You Are My Guests

I was asked to ghost-write for this blog (http://payitforwardshipu.blogspot.com/ ) about three weeks ago, and as inspired as I was, I could not write something that made sense, or that could accurately convey my thoughts.  Yet as I continue to play this scene in my mind, I am convinced that I must share an analysis of it.

 

 

 

Watch this clip; in it you will see how we as Americans should be ashamed of how we do not help others in need.  If you have never seen The Amazing Race, understand that it is a game show type program that pits teams to two against each other in a “race around the world.”  During the race the last teams to arrive at checkpoints are eliminated and teams must complete tasks that require money to get there (i.e. plane tickets, taxi rides, purchasing food etc.). They are all given money per each leg to spend as best they can.

 

Prior to this scene (you can watch the episode to discover this), two teams conspire to steal money to give these two men a disadvantage.  While I am not justifying their strategy, it was brilliantly contrived to “get ahead” and would have probably knocked these men out of the race, if the people on the streets of Bangladesh would not have helped them.  Notice how they help, they are not coerced, they are not reluctant, they just ask if the men need help. Not only that but one man said this (which has stuck with me since the episode aired), as they were thanking him:  “No, problem, No problem…This is my country and you are my guests.”  This action should not surprise us, but somehow it does.  Maybe this will change our opinions of those who are not like us.  As the taxi driver put it, “Bangladesh, good not bad.”

 

What if we acted like this man from Bangladesh and treated strangers, as our guests?  What if we were motivated by seeing a need and just doing something about it because we see the need?  Guests are those to whom we extend hospitality, kindness, and often part of our wealth.  However, we as Americans usually extend hospitality only to those who can be generous to us in return; not to those who cannot.  We must change this idealism and defenestrate it.  Let us instead be as the gentleman from Bangladesh and make the world a better place by paying it forward.  My suggestion would be to read the suggestions listed on that blog, pick someone, and do whatever deed(s) from the list that will make them feel like an honored guest.  Perhaps there reaction will be like that of the racers:  pure, simple gratitude.

Challenge Accepted? (to be better)

So over a month ago I posted a challenge.  It was not just for the readers of this blog. or those who heard the sermon, but it was also meant to be a personal challenge.  I took it as such, at least at first...


Since then I have admittedly tried to do it if all of my life and was successful for a week or so.  However due to the fact that I did not have musch self-discipline, I was not as successful as I wanted to be.  I have applied this challenge more to the broad occurances in my life (my job, my loans, and the rest).  God has been faithful in that getting me an unlikely full-time job, finding appartment furnature under resale, and reducing my loans (pending documentation).  He provided as I asked "What Would Jesus Do?", yet what I have not done is applied the question to or accepted the challenge for myself or my personal (spiritual) side.  This is the core of the problem:  I have not been exhibiting Ferocious Fearlessness.


This is the only way the challenge will work:  Pray, Go to church, Read God's Word, Obey God's Word, and Witness to others.  I remember this from my days as a Summer Missionary with CEF.  I just have not fully put it into practice.  I need to be more fearless in showing my faith, more fearless in living my life for Him no matter what is said of me, and I must fully rely on God. I still have things to confess, things to give to Him, and things to give up (especially from the past).  I thought I had given it all up a few months ago, but it continues to haunt me.

I must move forward with the personal challenge, and perhaps if you are having trouble with this challenge...accept that you must change yourself first.  IF you cannot change yourself, no change can come to the World.  We need to have Christ be the Savior of our lives, and the Holy Spirit be the changer...  When we allow this to happen we can successfully complete the challege.

For now I must accept the personal challenge...prayers are needed.  Especially if I must move forward to be successful.

What Would Jesus Do? (A Challenge)

If you were alive in the 1990s you probably remember the bracelets that were popular long before LiveStrong, and no, I am not talking about the snap bracelets either.  What I am talking about is WWJD (or spelled out in the title "What Would Jesus Do?).  This phenomenon and movement in that period was dedicated to the idea of Christians asking themselves that question every day of their lives, in order to reflect the life and attitude of Christ.  At least that is how I would describe it.  Further reading of Wikipedia provides a more succinct description:

The phrase "What would Jesus do?" (often abbreviated to WWJD) became popular in the United States in the 1990s and as a personal motto for adherents of Evangelical Christianity who used the phrase as a reminder of their belief in a moral imperative to act in a manner that would demonstrate the love of Jesus through the actions of the adherents.

 Now if that is not a challenge to the church of today, I am not really sure what is.  However if that statement does not meet a defined challenge, dear reader, then I offer you the challenge that was proposed to me by a guest speaker at my home church earlier this month.  Our former pastor came back to speak and I entitled the sermon "Overcoming Spiritual Aches and Pains:  Growing a Healthy Church and Lifestyle" (by I entitled I mean I was in the sound booth and he didn't have one listed so I gave it a fitting title).

This sermon reflected on how to become a healthy church (and more personally-spiritually).  Surely churches must grow and have people there, but it is NOT the number that matters, rather it is the action of love and following moral imperatives laid out by the life of Jesus.  The challenge was this:  Read the book, What Would Jesus Do?, and find out how it challenges you personally.  Look for ways to find a personal motto to devote your live to following Jesus according to the application of his life to ours, through the empowerment of the Holy Spirit.

I accepted this challenge (and you should too.)  I ordered the book and read it more out of curiosity then true desire to expect change.  But boy, has it changed my attitude toward daily life. (If you have read my blog before (It's Gone) you know that I promised change to God to allow Him to work in me.)  But this helps my steps to move forward, faster...In the book, a challenge is given to the people of the church to live life and make decisions by first (really and truthfully) asking "What Would Jesus Do?" and supporting the decisions with prayer.  They would report weekly on what God did because of the decision and interact with other Christians to encourage them in to continue in the challenge.  This is to apply to major life decisions, minor choices, and even the smallest insignificant detail.  This does not have to just be and individual (person-to God) relationship, but can be a person-to-person, person-to-group (church), and group-to-God. The bonding fellowship of others that are following this pattern helps, but it can be done with the help of the Holy Spirit. 

After reading this book (and sharing it with my sister and aunt) I have been even more challenged to stay on track with my promises to God. My growth has been crazy since the beginning of July, but viewing my life in this manner has challenged my attitude toward following the lifestyle of Jesus and being a  healthy Christian and not just the laid-back kind.  I have begun to adhere to that practice, first through positive thinking and second by asking this question with my decisions.  I should follow the clear picture of Christ and the example that he set for us:  love others, love God, and serve Him in every capacity.  Soon I will be living on my own, and building my own life, (don't ask when) but I know that I want to do these things to become healthy and overcome the pain of not living for God in the way that I should.  Yes, it is my duty to ask this question, but that is for now, for when I am growing again after I have been pruned (John 15:2).  This new growth is being watered and fed through the message from this book and has inspired me onward.

My challenge to you is to read What Would Jesus Do?, or its predecessor, In His Steps, in order to understand the fullness of this challenge listen to the sermon below first and it will help you understand what my mere words could not describe. (If I can attach it..)  Once you read, follow the challenge that was given to the parishioners of the church in the book, you may be surprised at the results.  I know that I have been thus far. I just have to get better at it; that will come as I grow.  (If  you want you can comment with your thoughts and experiences.)

Let's start the movement again, but instead of just wearing it on our wrists, or other apparel, we should actually practice asking the question daily:  "What Would Jesus Do?"

A CONVERSATION WITH GOD!

In time you will reveal no patterns.
I pray that I may be risky for you, God
I want to become Others centered. That I would walk as in a psalm
My lifestyle must be your glory.
Remove images of evil.
My mind needs your stength to care for needs of others.
May we fight the sinful nature with words of God and prayers.
May your will be done daily. May we remind others of you.
May I be what you desire me to be.

Amen

Being the Third (or Fourth) Spiritual Wheel

The meaning of the idiom "the third wheel" has gone through major changes since it was first used as the term "the fifth wheel".  It deals with many diffferent relational and social situations.  To me a third wheel is a generally unncessary item, like an additional break in a passenger vehicle, or a person that just does not belong.  Some will use it only for the awkward situations and not as an overall general term. I must say that I know that it has a very negative connotation in the emotional realm, and I will generally add that it can be used beyond these specific areas.

It has been recently revealed to me, that I have been the "third wheel" in my spiritual relationship with God.  In the same way that the third wheel becomes an inconvenience and gets in the way of progress (whether accidentally or on purpose) I had made sure that I was in control of my spiritual life.  I had the reigns,  and God was not even my co-pilot, sure he was imprortant, but he was not the driving force that compelled me to move forward.  Rather I had decided that it was best for me to be in full control and that whatever I thought to be right would best serve me.

I KNEW what was right for me, or so I thought.  I can run my life, God is just the fire insurance that I need, because the blood of his son cleansed me from all sin. This is far from true because God is on our side, Jesus is rooting for us, and the Holy Spirit is compelling us to better things.  I trust others to help me with my life more that I allowed God to guide me to live to the fullest I can and listen to his councel.  He knows the plans he has for me, and even though I like to "play it safe" and "speed through the boring parts" He will allow things to be put in my way to change my outlook.  Sometimes his speed bumps nudge us in the right direction, and other times the trials we face are life-changing. 

If we are even backseat driving and/or acting as the controller, we are actually a third wheel.  We are preventing progress in our relationship with God, we judge what he is supposed to judge, we don't forgive what is to be forgiven (especially ourselves), and we mess with His plans for our success.  Sure, we may not think that we are doing wrong by avoiding certain situations (and we are commanded to in 1 Thessalonians 5), but if we guard our life so much that we are not obeying God, or obtaining his wisdom through trials (James 5), we are not doing what is right.  And that is WRONG.  He should be glorified in all situations, he made us for that purpose, and if we miss oppurtunites to love others because of how we selfishly guide our lives that is a sin.

Paul tell us that we have been sealed with the Holy Spirit and that he will give us what we need.  We just have to believe that and not doubt.  We have to trust that our time with God is a time to build our relationship and trust in him.  Not just so that we can be with him, but so that we can grow (both stronger and closer to him).  He has to be our "First things First," our "Almighty," and our confidant.  We have to trust that he is leading us through love and faithfulness as I read in Proverbs 16 today (verse 6) and we must accept that he accepts every attempt that we make, even when we feel we have failed, or will fail if we try. Because he has sealed us and separated us for his plan, we should follow his guidance because he will not let us fall.

If we are driving, it seems that God is the inconvenience. It is time to give God the reigns...There is love and forgiveness down his road....a path much more certain as he will provide for us in time of need.  He will make sure we will not go without what we need.  We must not be the third wheel either...controlling our lives is not what we are made for.  Yes, God gave us that free choice...but we should choose to only trust him now.  He will give us the stuff of our dreams far beyond what we can imagine (ask or think).  He wants us to succeed.  We must let Him.  It is time to ride at His breast, by His side, and under His wings.  He is our refuge and strength.  He knows what is best for us...for our yesterdays, todays, and tomorrows.

To what is best and ending the Third-wheel relationship,

Joeyb

It's Gone...I am Free.

Well...

All I can say is that God wanted this week to challenge me.

I am still processing it...but 14 others standing in the gap brought me to my face before God.

For years I let fears, failures, and self get in the way of my loving God.

Deamons of judgment, anger, and personal righteousness controlled my life and left me weak and wanting more.

My loneliness, struggles, and shortcomings made me feel worthless in a negative way...and I transfered that upon others....I tried to force them to be more like the convoluted view of I had of myself. 

My religiousity made me miss the Love of God.  This shift in my life is not just for me, it is for others. I am not doing it because of others...but I want the positives to affect others:  my love, my mercy, my motives, and my peace. (Actually these are the things of God...he has just made them in me)

I have finally allowed God to give me the strength I need, the faith I must have, heart I need for others.  He has provided me worth and given me freedom.

The more time I spent with Him, the more I will know this and the more freedom I will receive.  Then I will see the things the way He desires me to see them.

The more time you spent with someone.....the more you will become like them.

That is what I want. (This is the true newness)

This reflects the title

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3eXCGHwnFfA


I needed this today...I was sent it about two months ago.  It affected me then...but wow...now it really makes sense.