth about his failure.
All the children were gathered together in a huge hall, and the emperor moved quickly from child to child, examining their plants. Way in the back was Ling with his empty pot. When the emperor saw him, he immediately asked his guards to bring Ling up on the stage in front of all the people. Ling was horrified, thinking that he was going to be punished in front of all the others.
Instead, the emperor announced that Ling was to be their next emperor. Everyone was shocked, but especially Ling. And then the emperor began to explain. “Before I handed out the seeds last year,” he said, “I boiled them all, making it impossible for them to grow into new plants. I wanted a successor who would be honest, even if it made him look bad, and Ling is that person. The rest of you cheated, in an attempt to impress me; but Ling was faithful, and he was honest.”
If you plant honesty, you will reap trust. If you plant goodness, you will reap friends. If you plant humility, you will reap greatness. If you plant perseverance, you will reap victory. If you plant consideration, you will reap harmony. If you plant hard work, you will reap success. If you plant forgiveness, you will reap reconciliation. If you plant openness, you will reap intimacy. If you plant patience, you will reap improvements. If you plant faith, you will reap miracles.
But if you plant dishonesty, you will reap distrust. If you plant selfishness, you will reap loneliness. If you plant pride, you will reap destruction. If you plant envy, you will reap trouble. If you plant laziness, you will reap stagnation. If you plant bitterness, you will reap isolation. If you plant greed, you will reap loss. If you plant gossip, you will reap enemies. If you plant worries, you will reap wrinkles. If you plant sin, you will reap guilt.
So let’s commit ourselves to being people who seek to live with integrity in all things – how we spend our time and money; how we approach work and play; how we think and speak…may all we do be done for the Lord. Such labor is never in vain.
Bo Diddley and My Letter of Recommendation
Bo Diddley once sang:
You can’t judge an apple by looking at the tree,
You can’t judge honey by looking at the bee,
You can’t judge the daughter by looking at her mother,
You can’t judge a book by looking at the cover…
You can’t judge sugar by looking at the cane,
You can’t judge a woman by looking at her man,
You can’t judge a sister by looking at her brother,
You can’t judge a book by looking at the cover…
But I’m not sure the Apostle Paul would agree. He wrote in 2 Corinthians 3:
1 Are we beginning to commend ourselves again? Or do we need, like some people, letters of recommendation to you or from you? 2 You yourselves are our letter, written on our hearts, known and read by everybody. 3 You show that you are a letter from Christ, the result of our ministry, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts.
People who did not know Paul could look at the Corinthian church and tell a lot about him as an apostle. They were his “letter, written on” their “hearts.” For better or worse, Paul knew that people would look at their lives following Christ and see the results of his ministry. And that was ok with Paul.
Some time ago, I read those verses when Angie and I were away from our children for a getaway in Malta. It occurred to me that 
Bethany, Joshua, and Jonathan are my letter – are Angie and my letter – known and read by everybody. People in St. Louis meet Bethany and as they interact with her, they draw conclusions about me. People in Amman or elsewhere meet Joshua and Jonathan and interact with them and they draw conclusions about me. Perhaps they don’t do it consciously and maybe not everyone does, but many do.
My children are my letter of recommendation…and I’m ok with that. In fact, it makes me proud to think that people might draw conclusions about me based on my kids – because they are amazing! Each of them loves the Lord and is seeking to walk with him. Each is in a different stage in that journey. Each is mature, kind, generous, friendly, creative, fun, and a good friend. They love music. They love laughing. They are loyal friends. They are fun people to hang out with.
So, if you’ve met Bethany, Joshua or Jonathan but never met me…the truth is they probably make me look better than I deserve…(but factor in how amazing their mother is and then you’ll understand)…I have no idea what twists and turns life will take for my children. I don’t know what choices – good or bad – they might make. But they are my letter, written on my heart, and I don’t mind a bit that they’re read by everybody.
He is de vine, we are de branches…
A classmate shared recently the following quote from Richard Rohr: “What is the source of your spiritual power? It’s radical union with God, not just doing good things or holding a role or function. Often we make the basis for ministry professionalism, education, and up-to-date-ism, which are all good in themselves. But in the end, the only basis for fruitful Christianity is divine union. Such people change you and change the world” (emphasis mine).
In John 15, Jesus said, 1″I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. 2He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful. 3You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. 4Remain in me, and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.
This is a complex and beautiful passage and I won’t go into it in detail. Instead, I simply want us to notice a few things. First, Jesus is the vine and we are the branches. There is a picture of mutual indwelling. We are connected to Jesus by faith in such a way that we take our live from the vine (Jesus) and he is connected to us so that he bears fruit through us.
Second, we are completely dependent on Jesus for life and fruit. Verse 4 tells us that if we remain in Jesus and he in us, then we will bear fruit. We cannot bear fruit any other way. As Rohr wrote, “the only basis for fruitful Christianity is divine union.” Think about it. What is the job description of a branch? Does it leave the vine to go fetch water from the well? Does it run off to get a shovel and dig irrigation ditches? Does it fan itself to keep bugs and birds away? Does it run off to the store and buy its favorite fruit and then glue the fruit on to itself? NO! The job description of a branch is to suck all the life-giving water it can from the vine. It has to stay connected to the vine. Without that connection, there is no fruitfulness.
Jesus went on and said, 5″I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. 6If anyone does not remain in me, he is like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned.
Being is more important than doing. Good trees bear good fruit. 17Likewise every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. 18A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. 19Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them (Matthew 7:17-20).
God is a God of intimacy and action. Knowing God and loving God intimately should move us to witness and serve. It is our connection to Jesus – to the vine – that gives us life. As we grow more deeply in him, we become good trees and he will cause us to bear good fruit.
Our ministry should flow from our relationship with Jesus – from our connection to the vine. Apart from Jesus we can do nothing. Many say they believe that, but then they live as if it everything depended on them. People who live like that are really “functional atheists.” A “functional atheist” is a person who says he/she believes in God and believes certain things about God, but then goes out each day and lives like everything in their lives depends on themselves. They might say they believe God will provide, but then they worry that they have to work and work to make ends meet. They might say they believe God is with them all the time and they need to depend on him in everything, but then not think of God at all for huge parts of their days. They might say they believe that Jesus’ work on the cross was the perfect sacrifice for their sins, but then live as though they need to earn God’s approval and acceptance. They might say they believe that prayer changes things, but then not take time to pray.
We need to affirm that He is the vine and we are the branches. Apart from him we can do nothing. Then we need to go and live that out. We need to cultivate hearts that are bent toward Jesus. We need to do things that create space in our lives for the gracious work of the Holy Spirit to transform us. Primarily ministry needs to flow out of our relationship to Jesus. But I have a fear that we don’t live like that. I fear that we say our ministry depends on Jesus but then live as though we were the ones in control – as though it really depended on our ability and wisdom.
Ultimately, we need to live passionate, holy lives of intimacy with Jesus. We need to be deeply connected to the vine. We need to be in constant conversation with him throughout the day. We need to be constantly vigilant to the work of God all around us. We need to hunger and thirst for more Jesus. When we seek God through spiritual practices like silence, solitude, study, self-examination, prayer, and simplicity, we will be good trees bearing good fruit for we will be connected to the life-giving vine.
Rohr is right that “…the only basis for fruitful Christianity is divine union. Such people change you and change the world.”
May we be followers of Christ who change our worlds.
Food for thought
It’s been a busy week so I want to share with you a poem that was first introduced to me by Valerie Hess when I had a class with her on the spiritual disciplines. I came across it again this week. Enjoy!
The Calf-Path by Sam Walter Foss
(public domain)
One day through the primeval wood A calf walked home as good calves should;
But made a trail all bent askew, A crooked trail as all calves do.
Since then three hundred years have fled, And I infer the calf is dead.
But still he left behind his trail, And thereby hangs my moral tale.
The trail was taken up next day By a lone dog that passed that way;
And then a wise bell-wether sheep Pursued the trail o’er vale and steep,
And drew the flock behind him, too, As good bell-wethers always do.
And from that day, o’er hill and glade, Through those old woods a path was made.
And many men wound in and out, And dodged and turned and bent about,
And uttered words of righteous wrath Because ’twas such a crooked path;
But still they followed–do not laugh– The first migrations of that calf,
And through this winding wood-way stalked Because he wobbled when he walked.
This forest path became a lane That bent and turned and turned again;
This crooked lane became a road, Where many a poor horse with his load
Toiled on beneath the burning sun, And traveled some three miles in one.
And thus a century and a half They trod the footsteps of that calf.
The years passed on in swiftness fleet, The road became a village street;
And this, before men were aware, A city’s crowded thoroughfare.
And soon the central street was this Of a renowned metropolis;
And men two centuries and a half Trod in the footsteps of that calf.
Each day a hundred thousand rout Followed this zigzag calf about
And o’er his crooked journey went The traffic of a continent.
A hundred thousand men were led By one calf near three centuries dead.
They followed still his crooked way. And lost one hundred years a day,
For thus such reverence is lent To well-established precedent.
A moral lesson this might teach Were I ordained and called to preach;
For men are prone to go it blind Along the calf-paths of the mind,
And work away from sun to sun To do what other men have done.
They follow in the beaten track, And out and in, and forth and back,
And still their devious course pursue, To keep the path that others do.
They keep the path a sacred groove, Along which all their lives they move;
But how the wise old wood-gods laugh, Who saw the first primeval calf.
And, many things this tale might teach– but I am not ordained to preach.
The spiritual life is like…photosynthesis…
In the class I just finished, we have a final project to creatively express how we view the integration of life and faith. I’m not the most creative person in the world when it comes to things like this, but I did my best. In the end, as I reflected on faith and life and how they intersect, I was drawn to photosynthesis as a paradigm of the spiritual life.
In photosynthesis a tree needs three things to grow: water, sun, and carbon dioxide. I liken these three elements to God’s character and being (water, absorbed through the roots of the tree), God’s presence (sun), and our life experiences (carbon dioxide). We (the tree) need each to grow into the people God intends us to be.
We need to sink our roots deeply into the character and being of God, allowing our souls to connect with Him. We need to experience him through spiritual practices that allow his living water to pour into our lives and revive and transform our souls. We need his presence by the Holy Spirit to surround and guide us throughout our days. We need that presence in the midst of life’s experiences to take and use those experiences to produce in us the character of Christ.
Trees receive water through their roots in the ground. We need to be grounded in God’s incredible love for us. We need to believe that he has created us for intimacy with him and that he longs to have that relationship restored as we are transformed into the image of Jesus. This is foundational – we need to be “rooted and built up” in the love of God shown to us in Jesus Christ. There is a sense in which trees do nothing but rest and receive the life-giving water from the soil. We need to rest and receive from God his life-giving nutrients through silence, solitude, Sabbath, times of retreat and waiting on the Lord, surrender and the like.
But trees also have an active role to play. They manufacture their own food by trapping the sun’s light and using its energy. We have an active part to play in our spiritual growth as well. We must intentionally seek to be aware of God’s presence and to live our lives from the energy and direction He provides. We do this through meditation and study of God’s Word (study, memorization, lectio divina, etc.); prayer (centering prayer, breath prayer, intercession, self-examination, etc.); community (spiritual friendship, spiritual direction, church, small groups, service, etc.); simple living (wholly devoted to God, giving generously, etc.); and through many other intentional practices that help us to live with an awareness of God’s presence all around us.
Sometimes clouds can block the sun from a tree’s view. In the same way, there are things that can block God’s presence from our “view”. Our choices (white clouds) can take us away from God’s presence. Outright sin; choosing the good rather than the best; refusing to respond to the prompting of the Holy Spirit and many things like this are choices we make that prevent us from experiencing God’s presence. At other times trials and suffering (dark clouds) can hinder us from experiencing God’s presence. Cognitively we may know he is there, but we do not sense his presence. But, it should also be remembered, that the dark clouds bring rain which replenishes the soil’s water, which the trees need. In the same way, the trials of life often offer lessons in God’s character and deeper experiences of who he is that enable us to grow even when we can’t immediately see or feel his presence.
Trees also need carbon dioxide to be able to make the food they need. A tree uses the energy of the sun to combine the carbon dioxide and water so it can grow. In addition to God’s love and his presence, we need the experiences of life. As we interact with people and are stretched and challenged, we grow. Some life experiences are challenging and painful, but even those (and often especially those) are the ones that produce the most growth in our lives if we will stay rooted in God’s love and seeking his presence.
As trees conduct photosynthesis, they grow to physical maturity, but they also produce fruit. In our spiritual lives, as we grow to spiritual maturity we will produce fruit as well. We will become more like Jesus and show forth the fruit of the Spirit living lives of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control (Galatians 5:22-23). And we will enjoy the intimacy and connectedness for which our souls yearn. And, photosynthesis produces life-giving oxygen. In our spiritual lives, as we grow and bear fruit, we also offer the life-giving fragrance of Christ to those around us.
A tree’s growth is measured on the inside – by the rings within the trunk. As we grow into maturity we grow into our true self – the person we are in Christ – but that growth may not be evident from outside. Even so, it is surely taking place as rings are added to our spiritual tree trunks!
Trees usually are found in forests or woods with other trees. This helps with cross-pollination and offers protection as well. As believers, we need to be connected to other believers to spur one another on in our faith.
Here is the picture of all this when it’s put together:
Big Toes and the Best Corn
Several years ago I told the story about a young man who lived a normal, average life. He worked hard in a factory and every so often on a Sunday he might attend church. It didn’t matter much to him if he went or not because he didn’t think his presence was very significant and doubted that anyone would even notice when he wasn’t there.
One day he was helping a coworker move a load of steel. In the process, some of the steel came loose and he found himself – or more precisely he found his foot – in the wrong place at the wrong time. A steel bar fell on his big toe – a bar so heavy it took twelve men to get it off. His foot was ok except for the aforementioned big toe which had been crushed and had to be removed.
A few weeks later the man returned to work. The place that had once been home to his big toe no longer hurt, but after a few days of walking around and doing his normal tasks he noticed his knee was bothering him. In time, his hip started to bother him also. And, after a while, his back started hurting as well. Finally the pain became too great and he ended up going to a doctor.
The doctor explained it simply: No matter how unimportant the big toe may seem, it plays a crucial role in providing balance as we walk. Without his big toe he had been walking differently and the change put more stress than normal on his knee. Eventually as he tried to compensate for that pain, his hip was affected. And finally, the stress and aggravation spread to his back. In the end, the doctor made a special shoe for him with a prosthetic toe of sorts. Soon the man was walking like new (or old!) and the aches and pains had gone away.***
There is a sense in Western Christianity especially, but I find it in other parts of the world too, that Jesus is all we need. We don’t need others in our walk as believers. We can manage just fine with Jesus and the Bible. At the deepest levels, there is some truth to this. Jesus is all we need. But the reality is that we need to be connected to our brothers and sisters in the faith – the Body of Christ – or we are in danger of developing aches and pains and not growing into maturity like we should.
Paul makes it clear in 1 Corinthians 12 that we are connected to one another. Every part is necessary. “God has arranged the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be. If they were all one part, where would the body be? As it is, there are many parts, but one body” (vv 18-20). And we can’t say to other parts, “I don’t need you! (v 21)” Paul tells us that God has combined the members of the body…so that there should be no division…but that its parts should have equal concern for each other. If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it (vv 24b-26).
Whether we like it or not, we are connected to one another as followers of Jesus. That connection helps us to know and love God more. It helps us grow in our faith. It helps us to live out Jesus’ commands to love one another. In Ephesians 3:18 Paul prays that the believers would have power together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ and to know this love that surpasses knowledge (Ephesians 3:18-19a, emphasis mine). It is together with the body of believers that we learn about God’s love. We get to be Jesus in flesh – Christians – “little Christs” – to one another. We get to show the love of God to one another in tangible ways. This is not to say that Jesus will not communicate his amazing love through his Spirit and through his Word and through other means…but it is to say that we play a vital role in helping one another know the riches of God’s amazing love for us.
We are busy people. I know that. We have work; school; families; roommates; deadlines and duties; commitments and responsibilities. I get that. But if we want to know the fullness of God’s love for us and if we want to grow to maturity as followers of Jesus, we need each other.
A lot of us approach this half-heartedly, if at all. We know there is truth and so we attend church one day a week and think we’ve done our duty. We’re “connected”. Maybe we go a bit further and attend an adult Bible fellowship or a small group. But we never go deeper than the surface in our conversations. We never truly open up and share our joys and struggles – and we shy away from those who do!
Some time ago I read the story of a farmer whose corn always took first place at the county fair. He had the habit of sharing his seed with his neighbors. Many people scoffed at that. “Why would you share your best seed with those who are your competitors? Are you crazy?”
He answered them, “It’s really a matter of self-interest. The wind picks up the pollen of their corn and carries it from field to field. If my neighbors grow inferior corn, then the cross-pollinization brings down the quality of my own corn. That is why I’m so concerned they plant only the very best.
When we carve out time to live in community and connectedness with other believers, we need to make it a priority and give our best. As we create a safe, caring environment for them to be themselves and to share from their hearts, we will find that sort of environment open up for us as well. Sometimes we have to take a step of faith to be vulnerable first – to risk being hurt or laughed at or whatever – so that others will be brave enough to share with us too.
Our relationships with each other nurture and spur us on in our faith. They allow us to model and live out the love of God for one another and the world around us. They enable us to practice the principles we find in God’s Word and to serve others – and be served by them – that we all might grow up to maturity in our faith (see Ephesians 4:12-16).
Jesus said, “They will know you are my disciples, if you love one another.”
***Those of you who have attended the Amman International Church or played softball with the “Green Monsters” may already know that some time ago Justin Hiester gave me the nickname “Big Toe”.
A Diet for Disaster
Some time ago I read that in the countryside of southern Missouri, the land doesn’t have a lot of natural minerals. Nevertheless, there are farmers who raise cattle and crops there. Often the cows and sheep, wanting a healthy, mineral-rich meal, will come upon piles of junk and garbage out in the fields or while wandering in the woods. And they will eat old batteries and rusty wire or nails to get the minerals their bodies crave and which they need. But the end result is they die because of it. They choose the wrong things to satisfy their hunger for something good.
Last time I challenged us to live life intentionally so we actually reach the goals we say we’re after. We want to be a people who do more than talk about becoming like Jesus; we want to experience genuine transformation into His image. Being intentional to do the right things is important, but we also need to avoid things that can become obstacles to spiritual growth. Let me highlight five obstacles that many of us face in our pursuit of being like Jesus.
1. Busyness
Busyness will stifle your spiritual life. Running from one thing to the next; on the go from morning to night; busyness often prevents us from hearing God. If we take time to read in the Bible, we read quickly and superficially. We don’t take time to meditate on the Word. We don’t have time to pray. Busyness saps our energies and we find we have little to nothing left for God.
Have you ever noticed lion tamers always carry a stool into the cage with them when training the lions? William H. Hinson explains that animal trainers carry a stool because the lions can’t focus on all four of the stool’s legs at once. It’s too “busy” for them. There are too many things to focus on. The trainer has his whip, of course, and his pistols are at his side. But, Hinson says, the stool is the most important tool of the trainer. He holds it with the legs facing the lion and when the lion attempts to focus on all four legs, it can’t and a kind of paralysis overwhelms the animal. It becomes tame, weak, and disabled because its attention is fragmented.
Something similar happens to us when we allow ourselves to be too busy. Our attention is fragmented. We cannot focus on any task – especially not seeking God in a meaningful way. Intentionally living to open ourselves up to the transforming power of Jesus Christ necessitates we slow down and carve time for God into our crowded lives!
2. Driven, not called
Related to busyness is the reality that many of us are living and doing things because we are driven instead of called. What I mean is that many of us have a desire to serve and to use our gifts and abilities for God. But sometimes we have a hard time saying, “No”. Or other times we think, “If I don’t do this it won’t be done right…I’ll just have to redo it anyway.” But we end up taking on tasks that aren’t ours to take. We’re driven rather than called. At the heart of it may be something good; but it may be pride or selfishness or an unhealthy attitude. Not only do we end up too busy and doing too much, we rob someone else of the opportunity to do what they were actually called to do. We stunt our own spiritual progress and we hurt theirs too!
3. Friends
Too many of us settle for friends that make us feel comfortable and don’t ask too much from us. At one level that’s ok. But we also need friends who will challenge and inspire us. At times when I was spiritually lethargic, friends who were passionately running after Jesus made me feel guilt; condemned; sinful…but also awakened in me latent desire. I wanted what they had. I wanted the intimacy and the passion. And their unwillingness to settle and be comfortable shook me from my slumber and encouraged me to start seeking.
The Preacher wrote in Ecclesiastes 4:10, “If one falls down, his friend can help him up. But pity the man who falls and has no one to help him up!” We need friends who will help us up…not join us down on the ground or in the pit!
4. Mediocrity
Imagine climbing up a tall mountain. You’ve been at it for a while and you’re getting tired. You seem to be about halfway up and there’s a nice flat rock that you can sit down on and look out over the valley below. So you sit down, have a nice cool drink and admire the view. It’s beautiful! You are only part way up, but even at this elevation the views are amazing!
After a bit you stand up, sore from the morning hike. As you stretch, you look up at the peak are realize not only is it far, it gets even tougher the higher you climb. Turning back to the valley below you think, “You know, this spot is awfully nice. The views may not be as breathtaking as they’d be from the peak, but they are the most incredible I’ve ever seen. Maybe I’ll just stay here and settle down right where I am. It’s comfortable and the rest of the climb just looks too hard.”
“Mediocrity” comes from two Latin words: medius (meaning middle height) and ocris (meaning a rugged mountain). Literally mediocrity is stopping halfway up a rugged mountain. It’s settling for something middling instead of pushing on to greater heights and more spectacular views.
For too many of us, we come to faith in Jesus and we experience some transformation and even pursue more growth. But the reality is that we settle. We get comfortable. We’re only part way to the top, but we become satisfied. We no longer drive for more. We want just enough Jesus to bless where we are and what we’re doing, but not so much we have to be inconvenienced or change. Needless to say, this stops our spiritual growth!
5. Unresolved conflict and unconfessed sin
I list these two together because they are related. I mentioned these in my previous post so I won’t say much about them here. Suffice it to say if we have a broken relationship or have sin that is festering in our hearts, we will not grow in intimacy with Jesus. We can’t. It puts barriers between us and him and though things may look fine on the outside, they are dying on the inside. That’s why Jesus said that if we are presenting our offering at the altar and realize we’ve offended someone we need to go make it right then come back and make our offering.
Are there obstacles keeping you from experiencing more of Jesus? Are you settling for the spiritual diet equivalent of old
batteries and rusty nails? Let’s get the junk and the obstacles out of our spiritual diet. Let’s make sure the things feeding us are life-giving and soul-satisfying. Let’s seek to live intentionally so we make it all the way to the top of that rugged mountain!
Are You Headed Where You Want To Be?
In Alice in Wonderland, Alice comes to a junction in the road that leads in different directions. She asks the Cheshire Cat, “Cheshire-Puss…would you tell me please, which way I ought to go from here?”
“That depends a good deal on where you want to go to,” said the Cat.
“I don’t much care where,” replied Alice.
“Then it doesn’t matter which way you go.”
What is the goal or purpose of your life? Where are you going? What compels you to live as you do? Do you have a verse or a vision or a calling that moves you forward toward some goal? Or are you someone who simply responds to what happens around you? Are you someone who feels your life is not your own? Or you aren’t in control of your life, but there others or circumstances or situations which make you do the things you do?
My life verse is Philippians 3:10-11: “I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow to attain to the resurrection from the dead.” That’s a daunting goal! I love that Paul reassures the Philippians (and us) that even he hadn’t yet reached that goal…even he was still a work in progress. He says in verses 12-14, “Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do, forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.”
To know Jesus, to love Jesus, to be made like him and to share in his life, death and resurrection – this is my goal. To be made like Christ, this is our purpose. To the Galatian church, a group of believers who had started out strongly in the faith but was in danger of turning back to the old ways of the Law, Paul says, 19My dear children, for whom I am again in the pains of childbirth until Christ is formed in you… (Galatians 4:18-19).
To the Roman church he put it this way: 28And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. 29For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son… (Romans 8:28-29). Setting aside what Paul means about predestination, I want us to see the purpose for his working in us…that we would be conformed to the likeness of his Son.
I believe the goal or purpose of my life and the goal and purpose of your life – according to the Word of God – is that we would be formed, conformed, transformed into the likeness or image of Jesus. God wants us to take on the character of Jesus.
How are you living to reach this goal of becoming like Christ?
I was read an article recently about an athlete who had incredible natural talent and ability. Early in his career it was thought he was destined for greatness. An interviewer asked him what he was doing to develop into his full potential. He answered that “there was nothing to do; he just had to wait for it to happen.”
For far too many followers of Jesus, that is precisely how we approach our relationship with Jesus. We are destined to be like Jesus – that is our call – but what are we doing, how are we living, to begin to reach our full potential? We may say that knowing and living Jesus are our priorities, but what evidence do our lives give that it’s true?
Jesus said: 19“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. 20But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
If our time is spent seeking earthly treasure – the latest iPhone, the newest music, the fastest car, the nicest clothes, the best vacation, the nicest job, and so on – then our heart is in the wrong place. We won’t gain Christ and ultimately we’ll lose the world too. But if our time is spent seeking heavenly treasure – seeking to know Jesus as our highest priority, living lives of obedience as much as we can, sharing generously our time and possessions with others, showing kindness, forgiving and loving well – then we will not only gain Jesus and be transformed into his image, but we’ll store up treasures in heaven too.
Are we trying to serve two masters? Are we giving lip service to the goal of becoming like Jesus – saying it’s our goal, our priority, but living for ourselves? Where our treasure is – where the thing we desire most is – our heart will be too. Our greatest treasure will determine our direction and values.
Jesus makes clear the choice we have between two treasures and two visions. Whom will we serve? God and money are pictured as slave owners. Which will we serve? Either we will serve God with a single-eyed, whole-hearted passion or we aren’t serving him at all. There is no half-way with Jesus. You cannot be a part-time disciple. When we try to live in two worlds – following Jesus and living for ourselves or something we love – we are idolaters.
So, how are you living to reach this goal of becoming like Christ? Are you trying to serve two masters? Do you have one foot in the kingdom of God and one in your own kingdom where you pursue the things you want? You cannot serve two masters. Where the treasure of your time, your money, your thoughts are, that is where your heart is.
What can we do to cooperate with Jesus to reach the goal of knowing, loving, and becoming like Jesus?
We begin with surrender.
Becoming like Jesus is not an exercise in self-impovement. It isn’t about self-help. It’s about heart renovation. The purpose of spiritual formation is not to make new and improved versions of ourselves. It is that Christ be formed in us (Galatians 4:19).
Our goal is not to simply sin less. That idea focuses on us and our actions. That’s an external goal – focused on our behavior. I believe Jesus wants us to focus on the heart. In Christ we are new creations. In Christ we have been crucified to the old life. Our lives should increasingly take on the character of Christ. We will sin less as we surrender ourselves more and more to him. Our focus should increasingly be on Jesus – loving and knowing him. We want to be so intimate with Jesus that when we are insulted or are cut off in traffic or are lied about or are put in a compromising situation, our natural response is not to sin, but to do what Jesus would have done.
This is a work of the Holy Spirit, because ultimately we cannot be made into the image of Jesus apart from God. Nevertheless, we do have a part to play in the process. We have to be active. We have to pray and ask God to create in us a desire for more of him. We need to ask him to stir in us a hunger and thirst to be like Jesus. And then we have to put ourselves in a position where that can happen. Paul was spot on when he wrote, “Work out your salvation with fear and trembling for it is God who is at work within you to will and to work according to his good purpose,” (Philippians 2:13). We must actively seek to grow and experience more of the life God has for us, however, it is the Holy Spirit who makes it happen.
If you’ve made it this far, I want to invite you to take a moment to prayerfully ask God where your heart is right now. Take time to be quiet before the Lord and in quietness of your heart ask God to show you where your treasure is.
Is where you are where you want it to be? If your heart isn’t right with God, take a moment to repent of your sin and ask God for forgiveness. If you long to be made into his likeness or if you long to long for that, surrender to him. Tell him, “I’m yours Lord. All I am is yours. Take me as I am. Form me, conform me, transform me that I might be like Jesus.”
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