Step Forth and Love Others

I often post about the thoughts that are rolling around and colliding inside my head. This short new year, Lord, has seen my thoughts dominated by two topics. The other day I wondered what was on Your mind. Perhaps You have had these two things in mind for me all along.

Again, however, I proceed with caution in declaring these two things. I mean, they are good. So You want us to follow what is good. But are they all You want for me? Do You want less? Am I even hearing You right? What I guess I'm trying to say is that I don't want to declare the two things You've been speaking to my heart about, leave and go pursue them and in that stop listening for Your voice. I believe that You are leading me in paths of righteousness. But I too believe that these paths can be changed if You desire. I want to remain humble and follow You, even if things change.

At Christmas, my parents gave us each a character from the story and challenged us to think about how that character might be related to us in the upcoming year. I've read the story of Joseph several times since then, but nothing has removed the immediate thought that I had when given the figurine.

"Step forth."

This is so frustrating. I haven't known what or how or who or where. I don't know why that sticks with me. What I assume is that I just don't know yet. That You are preparing me for something that has yet to come along.

Secondly, I've been teaching the book of Luke at church. My last teaching focused on Jesus' desire to bring change to others. We're all about change for ourselves, inner change, inner cleansing. But how much do we care when Jesus starts to bring about change in those we are uncomfortable with? Anyways, I have been convicted that I must keep an eye out for others. Truly loving others as the commandment says.

"Love others."

So those thoughts collided today as I began to read the book of Ruth. It's exactly what Ruth does. As her husband and her father-in-law both die, she is faced with a choice. Leave Naomi and go home to her people, leaving Naomi in mourning and a foreign land alone. Or she can choose to love Naomi, love the other, and stay with her in her mourning. To choose to support and be with her. And Ruth chooses to love others.

But Naomi also wants to go back to Bethlehem, her home town. So Ruth again must choose: to follow Naomi, to love Naomi, it is going to mean a journey. But Ruth chooses to step forth. To go on the journey with Naomi.

Ruth steps forth to love others.

I feel... I feel there is something here for me. I don't know what it is for certain. But those themes need to dominate my mind right now. I haven't been the best at following from these times together to the thoughts of my day. But I think I am at least beginning to simplify the noise that is also in my head.

Step forth and love others.

I Want to Want What You Want

What's on Your mind?

I can tell You the myriad of things that I pause to think about on a morning like this in January: the Packers-Cardinals game I missed last night, the computer game I was playing yesterday, resisting the temptation to blow off this conversation for sports news, the warmth of my bed on this cold morning, the papers I have yet to grade for school, the short weekend that also seemed very long, the heaviness of my eyes, the plan for the rest of the day...

I listened to a sermon yesterday on the way home from my brother's. It was on the verse, "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God." The pure in heart part reminded me of mewithoutYou and Kierkegaard, who have said that purity of heart is to will one thing. To desire one thing. To again quote mewithoutYou, "I have a thousand half loves."

I want to be simple. To want the good that God intends for every situation. But I want so much more out of every situation. To be honest, I am usually purely interested in the result that I intend for every situation. How can I become more pure? How can I want less?

So that's what is on my mind. Trying to find my way into what You intend. So...

What's on Your mind?

EXC Daily Office: Not My Will But Yours Be Done

Reading through this blog is something that I rarely do. I know, You might think I'd want to kind of chronicle our relationship, what You've taught me, what I'm still struggling with, etc. Maybe I should do that more often in attempt to remember. Today, it was really important for me to just scroll through and look at some of the other Daily Office posts. I was especially struck by a post a wrote about humility bringing about hope. It still seems that I'm hoping that my strength and planning ability, or that of Exodus, will bring about change and transformation in the lives of others. As I read that post again, I see that You were trying to teach me that it is You who transforms the hearts and minds of a community, family, individual.

Again then, my prayer life must start from what my desires are and appeal to the true characteristics of Your nature. You truly are a Father, guiding us through significant life changes and challenges, not dictating but allowing us to choose the nature of our relationship, of our service, of many things. Bless our good choices. When we choose to be faithful, show us Your mercy. We we choose to be unfaithful, show us Your mercy, bring us back. But more than anything, teach me to pray:

Not my will but Yours be done.

I realize how much good intelligent music and lyrics make me think. Obviously, just a couple posts ago I used My Epic's "-" as inspiration to bring me closer to You. Today, I'm struck with mewithoutYou's "A Stick, a Carrot, & String." The part that really gets at what I'm praying about is this:

but does not the Father guide the Son?
not my will, but yours be done.
what else here to do?
what else me, but You?

What else is there in the Really Real Reality other than the will of our LORD? What else? Anybody have a good answer to this question? As I've been memorizing Deuteronomy 6, obviously a key part of that Scripture is what Jesus sites as the most important commandment: "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength." Couple that with 1 John, where showing love to God is equated with obedience to him, and all the sudden I could reword the most important commandment as "Love God by obeying him, by carrying out His will."

Now of course, even as I sit here and type to You I'm aware of all the complications of Your will. First of all, how do we know what it is? Well, a simple and adequate answer You have given me time and time again. Your will is always seeking the good for whatever situation we find ourselves in. It certainly isn't an easy answer and it doesn't remove me from having to think. Let's just give an example here. A tennis player is about to walk into my room in 10 minutes. He's been dealing with a lot. I want to see how things are going. What's the good in this situation? Do I pray with him? Do I try to quote Scripture? Do I just shoot the breeze and build relationship? Do I talk to him about his own faults that are causing some of his problems? What will bring about the most good?

I want not my will but Yours. What I am remembering (just to bring this all back around to the beginning) is that I have to trust that the Spirit will guide and direct me to the good. I trust that You are great and that You will work in me and through me. I trust that Your will can be done in every situation. And so I have hope.

What else is there to do? What else me, but You?

The Good That God Desires

James 3-5

"But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere. Peacemakers who sow in peace raise a harvest of righteousness."

Wisdom is...

PURE: Purity of heart is to will one thing, the good that God wants for every situation. This is the first of all. Are we seeking the good that God would want in each situation. How many times do I stop to ask this question of myself before I act or say something? Never, is the correct answer. Or the honest answer. I wish I could say different.

I find it interesting that this verse on wisdom follows right on the heels of a discussion about controlling our tongue, about not having praises of God and cursings of men flowing from the same mouth. It's so amazing, is the good that God wants in any situation for the wrong, the annoying, the disconcerting to be repeated over and over. Or to be blamed on the offender to the point of shame or discomfort. The correct answer here again is no, this is not the good that God desires. The good that God desires may be transformation of thought, or reconciliation from the offender, but I really doubt that it is for me to tell others about how someone has wronged me.

Okay, let me make it clearer. When my wife annoys the crap out of me by being irritable, the good that God wants is not for me to make complaints at her expense to Bryan, Andy or Joel. Yes, I may have been offended. And yes, there may be a need to vent to my friends. However, this sharing can be done without snideness and superiority. It can be done in a spirit that is seeking the good that God wills. It can be done as an effort of reconciliation. Then it is being done in wisdom.

The wisdom of heaven seeks first of all the good that God wills for all his creation.

I was going to go point to point in the wisdom passage, but You know what God, that's enough for me tonight. How can I pursue the good that You want when I act and speak? What does that look like as I go to bed tonight? What does that mean when I share frustrations with my friends or with my wife? How should I speak about others?

To speak with wisdom, I should speak and defend the good. Allow me to remember, even when there seems to be nothing good to say at all.