To Be A Hero

I have been thinking lately, what it means to be a Christian, what it should be like.  The thought process was spurred by conversation about situations that rubbed me the wrong way and I was trying to figure out why.

As I sat in my vehicle amidst running errands it dawned on me that too many Christians live like victims instead of the heroes they are meant to be.  This is not to say we don't struggle, no, we struggle, we battle, that is a given.  But our struggle should always contain a seed of hope and expectation of victory (Jesus tells us in scripture that "in this world you will have trials, but take heart, I have overcome the world"). Our victory meaning God being glorified through us, not just in end results of a trial, but of how we conducted ourselves during the trial.  Did we compromise what is right?  Did we use and abuse people to get what we want?  That is the test, what you do in the battle, how you fight the battle.  Too many people do all sorts of underhanded things to try to ensure that they come out on top at the end, and then justify their behavior by the end result.  That is a definite "fail" with God.

In our struggle, the temptation to feel sorry for ourselves, to succumb to a victim mentality, must not overcome us.  Yes, at times, when the battle is fierce, our soul goes through dark night seasons.  In the dark night of the soul it's debris gets churned up, but in this even, God has redemptive purpose.  You can't get rid of what you can't see, so these seasons are meant to expose what lurks deep within.  Heroes face it and recognize their need for God's redemption and renewal, heroes embrace the fire of purging, because they know that on the other side, when the purging and refining is done, they will have earned the privilege to help remove, in love, the blinding specks of others.  This is not unlike Christ facing and enduring the cross for our sakes.  To burn so others may live.

Somewhere along the line many Christians forget they are more than conquerors, that they are made in the image of God (all mankind is) and that through Christ we have been given everything we need (truly need, not what we may think we need), we have eternal hope in the goodness of God and the deposit, the assurance of Holy Spirit within us.

The trials of a Christian should always produce good fruit, when they don't, we should start asking ourselves the hard questions.  Questions like, "Did I stray from the path God intended for my life?", "Am I running (from God, instead of to God)?",  "What are my motives for being on the path I'm on?", "Have I justified behavior that is wrong in order to get what I want?"(that's a huge one), "Am I walking in integrity in every area of my life?", "Have I lost God's vision for my life, taking my life into my own hands?",  "Am I striving for selfish reasons or for the greater good?".

Every person can be a hero, every day.  And most especially Christians, because we are to be what our title calls us "little Christs".  Do people know us by our fruit or by a name we've given ourselves?  Are we being heroes to the sphere of influence God has given each of us?  Are we being faithful with the little things He asks of us, so He can entrust us with more?  We all, are on different legs and stages of our journeys, these all look different, God looks at the heart and doesn't judge by appearances, however, this blog being about Christians meant to be heroes, God will judge the motives and actions of those who call themselves Christians.

His love for us is unquestionable and unquenchable, but I have always wanted more than His love, I wanted Him to like me, I want to bring Him pleasure, I don't want my behavior to require disciplining (but welcome it when I need it!) or my motives to bring Him grief.  For me love is not enough, I want friendship, I want intimacy - that deep heart knowing of one another.  I am blessed to say that I have been experiencing that place and have been enjoying that level of His presence. My heart's desire is for all to experience this with Him, their Creator, their Father, to reflect the light that transforms darkness.  This is the great need.  So we can rise up the heroes we were created to be.

Veneer

I was about to go start a painting, but something I came across while eating lunch inspired me to write instead.

In true, honest fashion, I must say that shiny-happy-people-wannabees make me feel a whole lot of complex emotions, if you get my drift. FAKE! Is what immediately crosses my mind. I think this is why many stay away from church. Too many Stepford people, or walking dead, are filling the pews. Not all, of course, many are wonderful and authentic people, but enough to still keep many suspicious or discerning folks at a distance.

It is NOT ok to pretend you are happy when you are not, or happier than you really are. It IS OK not to feel happy when unhappy stuff is going on. It is NOT ok to force intellectual doctrine on the emotions of the heart. You will split yourself into multiples and then judge others for not doing the same. It IS OK to say, “stuff is going on that makes me feel like crap, but I know God has my heart and will minister to me.”

And when He does, because He will, give Him the glory. Then an authentic song of praise will spill from your heart.

Contrast that with, “(Look how awesome I am): I just worshiped my way to a breakthrough and prayed all night, (I rock! And oh yeah, praise Jesus!). Why can't you do that? (must be something wrong with you, try harder you weak Christian!)”. Who's getting the glory now?

Telling someone they “shouldn't be sad or down because they are saved by Jesus” and “if you just pray more or praise more or had more will-power you'd be fine”, is like a kick in the gut after you're already down from a kick in the head. It's like lemon juice on a cut. For those willing to be honest about it.

For those who are still afraid of their emotions and think that if they feel too sad or down then they must not be “saved”, and so you apply a veneer and tell yourself the veneer is real and the emotions are not, please stop. It's disgusting. And, it's unscriptural. God wants your heart, imperfect as it is, not your fake veneer.

And the real people of the world want to know a real God, not your veneer-accepting version.

Jesus was a man of sorrows.

King David was prone to seasons of depression.

But they knew how to bring that to the Father. They didn't do it with shiny-happy songs. They did it by being honest with the most understanding Being ever.

I cannot imagine singing praise when my heart is in pain. I would have to seriously shut that heart down to do it. Do you know what that sounds like? A religeous spirit. It will kill the very essence of you: your heart. The part God really wants.

A heart that's been killed is never really dead though, it lives in dark places where we keep it hidden and tranquilized with whatever it takes to keep it there. Tranquilized with too much alcohol, too much television, drugs, too many movies, too many romance novels, pornography, violence, gambling, overworking, adultrey, too much internet, too much shopping... All these issues exist both in and out of the church among those who are afraid to really bring their hearts to Jesus.

Bring your true heart to God. Your life depends on it. Say no to veneer. He will not leave you standing with your heart in your hands, He will embrace you and show you the path of His love. I know, because I've been there.

Ecclesiastes 7:3

Frustration is better than laughter, because a sad face is good for the heart.

Ecclesiastes 3:4

a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance,

Proverbs 25:20

Like one who takes away a garment on a cold day, or like vinegar poured on a wound, is one who sings songs to a heavy heart.

Psalm 61:1-3

Hear my cry, O God;
    listen to my prayer.

From the ends of the earth I call to you,
    I call as my heart grows faint;
    lead me to the rock that is higher than I.

For you have been my refuge,
    a strong tower against the foe.

I think you'll find, when you pull off that veneer, there's something really beautiful hidden underneath, and God is waiting to begin the restoration.

Restoration Hardwired

I was very pleasantly surprised this morning by a hefty package on my doorstep from Restoration Hardware. It contained gorgeous catalogues of their various collections, almost 3 inches thick. I began to salivate. Gorgeous. Gorgeous. Gorgeous. I waited to open them at a more opportune time, when I could truly savour the delight.

I finally opened the cover of the 1 inch thick “RH Interiors Spring 2013” catalogue this afternoon, coffee in hand, and read the opening letter from Gary Friedman, Chairman Emeritus, Creator and Curator. As I read his words of heart and passion, my heart began to thump, and I felt I would begin to weep. What he was writing about is authenticity. Passion. Hope. Dreaming. Being who you are with gusto, and in so living your life, being a contagious catalyst for the inspiration of others to be so propelled and glorious as well. When you shine, you give others permission to shine too, I heard this saying somewhere and have adopted it. But what made me want to weep is that this has been God's dream for the Church. Yet. We are not, as a collective, universal, Body of Christ, as passionate about God and Jesus as Gary and Co. are about their furniture. About their dream. Why not?

Why not?

My theory? Because the majority of those who call themselves the Church and Christian, don't know God. And so I wanted to weep. Because I feel God's heart for His Church, His Bride, His Body on earth. She has wandered. She has stuffed Him into her head, separated Him from her heart, and now wanders the desert like a zombie freak wondering why so many run from her.

But what if.

What if each zombie Christian and Church gave the Holy Spirit permission to do what He wills in His people, (those who profess His Name)? What if Christians let Jesus be Lord of their lives, instead of just paying lip service. What if Christians admitted their need for the power of God to restore their brokenness. What if they experienced the unconditional love and the gracious gift of healing in their hearts, minds and bodies that Christ offers?

Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. But we don't just need saving from satan and his kingdom of darkness, we need saving from ourselves too. From the falseness we create as a security blanket, we don't know ourselves as beautiful, because we don't know God as beautiful, in who's image we are created. At one time or another, each of us experience a wound and a lie. It goes deep, and is indiscernable, at times, from our DNA, it grows up with us and becomes a part of who we, and others, think we are. But. God had a failsafe installed. We are restoration hardwired. Each one. But we don't run on batteries.

I love God, because He loved me first. I believe, because I have experienced. I have found, because I chose to seek. I got answers, because I asked. Him. And those He put in my path. I am grateful. He is the power source that restores what is broken. I am grateful. I am part of a Church that has chosen to plug in. I am grateful.

It is a journey, to shine. Restoration is painful. Think of a house that has had poorly planned additions and shoddy work done to it, or neglect. Sometimes a gutting is in order. But we are each a masterpiece of the world's premier Architect. We have good bones. We are made for beauty and pleasure, to have Divine relationship. We are made for love of the purest form. We are made to live out of that place.

Imagine. Dream. Hope. Be inspired. Shine!

Thoughts on Sacrifice

It's a snow day today, my girls are home.  This could be the shortest post ever.  I am choosing to be optimistic.

A couple days ago I was pondering the difference between laying down your life for another and sacrificing who you are.  I think both Christians, and those who are not, can be equally at risk of losing sight of the glorious creation that is uniquely them.

Some Christians, meaning well, and thinking they are pleasing God (or in their desire to meet some expectation), have lost themselves in serving to the point of burn-out and deeply buried un-fulfillment (which can lead to confusion, disappointment, depression and disillusionment, or pride, judging others, bitterness, etc.).  I have also observed a similar phenomena among "non- Christians", where their plumb line might be "the Joneses" - or what they represent (happiness, success etc), a veneered unreality masking as reality (whether rich and materialistic or grass-roots earthy).

I think the problem stems from not knowing who we are or who God is.  Sometimes we'll only learn through the process of elimination.  We need hard evidence that our way doesn't actually work, before we ask God's opinion.  Many of us are so bound by fear, because we have a faulty image of God, that our circumstances need to get very painful before we turn to the One who has all the answers.

I lay down my life for my family every day, by blundering my way through the necessary domestic duties.  I lay down my life by asking God's opinion and direction for it and then following that.  I lay down my life by admitting when I am wrong and apologizing.  I lay down my life by listening to nudges from Holy Spirit and following them, God helping me.  I lay down my life by respecting my husband.  I lay down my life by being the parent God wants me to be, God helping me.

I don't sacrifice who I am, by not responding to every need and want of others.  I don't sacrifice who I am, by not being a domestic goddess of motherhood, because the basics of domesticity have been enough to break me, any more and it would be a graphic mess.  I don't sacrifice who I am, by sticking to my beliefs and values at the possible expense of popularity.  I don't sacrifice who I am, by pursuing what burns in my heart of hearts and not apologizing for it, while we clothe ourselves out of laundry baskets.  I don't sacrifice who I am, by spending time doing what I think is important, which may not be what you think is important.  I don't sacrifice who I am, by being honest with myself and others about my limitations.

Jesus lay down His life for me, but He never sacrificed who He was.  He knew His Father, He knew His call, and He was given the grace, through His relationship with God the Father, to run the race to the end.  At times He was misunderstood.  He was emulated.  He was hated.  He was loved.  He succeeded in fulfilling God the Father's plan for His life.  To some He looked like a failure.  To others He was a hero.  Some worshipped Him.  Some crucified Him.  Such is the life of conviction without compromise.  He was fulfilled.  His food was to do the will of His Father, who sent Him.  He lay down His life, but did not sacrifice who He was.  For Love, for joy.  Strength born out of relationship with God.

Laying down our lives produces the fruit of joy and peace in seeing our transformation into the likeness of Jesus.  Sacrificing who we are does not produce peace and joy, but the opposite, some of which I mentioned earlier in this post.  Sacrifice tries to buy relationship, laying down is the product of relationship and is based on love and trust.

Learn who you are.  It's worth the dig.  Be true to yourself.  Walk with Love, He will show you the way.

If we don't love ourselves, we will have no idea how to love others.

Someone somewhere wrote this:
"The glory of God is Man fully alive."

I want to be fully alive.