perspective

Matthew 9:18-38

^35-38Then Jesus made a circuit of all the towns and villages. He taught in their meeting places, reported kingdom news, and healed their diseased bodies, healed their bruised and hurt lives. When he looked out over the crowds, his heart broke. So confused and aimless they were, like sheep with no shepherd. "What a huge harvest!" he said to his disciples. "How few workers! On your knees and pray for harvest hands!"

It is so easy to focus on the responsibilities of work and family and miss the big picture.  I need to have the focus and compassion that Jesus had - to notice people and how I can help them.  I need to pray for harvesters.

Heavenly Father, please help me focus on you and your kingdom and how you might use me to help other people.  Lord, please fill me with your love, peace, and joy so that I may be a blessing to others.  Please use me to help other people see how they can connect with you and be used by you to help others do the same.  I love you, Lord, and I pray in the name of Jesus.

outsiders and insiders

Matthew 9:1-17

I have to confess.  For some reason, I feel pretty scandalous reading the Message translation.  I feel like I'm not a "real" Christian unless I read the NASB or ESV.  I guess I even feel a little inferior reading the NLT.  I just love how religion does that to you (sarcastically).

 ^10-11Later when Jesus was eating supper at Matthew's house with his close followers, a lot of disreputable characters came and joined them. When the Pharisees saw him keeping this kind of company, they had a fit, and lit into Jesus' followers. "What kind of example is this from your Teacher, acting cozy with crooks and riffraff?"

 ^12-13Jesus, overhearing, shot back, "Who needs a doctor: the healthy or the sick? Go figure out what this Scripture means: 'I'm after mercy, not religion.' I'm here to invite outsiders, not coddle insiders."

Inviting outsiders versus coddling insiders.  When I first read this, I thought it seems like a tough balance to know how much time and resources to invest in inviting outsiders versus training insiders.  I thought the emphasis was on training versus coddling.  But I just realized, there is no such thing as "insiders" with God.  We are all outsiders. 

I realize that by faith in Jesus Christ, God has changed us from enemies to friends, from sons of the devil to sons of God. But if we realize that we are no better than anyone else, that we are all saved by grace, then we might realize that we are all outsiders.  In a way, training and discipling people to follow Jesus is simply inviting them to take another step forward, deeper into their experience of God's love.

Heavenly Father, please never let me think I am an "insider" like the Pharisees did.  They felt entitled.  I hope I always feel grateful and thankful for your mercy and grace.  And I hope I communicate that humble gratitude in a way that leads others to consider following and walking with Jesus.  God, please help me identify with people who don't yet know you so that I will be considerate of how you might use me to share how much you love us all.  I love you, and I want to walk with you.  Please help me loose my religion.  I pray in the name of Jesus.

storms

Matthew 8:23-34

Jesus was in the boat sleeping, and a bad storm blew in, and the disciples thought they were all going to die.  They woke up Jesus, and he calmed the storm.

I think most of my storms are brought on by me.  Sometimes I think about the millions of children around the world with no clean water, no food, no family, no medicine, no school, no political stability... now that's a storm!  I am thankful that God has allowed me all of these things, but I know that I will be held responsible for what I have been given.  Unfortunately, in the absence of a "real" storm, I guess human nature is to make self-imposed storms. 

My work is so crazy these days.  Too many deadlines and obligations.  But I either agreed to or signed myself up for almost all of it.  I know in my head that Jesus does care, but sometimes I feel like He doesn't.

What would have happened if the disciples had let Jesus stay asleep?  Would they have been rowing/sailing furiously for hours with little to no forward progress?  Maybe I need to wake up Jesus and get Him to calm down my life.  Then again, I overbooked myself, so maybe Jesus wants me to learn my lesson so that I don't do it again.  I don't want to use Jesus as a "get me out of this jam I'm in" card, but maybe He would settle down my life if I would let Him. 

I realize that comfort is not the main objective of Jesus or me; sometimes He lets us go through storms so that we learn to trust Him, and He grows our character.  He is not necessarily going to calm every storm.  But He does want us to turn over everything to Him so that we can trust that He is in control and that He is with us.  It is the awareness of His presence that gives us boldness and power to conquer fear.

I guess that is the real issue - fear.  The issue is not whether we are in a storm or not, uncomfortable or comfortable.  The issue is whether or not we trust in God's promise to love us, be with us, and grow us to be like Jesus.  If I fear anything (other than God), then my faith needs some growth.

Heavenly Father, thank you for your consistent love and patience with me.  It seems like it takes me so long to learn spiritual lessons.  Please help me grow, and help me to not be a whiner.  Lord, thank you for clean water, plenty of safe food, a loving family, plenty of school, and a relatively stable government.  Please use me to bless others and show others how wonderful you are, because you are fundamentally good in your character (not because you have allowed me to experience the comforts of all of these things).  Lord, please bring peace and rest to my life; I have brought a lot of anxiousness and unrest.  I am not necessarily asking you to take me out of the storms that I've gotten myself into, but I want to focus on you and know that you are with me.  I want to walk with you.  I love you, Lord.  Thank you for your promises.  I pray in the name of Jesus Christ.

seeking and trekking

Matthew 7:1-14

⁷ "Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. ⁸ For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened.

¹³ "Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter through it. ¹⁴ For the gate is small and the way is narrow that leads to life, and there are few who find it.

Heavenly Father, your Word says that if I ask then it will be given, so I want to ask you to make my heart want to seek you so that I will find you. And show me how to knock on the door to the narrow path so that it will be opened.  And please help me stay on the narrow way.  It is hard sometimes.  Please don't let me get distracted; show me the way.  Please give me endurance and perseverance so that I will keep on walking with you.  I love you, and I pray in the name of Jesus Christ.

perfection

Matthew 5:21-48

⁴⁸ Therefore you are to be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.

Seems like a high mark, to me.  Of course, there is no way that I can be perfect.  I get angry; I struggle with lust and pride; and I don't want to love my enemies.  I need the character of Christ in me.  But how do I get it?

Heavenly Father, how do I get close to you?  How do I experience your love and allow it to flow through me into the lives of others?  How can I be perfect?  I don't want to work for your approval in a religious way, but I do want to prove by the way that I live that I am your son.  But I think that can only happen if I allow Christ to direct me by the power of the Holy Spirit.  Lord, I want to be a spiritual man.  Please help me live in the Spirit.  I love you, and I pray in the name of Jesus Christ.

hunger and thirst for righteousness

Matthew 5:1-20

   ⁶ "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.

I want to hunger and thirst for righteousness.  But I feel like I'm not very hungry or thirsty.  I know in my head that Jesus is the only real satisfaction, but I allow myself to think that other stuff can satisfy, even though I know in my head that it doesn't.  I am so tired of running and working so hard at work thinking that if I finish this project or if I land that next big project, somehow that will make me feel better.  Maybe I am seeking the approval of men instead of God.  Anyway, I am tired of it, because it doesn't satisfy.  At least with God, you get satisfaction and rest.  With the world, you just end up empty handed and empty inside.  And tired.

Heavenly Father, I am sorry that I don't hunger and thirst for righteousness.  I want to.  Please help me, Lord.  Please turn my heart to you instead of whatever it is focused on now.  Lord, please let me taste and see that you are good.  I know you are because I have in the past.  How is it that my heart can drift away so quickly?  I love you, and I need you.  I pray in the name of Jesus Christ.

beautiful prayers

After Brandi and I prayed as we put Beau to bed, Brandi asked him if he wanted to pray.  I was thinking, "He doesn't know how to pray."  She said a couple of words at a time, and he repeated them in a whisper.  Beautiful.