A Perfect Perspective

God is worthy of our worship. We love Him because of what he has done for us and how he has given us a new outlook and direction in life. All of this is true, and it is a valid reason to love him in return.

But what about when our new direction is painful? What if the circumstances and situations in our life don't seem to change, despite our new outlook? We have an appreciation for God and it changes the way we see things, yet sometimes it does not change our surroundings. It does not change the fact that we are jobless. It does not change the fact that we need to pay bills (they don't go away). It does not change the way we are mistreated, hated, or misunderstood; sometimes, all three of these things.

Better yet, it doesn't provide an immediate global need. Starving children are not fed when we accept Christ. Homeless folks are not suddenly given a brighter future. Miracles do happen, but the world continues to be far from perfect despite our life-changing decisions.

Perfect God, imperfect society, unanswered questions; it's what you get when two dimensions of morality meet.

Unfortunately, life does not become perfect the moment we commit our lives to Christ. We still "all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:23). There is still starvation, murder, adultery, and many other sins that contaminate the very image we were created in (Genesis 1:26). We are a fallen world, and committing our life to Christ is not a magic potion that changes everything immediately.

As you read this entry, African villages are still starved out. While we receive our food in five minutes, locals in third-world countries are searching for supplies for days on end. I would be upset too. I would wonder why God is not stopping this with one powerful command.

As we react to the world's problems, our emotions get the best of us. We are angry, bitter, and infuriated. Why shouldn't we be? People are starving! As a response, we blame the first Being capable of putting an end to the problems of this world. Like a president, football coach, or village leader, fingers also point to God when something goes wrong. He is questioned, interrogated, and insulted because no immediate help has come. On the basis of unmet needs, many begin to doubt God's existence or abilities - we limit God.

Atheists abound because God appears unable to rescue a society filled with disaster, hatred, poverty, and ruin. We murmur, "If God is so loving, why does he let these things happen?" or "Why would I want to believe in God when he lets genocides happen?" 

Valid point.

In fact, these questions are so good, even scholars cannot answer them. The fact is, there is no perfect answer, which is why this is the best answer:

Ask God.

Plain and simple. Ask God. He will give you clarity. He loves being asked those questions because it shows you care. It shows you desire to know what God is already in control of. Below are some Scriptures that encourage going to God:

1. Proverbs 3:5-6 - "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight."

2. Philippians 4:6-7 - "Do not be anxious in anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Jesus Christ." (Guard from what? The wrong answers.)

3. Matthew 7:7 - "Ask, and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you" (Jesus said that!)

4. James 1:5 - "If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you."

God is all-knowing. It is not just who He is that is perfect, but it is how He thinks too. As humans, we have a limited view, so our perspective will be limited as well. But, just because our perspective is limited, it does not mean we should limit Him. He is flawless, which means any wisdom he gives you is also flawless.

But, what can we do? How can we live out asking God and seeking wisdom? Here are a few things you can do (or not do):

1. Do not question God. He is perfect for a reason. Instead...
2. "Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances..." 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18
3. If you ask, ask with an open mind. You are not better than God, so don't think a question will stump Him.
4. Admit that you lack wisdom (James 1:5), and go to the two sources that have the answers (The Bible and God).
5. Romans 12:3 - "Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgement,  in accordance with the faith God has distributed to each of you."
6. Do as the Lord commands, and leave the rest to Him. Psalm 112:1 - "Blessed are those who fear the Lord, who find great delight in his commands" and James 1:6 - "...But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind." Do not ask to argue, but to believe and understand.

We will never fully understand God, but just because we do not understand His methods, does not mean He stops being God. He will not step down, retire, or withdraw his candidacy because people do not approve. Unfortunately, we do not have all of the answers.

Fortunately, we have access to the One who does through Jesus Christ. We can ask, seek, and understand through His lens, not ours. We love to act like we are in control, but once we admit that God is bigger than our greatest solutions, unanswered questions, and unsolvable problems, then we see God for who He really is.

After all, with a perfect God comes a perfect perspective.

Struggling with Comfort

Close your eyes. Picture a scene of tranquility, where your biggest worry is whether the waiter is going to remember the virgin strawberry daiquiri you ordered 10 minutes ago. You are on a beach in the Bahamas, about four miles from the cruise that brought you there. No one is going to hurt you, and everyone wants to help you find your way. The best part is this: since you have been working so hard at the high-paying job you have, your boss has told you to go on vacation, all expenses paid for.

This is the ultimate dream vacation, correct?

Today, when we think about the life and eventual death of Jesus, we usually envision one of two things: the birth of Jesus and the death of Jesus. This is not to discount the years in between, or even to insinuate people do not put much thought into the "middle years" of Jesus, but the most celebrated times were that of Jesus' birth and death.

Specifically, Jesus' death is symbolic of not only our status' as saved souls, but the pain he went through to get there; yet, the latter is not simply a reason to be inspired by the heroism that our Savior characterizes, but also to teach us how to be human.

Luke 9:23 says, "Then [Jesus] said to them all: Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me." Jesus was following through with his Father's direction, and Jesus followed them just as we should follow God's direction for us. Matthew 7:21 says, "Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord', will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven." Our mission in this temporary existence is to do the will of the Lord, which is to "deny [yourself] and take up [your] cross daily."

Is it comfortable to deny oneself? Is it in any way enjoyable to take up the symbolic cross? Jesus was brutally beaten, mocked, humiliated, spit upon, and physically destroyed by the stubborn and vile hearts of the sinners. It seemed as though sin had conquered God's son. Now, Jesus commands us to carry our cross like he did?

Well, it might not sound comforting to be mocked and humiliated both physically and emotionally, but here is comforting news, and it comes in a parable:

Jesus says, "The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again, and then in his joy went and sold all he had and bought that field" (Matthew 13:44 NIV).

Using this parable, Jesus puts the kingdom of heaven in terms that humans can relate to. When it comes to some of the things we possess, we do very similar things like the man in the parable. We are willing to be mocked for the things we love, we claim we would take the bullet for our children, and we spend countless hours on things that matter to us. As a result, we are willing to be put to the test to prove how devoted we are to our possessions.

If we love God and want to serve him, it will show. Our comfort is in him; our hope is to be true to God and nothing else. Our wealth does not matter, our health does not matter, and our possessions do not matter. In the grand scheme of things, we are here on earth to glorify God and allow him to take care of the rest. St. Augustine, from his book Confessions, asserts that "our blessing is to know that [God is] in control." Our security and safety is in the Lord, so wherever he takes us, we can take comfort in the fact that our physical bodies can take any beating it can, only if it does not interfere with our hope in him.

Take comfort in the Lord, for he is the only treasure that is worth investing in. Once you maintain that treasure, protect it in every circumstance, for it is your lifeline. Fall back on the Lord, and he will "give you the desires of your heart" (Psalm 37:4 NIV). You may try to convince yourself that you will find your own desires, but take delight in the Lord, and he will make your real desires known to you.

After all, He made you, and He knows what is best, even if it may seem uncomfortable at first glance.

An Audience for our Audience

For the theatre people out there, I'm sure you know what I mean when I say, "out front."
For anyone who is not theatre material, out front is theatre lingo for 'the audience.'
"Know your audience," my father would always point out. The more he reminded me, the more evidence the was to back up what he said. Life is all about 'knowing your audience.' Everything you do involves people. If you work in a closed-off cubical in the corner of the building, you still have your boss to submit to, customers to e-mail, co-workers to socialize with. Everything you do involves people. Without them, life would be lonely and pointless. In fact, we are called to have an audience. The Old Testament refers many times to the fellowship offerings and 1 Corinthians 1:10 says, "I appeal to you, brothers and sisters, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree with one another in what you say and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be perfectly united in mind and thought."
Everywhere we go, we see people and interact with them. The power of people is evident because community is crucial. We need each other, someone to relate to, someone to understand us. Loneliness is a major fear because we are wired to breathe amongst each other. We are wired to talk, listen, understand, and cope with each other.
Have you ever worked with someone, or been around someone you just wish was not in your life; then they go and you miss them? Sometimes that happens to me. Then, when the person is no longer in my life (for any reason), I miss them. I wonder why. Why do I miss that person? I think.
Then it dawns on me. I miss them because, in some way or another, they contributed to me being in fellowship with someone. I miss them because they made a difference in my life, whether it be positive or negative, good or bad. This brings on the idea of one making a difference for another, whether intentionally or by accident. To be safe, say you are the annoying person. Somehow, you made a difference in the life of the person you annoy. "Making a difference" seems to always have a positive connotation, doesn't it? But should it? If a man bumped into you, making you spill your recently bought coffee and scorching you, and walked away without apologizing, he would have made a significant difference in the way you thought, felt, and even behaved that day. Sure, it is negative, but it still involves making a difference.
The fact is, we yearn for fellowship with each other because we make a difference in each others' lives. You have a chance to be influenced or be the influencer. Your day has the possibility of making a difference (hopefully good) in someone's life - the same being said about that 'person' making an difference in your day.
We all want that. We are all inspired by that. We look in the mirror and tilt our chin up, saying, "I am the difference-maker." Yet, our soul quietly whispers, "I hope someone changes the course of my life."
Yes, we all have an audience. This audience is the people around us, the people we work with, the students we teach. Your audience is the line of customers you are about to serve. You are the host to those willing to listen to your story. You have an audience.
But, even if you lived in a boarded house that refuses anyone dying to interact with you (or make a 'difference' in your day), you still must interact with those around you. It is a necessity. You want food? Cash deposit? Car wash? I'm sorry, but you will have to let someone know so they can help you. Gru, from Despicable Me, cannot escape a social lifestyle. Sanctus Real sings about the lifestyle we need.
True. We need each other, but I believe we were not just given an audience for the sake of fellowship. Proverbs 29:26 makes it clear that men seek an audience with a ruler, but only the Lord provides the justice. See, we look for people to be our audience so often, and to a degree, they are. We are called to be salt and light, so our audience certainly is the world around us. I do believe our audience of the world is part of the picture, but there is more.
We have an Audience of One.
Maybe that is just it. Our worldly-inhabitance provides us a social network with no extra charge, but this social exchange with the world might be a reminder of the social interaction we are made to have with the Father. We need Him like we need our fellow human friends to sell food at a good price, deposit our paychecks, and give our vehicles a good scrub. Our sincere desire to have an audience is predicated by our desire to be in a relationship with God the Father.
To take it a step further, Jesus tells the Devil, "worship the Lord your God and serve him only." He is our audience, and we are to serve him faithfully. Yet, we should know our worldly audience for our Audience of One. We should come to know who we are serving and serve them for God.
Bluntly speaking, let your light shine among others, but let it shine among others for God's glory and honor. You are to serve men for God. Therefore, you have two audiences, but your main focus is your Audience of One.
Timo, from the Hollywood Hit, Coach Carter, sums it up perfectly: "And as we let our own lights shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others." God provides the wattage, we turn on the light, and we serve others for His glory.
We can show people Christ's love as servants of Christ.
The world is your stage. So, "your on set," as they say.
"Out front, out front!"