Waiting

The Bible is saturated with examples of waiting. It doesn't start off that way, God speaks and it is so. But after the introduction of sin and the fall of man, time is now introduced as one of the new elements in mankind's reality. Gone is the immortal and the gift of untethered access to God, to be replaced by the constraints, weakness, and isolation of the mortal. Time, reminds us of this fact every second of every day.   

So if we are a slaves to time, why are there so many examples of waiting in scripture?

• Abraham: Waited 25 years for his promised son, Isaac 
• Jacob: Waited 14 years to marry his beloved 
• Joseph: Waited 13 years in prison for his sufferings to be redeemed 
• Moses: Waited 40 years before leading the Israelites out of Egypt 
• David: Waited about 15 years between being anointed as king and taking the throne 
• Israel had to wait 400 years in Egypt. And after the exile there are another 400 years of waiting before Jesus is born. 
• Jesus: Waited 30 years before fulfilling his Father's will

And finally, “On one occasion, while He (Jesus) was eating with them, He gave them this command: ‘Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised…’”   —Acts 1:4

Let's Talk About Pain and Suffering

Life consists of many seasons: birth, growth, education, maturity, work, and death. Feelings and experiences often beyond our control are spread out between those seasons. And it perhaps the desire of all of us to be caught up in endless days of joy, happiness, and gladness because, as they say, a merry heart is a good medicine (Proverbs 17:22). 

But before we dive into the subject of this blog, please understand my intent. I am in no way advocating a shortcut or pie-in-the-sky philosophy that ignores the tremendous pain and suffering that so many are enduring all around us. And I am not lifting the banner that proclaims that we should all be happy and smiling, no matter our circumstances. 

In fact, I believe this belief has been undeniably harmful to the cause of Christ. But since it most likely our lot in life to have seasons of pain, challenges, and suffering, perhaps, it might be a good investment to view this subject from God's perspective. 

Let's start with how pain, as impossible as it might be to understand when drowning in the tragedies of life, can lead to a time of spiritual growth and even blessing.  

The Judgement Seat of Jesus Christ

While talking to some friends the other day, the subject arose about an upcoming event called the Judgement Seat of Jesus Christ. 

When I was young I remember vividly viewing a black-an-white religious tract that depicted the Last Judgement as humans standing before Jesus, in front of a huge screen, while everyone, including the person currently being judged, witnessed all that person's sins that happened during his or her's life. This depiction caused many a sleepless night as I tried to imagine, even at my relative young age, all my transgressions being broadcast for everyone to see!

Thankfully, that scene is nowhere to be found in the Bible. But there was an element of truth to that belief that it took many years for me to come to terms with. Let's take a closer look at what I believe the Bible teaches about this particular judgement from God. 

"Lord, make me pure, but not yet!" – Augustine

St Augustine's battle with chastity is as inspirational as it is well-known. For many years he struggled to change his life, while at the same time being so completely chained to his sin that he was unable to make the changes necessary. I encourage you to read on and learn how to overcome the persistent sins in your own life by following his example.

“Lord, make me pure, but not yet!” This infamous prayer of the young Augustine of Hippo (354-430) reflects the inner conflict of any soul who recognises the virtuous thing to do, yet fears the demanding struggle against human urges and passions. In his Confessions, St Augustine was not afraid to admit his utter powerlessness in the face of sexual temptation. As a young man, he had given in to the attraction of sexual pleasure and took a lover whom he would never marry but who bore him his only son, Adeodatus. He was brutally honest about why he chose to live with this woman: “I had chosen her for no special reason but that my restless passions had alighted on her”. 

When Augustine abandoned the Catholic faith of his youth, much to the anxiety and dismay of his mother, St Monica, he never ceased to search for truth, even if his search led him down a few blind alleys. This search was hampered not just by his lack of understanding but by the power of the favorite sin which blinded him. His conversion was delayed because his sin enslaved him and prevented him from surrendering to the truth of the Catholic faith which would, in turn, have meant the abandonment of his old sinful lifestyle. He wrote: “I was bound down by this disease of the flesh. Its deadly pleasures were a chain that I dragged along with me, yet I was afraid to be freed from it”. His friend, the chaste Alypius, tried to talk good sense into Augustine. However, vice is contagious, and curiosity together with Augustine’s ideas began to lead Alypius astray: “For my part, I was a prisoner of habit, suffering cruel torments through trying to satisfy a lust that could never be sated: while Alypius was being led by curiosity into a like state of captivity”.

"I Am"

"So Jesus said, “When you have lifted up the Son of Man on the cross, then you will understand that I Am he. I do nothing on my own but say only what the Father taught me." John 8:28

This is the word that Jesus pronounced at the end of an argument with his religious opponents. I don't think that it is an accident that Jesus statement has reached the pinnacle of His explanation. He no longer says, “I Am” this or that: the bread of life, the light of the world, the resurrection and the life, and so on. He simply says “I Am” without further clarification. This gives his declaration an absolute, foundational truth that is beyond reproach. I believe that Jesus is intentionally recalling the word of Exodus 3:14 and Isaiah 43:10-12, in which God proclaims his divine “I Am”.

There is also the promise that Jesus being crucified is necessary to us understanding His Divinity. It is a required step toward the revelation of Jesus being awarded the authority over all things by God the Father. The name of Jesus is the name above all names, never to take a backseat to any of our "created gods" or any created being who exists anywhere in the universe. 

Playing The Ball Where The Monkey Drops It

Right out of the chute, I want to apologize if you have heard this story before, (in fact, if you are a follower of christian blogs you have probably viewed this illustration a bunch of times). 

Quick recap of the story of when a British company designed and built a golf course in Calcutta, India. However, there was a problem – monkey’s surrounded the golf course – there is confusion about the appeal but whatever it was about the game of golf, these monkeys really enjoyed both watching and taking part in the game of golf. So when one of the golfers took a swing and knocked the ball into the Fairway, these monkeys would run along, grab the ball, and start throwing it around.

Obviously, the golfers didn’t like this, so they tried doing a few different things to solve the problem.

The first thing that they did to try to control this situation was to build high fences around the golf course – not such a great idea considering it’s was monkeys that they were trying to keep out! 

Not surprisingly – the monkeys just climbed the fences and carried on with their game.

The next thing they tried to do was to lure the monkeys away from the golf course but the number of monkeys made this a no-win proposition. The same failure occured when the plan shifted to capturing the monkeys, for everyone they managed to capture there seemed to be a dozen to take its place.

The British finally acknowledged that they couldn’t solve the problem and decided that they had to bring about an innovation – and the innovation was a ground rule that said – ‘We play the ball wherever the monkey drops it.

The Avoidance of Pain

If you are like me, as you journey through your life, you seek to avoid pain. This is true about the great and the least, and if you don't believe me check out this quote from Thomas Jefferson, “The art of life is the art of avoiding pain; and he is the best pilot, who steers clearest of the rocks and shoals with which it is beset.”

With all due respect to the genius of one of our founding fathers, he is wrong.

Jesus makes it clear that if we are to follow Him, we will encounter pain. This world is broken and we are linked to this destruction with an unbreakable bond. But He also makes it clear that pain and suffering are a gift, a pathway to connecting with others that would be impossible without that experience. “It is good for me that I was afflicted, that I might learn your statues” - Psalm 119:71.

Hang on, we're just getting started . . . 

Starting Over . . .

It was not my plan, but I find it interesting that my last post was titled, "Why Don't We Get The Story We Want?"

You see, my belief in that statement is even deeper now, than when I wrote those words almost seven months ago. 

It is not an understatement to write that my world, my life, looks radically different than it did then. And in this crazy, fallen world, I don't think I'm alone in this belief. 

You see, seven months ago, I was married. I owned a house. But I also lacked peace. And joy. And worst of all, I lacked an awareness of my need for God.

Let me be clear, my lack of peace and joy were my choices. The Bible teaches that even in the middle of challenging circumstances, God will always provide a path that leads to peace and joy. However this is  is a difficult choice, and sadly, was not the path that I chose.

So though life looks very different now, there are certain constants that have thankfully remained the same. 

God still loves me. 

I have friends and family who love me as well. 

I have a job that is fulfilling and filled with people who strive to support each other in good times and bad.

I have seen the handiwork of God despite the chaos and storms of the past few months. And even more important, I have felt the presence of God and His power upholding me when I could no longer stand. 

His faithfulness is unparalleled, and cannot be compared to anything else in my life. If everything else were to be destroyed and all my other relationships removed, He truly is enough. 

And though my story is not what I would have written, His plans are perfect.