Perspective

We all have what we believe. We all have things that we are going to stand by and never let go of. We have parts of our thoughts that are stubborn and that we will always keep even if there is a better explanation of something else. We all have those things that we will never ever let go of. There is nothing wrong with all of this until it becomes a point where we will not listen to others. We say that we are correct and no one else can ever be. We choose not to have an open mind about things because of what we have grown up with. We choose not to have an open mind because we know what truth is and no one else can say anything to change our mind. We all have our own thoughts that might be similar to others, but they do not think the same way that we do.

God created us all. He gave us all of our own minds. However, the biggest thing to remember is that we all were made in his own image. Being made in his own image means that we all reflect the character of God. By being so diverse in our thinking and how we perceive the world, we all can reflect God in a different way. This means that we should not be so quick to deem what is wrong in another person's thoughts. Because they might perceive things a way that we do not, we should use that as a tool instead of a weapon against them. Our perception allows us to have this tunnel vision that only sees one part of God and to see the "whole" or closest to the whole that we can, we need to use the perspectives of those around us. We need to use the truths that have been revealed in their lives and see who God is truly. We need to back down and put our guns down for a bit to really hear God's voice and to see who God really is. We are so busy fighting about what is right and wrong instead of learning from each other to see what God is actually saying to us.

This is something that we spoke about the other day at church and it was brought up again in Andrew's class the other night. The truth is that our church is so divided up based on our beliefs and what is biblical that we tend to miss the bigger picture. We are so tuned into our smaller pictures that we do not take those and put them together to be the body of Christ. This is not something that we can only use in churches, but also in our relationships. We need to quit being so defensive to one another, but really need to start learning from one another. Who cares if what someone else believes is not the same as our belief, learn from that.

Obviously, I am not saying that we should be completely and totally unbiblical. We need to listen to the voice of God and use discernment of the Spirit, but we need to be willing to understand that things are not as crystal clear. We are never going to have one specific interpretation of God's word that we all agree on. We can't because we cannot understand God's mind. That is why he has blessed us in so many different ways so that we might be able to understand better through working together as a body.

Stop being so gosh darn stubborn.

Face to the Ground

I came into the field of ministry knowing exactly what it is that I was doing. I knew how to plan Bible studies, retreats, and lead a service. I knew exactly what to say and when to say it. I knew all the practices of ministry that I needed to know. I have done this for a while now and I knew exactly what I was doing. I knew all the "practical" things and how to deal with situations according to what the books say. Unfortunately, ministry doesn't play by the "books." In fact, ministry, is unpredictable and you will aways be learning when you are doing ministry.

I knew that things would be straining. I knew that I would be thrown into unpredictable situations. I knew that my heart would hurt for those around me and that I would be thrown on the ground. I knew that I would be literally on the ground asking God to save me. I knew all of these things. However, even through all of that, I had a big head. I was not humbly going into ministry. I was going into it with the attitude of "this is where God wants me," but I was being a super human about it.

With all of this being said, this is what I am thinking...

We come out of college with all this experience and rockin' resumes and are ready to conquer the world. We are prepared to go out and literally take over. For some of us, it creates this feeling of uncertainty and we are afraid that we aren't good enough. For others, like me, it creates this feeling of being superman and being able to take on everything that comes our way. We fall into this trap of thinking that we are going at this alone and that we can handle it by ourselves. We try to go above and beyond without the support alongside of us and we do not seek out those who will challenge us in that. However, we need to fall on our faces, we need to burn out, and we need to realize that we need those beside us. We need to feel that we are completely alone and on our own in order to realize that we need a community around us. We need to realize that it is not a weakness to call on people, but instead it is a strength. It is not a weakness to admit our faults, but it is a sign of maturity. We need to be willing to be vulnerable and to be in a constant learning posture. Most of all, we have to be willing to fall on our faces, get back up, and learn from our fall.

This is a rough transition. We are prepared to go out and change the world, but it is so hard sometimes. We are hit left and right by life's hardships and we feel like we should be able to handle it. However, the feeling is only a feeling and we get knocked down time and time again. This phase of life can be a beautiful one, we just need to have faith, be willing to fall down, and ask for help. We cannot do this alone and with help, we will accomplish great things. So to all of us out there in this phase: here's to hardships and failures, but let us find light in those times.

Take Back the Land

"Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or discouraged. For the Lord your God is with you wherever you go."

Joshua 1:9

Many of the conversations that I have had lately with my fellow partners in ministry is that how hard life is in ministry. It is not what we all thought it would be. What might have once been easy for us to do may now be one of the hardest things for us to do. What we might have once been in love with, we now are dreading to go to every day, week, or month. It has become more of a burden and a fear for us. I have found myself in this trap of lies. I have found myself believing that what I once loved is not for me anymore. It is not what I am into anymore and I am just sick of doing it. And then, I am reminded of the Lord's will for my life. I am reminded by the people who I interact with and who I invest my time in. I see his hand over my life and remember that this is what my heart beats for. When I think anything but that, I am only giving into the lies that are being fed to me over and over again.

The truth is that we start to fear and do not want to go forth. It is so easy for us to stay where we are comfortable. It is so easy for us to fear man and disregard the power of the Lord. Nothing else can touch us, why do we get so nervous? Just like in Joshua 1, we have our own territory that we are supposed to go in and take over. We are to command God's reign over our lives and what we do every moment of the day. This means that when we go into any situation, we are to go into it with confidence and faith in the Lord and take that situation over. When life gets tough, we should not give up the situation, but fight for it and take it over. As it says in Joshua 1, we are to be strong and courageous. When the world is coming at us from all sides, we are not to be afraid, but let the strength of the Lord rise up in us. We are to fight off the fear with the peace of the one and only peacemaker. 

It is with this truth that we should be encouraged. Nothing on this earth can touch us or overpower us. We have the most powerful force on our side and he is commanding us to take back what is ours. He is commanding us to fight back with his strength and to not give up. He is with us wherever we go and we have nothing to fear. What's the worse that can happen to us? We are killed in the flesh, but we are alive in eternity with our Lord and God. That might be a scary thought, but when thought out, it is extremely cool.

Blessing in the Hardship

Thus says the LORD:

“Cursed is the man who trusts in man

and makes flesh his strength,

whose heart turns away from the LORD.

He is like a shrub in the desert,

and shall not see any good come.

He shall dwell in the parched places of the wilderness,

in an uninhabited salt land.

“Blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD,

whose trust is the LORD.

He is like a tree planted by water,

that sends out its roots by the stream,

and does not fear when heat comes,

for its leaves remain green,

and is not anxious in the year of drought,

for it does not cease to bear fruit.”

The heart is deceitful above all things,

and desperately sick;

who can understand it?

“I the LORD search the heart

and test the mind,

to give every man according to his ways,

according to the fruit of his deeds.”

(Jeremiah 17:5-10 ESV)

This passage kept coming to my mind today as I prayed for strength. It has been an interesting morning here in Muncie, Indiana. It all started out as a pretty normal day. Wake up, get ready, and just kind of relaxing until my phone rang and today was completely thrown up in the air. It is funny how things work out in life. Right when you have things going on and you have no time, something is thrown your way. It seems like it always happens that way. Today was one of those days. However, I sit here and am just blessed by the obstacles more than I am brought down. God reminds me that if I trust him in this, then I need not worry. I will not die out and I will not wither, but I will grow and live long. 

Ministry in the inner city keeps getting more interesting as the days go on. Someone else has moved into the house today. This time someone I know and it is much better than when someone lived in the house last. However, I know that this means that means that the attacks are well on its way. I know that there will be times when I will need strength. And I know that there will be times that I want to give up and turn around. I know that I will want to back out at times and throw in the towel. However, I know that my strength cannot come from myself. It cannot come from those around me. It cannot come from any one person, but it can only come from God. I know that my heart will deceive me when I am not in constant communication with God. The truth is that I have no fear, I am diving into this head first and I am ready to see what happens. I am ready to be tested and tried and I am ready to fight the battle.

Faith

When he came down from the mountain, great crowds followed him. And behold, a leper came to him and knelt before him, saying, “Lord, if you will, you can make me clean.” And Jesus stretched out his hand and touched him, saying, “I will; be clean.” And immediately his leprosy was cleansed. And Jesus said to him, “See that you say nothing to anyone, but go, show yourself to the priest and offer the gift that Moses commanded, for a proof to them.” When he had entered Capernaum, a centurion came forward to him, appealing to him, “Lord, my servant is lying paralyzed at home, suffering terribly.” And he said to him, “I will come and heal him.” But the centurion replied, “Lord, I am not worthy to have you come under my roof, but only say the word, and my servant will be healed. For I too am a man under authority, with soldiers under me. And I say to one, ‘Go,’ and he goes, and to another, ‘Come,’ and he comes, and to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.” When Jesus heard this, he marveled and said to those who followed him, “Truly, I tell you, with no one in Israel have I found such faith. I tell you, many will come from east and west and recline at table with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven, while the sons of the kingdom will be thrown into the outer darkness. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” And to the centurion Jesus said, “Go; let it be done for you as you have believed.” And the servant was healed at that very moment. And when Jesus entered Peter's house, he saw his mother-in-law lying sick with a fever. He touched her hand, and the fever left her, and she rose and began to serve him. That evening they brought to him many who were oppressed by demons, and he cast out the spirits with a word and healed all who were sick. This was to fulfill what was spoken by the prophet Isaiah: “He took our illnesses and bore our diseases.” Now when Jesus saw a crowd around him, he gave orders to go over to the other side. And a scribe came up and said to him, “Teacher, I will follow you wherever you go.” And Jesus said to him, “Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head.” Another of the disciples said to him, “Lord, let me first go and bury my father.” And Jesus said to him, “Follow me, and leave the dead to bury their own dead.” And when he got into the boat, his disciples followed him. And behold, there arose a great storm on the sea, so that the boat was being swamped by the waves; but he was asleep. And they went and woke him, saying, “Save us, Lord; we are perishing.” And he said to them, “Why are you afraid, O you of little faith?” Then he rose and rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was a great calm. And the men marveled, saying, “What sort of man is this, that even winds and sea obey him?” (Matthew 8:1-27 ESV)

Matthew 8:2 Lord, if you will, you can make me clean...There is no question in this man's mind that the Lord can heal him. There is no doubt in his mind that the Lord of all creation is in fact capable of cleansing him of his sins. There is no doubt in his mind that God is not the one who can cure him and can bring him through. No doubt. 

Matthew 8:5-9 And faith is illustrated here again. A faith that is so great in the Lord. The Centurion knows that God himself will take care of him. He knows that God will help him and that Christ has the power to heal his servant. He knows that with the words of Christ, that his servant will be healed. It is through those words and through the faith, a faith that is so strong, that Christ healed the centurion. 

Matthew 8:14-17 Faith. It is the faith that healed these people. It is by faith they are healed. They come to Christ because they know that he can heal them. They know that he can help them and that he can take care of them. They are fulfilled by his power. Their weakness is removed from them and they are stripped of their sickness. They are replenished with the power of Christ and the strength of Christ. They are no longer thirsty and hungry, but have received the bread and water of Christ himself.  

Matthew 8:19-22 Following Christ is not something that is easy to do. It is not something that is always fun or simple. It is something that can be complicated, it can be constantly moving, it is not knowing what will come next. It is trusting in God and seeing how he will move. It is having faith in him to know that he will pull through and bring you to the next step. It is interesting to see where this is plugged in this passage. It is right after Christ shows what faith is. It is right after he shows how faith brings healing. It is right after showing what true faith is. True faith is required to follow Jesus. It cannot be a masked faith.

Matthew 8:23-27 Even in the eye of the storm there is peace. Life may be crazy and there may be a lot of things going on, but in Christ there is peace and in that peace, nothing can get ahold of you. He is the light in the darkness that pierces the darkness.

Glorious

A few events have happened in the last few weeks that have really challenged my work here in Muncie. A former professor of mine asked me a few weeks ago what I am doing with my life now and I explained that I work at Urban Light as an Academic Coach. With that being said, he did not seem too impressed. Then, I started to question why I was here and what I was doing. I was frustrated with the interaction as I though that what I was doing here in Muncie meant nothing and that I could do better. It was a couple of days later when God really showed me what I was doing here. I ran into someone in Upland who I hadn't seen in a few years and in fact, she was one of the main reasons that I went to Taylor. Partly because of her great influence in my life, I am who I am today. We started to talk and she was asking me about what was going on in my life. She started to ask me about who God is in my life and how I am being challenged by him. She then told me that she wanted to see me do great things and that one day she wanted to hear my name. And it was then that God really started to get the wheels turning in my head. Great things don't always get great attention. Great things aren't great things unless they are blessed by God. It is what God has laid out that is truly great. It is what he challenges us to do that makes us into the people that he desires us to be. By having faith in this and knowing that God has selected us for great things according to his plans, I have no reason to worry about what might have been said to me. I have no reason to think that what I am doing is not significant. Through being a part of the Urban Light Community, I have learned a lot. Here's what's been going on mostly: Through working at the education center, I have learned about myself and in general. The first thing that I have learned is that I don't remember sixth grade math at all. Since when do sixth graders do geometry? Seriously though, I have learned to appreciate a good education even more and have developed a passion to help students to see the importance of a good education. Even though they may not always show that they appreciate it, I know that one day, they will look back and see why education is so important. Through every math lesson, science lesson, and phonics lesson, I have developed more of a passion and love for education. I see how school systems have just given up in some places and it motivates me even more to show why it is important. Education is important to succeed in life and if a student doesn't get it, then you do it until they get it, you do not give up. You work until they understand because it is only then that they will truly be able to move on. You ignore the world that tells you to use the easy ways out by spell check, computers, and calculators and show that there is still importance in actual learning and understanding. I have always been one who gravitates more towards older age groups and never have really been one to work with younger kids. However, I have learned through this that it is not the age group that I have always moved towards, but it is people in general. I have seen my passion for people in need as I work with these students. It is not just about education, but it is about loving them and being an example of Christ to them. It is about letting them know how important they truly are and that they are loved and cared for. God has shown me from working with these students that he has given me a passion for all people in all situations. He has given me a passion to love and care for those who he loves and cares for the most. He has shown me that it is not about their age, where they come from, or whatever their circumstances may be that he has given me a passion to love them and care for them with the love of Christ Jesus himself. The next big lesson that God has been teaching me over these past couple of months is a the true importance of God's community. When I moved here and started to go to Urban Light, God blessed me with a great community that has surrounded me since I have been here. He has brought people into my life who have lifted me up and cared for as the body of Christ. I do not feel alone, but I feel like I have a good, solid community that surrounds me. I have seen God work through many people in our congregation and touch my life already. I have seen how God lifts each person up through others in the congregation. I have seen how important it truly is to live with fellow brothers and sisters in Christ. It has been a huge blessing as I have been here in Muncie and I am excited to see how much more I grow in this community. This may not have been what I had in mind in May. Muncie does not really look like California...at all, but I do know that what I am doing right now is right where God wants me. Every single day that I spend with the kids at the education center, I can see God working. I can see him showing me something new and something so beautiful and daily I am reminded that we don't always need to go somewhere to see this, it is in our backyards. It is hard living here sometimes, but I would not trade this experience for anything.

For the Kids.

Last night at Bible study, we talked a bit about Genesis 32. The comment was brought up that Joseph does not get anyone back for what they do to him, but when his brothers come around he messes with them a bit. We talked about how sometimes it is more important for us to call out our families even if they have fully betrayed us. We test them and put them through trial because we want them to be better than that. We want the next generation to be better than this generation. We have to make it a point to help our future generations. It is our job to make future generations better. It is on us and no matter how much we may dislike our families, there still is something in us that cares.

This all hit me even more than it did last night. As we were with our students today, I saw a lot of pain in one family. I saw anger and tension and hardship. Arguments from farther up in the family has come down to the kids. And it is hurting them and holding back their growth. It is keeping them from growing in relationships with one another and with the family in general. This is what they are seeing and they are watching. Not saying that we should use the excuse that because of the family they grew up in gives them a right to be a certain way, but it is the family's obligation to help them to become more than that. I don't want these kids to raise a family in the homes that they have grown up in. I watch them come in broken and hurt and know that they can be better than this. I know that they can raise a family in something better. I know that they can raise a family in something bigger. I know that as a body, as a family, that it is our duty to see to it that they do.