Category: Discipleship

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GOD: When All the World Is a Stage

I once had a friend who was a nationally elite wrestler and with Olympic caliber talent. His junior year, he was ranked number one in the nation and was picked to win the national title for his weight division. He lost. Over the summer he found Jesus, was baptized, and began going public with his faith. He talked about renewed strength and sharing his faith with anyone who might listen, including the news media. When he entered his final season as a senior, he was again ranked number one in the nation, and with his renewed faith, he believed his future was secure. Once again, he lost, dragging him into a crisis of faith. He had a stage to bring glory to God, and the stage was taken from him. Why wouldn’t God endorse his win in order to receive the glory for it?

A couple of weeks ago the Philadelphia Eagles won their first Superbowl. Heading into the big game, reports surfaced that Nick Foles was a man of faith, that the Eagles conducted regular Bible studies, and videos surfaced of members of the team participating in baptisms. They had a stage to bring glory to God, and the stage was elevated during and following their championship win.

Tim Tebow was the evangelical/Christian hero. Born to missionary parents, he was given a gift for football and a powerfully vocal faith in Jesus. Written on his Eye Black was his favorite verse for the day, and often it was John 3:16. Every touchdown he made was immediately followed by a prayer on his knee. What is amazing is that the quality of Tim Tebow’s character should have made him the perfect candidate for God to place him on the largest stage. Yet many wonder why God allowed that stage to allude him?

Wednesday an American Icon passed away. He was given the largest stage when he preached to thousands upon thousands (if not to millions) of people. He sat with every sitting president since Truman. He was never caught up in a moral or ethical scandal, though he did compromise himself with President Nixon (he did beg the Jewish community forgiveness). He was born for the big stage and he lived his life to glory God on that stage.

We’ve convinced ourselves that the successful athlete, business man, politician, or performer, author – who is also a Christian – is the one God uses to make the biggest impact for the kingdom. We believe that the best advertisement for God is to market the Christian who is defined by success based on our terms: status, wealth, appearance, charisma, etc.

Somehow, God sees things a little differently. On the worlds’ biggest staged he placed a cross.

In the process of calling Saul (Acts 9), God had a conversation with Ananias. God wanted Ananias to meet with Saul to restore his sight. Ananias was a little fearful since Saul had been persecuting the church. But God reassured Ananias, and among the information given to Ananias comes this little line, “I will show him (i.e. Saul/Paul) how much he must suffer for my name.” God was going to put Saul on the biggest stage and show the world how much he had to suffer for Jesus.

Second Corinthians is essentially Paul’s argument that the greatest stage God can give someone is the stage where their weakness is exposed and they suffer the most. So Paul records his “Affliction Lists” (4:8-10; 6:3-10; 11:23-29), saying that God does his greatest work through our suffering. The strength that Paul experiences is not the ability to avoid walking outside the realm of suffering, but the strength to endure the very heart of suffering because God empowers him (4:7). For it is through our weaknesses, not our strengths, that Christ’s power is made perfect in us (12:8-10).

So maybe we’ve got the stage thing all wrong. Maybe those on the big stage can’t always be trusted with the spotlight; how many people, we’ve propped up, have “fallen” off the big stage? Maybe the suffering stage keeps us closer to the cross. Maybe the suffering stage gives God greater glory, for the power to endure hardships clearly comes from God not from within. Maybe the church should start questioning who we’ve decided to prop up onto the stage, and why we’ve chosen them. Instead, maybe we should look for the ones who’ve modeled faithful endurance in the face of suffering, because they are more likely the ones God wants on stage.

Soli Deo Gloria!
(i.e. only God is Glorified!)

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Confessions of an Over-Packer

When my boys were packing for Boy Scout camp, they had a list of everything they were supposed to include for the week.  The list made the packing easier as you could check off each item as you packed: uniform, toiletries, shirts, swimwear, compass, flashlight, etc.  No matter how well we followed the list, I always felt like they were leaving something behind when they walked out the door. 

When they attended the National Jamboree, the packing became a crucial element to the camping experience.  Everything they needed for two weeks had to be packed in the duffle bags provided by BSA.  With strict packing guidelines, we did everything humanly possible to accommodate BSA.  We stuffed and crammed two duffle bags full of everything a boy might need for two weeks, and it felt like the kitchen sink was included. 

At the time of writing this article, Cile and I are going through boxes and boxes of things we’ve accumulated over the last 28 years.  As much as we’ve tried to purge – either by giving stuff away or throwing it out – we, like so many others, failed. 

Simplifying our lives to traveling light is the best path to take, and the trend is heading that direction.  The digital era is helping lead the way as books, movies, music, and pictures take up far less space in a home than the physical volumes.  Houses are being built less than 1000 square feet. 

Two stories emerge where “traveling light” is key.  The first comes from the first Passover in Exodus 12:11.  The Israelites were to eat Passover with one hand on their staff, ready to exit the land.  When the moment came, they took what they could carry and hastily departed from Egypt (Ex. 12:33).  The second “traveling light” incident came when Jesus sent his disciples on a short-term mission trip (Mk. 6:7-13).  They were to take nothing with them, except a staff.  No money and no extra tunic.  They were to trust God with their needs, and rely on the generosity of others. 

While I have been on numerous campouts with my sons for Boy Scouts, I’ve never gone backpacking (my sons have).  Packing everything you need for a week on your back is freedom; letting go of all the things I think I need is the ball and chain weighing me down. 

We carry far more through this life than we need, and I’m not talking about suitcases and boxes but baggage.  I can think of two types of baggage we lug around on our journey.  The first is sin (Heb. 12:1).  A life of freedom is a life free of sin and sinful ways.  While many claim that sinful desires should be expressed and pursued, so much guilt and shame often come with expressing those desires, which translates into extra baggage.  For instance, someone makes us mad and we decide to unload on him/her.  We feel good for “getting it off our chest,” but then we realize how much damage we’ve caused, or how embarrassed we are by our actions.  Suddenly, the momentary feelings of freedom are replaced by long-term feelings of guilt.   We carry that baggage of guilt with us for a very long time. 

The second type of baggage is an unforgiving heart.  While Jesus commands us to forgive (Mt. 6:14-15), having a forgiving heart is a different matter.  One might say our ego stands in the way of forgiving; we want that person to suffer.  However, the only one suffering is the one refusing to forgive.  Having an unforgiving heart tends to lead to bitterness and anger, both become excess baggage on our journey. 

While I’m trying to unpack my boxes, I’m confessing that I’ve over packed for the move.  But more so, I need to confess that I’ve over packed for my spiritual journey.  I need to let go of some nagging sins, to forgive myself, and to forgive some people around me.  The result is a lighter load and easier journey.  And isn’t that what we want?                                                                                                   

Soli Deo Gloria!
(i.e. only God is glorified!)