I was chatting to a friend the other day and he was expressing his frustration and anger with some people he works with. He was talking about how nobody respected him and made him feel unwelcome. He told me that he really disliked some of them, which was unlike him. It was clear to see that he was not happy and this situation was really affecting him, causing him to become angry and resentful. After listening to him rant for a couple of minutes, I asked him a simple question.
'Do you pray for these guys?'
Up until this point, all he had talked about was himself. How he was feeling. How these people had affected his life. He was the victim and it was their fault. My friends response to the question was interesting. His face changed as he thought about what I'd said.
"I don't think I do. Maybe I should?"
Following on from my previous post (Tale of two stories), we can see that my friends inability to see outside of himself and his own story had affected the way he viewed other people. If we only look at ourselves and our own situation, emotions, feelings, then we will always be the victim, there will always be someone better than us and we will never be satisfied. My friend had lost sight of the big picture.
Jesus spoke about this in Matthew 5, which we know as the sermon on the mount. Here Jesus is laying out what the Kingdom of God is like and how we should live in the midst of that. What is clear throughout, is the kingdom of God is unlike anything we have known and seems impossible to live out (many suggest that it is without God and that's the point!). Jesus talks about who receives blessing, the Law, dealing with anger, divorce, prayer, the poor, money and possesions and so on. This is the manifesto of the Kingdom.
The part that has always challenged me and which relates to the conversation with my friend, is the teaching on loving your enemy in verses 43-48;
43"You have heard that it was said, 'Love your neighbor[h] and hate your enemy.' 44But I tell you: Love your enemies[i] and pray for those who persecute you, 45that you may be sons of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. 46If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? 47And if you greet only your brothers, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? 48Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.
This teaching is as revolutionary now as it was at the time it was said. Love your enemies? That's not normal. If people hurt us and persecute us, surely they deserve to be punished. Where is the justice? This doesn't make sense!
But in the eyes of God this makes perfect sense.
When Jesus died and rose again, he wasn't just reconciling us back to God (opening a way to the Father), he was reconciling us back to each other. It is only through the cross and the dieing to ourselves, that we can be raised with Him and experience His love for us and for others. This is His mercy and grace for us.
What is going to mark us out as followers of Jesus? What makes us different to anyone else?
The answer, sacrificial love.
Love that goes beyond feeling. That goes beyond political boundaries, beyond what the world says is the limit to what people deserve. Love that costs, but has great rewards.
We are called to love and pray for those who persecute us and those who we would call enemies. That would range from our boss in work to Osama Bin Laden and everything inbertween.
Why?
Because they need to know the love of God, just as much as you do. Because God doesn't have favourites, and neither should you. Because we are part of a story that is bigger than our own. Our life is no longer ours to own as we die to oursleves and become slaves to Christ (or bound to Him) and this is what He calls us into. We are a kingdom of priests, called to minister to the world, which means the oppressors as well as the oppressed.
It was this radical love that led Jesus to the cross.
It was this radical love and forgiveness that changed the life of a young man named Saul, who as a result of a dramatic encounter with Jesus and the obedience of a man named Ananias, understood the power of grace to the point that he dedicated his whole life to communicating this messgae of love and forgiveness to all for the rest of his life.
He would have been Ananias' (and Jesus') enemy!
It is this radical love that has changed me and many others I know.
In a world that is obsessed with individuals rights and the need to gain revenge/retribution, where are the people that will rise above that, in the grace of a resurrected Jesus, to love, serve and pray for those who wrong us, abuse us and attack us as well as those who love us? Where are the people that know their identity is in the Father and as one of His children, want to see the whole of creation restored back to Him? Where are the people with a kingdom perspective rather than a worldly perspective?
The final verse calls us to be perfect like our father, which suggests this is a hard task!
How then is it made possible?
We must first receive the love God has for us before we can think about loving others. It's His love for us that will change our hearts and it's His love in and through us that will change the world.
I am not, but I know I AM!
Ask God to show you how to best love and serve your enemies today. Ask Him to reveal His heart for them. Let's not avoid the commands of Jesus that make us uncomfortable, for it is in these that we will find life and life to the full.
Amen.
Wednesday, 22 October 2008
Thursday, 16 October 2008
Call and response
www.callandresponse.com.
Check out the website and find out how you can be a part in bringing an end to slavery and people trafficking.
We have to respond!
Friday, 10 October 2008
Tale of two stories
This week I have been studying the story of Moses at the start of Exodus, and particularly the encounter he had with God at the burning bush. A couple of years ago, this story had a profound impact on me as I struggled with my identity and in particular my insecurities around what I felt God was calling me into and the ability I had in myself to carry it out.
In this conversation (Exodus 3 and 4), God makes it clear that the call to 'Go' was not about Moses and his ability to make it happen, but about God showing His glory to His people and continuing the story He had started with Abraham and seeing it through to completion. God wanted to free His children from slavery in Egypt and was asking Moses (or indeed telling Him) to join Him. It should have been a privilege and an honour for Moses, yet the great drama of his own story (murder, failure etc) had caused him to become overwhelmed with fear and hopelessness towards his future.
The same message applies for our lives today. God wants to remind us that the redemption of creation is His story, His mission and He will carry it out with or without us. The amazing thing is that He has chosen to involve us in this plan and has promised to be with us, even giving us His spirit to empower us, which has all authority.
There's a great book by Louie Giglio entitled "I am not, but I know I AM", which talks about this concept in much greater depth, and with honest simplicity. The opening paragraph reads like this:
"Life is the tale of two stories - one finite and frail, the other eternal and enduring. The tiny one - the story of us - is as brief as the blink of an eye. Yet somehow our infatuation with our own little story - and our determination to make it as big as we can - blinds us to the massive God story that surrounds us on every side."
Which story are you seeking to make famous today? Has the drama of your day-to-day life caused you to miss the bigger play that you are invited into? Take time to stop and to ask God to reveal that story to you again. His story for the world and the part that He wants you to play in it. It's not about the size of the part, more the size of the author who has written you into it.
In this conversation (Exodus 3 and 4), God makes it clear that the call to 'Go' was not about Moses and his ability to make it happen, but about God showing His glory to His people and continuing the story He had started with Abraham and seeing it through to completion. God wanted to free His children from slavery in Egypt and was asking Moses (or indeed telling Him) to join Him. It should have been a privilege and an honour for Moses, yet the great drama of his own story (murder, failure etc) had caused him to become overwhelmed with fear and hopelessness towards his future.
The same message applies for our lives today. God wants to remind us that the redemption of creation is His story, His mission and He will carry it out with or without us. The amazing thing is that He has chosen to involve us in this plan and has promised to be with us, even giving us His spirit to empower us, which has all authority.
There's a great book by Louie Giglio entitled "I am not, but I know I AM", which talks about this concept in much greater depth, and with honest simplicity. The opening paragraph reads like this:
"Life is the tale of two stories - one finite and frail, the other eternal and enduring. The tiny one - the story of us - is as brief as the blink of an eye. Yet somehow our infatuation with our own little story - and our determination to make it as big as we can - blinds us to the massive God story that surrounds us on every side."
Which story are you seeking to make famous today? Has the drama of your day-to-day life caused you to miss the bigger play that you are invited into? Take time to stop and to ask God to reveal that story to you again. His story for the world and the part that He wants you to play in it. It's not about the size of the part, more the size of the author who has written you into it.
Monday, 29 September 2008
Prayer on Campus
Last week we had a 24-7 prayer week (although it was only 5 days) on the local University Campus. We put up a tent opposite the library, by a busy intersection and our main prayer for the week was that God's Kingdom would break onto the Campus. A simple prayer, but also a massive one!
The rota filled up slowly at first, but as the week went on, more and more people signed up. Then the stories started coming out. People were wandering in on their way to lectures, coming back from the pub or just lost. It was a place to ask questions, ask for prayer or for some, it was a space just to chill out amongst the busyness of freshers week.
Below are a couple of stories from a friend after his time in the tent:
"A group of us were praying for freshers who might be feeling lost or out
of place. 10 minutes after saying that prayer in wondered a guy who turned
out to be a Christian. At the end he said 'I felt so lost as it's only my
first day, I was just wondering round feeling lost and saw this tent'!"
"Earlier today a couple of us were praying and were reminded of the
parable of the prodigal son. So we began to pray for prodigals on the
campus to come home. Then in walks a guy who's just started 2nd year. He
started talking about his struggles and regrets in not living for Jesus. A
prodigal starting to come home? God answers our prayers!"
There were loads more like this!
For me personally, I ended up doing the 2am to 4am slots for two nights running (I'd love to say these were my favourite slots, but I was mainly doing them because nobody else would). The first night I had the chance to talk to about 20 people about faith, Jesus, religion, science. I was getting all of the students who were on their way home from the student union, which kicked everyone out at 2am. Some were just coming in to get out of the cold, but others had burning questions.
Why does God allow pain? Where does science fit in? What about other religions?
I had suddenly become an expert in Apologetics! The best thing I could do most of the time was just listen. For many, they just wanted someone to talk to, to vent at or just to ask those questions that they've always wanted to but couldn't. I found it challenging (especially at 3 in the morning), but enjoyable.
The next night was different.
For a start it was colder. This meant I had less people just stopping in as they were keen to get home to their warm beds, which was something I was thinking about until a loud scream caught my attention.
A couple of hundred yards away a fight had started between a couple of guys and although I couldn't really see it, I could hear it. It was a combination of the thudding of knuckle against cheekbone and the piercing screams of a girlfriend. I started praying, 'God, bring your peace. Bring a person of peace into the situation'. As I stood there in the tent, feeling helpless, the fighting stopped and it seemed to settle down. Everyone except the girlfriend. For the next 20 minutes (although it felt like hours) she continued to wail and sob as she screamed at her attackers and what felt like the world. This girl was in deep distress. Again, this helpless feeling came over me. I kept praying, but only one word was coming out 'Jesus'.
As I looked around the prayer room in this time, I grew frustrated and angry. I looked around at the nice pictures and bible verses that were hung up on the wall. One was of a boat on a lake, which said 'Jesus the boat of life'. There was something about this picture that particularly disturbed me.
It all just seemed a bit too nice.
The boat was on a calm body of water, tied to the safety of the dock. I'm sure for the person who drew the picture (it was well drawn) the picture meant something, but in the midst of the screams of this young lady outside the tent, the boat of life seemed to be in the wrong place. Surely it should be in the rough seas where people are drowning? Where their screams seemingly couldn't be heard? This is where the boat would have been surely?
This led me to think about myself. Am I where people need me to be? As a church, are we amongst the hurting and dieing of this world? Are we following Jesus to these places or are we asking him to join us in our activities? Jesus came for those who need a doctor and that is who the church is meant to be for too.
This experience highlighted to me once again the importance of our prayers not just staying in prayer rooms or in the comfort of our safe lives and routines. They must lead somewhere. How can we not be moved into action from the place of prayer? Can we meet with God and not be changed in some way? I definitely felt that God was beginning (and continuing) to break my heart for the people and situations that break his.
Later in the night, I spent an hour or so talking to a young Hindu guy about Jesus and faith. He knew so much, yet knew so little. I could understand why Jesus used to say to people 'the Kingdom of God is near'. So many people are so close without knowing it.
Who will tell them?
There is a lot more I could write, but the main thing to say is that this prayer week has shown me again that we have to take the Good News of Jesus to people and that although we may face questions and ridicule, there is 'good soil' out there and Jesus has promised us that the Holy Spirit will give us the words to say in tough situations. We just need to be available and obedient.
What are we waiting for?
The rota filled up slowly at first, but as the week went on, more and more people signed up. Then the stories started coming out. People were wandering in on their way to lectures, coming back from the pub or just lost. It was a place to ask questions, ask for prayer or for some, it was a space just to chill out amongst the busyness of freshers week.
Below are a couple of stories from a friend after his time in the tent:
"A group of us were praying for freshers who might be feeling lost or out
of place. 10 minutes after saying that prayer in wondered a guy who turned
out to be a Christian. At the end he said 'I felt so lost as it's only my
first day, I was just wondering round feeling lost and saw this tent'!"
"Earlier today a couple of us were praying and were reminded of the
parable of the prodigal son. So we began to pray for prodigals on the
campus to come home. Then in walks a guy who's just started 2nd year. He
started talking about his struggles and regrets in not living for Jesus. A
prodigal starting to come home? God answers our prayers!"
There were loads more like this!
For me personally, I ended up doing the 2am to 4am slots for two nights running (I'd love to say these were my favourite slots, but I was mainly doing them because nobody else would). The first night I had the chance to talk to about 20 people about faith, Jesus, religion, science. I was getting all of the students who were on their way home from the student union, which kicked everyone out at 2am. Some were just coming in to get out of the cold, but others had burning questions.
Why does God allow pain? Where does science fit in? What about other religions?
I had suddenly become an expert in Apologetics! The best thing I could do most of the time was just listen. For many, they just wanted someone to talk to, to vent at or just to ask those questions that they've always wanted to but couldn't. I found it challenging (especially at 3 in the morning), but enjoyable.
The next night was different.
For a start it was colder. This meant I had less people just stopping in as they were keen to get home to their warm beds, which was something I was thinking about until a loud scream caught my attention.
A couple of hundred yards away a fight had started between a couple of guys and although I couldn't really see it, I could hear it. It was a combination of the thudding of knuckle against cheekbone and the piercing screams of a girlfriend. I started praying, 'God, bring your peace. Bring a person of peace into the situation'. As I stood there in the tent, feeling helpless, the fighting stopped and it seemed to settle down. Everyone except the girlfriend. For the next 20 minutes (although it felt like hours) she continued to wail and sob as she screamed at her attackers and what felt like the world. This girl was in deep distress. Again, this helpless feeling came over me. I kept praying, but only one word was coming out 'Jesus'.
As I looked around the prayer room in this time, I grew frustrated and angry. I looked around at the nice pictures and bible verses that were hung up on the wall. One was of a boat on a lake, which said 'Jesus the boat of life'. There was something about this picture that particularly disturbed me.
It all just seemed a bit too nice.
The boat was on a calm body of water, tied to the safety of the dock. I'm sure for the person who drew the picture (it was well drawn) the picture meant something, but in the midst of the screams of this young lady outside the tent, the boat of life seemed to be in the wrong place. Surely it should be in the rough seas where people are drowning? Where their screams seemingly couldn't be heard? This is where the boat would have been surely?
This led me to think about myself. Am I where people need me to be? As a church, are we amongst the hurting and dieing of this world? Are we following Jesus to these places or are we asking him to join us in our activities? Jesus came for those who need a doctor and that is who the church is meant to be for too.
This experience highlighted to me once again the importance of our prayers not just staying in prayer rooms or in the comfort of our safe lives and routines. They must lead somewhere. How can we not be moved into action from the place of prayer? Can we meet with God and not be changed in some way? I definitely felt that God was beginning (and continuing) to break my heart for the people and situations that break his.
Later in the night, I spent an hour or so talking to a young Hindu guy about Jesus and faith. He knew so much, yet knew so little. I could understand why Jesus used to say to people 'the Kingdom of God is near'. So many people are so close without knowing it.
Who will tell them?
There is a lot more I could write, but the main thing to say is that this prayer week has shown me again that we have to take the Good News of Jesus to people and that although we may face questions and ridicule, there is 'good soil' out there and Jesus has promised us that the Holy Spirit will give us the words to say in tough situations. We just need to be available and obedient.
What are we waiting for?
Tuesday, 5 August 2008
Home
Every year, the wandering band of nomads that is the 24-7 prayer family, comes together to share stories, eat food and just celebrate what God is doing around the World. I've been to the last 2 and have found them refreshing, relaxing and really encouraging. It really is amazing to take a step back and just allow God to speak through other people's lives.
This years gathering is entitled 'Home' and it is being held in Southampton, England from the 12th to the 14th of September. For more info, and to book in, go to www.24-7prayer.com.
Tuesday, 29 July 2008
"I want you to be merciful"
While in a worship gathering recently, I felt led to read from Matt 9. The second section (v9-13) of this chapter is the story of Matthew the tax collector's call to follow Jesus. Here it is:
As Jesus was going down the road, he saw Matthew sitting at his tax-collection booth. "Come, be my disciple," Jesus said to him. So Matthew got up and followed him.
That night Matthew invited Jesus and his disciples to be his dinner guests, along with his fellow tax collectors and many other notorious sinners. The Pharisees were indignant. "Why does your teacher eat with such scum?" they asked his disciples.
When he heard this, Jesus replied, "Healthy people don't need a doctor - sick people do." Then he added, "Now go and the learn the meaning of this scripture: 'I want you to be merciful; I don't want your sacrifices.' For I have come to call sinners, not those who think they are already good enough. (NLT)
I'd heard and read this passage many times, and there are lots of things I could say about it, but in the environment of a worship gathering, one section took on a different meaning to me. The particular verse I was struck by was Jesus suggestion to go and learn what Hosea 6:6 says 'I want you to be merciful; I don't want your sacrifices.'
Hosea 6 in the New Living Translation is entitled 'A call to repentance'. It is a description of God's despair and loving judgement of a nation (Israel) who has totally abandoned her God and is chasing after others, but continue to make sacrifices to God in spite of that. v6 in full says 'I want you to be merciful; I don't want your sacrifices. I want you to know God; that's more important than burnt offerings'.
As I sat surrounded by people with their hands in the air singing their praises to God and offering their 'burnt offerings' I felt convicted.
Am I just going through the motions? Am I just hiding behind the usual 'burnt offerings' of sung worship? Do I know God? Am I just playing lip service while putting other things before him?
The other question I had was;
What does it mean to be merciful?
Wikipedia's definition of mercy is;
'Mercy is a term used to describe the leniency or compassion shown by one person to another, or a request from one person to another to be shown such leniency or unwarranted compassion for a crime or wrongdoing.'
God offers us mercy by showing us leniency and compassion where we don't deserve it. The penalty for sin is death, yet God has shown us mercy by sending Jesus to take our place.
Ok, so how do I become merciful? Firstly, what does compassion mean?
'Compassion is a profound human emotion prompted by the pain of others. More vigorous than empathy, the feeling commonly gives rise to an active desire to alleviate another's suffering.'
Another definition is 'shared suffering'. 'Com' meaning to share and 'passion' to suffer.
So to be merciful, I need to be someone who is willing to forgive those who in the eyes of the world don't deserve to be and even share in their suffering! This sounds quite extreme! Yet, this is what it means to know God and to love him.
What Jesus is saying to these Pharisees is that to know God is not just to offer him sacrifices. It's not just about turning up on a set day at a set time and giving God our attention then going home. It's more than a ritual or service. To know God is to know the people he loves. Jesus revealed that he came for the sick and those in need. His life was devoted to those that needed him.
There are people all around us today that need to know God's mercy. They need to know a doctor. They need to know that no matter what they have done, they can find forgiveness. This is the Gospel ('Good news') and this is what we've been asked to share, both in word and action, to a world that is hurting and dieing.
Who are we to decide who hears this? Who are we to judge? We, as believers, are no better than they are. We do not not deserve Jesus any more than they do. We have been shown mercy, so let's show it to others. Let's be prepared to join in their suffering, just as Jesus did. We have to realise that we must 'Go' into ALL the World. It's part of our mandate in the Great Commission (Matt 28:18-20). We haven't been saved from the world, but have been called into it to be salt and light. The church was never meant to be a safe place to hide, but a dynmaic group of people who represented the risen Jesus on the earth. The body of Christ.
Jesus was addressing the area of pride in the Pharisees hearts and as I sat in the audotorium, I knew he was doing the same to me. I had stopped wanting to know God more and had settled for what I already knew. I had begun to make a god I was comfortable with and knew, and this was His way of reminding me that He can never be worked out, but as the prophet Hosea said at the end of 6:6;
'I want you to know God; that's more important than burnt offerings.'
As we search after God, it will be the revelation of who He is that will lead us to right worship and will move us out into the hurting, smelly, sinful World around us that often we try to avoid. Offering love and sharing in the suffering with those to whom the World has given up on.
This is what it means to be merciful.
As Jesus was going down the road, he saw Matthew sitting at his tax-collection booth. "Come, be my disciple," Jesus said to him. So Matthew got up and followed him.
That night Matthew invited Jesus and his disciples to be his dinner guests, along with his fellow tax collectors and many other notorious sinners. The Pharisees were indignant. "Why does your teacher eat with such scum?" they asked his disciples.
When he heard this, Jesus replied, "Healthy people don't need a doctor - sick people do." Then he added, "Now go and the learn the meaning of this scripture: 'I want you to be merciful; I don't want your sacrifices.' For I have come to call sinners, not those who think they are already good enough. (NLT)
I'd heard and read this passage many times, and there are lots of things I could say about it, but in the environment of a worship gathering, one section took on a different meaning to me. The particular verse I was struck by was Jesus suggestion to go and learn what Hosea 6:6 says 'I want you to be merciful; I don't want your sacrifices.'
Hosea 6 in the New Living Translation is entitled 'A call to repentance'. It is a description of God's despair and loving judgement of a nation (Israel) who has totally abandoned her God and is chasing after others, but continue to make sacrifices to God in spite of that. v6 in full says 'I want you to be merciful; I don't want your sacrifices. I want you to know God; that's more important than burnt offerings'.
As I sat surrounded by people with their hands in the air singing their praises to God and offering their 'burnt offerings' I felt convicted.
Am I just going through the motions? Am I just hiding behind the usual 'burnt offerings' of sung worship? Do I know God? Am I just playing lip service while putting other things before him?
The other question I had was;
What does it mean to be merciful?
Wikipedia's definition of mercy is;
'Mercy is a term used to describe the leniency or compassion shown by one person to another, or a request from one person to another to be shown such leniency or unwarranted compassion for a crime or wrongdoing.'
God offers us mercy by showing us leniency and compassion where we don't deserve it. The penalty for sin is death, yet God has shown us mercy by sending Jesus to take our place.
Ok, so how do I become merciful? Firstly, what does compassion mean?
'Compassion is a profound human emotion prompted by the pain of others. More vigorous than empathy, the feeling commonly gives rise to an active desire to alleviate another's suffering.'
Another definition is 'shared suffering'. 'Com' meaning to share and 'passion' to suffer.
So to be merciful, I need to be someone who is willing to forgive those who in the eyes of the world don't deserve to be and even share in their suffering! This sounds quite extreme! Yet, this is what it means to know God and to love him.
What Jesus is saying to these Pharisees is that to know God is not just to offer him sacrifices. It's not just about turning up on a set day at a set time and giving God our attention then going home. It's more than a ritual or service. To know God is to know the people he loves. Jesus revealed that he came for the sick and those in need. His life was devoted to those that needed him.
There are people all around us today that need to know God's mercy. They need to know a doctor. They need to know that no matter what they have done, they can find forgiveness. This is the Gospel ('Good news') and this is what we've been asked to share, both in word and action, to a world that is hurting and dieing.
Who are we to decide who hears this? Who are we to judge? We, as believers, are no better than they are. We do not not deserve Jesus any more than they do. We have been shown mercy, so let's show it to others. Let's be prepared to join in their suffering, just as Jesus did. We have to realise that we must 'Go' into ALL the World. It's part of our mandate in the Great Commission (Matt 28:18-20). We haven't been saved from the world, but have been called into it to be salt and light. The church was never meant to be a safe place to hide, but a dynmaic group of people who represented the risen Jesus on the earth. The body of Christ.
Jesus was addressing the area of pride in the Pharisees hearts and as I sat in the audotorium, I knew he was doing the same to me. I had stopped wanting to know God more and had settled for what I already knew. I had begun to make a god I was comfortable with and knew, and this was His way of reminding me that He can never be worked out, but as the prophet Hosea said at the end of 6:6;
'I want you to know God; that's more important than burnt offerings.'
As we search after God, it will be the revelation of who He is that will lead us to right worship and will move us out into the hurting, smelly, sinful World around us that often we try to avoid. Offering love and sharing in the suffering with those to whom the World has given up on.
This is what it means to be merciful.
Wednesday, 9 July 2008
Do you feel 'Equipped'?
One term I hear a lot when I'm talking to people in church circles is the whole concept of 'being equipped for ministry'. Working alongside young believers, I see a real desire to learn more about what it means to lead people and how they can find the skills/tools to do that. This is what many would call 'being equipped'. It is the idea that we need more than what we already have to become the leader we aspire to be.
It was while reading a book recently ("You see bones, I see an army" by Floyd McClung), that I was introduced to the New Testament Greek meaning of the word 'Equip'. The word is katartiðzw and it's definition is below:
This word is used 13 times in the New Testament. An example being Hebrews 13:20-21:
20 Now the God of peace, who brought up from the dead the great Shepherd of the sheep through the blood of the eternal covenant, even Jesus our Lord, 21 equip you in every good thing to do His will, working in us that which is pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be the glory forever and ever. Amen.
It struck me that this definition does not talk about an addition to self, but a fixing/mending/strengthening of what is already there. For me this says that we already have been given the 'tools' we need, but they are in fact broken or not used. It encourages the idea that God has created us with characteristics, personalities, skills and talents to live the life he's called us to, but as a result of living in a fallen world, these have been damaged, tarnished, not realised or accepted.
When we think about 'Equipping' people, are we focusing on the areas of their life that need fixing or mending? Are we asking God to bring restoration and redemption to their lives, rather than putting people in boxes? By this I mean having the assumption that a leader/christian should be a certain way and moulding them in that way, or are we allowing God to make them the unique person that they were meant to be by allowing Him to do his thing and posturing ourselves humbly to guide with spiritual wisdom and discernment.
Through my relatively short experience of seeing God work in people's lives, this 'journey to the heart' is something I can really relate to. As we see young people come with the desire to be trained and sent, it usually results in God taking them to the dark, rejected, broken places that he wants to heal, mend and restore in their hearts. I truly believe that we've all been made with unique gifts, talents and experiences that have been given to us to reach the people we most relate to. Unfortunately, for different reasons, we have been hurt, had doubts, suppressed and struggled on in our own strength, with our own coping strategies and techniques. Normally, our greatest fears are an indication of where our passions lie. We need God's love to replace that fear so that he can equip and release us in those areas. Do we trust God enough?
To be 'equipped' by God is a difficult, painful process (if anyone has had a bone put back in place they would know what I mean). It's painful because we have to face up to ourselves and our own weaknesses and hurts in order to allow God to prod at places that are soft and tender. Many of us shy away from this, but if we allow it, then I believe we will come through much stronger. There is also a sense of adjustment, maybe a changing of worldview that we hold. It's not quite as glamorous as people seem to think, but it is a core part of discipleship (which is another can of worms for another time).
These are just my initial thoughts. I would love to hear what comments you have.
What is clear to me is that I think we need to be aware of what we are saying when we are offering to equip people.
Who does the equipping?
It was while reading a book recently ("You see bones, I see an army" by Floyd McClung), that I was introduced to the New Testament Greek meaning of the word 'Equip'. The word is katartiðzw and it's definition is below:
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This word is used 13 times in the New Testament. An example being Hebrews 13:20-21:
20 Now the God of peace, who brought up from the dead the great Shepherd of the sheep through the blood of the eternal covenant, even Jesus our Lord, 21 equip you in every good thing to do His will, working in us that which is pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be the glory forever and ever. Amen.
It struck me that this definition does not talk about an addition to self, but a fixing/mending/strengthening of what is already there. For me this says that we already have been given the 'tools' we need, but they are in fact broken or not used. It encourages the idea that God has created us with characteristics, personalities, skills and talents to live the life he's called us to, but as a result of living in a fallen world, these have been damaged, tarnished, not realised or accepted.
When we think about 'Equipping' people, are we focusing on the areas of their life that need fixing or mending? Are we asking God to bring restoration and redemption to their lives, rather than putting people in boxes? By this I mean having the assumption that a leader/christian should be a certain way and moulding them in that way, or are we allowing God to make them the unique person that they were meant to be by allowing Him to do his thing and posturing ourselves humbly to guide with spiritual wisdom and discernment.
Through my relatively short experience of seeing God work in people's lives, this 'journey to the heart' is something I can really relate to. As we see young people come with the desire to be trained and sent, it usually results in God taking them to the dark, rejected, broken places that he wants to heal, mend and restore in their hearts. I truly believe that we've all been made with unique gifts, talents and experiences that have been given to us to reach the people we most relate to. Unfortunately, for different reasons, we have been hurt, had doubts, suppressed and struggled on in our own strength, with our own coping strategies and techniques. Normally, our greatest fears are an indication of where our passions lie. We need God's love to replace that fear so that he can equip and release us in those areas. Do we trust God enough?
To be 'equipped' by God is a difficult, painful process (if anyone has had a bone put back in place they would know what I mean). It's painful because we have to face up to ourselves and our own weaknesses and hurts in order to allow God to prod at places that are soft and tender. Many of us shy away from this, but if we allow it, then I believe we will come through much stronger. There is also a sense of adjustment, maybe a changing of worldview that we hold. It's not quite as glamorous as people seem to think, but it is a core part of discipleship (which is another can of worms for another time).
These are just my initial thoughts. I would love to hear what comments you have.
What is clear to me is that I think we need to be aware of what we are saying when we are offering to equip people.
Who does the equipping?
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