RISK, SURPRISE, & TRANSFORMATION

I enjoy reading the history of people whom God has used God to bring forward His redemptive plan. It should go without saying that such lives have more than their share of challenge specifically because they are committed to God’s plan.

One of those people is the Old Testament prophet Samuel. He lived in a very important stage of Israel’s history & of the outworking of God’s redemptive plan for the nation. I Samuel 16 shows at least 3 things that will happen in the life of a person whose allegiance is to God & His Kingdom, & who is committed to be an instrument in its advancement.

The first is RISK (verses 1-5). In Samuel’s case, he believed that if Saul found out that his mission was to anoint a king to replace him, he would likely be killed. I don’t believe he was just imagining this. Just as in Samuel’s situation, any transition that must take place for God’s will to be fulfilled involves risk. Even if our lives are not at risk, it is certain that other things that we value will be – reputation, economic security, relationships, comforts, etc.

The second is SURPRISE (verses 6-12). Many times I have sensed God speaking to me about something; I have also learned that only over the passing of time can I understand all that He was saying to me. My human tendency is to infer or assume a lot of things that God may not have intended. Samuel did the same thing here. Yes, God wanted him to anoint the new king; but no, it wasn’t any of the ones he would have chosen. We must be ready to grow in our understanding of what God is saying. This will involve being surprised once in a while.

The final one is TRANSFORMATION (verse 13). Another exciting & difficult part of being used by God is that we & others are transformed thru the process. It’s interesting that the emphasis in verse 13 is on David’s being transformed. We grow as we serve, but those we serve & lead into a greater experience with God are transformed also. In fact, as we are used by God, the results that give us the most joy are what the Holy Spirit does in others’ lives.

Are you committed to God’s plan for your life? Be ready for risk, surprise, & transformation. It won't always be your idea of fun, but it will be a greater adventure than you could have ever imagined!

GETTING THE MOST OUT OF BEING HUMAN

I was talking recently to a young man who in his words “was never a crier before.” He came to know Christ a couple of years ago from a non-church background. He attended a men’s conference at his church & experienced a deep work of the Holy Spirit in his life. He found that he was moved to a genuine emotional response to what God was doing in his life.

This points out a reality that followers of Christ should know about & value. This reality is that the work of the Living God in our lives is something that increases our ability to experience life as a human being. The young man’s awareness of a greater connection to his emotional side is just one aspect of this truth.

Here are a few passages from the Gospels that seem to hint at this:

And He (Jesus) said to him, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind’ (Matthew 27:37). This was Jesus’ reply when asked by someone what was the first & greatest commandment. Put another way, expressing our love for God isn’t limited to select, “spiritual” aspects of life; it should encompass all aspects of life.

When describing His mission on the earth, Jesus said: “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly” (John 10:10). In contrast to the destruction that Satan wants to bring to humanity, Jesus desires to bring fulness & completeness to human beings.

“He who believes in the Son has eternal life; but he who does not obey the Son will not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him” (John 3:36). Eternal life isn’t something that the believer receives at death; it becomes theirs at the precise point of their believing & obeying Christ.

Humans are human regardless of their spiritual status. But when we open our lives to the God who created us & provided for our salvation, we are regenerated spiritually & receive eternal life as a present reality. The various sides of our lives that are part of our humanity (such as emotions, intellect, perceptions, abilities, passions, etc.) are enhanced thru our openness to God & willingness to embrace or experience His working.

It’s not that those who don’t know Christ are less human. It’s that those who do know Him have a greater potential to experience reality to an extent that is simply not available to others.

God doesn’t change our personalities; personality is an important part of what defines us & is a way that God shows His limitless creativity. But He does refine & redeem our personalities to express His love for us & for those around us.

Want to maximize what it means to be human? Surrender your life to the God who created you & gave His Son to save you. He'll have some pretty awesome surprises in store for you!

FALLING IN LOVE

Sorry to throw a monkey wrench into what probably seems like a wholesome & uncontroversial topic. But I believe it’s something important to think about. So, what’s wrong with falling in love?

By the way, I’ll never forget Dave Roever’s classic response to one of his testosterone-driven SEAL buddies in Vietnam. After Dave scolded him for his foolish wild oat sowing, he justified it by saying, “But Dave, I’m in love.” He’d say, “Man, you’re not in love, you’re in heat!”

So, what about falling in love? First, who is the person affected by it? Do we normally start a relationship thinking in terms of the other person falling in love with us? No, it’s usually that I am falling in love with so-&-so. In short, “falling in love” is about me, not the other person (at least if we are willing to be brutally honest about it). Falling in love is pretty much a self-centered experience. Notice how people describe it: The other person makes my life complete; I can’t stop thinking about him/her, etc. etc. We generally describe love in terms that relate to our own wants, needs, feelings, etc.

Second, many believe that falling in love is a mysterious, magical, unpredictable experience that happens spontaneously to those who are lucky. I’ll grant that many married couples have remarkable & unique love stories that were totally unforeseen by them. But I also believe that for Christian couples, there is nothing uncertain or chance about their meeting & growing to love one another.

Check out both secular history & the biblical record & you’ll find out that most marriages were arranged. Even the famous love stories in Scripture (Ruth & Boaz, or Isaac & Rebekah for example) were arranged & agreed upon by the couples’ families.

Try this – the New Testament figure of Christ as the bridegroom & the Church as the bride was arranged as a part of the Father’s plan. I don’t know about you, but that sounds a lot like a planned/arranged marriage to me.

What am I saying? That there IS an element of mystery & unpredictability in love. But it’s not the Hollywood kind. It’s not the self-centered kind. It’s the kind that comes to those who seek God’s Kingdom & follow His plan for their lives.

I’m also saying that there is love in love. But, this kind of love is centered first on God’s love for us & our obedient, loving trust in Him. When a man & a woman have individually learned to follow God’s plan for their lives & realize that He is calling them to know & follow Him together, how can they not experience the most wonderful partnership? How will they not grow to love each other more & more with the passing decades?

Maybe instead of calling it falling in love, it might be better to call it being led deeper & deeper into love.

AFTER THE REVOLUTION

I was just 11 years old when the movie “Dr. Zhivago” came out. It personalizes the historical process of the years leading up to & following the Russian Revolution of 1917.  At the time I had no appreciation for the movie, which I now find priceless. 

In one of the scenes, a crowd of marching peasants is singing a well-known Russian song outside a lavish Christmas party. The wealthy party attenders become nervous at the sound of the singing crowd below until one of the partiers, Komarovsky (a cynical “bad guy” who is also a very astute political opportunist) lightens things up by saying, “No doubt, they will be able to sing in tune after the Revolution.”

Komarovsky, in his cynical remark, was expressing the truth that political systems cannot change man’s nature or abilities. Some can increase people’s opportunity to reach their God-given potential, but they cannot change what a person is in reality. It’s a fool’s notion that socialism can somehow change people.

Jesus addressed another fools’ notion in Mark 7:1-23, when His opposers questioned why His disciples didn’t wash their hands. (Just a note – I do believe in sanitary practices!) Their immediate idea was about what removes ceremonial defilements so that people can draw close to God. By implication, they were talking about how to change man’s inner condition. Jesus’ response indicates that they saw defilement in terms of physical cleanness, & that this was a profound misunderstanding of the problem.

Both 1^st Century Judaism (at least the part I mentioned) & modern socialism reflect a common aspiration & a common foundation. Both recognize the need to positively transform people’s lives. Both also prescribe a band aid on the cancer as a way to reach that ideal. They just can’t provide the goods.

You see, no political revolution is going to change man’s spiritual condition. See what 70 years of creating a Workers’ Paradise have done to the people of the former Soviet Union. No matter how ceremonially clean a person might appear to be on the outside, there’s still the inner spiritual darkness.

The only revolution that will change our lives is the revolution that Jesus brings.

Simply come to Him, be honest about what’s defiling & destroying your life. Surrender yourself to Him & ask Him to be your Lord who will transform your life.

Then see what happens after THAT revolution!