Leave!

"The LORD had said to Abram,

'Leave your native country,

your relatives,

and your father's family,

and go to the land that I will show you.

I will make you into a great nation.

I will bless you and make you famous,

and you will be a blessing to others."

Genesis 12:1-2 NLT

"How can we move to Germany now?"  I asked my husband of three years.  During our short marriage, our family had grown by a daughter closely followed by a set of three more.  Life was pretty hectic in a home filled with four girls aged three and under, and I needed the reinforcement my parents supplied.  Why would God move us to a foreign land, so far away from my support system?

As I look back to that scary time, I can see God's hand at work.  Leaving my beloved homeland and some of my most cherished people was His way of growing my faith and building my character.  In order to receive the blessing God has for me, it is often necessary that I leave behind what is familiar and trust God for what is to come.

Country

It is said that the way to catch a monkey is to secure a hollowed-out coconut in place and fill it with peanuts, a banana or some other snack.  When a curious primate approaches the tempting treat, he slides his hand through the hole.  Once he makes a fist to grab the food, however, his hand will no longer fit through the opening and he is "trapped" by his own greed.  Simply letting go of the treasure would buy his freedom, but most monkeys are unwilling to walk away from such a find.

This reminds me of how I can be when it comes to the world.  In order for me to fully embrace God's kingdom, I must let go of my sin and worldly temptations.  If I hold on tight to the habits of my flesh, I will find myself living in a way that is contrary to God's plan for my life.  (Galatians 5:17)  But if I let go of the trappings of this world which appeal so much to my sinful nature, then I can keep in step with God's Spirit.

When I feel trapped in an area of sin, then, I can remember that I have the power to let go of that transgression, instead nailing it to the cross where it will tempt me no more. (Galatians 5:24)  Or when I am constantly drawn to the message of the world that tells me I am king of my own life, then I can remember that Jesus is the only One who is worthy to hold such a position. (Philippians 2:9-11)  Or when I struggle with a negative attitude toward my circumstances, I can remind myself that God will work everything for my good, even if it doesn't seem good at the time.  (Romans 8:28)

In order to fully grasp the kingdom of God, I must leave behind the country in which I live along with it's alluring attractions.

People

My heart swells as I hear the anthem played.  Tears form in my eyes as I think of all the men and women who have given their lives so that I might enjoy freedom.  There is no doubt that I have a pride in my country and that I am not ashamed to identify myself as an American.

As I grow closer to my Father, however, this allegiance is beginning to shift.  While I still am thankful to live in a country where I have the liberty to live as I see fit, it is to God that my highest allegiance is found.  My hope is in Him, not in the politicians who run our country, nor in the people who work so hard day in and day out to make our communities safe, nor in the members of the armed forces who sacrifice so much.

Instead of relying on these fellow humans as my source of hope for a better tomorrow, I am learning to fully trust in the Lord.  Without Him, not one of us could take a breathe let alone make a difference in the world.  Apart from the sovereignty of the Lord, no plan would ever come to fulfillment, and there is no salvation to be found under any other name than that of Jesus Christ my Lord!  (Acts 4:12)

While those running for office may have great ideas and inspire much optimism for tomorrow, it is not in mere man that I will place my confidence.  Instead, I am learning to place all my eggs in God's basket, trusting that He is where my hope is found.

In order to live in a state of blessing, it is vital that I identify myself more as God's child than as a daughter of the country in which I live.

Family

They expected Him to drop everything at the mention of their presence.  Family deserves the position of highest honor so they had every reason to believe Jesus would prefer them over the multitudes who gathered that day to see Him.  As soon as He heard of their arrival, they were sure they would be immediately ushered to the front of the line.  Boy, were they wrong!

Instead of honoring His family, Jesus chose the opportunity of His mother and brothers' visit to illustrate the hierarchy of God's kingdom. (Matthew 12:46-50)  While I have heard it said that, "blood is thicker than water," insinuating that family ties are the strongest of all bonds, Jesus turned this belief on it's ear.  While it is important to honor one's father and mother, this relationship is not the one that should drive my decisions.  

Some family members use their position as blood relatives to manipulate others into action.  If I am to live in relationship with my heavenly Father, however, guilt can no longer be a factor in decision-making.  When God calls me to go, then, I must freely obey without worry of who I will leave behind.  Trusting God in such a way means I am letting Him take care of those whom I love.

In order to follow Jesus, I must understand His definition of family and accept the hierarchy of His kingdom.

I cannot expect to receive God's blessing and continue to live my life as I see fit: I must choose one or the other.  If I decide His kingdom is more important than mine, then I will exchange the world for His ways, identify myself more with God than my country, and realize my family cannot hold more weight than the Lord.  As I leave these allegiances behind, I will be able to fully grasp the blessings the Lord has prepared for me.

As I begin this day it is my prayer that I can remember Who holds the allegiance to my life.

When do I place my hope in politics, not realizing that no blessing can come to a nation apart from the Lord?

When am I blinded to all the ways a nation has offended God because of my patriotism?   

New Family Order

"For whoever does the will 

of my Father in heaven is

my brother

and sister

and mother."

Matthew 12:50

I have a friend who has no extended family beyond her father.  Her mother recently died and she was sharing with me her frustration over the years in trying to learn her family history.  She was never able to glean much from her parents aside from the bare basics.  My friend never knew her grandparents and has no aunts or uncles to turn to for information.  As a result of this void, there is a yearning within her soul to discover her roots.

As a daughter of the King, my friend has entered into an enormous network of family the likes of which she can never fathom!  She inherited all  the mothers, fathers, brothers, and sisters she could ever imagine.  Even though we are not linked by our own blood that can be traced through the ancestry of generations, we are connected by our faith in Jesus and in His redeeming blood.  These are the ones on whom my friend can focus as she learns all that we have in common.

God First

Twentieth-century pastor and writer Vance Havner said, "It is one of the ironies of the ministry that the very man who works in God's name is often hardest put to find time for God.  The parents of Jesus lost him at church, and they were not the last ones to lose him there."

When Moses descended from Mount Sinai with the tablets upon which God had inscribed the Ten Commandments, the first decree on the list was enough to condemn the Israelites as they reveled around the golden calf.  "You shall have no other gods before Me" resounded in the air like a death sentence.  

As a member of God's family, God is to be first on my list of priorities.  Most times I may not act as blatantly as the people of Israel when Aaron formed the idol out of gold and erected it for all to worship, but I can easily get mixed up.

Doing things for  God or in His name is not the same as following God and putting Him first in my life.  Jesus clearly taught that, "Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.  Many will say to me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?' Then I will tell them plainly, 'I never knew you.  Away from me, you evildoers!"  (Matthew 7:21-23)

Jesus is making it apparent that my relationship with God is more important than any thing I do for Him.  My main focus is to be to know Him better, as David did as evidenced by his words in Psalm 139:14.  He said, "Your works are wonderful, I know that full well."  David knew so much about God because He spent time with Him, pored over His Scripture like it was life itself, desired God from the depths of his soul as a deer pants for the water, and looked for evidence of His handiwork all around Him.  David truly was a man after God's own heart!

If I am to follow suit, I need to be careful to only join in with what God is already doing around me; waiting on Him to open doors, put people in place and provide necessary resources.  When I try to force things to happen, as I so often do, I am doing things in His name but He will not get the glory.  As Jesus said as recorded in John 15:5, "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."

As a part of the family of God, we share the challenge of making God above all things and desiring to walk with Him each step of the way.

Others-Focused

The advent of the garage-door opener has ruined neighborhoods.  Okay, maybe that's placing too much blame on an electronic gadget, but I have to admit, it hasn't helped to bring us closer together.  Instead, it has made it all to easy for weary workers to drive home from a long day, pull into the garage and close the door behind them.  Neighbors rarely talk over the fence any more and seldom help each other out.  

As a member of our community crime watch group, I have learned from local law enforcement personnel that the most powerful weapon we have against crime is to know our neighbors.  Doesn't that seem too easy?  The premise is that when I understand my neighbors' habits, vehicles and normal activity patterns, I can easily recognize when something is wrong and I can then notify law enforcement.

Making the effort to focus on anyone other than myself, though, takes effort and does not come naturally.  Being a selfish human, I tend to keep my own needs, desires and wants at the top of my list.  But when I became a member of God's family through faith in Jesus Christ, the humility of Christ became my model.  

As the Apostle Paul teaches 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."

This means when I'm running late while the grocery checker is moving at a snail's pace I can take the time to help the single mom struggling with her grocery cart and three small children.  Or when a brother in Christ needs transportation and I have two vehicles, I think of his needs before I worry about how my family will share one car.  Or if a neighbor is stressed out and needs a word of encouragement, I will put my own frustrations aside as I take a moment to pass on the hope of Christ.

As part of the family of God, I am to make others more important than my own interests.

Love Rules

I've heard a lot of things about love, like how all I need is love, it hurts or kills slowly, its passionate, I can fall into love and out of love and it's what makes the world go 'round.  If I want to truly understand love, however, I need to look to God because He is love.

Love is defined and described in 1 Corinthians 13:4-7.  God's love, ". . .never gives up.  Love cares more for others than for self.  Love doesn't want what it doesn't have.  Love doesn't strut, doesn't have a swelled head, doesn't force itself on others, isn't always 'me first,' doesn't fly off the handle, doesn't keep score of the sins of others, doesn't revel when others grovel, takes pleasure in the flowering of truth, puts up with anything, trusts God always, always looks for the best, never looks back, but keeps going to the end.  Love never dies." (MSG)

Now that's love!  Love is so important to God that He prefaced this passage with the thought that, ". . .no matter what I say, what I believe, and what I do, I'm bankrupt without love." (1 Corinthians 13:3 MSG)

I could run a successful food bank that feeds thousands of hungry families, but if I don't show respect to my husband, I have nothing.  I could spend hours a day studying the scripture and be known as an expert in God's Word, but if I carry a running list of my children's failures or disappointments, I'm a bust.  I could pledge my life to telling the gospel to everyone I meet and pray continually for the salvation of the lost peoples of the world, but if I'm not content with the position in which God has placed me, I've not impacted God's kingdom one iota.

God concludes this section of scripture with the charge to, "Trust steadily in God, hope unswervingly, love extravagantly.  And the best of the three is love." (1 Corinthians 13:13 MSG)  Loving is not easy, especially when I feel my own rights being violated, but I am able to love because He first loved me!

As part of God's family, love can rule in every part of my life.

Even though natural families are very important, my family tree does not stop at bloodlines.  As a follower of Christ, I have a world-wide network of brothers and sisters who share common traits.  We are called to put God first, think of others' more than self, and to let love rule:  These are the characteristics of the family of God.  No matter how big or small my natural family is, I can count on the fact that wherever I go in this world, I will always run into a member of my spiritual family!

As I begin this day it is my prayer that I can remember the traits that keep the family of God strong.

When do I do things for God but leave Him out of it?

How can I let love rule in my life?

The Training Ground

 "Love prospers when a fault is forgiven,
      but dwelling on it separates close friends."

Proverbs 17:9

"Above all, love each other deeply,

because love covers over a multitude of sins."

1 Peter 4:8

Living with others is difficult.  God created me to live in community with others.  He did not fashion me lovingly out of raw materials, placing me purposefully within my mother's womb in order that I live a solitary life.

It is easy for me to be alone.  I enjoy my own company, I never disagree with myself, and I always get to do what I want.  But living alone is not where God has placed me. 

He has given me a family of six with whom I share a home and life, and He has placed me within a community of believers with whom I share a faith and life.  Consequently, I don't always enjoy the company, there is frequent disagreement and I don't always get my way.

Community was created by God for a purpose.  English poet Lord Houghton said, "The Christian home is the Master's workshop where the processes of character molding are silently, lovingly, faithfully, and successfully carried on."

Family, no matter how large or small, is used by God to mold us, train us and test us.  Even though our modern society tends to place the burden of education upon the schools, God has positioned this responsibility squarely on the shoulders of the family.  It is more than a place where we belong and are loved.  It is also the best place to learn how to graciously live with others.

Forgive

Ghandi proclaimed that, "The weak can never forgive.  Forgiveness is the attribute of the strong."  Letting go of an offense another committed against me does take strength.  But God has called me to forgive, and He is faithful to provide the strength to do so. 

Jesus taught that we reap what we sow.  He said, "Forgive, and you will be forgiven. . .  For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.” (Luke 6:37,38)  My life is a reflection of the way I treat others.  If I am unwillingly to let go of a hurt carried out against me, I will live a life of anger and bitterness.  But, if I choose to release the burden of the offense, my load will be lightened and I will be free to live as God intended.

There is a parable Jesus told of an unforgiving servant.  Out of mercy, the king forgave one of his servants of a very large debt. Unfortunately, that servant turned around and treated harshly one who owed him a small amount, expecting full payment and throwing him into prison.  The master called the servant in and turned him into the jailers to be tortured for his inability to pass on the forgiveness he had so freely been given.

Jesus then said, “This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother from your heart.” (Matthew 18:35)

When I realize how much I have been forgiven by God, I can do no less than forgive those who have offended me.

Family is the perfect place to practice the art of forgiveness.

Come Alongside

I remember a time when I fell behind on paying my newspaper bill.  The carrier called me, and instead of chastising me or demanding payment immediately, she graciously gave me the benefit of the doubt, encouraging me to send payment as soon as I was able.  When I got off the phone with her, not only did I want to catch up on my payment, but I did not feel in the least angry or violated.  It seemed she was on my side and wanted only to help. 

This is how I am to live my life with others, especially those I love the most.  I am like most people and respond better to a gentle hand on the shoulder guiding me along to a certain destination rather than a shaking finger in my face, condemning me of my failure.

It reminds me of when a Navy ship needs fuel, food or other supplies.  Since it can't always pull into a port and receive these needed items, a support ship will come alongside and supply the needs of the working vessel as they both steam along its course. 

This is a beautiful picture of how I can support someone in need.  Instead of launching a frontal attack, I can come alongside and provide the encouragement and help they so desperately need.  In this way I am not stopping their forward progress, but am simply providing support as they make their way on their journey. 

The goal of coming alongside is always restoration with God and others.  It is not simply pointing out a wrong, but encouraging those who are struggling to seek God's course for their life and give them every resource available to help them reset their life-route toward God.

Family is the perfect place to practice coming alongside.

Pray

When living with others, there are many opportunities to practice the art of extending grace.  My actions may very well deserve harsh treatment from others, but always receiving what I deserve makes for a bleak and cruel existence.

There are many times when I have forgiven someone and have come alongside them, but they are not ready to change.  Even though talking to my Heavenly Father is vital at all times, during times when change will not come, prayer becomes essential. 

Prayer has a way of changing my heart and helping me to see others as God sees them.  Prayer puts me in touch with the heart of God and reminds me that He is the One who is in the business of changing hearts.

Eugene Peterson said, "In prayer, we are aware that God is in action and that when the circumstances are ready, when others are in the right place, and when our hearts are prepared, he will call us into action.  Waiting in prayer is a disciplined refusal to act before God acts."

It reminds me of when I was a child and my mother was a smoker.  My grandmother would constantly nag her about quitting, clipping out newspaper articles about the harmful effects of smoking and repeat information she learned by watching television programs about how to quit smoking.

My grandmother meant well, but none of her efforts brought about the desired outcome.  My mom did not quit smoking until God changed her heart some years later, giving her the desire to stop the harmful habit.  He also gave her a bout with walking pneumonia to strengthen her resolve.  She has not picked up a cigarette since.

Since God is the Author of change, it is smart for me to spend more time praying for those who are close to me instead of trying to create a transformation I have no power to bring about.  It will only result in frustration and strained relationships.

Family is the perfect place to practice praying for one another.

No matter how big or small the family, it is an institution God has provided to help us to learn to live with others.  I can use it to practice forgiving, coming alongside and praying for others.

Like they always say, "Practice makes perfect."  While I won't reach perfect this side of heaven, at least the practice time I receive in the family will benefit me as I transfer the use of these skills in interacting with others out in the world.

As I begin this day, it is my prayer that I will see my family for all the blessings of which they provide.

When do I speak first and pray later?  How can I remember to commit the unprepared heart into God's hands?  

When do I tend to be harsh in the way I handle conflict instead of coming alongside in love?



Imagine

"Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more 

than all we ask or imagine, 

according to his power that is at work within us, 

to him be glory in the church 

and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, 

for ever and ever! 

Amen."

Ephesians 3:20-21

Remember the John Lennon song, Imagine?  Have you ever really paid attention to the lyrics of this song?  It's easy to get caught up in the emotion of the music and lose the meaning, as the audience did at a Christmas on Ice show that my family and I attended last night.  Take a moment to read the lyrics:

Imagine there's no heaven
It's easy if you try
No hell below us
Above us only sky
Imagine all the people living for today

Imagine there's no countries
It isn't hard to do
Nothing to kill or die for
And no religion too
Imagine all the people living life in peace

John Lennon imagined a one-world, no boundaries system with no hope for tomorrow, nothing to live for, and no purpose for our lives.  And then he thought we would live in peace?  Sounds like a recipe for chaos to me, and definitely not the kind of place I want to imagine living in.


As followers of Christ, we have a better imagination.  When Paul wrote the benediction found in Ephesians 3, he said that God is able to do more than we can ask or imagine. Like what?


God's Family  It used to be that I had to be born into the right people group, the nation of Israel, in order to belong to Him.  Now, through faith in Jesus, I can be a part of God's family!  And as a member of this family, I stand to inherit eternal life.  How many people have searched their lives for a way to be able to live forever, or at least extend their existence?  I can think of the famed "Fountain of Youth," research in cryonics, (a human being is frozen until some point in the future when good health can be restored through medical breakthroughs), along with all kinds of nutritional supplements and exercise plans.  But none of these promise eternal life, and none gives the assurance of a life of hope that we can have in Jesus!  Paul desired for all believers to be able to, ". . .know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance. . ." (Ephesians 1:18)  I have the hope of heaven as my inheritance as a member of God's family!


A Member  Everyone wants to belong.  Ask anyone who works with gangs, and they will tell you that one of the most prevalent reasons youth join gangs is that they want to be apart of something.  Even though their gang family does not truly care about them, it fills a need to belong.  As a believer in Jesus, I belong to a huge family that spans the globe.  No matter where I go, I will find those who share my faith, love my God and learn from the same scriptures. As the Apostle Paul taught, "Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it." (I Corinthians 12:27)  Through my simple faith in Jesus as my Savior, I am a member of the Body of Christ: now I belong!


Direction  I remember many times in my life when I had to put together some kind of gift on Christmas Eve.  My husband and I would start off thinking we could easily figure it out, but would always resort to reading the directions to finish the job.  In order to truly understand the workings of the object, we had to go to the directions created by the manufacturer of that item. It is the same with us!  As a believer in Jesus, I now have access to the One who created all things and who best knows how I should live my life!   I have direction and guidance from my Creator as a follower of Jesus.


This Christmas, as I think on the miracle of God's Son coming down as a tiny babe, I will remember all that He has done for me.  He has adopted me into His family, thus making me an heir, He made me a member of His world-wide family, and bestowed upon me the gift of a relationship with Him.  I can't imagine anything better!


As I begin this day, I pray that I can keep my mind focused on the promises of God that came through His Son.


How can I live my life in unity with my adopted family?


This Christmas, how can I best honor the sacrifice Jesus made in the way I talk about, interact with, and treat my family?