Good Things Vs. God Things

#spoileralert

If you are a teen that is a part of the Kankakee First Church youth group please stop reading right now because these thoughts are being formulated into a message you will be hearing in just over a month. 

For the rest of you………. 

As a new year is fast approaching there is a phrase that has been rattling around in my head for the past month or so. 

“A Good thing becomes a Bad thing when it gets in the way of a God thing.”

When people look back on their year they usually divide it up into the good things that happened and the bad things that happened.  And when they look ahead toward the next year the hope is that there will be more good things and less bad things.  We would gladly trade in a bad thing in order to receive a good thing but here’s a really tough question.  Would you trade in 2 or 3 good things for a ‘God thing’?  Sacrificing something bad for something good is an easy exchange but for some reason or another exchanging good things for great things, or ‘God things’, isn’t as easy as it should be. 

We live in an age with no margins.  Our time from the moment we wake until the moment our head hits the pillow is filled.  Our budgets have every dollar accounted for and assigned before it even comes in.  In the event of an opportunity or an emergency we are immediately faced with the issue of trying to fit it into our calendars and pocketbooks.  We all have time and money that is wasted on things we don’t even need or may even be harmful to us or those we love and by all means we should work to be more effective stewards of our time and resources in regard to those sorts of things.  But this post isn’t about those things.  This post is about the good things you need to give up. 

This past year has been the busiest year of my life which isn’t necessarily a bad thing.  I’ve had plenty of lazy years so it’s definitely time for me to get my butt in gear but there are limits to my time and energy.  Right now I’m in the midst of figuring out my new normal which means I need to find a healthy balance for how my time, energy, and finances are spent.  One of my big additions this past year has been getting back into shape.  The number of ours spent at the fitness center was a helpful addition when it came to my physical health but it also put a unhealthy crunch on my time and energy for other things.  This year I’ve also added some new involvements such as working with a small group ministry.  While this addition has been a tremendous blessing it also has a time cost associated with it.  And so, with each addition I’ve made this year I’ve moved closer and closer to the sad realization that it’s time to make some painful cuts. 

This brings me back to the phrase that has been rattling around in my head. 

“A Good thing becomes a Bad thing when it gets in the way of a God thing.”

As I look ahead toward 2016 it is vital that I identify the ‘God things’ I currently have or need to have in my life.  If I am going to ‘seek first His Kingdom’ then it only makes sense that I put those Kingdom things on my calendar or in my budget first.  All of the other good things in my life are going to have to compete with the time and space I have left because I don’t want those good things to compete with or get in the way of the Kingdom things I desperately need.  When I get to the end of 2016 I don’t want to look back at a year where I was busy with a bunch of good things but didn’t have time for the ‘God things’. 

Unfortunately, being overbooked with good things is something I see people doing All. The. Time.  I know people (I’m one of them) who have difficulty saying ‘No’ to things.  “Can you help with this?” Sure.  “Can you go to this?” Absolutely.  While on the one hand I think that it’s great that people have such a willing heart to help, on the other hand I’m concerned that in their busyness they may be missing out on something they may need more.  Something bigger.

The irony is that we reach a point where we do finally say “No” to things. Indirectly.  When we are busy shuttling from one event to another we miss all of the things in between.  We are too busy to notice a person who needs our attention but they did not make a pre-scheduled appointment with our calendar so there is no place to fit them in.  There is a serious financial need of a family member/friend/co-worker that comes to your attention but your monthly budget has already been calculated.  Your church is starting up some new small groups in a month (which is definitely a ‘God thing’ that you need #shamelessplug ) but sacrificing one evening of your week a couple times a month is difficult because good things have a way of giving you a yearly itinerary 3 years in advance and so it got on the calendar first.  Instead of saying, “No, I won’t.” or “No, I don’t want to.” our indirect “No” is disguised by the lingo of, “I would but I can’t.” or “I wish I could but I’ve already got something that night.” People who are busy with good things don’t feel bad brushing off opportunities because good things make for good excuses and most people won’t press the issue if there’s a good excuse. 

I don’t want to be like most people so I’m going to press in a bit. 

YOU’RE TOO BUSY!  YOU’RE MISSING OUT ON WHAT GOD HAS IN STORE!

God’s not going to force his way into your schedule. God invites.  It’s what God does.  God invites us to be a part of His Kingdom and what His Kingdom is up to.  I’m reminded of the people Jesus encounters in Luke chapter 9 where he invites them to follow.  They respond with the indirect “No.”  They will follow but there are some other things that come first.  I need to bury my father.  I need to say good bye to my family and get things in order.  Good things.  The invitation that Jesus offered raised a major conflict for those seeking to follow him.  Would they be willing to sacrifice a good thing in order to be a part of a ‘God thing’?  I think that this is an excellent question for you and I to tackle on the brink of a new year.  Are we going to put the ‘God things’ to the front of the list for 2016?  There are ‘God things’ we can plan for in advance and ‘God things’ we can’t.  For the sorts of things that you can’t put on the calendar in advance, do you have the space and freedom to respond without hesitation to an awesome and unpredictable opportunity to be like Jesus to someone?  Don’t settle for good things in 2016 because the invitation of Jesus is for you to be a part of some ‘God things’.

 

Blessings and a Happy New Year! 

Hiking the Trail of Faith

Rainbow Falls

 

 

This past week I had the opportunity to take some time off from work and enjoy the first real vacation I’ve had in years.  My wife and I have grown fond of going to the Pigeon Forge/Gatlinburg and this was our 3^rd trip there together. The proximity of shopping and enjoying the outdoors is too good for us to pass up.  Since I have been on a pretty significant fitness journey for over a year now, one of the things I really wanted to take advantage of on this particular trip was the variety of hiking trails in the area.  Being from the flatlands of Illinois this was an excellent opportunity to enjoy being active in a way that I really can’t be a majority of the year via hiking.  On our first full day we stopped at the information center for the Smokey Mountains National Park and picked up a trail map and talked to an older gentleman that was an excellent adviser as we made our plans.  On an earlier visit we went on a hike to see the Grotto Falls and so I thought it would be a nice goal to try and see all of the waterfalls in the area at some point during this visit and future visits.  One of the things that our adviser used to help us in our decision making was a little pamphlet that showed a picture of each of the waterfalls.  Some waterfalls were more grand than others and some trails were longer and more treacherous than others so weighing out what you would see on the other end of a long hike was critical.  Over the course of our 4 complete days we went on 3 waterfall hikes.

On our second hike we got up extra early because we wanted to go on a longer trail and wanted to be sure we could finish in plenty of time to recuperate and enjoy our evening in town.  At the onset we knew the length of the trail and what Rainbow Falls looked like but we didn’t know how treacherous it would be.  Even though I have been very physically active recently it was still challenging.  I was extremely impressed with the perseverance of my wife throughout the strenuous ordeal. I’m confident that much of her resilience was due to my promises of untold shopping funds that would be made available at the completion of this trail.  True to my word, I didn’t veto a single shopping request the entire week.  She deserved it.

Along this particular trail we came across 2 or 3 much smaller waterfalls where we’d stop and enjoy the sound of the water running by and then continue on our way.  Along the way we would also cross paths with people who got up even earlier than we had gotten up and were on their way back from Rainbow Falls.  As we passed, we would greet each other and I would usually ask one of a couple questions.  “How much further?” and “Is it worth it?”  We were greatly encouraged when the answer to the first question got shorter and shorter and we were consistently energized when the answer to the second question each and every time was, “Absolutely!”  Because it was a long and strenuous hike we were ready to be done and we wanted our efforts to be worth it in the end.  Even though it wasn’t the rainiest part of the year, Rainbow Falls was still worth it and on our way back down the mountain we got to be the ones answering the questions of people still on their journey.  As we passed some hikers near one of the much smaller waterfalls I jokingly told them that this waterfall was it.  That this little itty bitty waterfall was what they were looking for.  Apparently they had seen the same picture of the falls that I had seen and chuckled.  Nobody in their right mind would go to such effort for such a small waterfall.  It wouldn’t be worth it. 

This exchange got me to wondering.  What if they had believed me?  What if they didn’t know what Rainbow Falls looked like? Surely they would have been disappointed!  They certainly wouldn’t be coming back on this trail again and would instead go searching for something more visually appealing.  If it weren’t for that handy pamphlet with a picture of the falls and the travelers on their way down reassuring me, I can see how I could easily be tricked into thinking that the smaller waterfalls were Rainbow Falls and in fact miss out on the real falls.  How sad would that mistake be? 

When it comes to God, this mistake happens All. The. Time.  I know plenty of people who either don’t believe in God or don’t pursue God relationally and when I hear their description of God I can’t help but think, “I wouldn’t pursue that God either.”  At the same time I can’t help but think that they’ve not really experienced the presence of God.  It’s almost like they’re disappointed with a small substitute waterfall that pales in comparison to the mighty falls around the bend.  Of course you’re disappointed with that God but don’t give up and turn around.  Keep hiking!

I’m thankful for the people in my life who have been hiking on the trail of faith much longer than me.  Those are the people who have seen much more than me and can reassure me based on their experiences that this path is worth it.  They are the ones that can tell me about a majestic, holy, loving, gracious, merciful and sacrificial God that is bigger than I can fathom while I’m in the midst of tripping over rocks and trying to stay on the path.  They help me decipher between the wannabe gods and the real God so that I don’t end up turning around because I come across a phoney excuse for a God that doesn’t amount to much. 

And lastly, I’m also thankful for scripture which very much acts as that guide and pamphlet we saw at the information center.  Scripture has been extremely helpful over the years as I’ve tried to navigate my way in this world but it’s important to note that seeing a picture of a waterfall is no substitute to being in the actual presence of a waterfall.  Spending time in scripture, even memorizing scripture, so that we have a clearer picture of what God is like is not even remotely close to being in the actual presence of God.  Scripture is ‘living and active’ but not because it has some intrinsic life of it’s own.  It can be just as static as any hiking trail map.  Scripture is living and active because it continually and reliably points people in the direction of the God who is living and active in this world.  Don’t mistake scriptural knowledge of God for being in the presence of God.  Be informed by the former but transformed by the latter.    



Finish on a Miss?

Nick Young thought he nailed it but missed the mark.

Those that know me know that I’m a basketball junkee.  Since I’ve been on a health and fitness journey for over 8 months now I’ve used my love of basketball as an incentive to get my butt into shape.  My weight loss journey started in July by simply moving more and eating less.  It’s a simple plan I hear preached all the time by my uncle Chet and it has worked great.  When the temperature outside dropped as winter neared I had to deal with an obstacle to my walking and jogging routine so I decided to join a fitness center and move my work indoors.  The biggest perk of this change has been my access to a basketball court.  Every time I go to the fitness center I face the temptation to skip my cardio workout and weight workout so I can simply shoot around or play in some pick-up games.  Because I love playing I’ve turned it into my reward for doing the work I need to do.  If I do the work I need to do then I get to do the thing I love to do.  On the mornings that I leave work and want to go home and crawl into bed it is basketball that gets me to stop by the fitness center and burn more calories.

A couple of weeks ago I was shooting around with some guys at church when something very common in the basketball world happened.  As we were finishing up, pastor Brandon wanted to ‘finish on a make’.  I don’t know when this shooting concept started but it is something that predates me because I definitely remember as a 7^th grader being told by a coach at practice to ‘finish on a make’.  Basically you want to make your last shot of practice.  I’m not sure if it’s something superstitious or if it is supposed to be about leaving on a positive note but it’s something reinforced with basketball regulars. 

It was in this moment at the church gym that I let pastor Brandon and the other guys with us know that I had been doing something particularly odd.  Since joining the fitness center and getting quality basketball practice time I had been finishing my practices on a miss.  If I’m shooting free throws to end my morning, I leave after a miss.  If I’m practicing a dribble move into a jumpshot to end my practice, I finish on a miss.  I received some confused looks from the guys when I told them my new routine because it is counter cultural in a basketball sense.  So why do I end on a miss instead of a make?  Because for me it is a reminder that there’s still more work to do.  There’s still room for improvement and the only way for me to improve is for me to get back out onto the court and keep practicing.  Finishing on a ‘make’ lends itself to the attitude of ‘I’ve got this’.  ‘Nailed it!’  Why would someone with that attitude need to come back the next day to practice?  Finishing on a ‘miss’, however, is a lesson in humility.  It is a very real reminder that even though this particular practice session is finished, my abilities as a basketball player are not, and judging by that last ‘miss’ I should be back as soon as possible to work on my game.  While missing a shot can seem negative on the surface, it can be in many ways a motivational tool for future success.

This leads me to the topic of repentance and the Christian life.  Repentance is, or at least should be, woven into the fabric of a believers spiritual life.  The aim of a believer is to look more and more like Christ and repentance is about when we miss that mark.  In the court of life you have numerous opportunities to look like Jesus.  On which of those daily opportunities did you ‘nail it’?  How many of those opportunities were a ‘brick’ that were nowhere close to looking like Jesus?  Maybe instead of trying and failing, or trying and succeeding, you didn’t even try at all.  Perhaps instead of taking a shot you passed on the opportunity altogether.  When it comes to looking like Jesus there is always room for improvement.  There’s always more work to be done.  Another day has another set of challenges.

What I want to suggest is that you, as a person desiring to look more and more like Christ, should end your day remembering a ‘miss’.  As your head hits the pillow say a prayer of repentance.  Not because of the children’s prayer ‘If I should die before I wake, I pray the Lord my soul to take’ but because a prayer of repentance at the end of the day can set your course for tomorrow. The Spirit isn’t done shaping you into Christlikeness.  You aren’t done growing. That’s the whole point of this blog!

But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and forever! Amen. 2 Peter 3:18                 

This blog is how I work through the ways in which God is stretching me because He’s not done with me yet and repentance is a part of that growing process.  The fact of the matter is that as I try to imitate a guy that so sacrificially loved others that he allowed himself to be nailed to a cross on their behalf, I most definitely haven’t ‘nailed it’.  If anyone needs to grow in grace it’s me, and I’m not going to grow if I walk into each day arrogantly remembering only my ‘makes’.  Remembering the ways in which I missed the mark reminds me of my need for the work of the Spirit.  Perhaps today needs to start with an “I’m sorry.” to someone you wronged yesterday.  Perhaps you passed on the opportunity to be an agent of peace in the workplace yesterday but a new opportunity is on your doorstep today.  I don’t know what yesterday was like for you but I’m certain it wasn’t all ‘makes’.  And that’s alright.  Don’t beat yourself up over it but also don’t deny that you could have done better.  You could have had more grace.  You could have had more patience.  You could have listened more.  Remember your ‘misses’ and lean in to the work of the Spirit as you grow in Christlikeness.  It’s an odd way to end your day but it just may be what you need to change how you go into your tomorrow!  Grace and peace!