Real Things.

If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory. Colossians 3:1-4 ESV

It’s funny how God gives us a dream and we try so hard to figure out how we flourish in that dream. The dream, however, isn’t ours to capitalize on or from which to gain a profit. In truth, when God gives us a dream or reveals to us our calling He’s showing us how He plans to squeeze us out of the picture completely.

Yeah… fulfilling our dream God’s way is to fulfill God’s dream – the deeper we go, the less us there is to it. Right now, I’m so full of excitement at what God wants to do – honored and humbled that the Lord would use me in any way. That said, I’m prone to hang here in a state of imminence if I’m still concerned with my own identity in the work God is doing.

God has called me to serve others. It’s my dream to make disciples of unlikely and unfavorable people (like me). It’s my dream to serve the poor in creative ways and to make ways for people without hope to have nothing but hope.

But… it’s not even my dream… this started long before me… this city, these people were all on the heart of God long before I gave a thought to them. When these dreams are formed in me, it’s Christ being formed in me. He must truly become my whole life. I must decrease, and He must increase.

And all I want is for Christ to appear, I’ll take His glory over mine any day.

I want to change. You want to change. Nothing new here…

The problem(s):

• we deny just how badly we need to change
• we don’t know what else we want (or should want) to be

The result: we don’t change.

How do we stop this pattern? We must get the past our wants and find out what God wants. Then… all we have to do is obey.

Too simple? Think about it. Where did we (humans) get this idea that we’re supposed to figure out our life’s destiny and devote ourselves to achieving it? We were made to be the loved and obedient creation of God. We find our destiny and calling when we obey the commands and calling of God. But you have to get started. Here’s how (it’s simple and not simple!)…

Do what God’s teaching says; when you only listen and do nothing, you are fooling yourselves. Those who hear God’s teaching and do nothing are like people who look at themselves in a mirror. They see their faces and then go away and quickly forget what they looked like. But the truly happy people are those who carefully study God’s perfect law that makes people free, and they continue to study it. They do not forget what they heard, but they obey what God’s teaching says. Those who do this will be made happy. James 1:22-25

Do what God’s teaching says. I thought about making this say “Find out what God’s teaching says” but really, that would be superfluous. The Word of God must be so ingrained into our life (our daily life) that the gap between finding out and actually doing what it says should disappear. Let’s find out on the way to doing God’s will. The Bible is the authority for life – this is a good thing – study it, enjoy it, let it shape your patterns and character for life.

When you know what the Word says, get going with obeying immediately. The longer you hear it and do nothing, the more out of whack your spiritual life becomes.

Be honest about disobedience. This week, the Holy Spirit graciously and clearly convicted my heart and mind about a sin I have been asking forgiveness for but have yet for which to have made restitution. I am thankful and making it right now.

We must look into the mirror and be honest about what we see – then, don’t forget it! Always remember the Gospel of Jesus: You are a sinner and unable to make things right between you, God, and others. God loves you and knowing the truth about you (including all your sins and secrets) sent His Son Jesus to live among people like you and die a gruesome death you deserved to die. Jesus didn’t stay dead, he doesn’t want you to either. He wants you to live in what he died to give you – a relationship of trust and love with him!

Every time we see a pattern of sin in our life, we must remember the truth! Then, we can rely on the strength of what Jesus did and change!

When I was five years old, I looked through the corner of my eye and thought I was “seeing double” (every kid must do this!) and my mom took me to see the eye doctor. After the arduous visit, a diagnosis of astigmatism (unrelated to the seeing double…) and about a week of waiting while my frames were sent away for custom lenses, I was wearing brand new eyeglasses. They were perfect – oversized for my still-growing face, a shade of golden brown that reminded me of those cod liver oil capsules my mother used to make me take and they wouldn’t even need masking tape on the legs for at least a few months and/or basketballs to the face.

Yeah, they were great.

Okay… they were nerdy.

But I didn’t care because for my first five years I thought I could see perfectly.
But now… now, I could really see!

What does this have to do with forgiveness – with second chances?

Look into those eyes. Yeah, those eyes on the poster. You may have guessed who this is depicting already. Perhaps her image evokes an emotional response – anger or sorrow.

Keep looking into those eyes. Maybe you don’t feel anything – you don’t even care, you’d rather she not take up one more thought in your mind.

Both responses reveal unforgiveness – a lack of grace. How? Because whenever you look at a human being, the most elegant creation of God, one for whom Jesus suffered, died, and saw the Father’s face turn away from him for and have hatred or it’s close relative indifference – you are unforgiving and the grace of God is coming up short in your heart.

Why does this matter? Why does she matter? Why do they matter? Because Jesus is glorified and lifted up to where the lost and broken can see him when his people live mercy like him.

Jesus said, “I came into this world so that the world could be judged. I came so that the blind would see and so that those who see will become blind.”
Some of the Pharisees who were nearby heard Jesus say this and asked, “Are you saying we are blind, too?”
Jesus said, “If you were blind, you would not be guilty of sin. But since you keep saying you see, your guilt remains.” John 9:39-41 NCV

When we hold onto hate or ridicule the one in need of grace, we are like the pharisees claiming to be righteous in and of themselves – as though we have 20/20 vision in our hearts – truthfully, we’re blind.

But if we’ll look into those eyes and see a person – maybe even see ourselves – then we can see our own need for mercy and realize how much of it we’ve already received.

• Can you look into those eyes? (click here to zoom in…)
• Whose eyes would you never look into?
• Have you ever had a “now I can see!” experience?
• Who do you need to forgive right now?

Stop trusting in mere humans,
who have but a breath in their nostrils.
Why hold them in esteem?
Isaiah 2:22 MSG

This is something I’m being very careful of right now. I heard from God very clearly this week that I was to assess the way I “resource” myself. I love to learn! But I don’t always do the hard work to learn from God. If I’m not diligent to study God’s Word and spend time with Him – I’ll short-change myself on the most important kind of learning.

Ever try to teach someone about something and find they’re a poor listener? You tell them about something you’ve learned and all they do is cut you off to tell you how they already know that… annoying, right? Well, that’s how I got to be in my times learning from God – a know-it-all in the presence of the Creator of All! Amazing(ly stupid)!

So… two days ago, I opened up my Evernote notebook and deleted all of my saved notes on leadership, ministry, management, etc. – close to 1000 notes and articles. Crazy? Yep. Will I miss some of it? Maybe. But it was time to clear out what I already know and let God teach me again.

No, it’s not wrong to resource yourself or to learn from books, articles, etc. But esteeming God most is where it’s at. Why? Because he is the one who put breath in the nostrils of the teachers in this world and in yours.

Remember, the sins of some people are obvious, leading them to certain judgment. But there are others whose sins will not be revealed until later. In the same way, the good deeds of some people are obvious. And the good deeds done in secret will someday come to light. 1 Timothy 5:24-25 NLT

What is the quality of my public life?
The good deeds should not only be to get noticed or to “make something of myself” – they should be an overflow of thankfulness to Jesus. Otherwise, there is no real quality or value in what I’m doing, it’s just PR or pretending. God is not pleased by our pretense of a relationship with Him, He wants us as His own!

What is the quality of my secret life?
I have to be truthful about this. In busy or “stressful” seasons it’s easy to neglect private/secret holiness and devotion in order to maintain public prowess. The public mystique I convey or good deeds or “ministry” should never come at the expense of a real ministry and goodness (Godliness) in the hidden moments of life.

I’m committed to be who Christ can make me (holy, powerful, full of love, grace-giving, REAL) in all settings. Oh man, I am not there yet! So much to change still! So much pride and specific sin to confess and repent. But I know Jesus is doing this work – He’ll finish it!

How’s the interior of your life?
How’s the exterior of your life?
Do the two ever contradict?

Let’s get REAL.

These are a few of my favorite things…

• coffee
• Xavi Hernandez
• ambient music
• Chuck Taylor’s
• Apple
• Jimmy John’s
• church history
• CSS
• typography
• reading
• marriage
• fatherhood
• friendship
• work
• ministry

That said… none of these things matter in the long run compared to my relationship with Jesus Christ and the eternal life He gives me and those I share Him with. (This doesn’t mean we shouldn’t have these good things as part of our life – but, there will be a day when even these things pass away.)

Deal as sparingly as possible with the things the world thrusts on you. This world as you see it is on its way out.
1 Corinthians 7:31 MSG

Does that irk you a bit? It irks me, too – especially when I’m set and settled in my own preferences, philosophies, and patterns of life surrounding these favorite things. Without necessarily intending it, we can easily build our entire lives around temporary things – neglecting the eternal and most important.

Even marriage and relationships fall in front of eternal purposes – this never means we give less of ourselves to these but more – in an eternal way. We must be aware of the eternal nature of all our relationships. I love my wife – I want her to know and love Jesus more than me. I love my kids – I want them to grow to follow Jesus and give their lives serving Him out of love.

In my life, living as a citizen of Heaven through Christ’s work on the Cross means holding much looser to these things on earth and much tighter to anything involving His kingdom (which is forever). Once again, it’s fine and good to have favorite things but the things close to God’s heart have to be closest to mine.

So, how to you balance the eternal with the temporary?
(Trick question. Balance is a fallacy. Better question:
How do you focus on Christ, the Kingdom, and still live here?)