Self-Denial

During Lent which begins on Ash Wednesday and continues until Resurrection Sunday, we traditionally engage reflect and meditate as we perennially contemplate God’s inimitable gift of love in Christ.  Once again, the brutal necessity of the cross in order to gain salvation and resurrection for humankind shocks us.  As we rejoice over the reconciliation between Almighty God and humankind (2 Corinthians 5:10 to 6:2), we practice self-denial as an act of gratitude.  Through the practice of “giving something up” and denying personal pleasure, we re-enact Christ’s sacrificial journey to the cross.  Lent is an annual period of self-denial and contemplation of God’s greatest gift.

Conceivably, disciples observe self-denial daily rather than perennially.  In the ninth chapter of the gospel of Luke, the Lord discourses upon the cost of discipleship.  He says in Luke 9:23, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must put aside your selfish ambition, shoulder your cross daily and follow me.”  The Lord offers a tri-fold formula for daily discipleship development.  First, we relinquish self-centered fears.  Second, we willingly bear our crosses each day.  A hymn writer asks, “Must Jesus Bear the Cross Alone?”  The refrain responds, “No, there is a cross for everyone.  There is a cross for you and there is a cross for me.”  One day at a time, we crucify ourselves so we may live in honor and glory of Almighty God and service to humankind.  Assuredly, resurrection follows every daily crucifixion just as Easter follows Good Friday.  Third, the Lord says straightforwardly, “Follow me.”  Practically, it means walking in His footsteps; spiritually it means living in accordance with His teachings and example.

I recall denigrating the practice of self-denial during Lent.  I thought it superstitious and unnecessary.  I did not understand why someone would do this for forty days and ignore this practice during rest of the year.  Needless to state, those excuses cloaked my lack of will and ability to practice self-denial.  Now, I have tremendous personal joy and spiritual development as I practice self-denial during Lent.  I know the absolute joy of fitting into clothes that had become tight after denying the pleasure of snacks and desserts during recent Lenten seasons.  As a pancakes addict, I experienced spiritual progress in healthy eating during a Lenten season in which I fasted for twelve hours a day.   I cite those examples to demonstrate spiritual growth and personal development God offers to anyone who willingly denies himself or herself to serve Him.

In the next verse, Luke 9:24, the Lord articulates the paradox of losing one’s life in order to gain it.  He says, “If you try to keep your life for yourself, you will lose it.  But if you give up your life for me, you will find true life.”  If we willingly surrender satisfaction of physical instincts and emotional pleasures, we receive the grace of abundant life.  In crucifying our selfish desires, God resurrects us to a new and eternal life.  This abundant life annihilates self-centered fears and self-aggrandizement.  It removes impediments to living to the honor and glory of Christ and in service to humankind.  This new life actualizes our God given talents and abilities.  In order to apprehend this abundant and eternal life, we practice self-denial and self-crucifixion. 

In Luke 9:25, the Lord asks, “How do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose or forfeit your own soul in the process?”  We know people whose lives are full as it relates to worldly possessions and achievements.  However, these persons are spiritually empty.  Although they have many material possessions, they constantly fear they may lose it.  When asked, “What have you contributed to the lives of others,” they hesitate to answer because they realize they have not heretofore concerned themselves with the needs of others.  Often, such persons are not happy; they cannot define peace.  They long to know joy and freedom.  Whereas they are physically alive, they are spiritually dead.  What is the worth of their earthly wealth in eternal terms? 

Let’s more fully consider this ancient and enduring spiritual practice of self-denial.  Sacrifice and loss are foundational to Christian discipleship.  Surrendering our wills to Almighty God is essential to discovering liberty from fear and death. 

“I Am With You!”

The presence of Almighty God enables us to meet all internal and external challenges.  On any day, we confront myriad issues of health, finance, marriage, family, and job.  Understandably, fear overtakes us and anxiety paralyzes us.  We are clueless about resolving these problems.  Sometimes, we make fear larger than life.  We fail to see solutions as we focus so heavily upon the dread we feel.  Isaiah reminds us God is always present to empower us.  He says, “So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God.  I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” (Isaiah 41:10)

This verse contains a lifetime of promises from Almighty God.  First, the Lord encourages us to forsake the fear; faith and fear cannot coexist just as darkness and light cannot simultaneously occupy the same space.  God is our Shepherd who leads and protects us.  His presence eliminates our worries. 

Secondly, He tells us not to fear because He is with us.  God’s presence comforts us.  He always appears with power.  The word, comfort, equals the combination of “cum” (Latin for with) and “fortis” (Latin for power or strength).  God’s presence always yields fortitude necessary to overcome hard times.  The first two clauses of this verse are amazing promises for all believers who possess a mustard seed’s faith to receive them.

God says, “I am with you.”  The great “I AM” (Exodus 3:14) is always with us.  God simply is.  He is everywhere.  Therefore, it is fallacious to ask God to be with us.  “Be with us now Lord as we go into this surgery.”  Interestingly, God is already in the operating room before you get there.  Instead, we ask the Lord to open the eyes of our hearts and minds so we see Him.  We may need a greater revelation of His presence and a better understanding of His will.  Additionally, we may require a reassurance of His comforting presence.

Nonetheless, the third and fourth clauses of Isaiah 41:10 reiterate the first and second.  “Do not be dismayed, for I am your God.”  Essentially, the Lord says, “don’t fret.”  There are times when we throw a pity party.  We focus upon the circumstances until they overwhelm us.  Then, we begin believing our problems are superlative to everyone else’s.  Then, the Lord reminds us to open our eyes and realize He is present throughout any ordeal; giving us confidence to face daily struggles. 

Furthermore, He says, “I will strengthen you and help you.”  The maker of heaven and earth pledges His resources and assistance in resolving any dilemma that confronts us.  Simply stated, God will give whatever we need to be victorious.  This divine promise eradicates any anxiety and enables our focus upon God’s practical guidance.  There is no magic.  God accomplishes our triumph through a combination of His steadfast love, power of the Holy Spirit and tools of a sharp mind.  Ephesians 3:20 declares God aids us beyond our wildest imaginations.  He does so through the strength of His Spirit working within us.

The last section of this verse summarizes these remarkable assurances.  God upholds us despite the circumstances.  He pledges solely on the basis of His righteousness.  “I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”  God carries us when we fall upon the road of life.  When we exhaust our strength, we rely upon His power and might.  Elsewhere, Isaiah says, “He gives power to the weak and to them that they have no might, He increases strength.” 

The Lord concludes His divine guarantees in Isaiah 41:13 repeating the words of the tenth verse.  “For I am the Lord, your God, who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, Do not fear; I will help you.”  What a wonderful image of a loving Father who takes the hand of a scared child and reassures him or her that everything is going to be all right.  The presence, wisdom, practical guidance and spiritual empowerment of Almighty God enable us to become “more than conquerors through Jesus Christ who loves us.”

Personal Walls of Jericho

Personal Walls of Jericho

Most of us are very familiar with the walls of Jericho story in Joshua 6:1-26.  Affectionately, we recall the lyrics of the Sunday Church School song, “Joshua fought the battle of Jericho and the walls came tumbling down.”  This passage offers powerful personal meaning as we face daily challenges.  Just as the walls of Jericho were demolished, the fortresses of our personal problems, internal dilemmas and spiritual obstacles can be demolished.

Archaeologists posit the outer wall of Jericho was twenty-eight feet wide.  There were a second and a third inner wall, which were one hundred feet and two hundred and sixty-five feet wide.  These walls were wide enough to build houses on the top of them.  People in the Ancient Near East world probably marveled at the height, depth, aesthetic and engineering of these walls.  Metaphorically, we stand in awe of the length and substance of our personal challenges.  Why does this problem linger for so long?  Why can’t I overcome it?  Will I ever experience victory over this problem?  Personal walls actually imprison us to self-centered fear and other character defects. 

I offer five suggestions for destroying your personal walls of Jericho.  First, explore the problem.  Joshua sends a reconnaissance mission ahead to prepare for battle.  He carefully analyzes the forthcoming struggle.  He does not lunge into fighting without considering his odds of victory and possibilities of defeat.  He determines his needs of resources in order to win.  Often, we rush for the solution without fully knowing what the problem is.  Denial additionally factors in your inability to determine the exact nature of the problem.  Nonetheless, the first step in resolving any challenge is defining as specifically as possible what it is.

Second, encounter the “Captain of the Lord of Hosts,” who is the Lord Jesus Christ Himself.  In traditional church parlance, “Take it to the Lord in prayer.”  If we ask Him, Almighty God graciously grants divine guidance and insight to resolve our problems.  Practically speaking, prayer is the spiritual discipline of lifting our heartfelt concerns to our Heavenly Father for His assistance and empowerment.  Moreover, prayer immensely aids us in examining our motives.  Perhaps, we are enjoying some of our problems.  Others of us relish in the “familiarity of pathology.”  Prayer and meditation usher us into the presence of God.  That encounter empowers to face “the living of these days.”

Third, we should expect to win!  Negativity defeats a lot of people.  They go into negotiations, difficult conversations, conflicts and other challenges doubting their abilities or the strength of their positions.  Rather, maintaining a positive attitude is essential to winning in anything.  However, this requires completing the “5 Ps” in advance.  “Prior preparation prevents poor performance.”  Part of the preparation is the development and maintenance of a positive perspective.

Fourth, extend your very best effort.  Joshua and the people marched around the wall six days.  On the seventh day, they marched around the wall seven times.  The biblical number, seven, represents wholeness.  They could not win until they were willing to fight to the fullest extent of their will and resources. 

Finally, experience the victory.  They shout on the seventh round.  They shout with the voice of triumph and victory.  They praise God for His favor and faithfulness.  I pray this familiar passage of scripture encourages you as your personal walls of Jericho come tumbling down.

Prayers and Praying

Recently, a colleague asked me to write five short prayers for inclusion in an anthology.  Below, I list two of the prayers that I submitted. 

Before doing so, however, I have a few comments on the spiritual discipline of prayer.  It is central to our relationship with God.  Prayer is the primary source of communication between God and us.  When we pray, we do not engage in magic!  Practically speaking, prayer is our side of a phone conversation.  We express our gratitude for God’s goodness toward us.  We recount many examples of His ceaseless and steadfast love and His endless tender mercies.  We thank God for His faithfulness, which enables us to stand victoriously despite life’s challenges.  In addition to adoring God for being the Sovereign Lord of the universe, we utilize prayer to request His continual blessings as they accord with His good, pleasing and perfect will for our lives.

Philippians 4:6-7 offers an easy and effective prayer formula.  (1) Do not be anxious about anything.  (2) In everything, utilize prayer and petition to present your requests to God with thanksgiving and praise.  (3) The peace of God will rule your hearts and mind in Christ Jesus. 

Sometimes, we pray to relieve anxiety and stress.  Yet, faith and fear cannot co-exist just as light and darkness cannot occupy the same space simultaneously.  The foregoing formula suggests we can take everything to the Lord in prayer.  It does not matter however small or large a situation may be.  Paul also encourages the church at Philippi always to include gratitude and praise in prayer.  Regardless of our circumstances, God is still good.  The name of the Lord shall be praised whether we are in need or not. 

Be specific in prayer!  Vague prayers evidence a lack of faith.  James forthrightly declares a doubled minded person cannot ask anything of God.  Prayer yields the peace of God, which transcends human understanding.  Whether we devise a sufficient plan to rectify our problems, God’s peace enables us to rest within His goodness and faithfulness.

Ephesians 3:20 reveals self-empowerment as the purpose of prayer.  God is not a genie in the sky who waves a wand at our beck and call.  Instead, God uses our requests as the basis for lessons He gives us.  As we acquire spiritual tools through these incidents, we find inner strength to resolve challenges about which we pray.   Simply put, prayer equals personal empowerment. 

It is difficult to consider prayer without including meditation.  In the former, we talk to God; in the latter, we listen intently to the inner voice as the Holy Spirit guides it.  Meditation raises our consciousness to a spiritual level.  We rise above our physical circumstances to a spiritual plane.  Thereby, we contemplate God’s direction toward success.  Once we descend these spiritual heights, we demonstrate obedience and faith by taking the next few steps in the right direction.  I hope that the following prayers will help you in your journey toward Gethsemane, fulfilling the will of God in both words and deeds.

Today’s Imaging Prayer and Meditation

Today, I offer the spiritual image of myself as a heartfelt prayer to Almighty God.  I ask Him to fulfill those desires that accord with His good, pleasing and perfect will for my life.  I see myself as I am.  I see myself as I am becoming.  I see myself as I wish to be in the strength and might of the Lord.  Grant me the spiritual guidance and grace to become the man that I see.  In your Name, I pray.  Amen.

For Faithful and Devoted Husbands

Each morning, O Lord, I ask for a fresh anointing of your unconditional love upon my heart.  Open the eyes of my heart so I may more greatly appreciate your steadfast love that never ceases and your tender mercies, which never come to an end.  Empower me with your Spirit so I may emulate Your perfect example.  May my heart possess sufficient love to forgive any offense and overlook my beloved’s shortcomings.  With the light of Thy countenance, burn away the dross of a self-seeking attitude.  Graciously grant unto me a faithful spirit to live in peace and joy with my wife.  In your holy and blessed Name, I pray.  Amen.

Prayers and Praying - Number Two

Prayers and Praying – Number Two

I offer a few additional prayers for the people of God.  Again, I hope these words encourage you as you seek the will of God for your life.

For Nurturing Fathers

In my children, You have given me the most precious gift of life.  I thank You for thinking so highly of me.  Humbly, I ask for your daily guidance in assisting my children in discovering the unique persons whom You created them to become.  Help me to help them find the talents and gifts You give graciously to them.  Moreover, O Lord, empower me with Thy spirit to live with integrity before them.  Remind me daily that You are Jehovah-jireh, the Lord who provides.  May I find success in pointing them toward a life that honors and glorifies You.  In your holy and blessed Name, I pray.  Amen.

For Those Persons Seeking “Success”

“For you created my inmost being.”  “I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.”  “All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.”  (Psalm 139:13-16)

O Lord, you know me better than I know myself.  You know what gives me joy, fulfills me and brings inner healing and wholeness.  Grant me a humble and willing mind and heart to rely genuinely upon your will for my life.  Free me from the bondage of self-centered fear.  Liberate me from the slavery of willfulness.  Graciously guide me toward the talents, gifts and passions You deposit within me.  Help me find Your inexpressible joy in a life that honors You and serves my neighbor, my brothers and sisters whom I see each day.  O Divine Master, help me to know success is only found in discerning Thy will; accepting Thy will and living within Thy will for my life.  In your holy and blessed Name, I pray.  Amen.

For My Fellow Pastors

O God, make me a pastor after Your own heart.  Give me a shepherd’s heart for each person whom I serve in Your name.  Grant me a spirit of compassion, forgiveness, and kindness for the congregation.  I ask You also to give me the emotional thickness of a lizard’s skin.  When I am criticized, fairly or unfairly, help me to translate the situation into a meaningful experience.  In Thy infinite grace, bestow upon me the wisdom You gave Solomon.  May my words and deeds aid the people of God to fulfill your will in their lives and build your kingdom on earth as it is in heaven.  Fill me with the gifts and fruit of thy Spirit so that I may become a vessel of your love and an instrument of your peace.  In your holy and blessed Name, I pray.  Amen.

For Those Persons Endeavoring to Grow as Disciples

O Lord, I come to You offering praise and thanksgiving.  I praise You as the God of my salvation.  I exalt your Name in all the earth.  I desire to know You.  I desire to love You with all my heart, mind, soul and strength.  “Create in me a clean heart O God and renew a right spirit within me.”  Each morning, let your Spirit draw me to Thy presence.  Give me a daily desire to commune with You.  Help me to learn Thy ways so that I may walk in Thy paths.  According to Your loving kindness, satisfy my thirst and hunger to know You.  Grant unto me a humble spirit so that I would diligently study Thy word and learn Thy character.  Empower me with the willingness to become a devoted disciple of the Lord Jesus Christ.  Give me the fruit of faithfulness so that I may live under His Lordship.  In your holy and blessed Name, I pray.  Amen.

For Those Having Difficulty Forgiving Others

Lord Jesus, help me to forgive as I have been forgiven.  Soften my heart towards everyone so I may share Your love and mercy with anyone whom I encounter.  Help me to cleanse my thoughts, words and deeds so they may be acceptable to Thee.  Remind me of thy word, which says I cannot receive forgiveness if I fail to extend it.  With the light of the Holy Spirit, help me to resolve my personal challenges and resist the temptation to blame others.  Thank you for your enduring forgiveness.  May I share it freely with my neighbor whom You love just as You love me.  In your holy and blessed Name, I pray.  Amen.

Love Your Enemies

In Matthew 5:44, Jesus issues a most ironic spiritual command.  “Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute.”  What a challenge!  Automatically, you think it takes a lifetime of walking with the Lord to obtain this level of spiritual maturity.  How do you pray for the very people who are the source of your problems?  Is this possible?  Isn’t just simply foolish?  Can you do this without feeling your enemies of have gotten the best of you?  Interestingly, this spiritual directive offers more benefits to us than to our enemies.

Jesus delivers this command to reverse the tradition of revenge his listeners practiced.  For centuries, they believe an eye for eye and a tooth for a tooth is the best policy.  If someone wrongs you, then you have every right to rectify the situation by extracting revenge upon him.  When the score is even and your enemy’s suffering equals your own, then you let it go.  Additionally, you appeal to “righteous indignation” to justify your vengeful thoughts and deeds.  After all, the words and actions of your enemy offend God’s laws.  You merely anoint yourself as God’s chosen agent to punish the iniquity of your enemy.  However, through this new instruction, Jesus determines vengeance is a fruitless, counterproductive “dead end game.”  Like violence, it never ends and harms all persons involved, victimizer and victim alike.

Revenge poisons the mind and heart.  It requires constant thought about an offense.  As you daily nurse those memories, anger and resentment consume you.  Plotting vengeance also necessitates planning for the most effective strategy.  You search for any and all opportunities to satisfy this hunger for “justice.”  In time, revenge consumes the person who lives for its fulfillment. 

Jesus recommends we pray for our enemies as a way of liberating ourselves from the entanglement of bitterness and resentment.  More significantly, this commandment prevents us from falling prey to the hell of hatred.  You cannot possibly fulfill the two greatest commands (total love of God and a parallel love neighbor of and self) when you hate anyone.  Accordingly, it is difficult to harbor hatred for people for whom we pray even if we dislike them or consider them to be “enemies.”  Praying for these people actually empowers us to love them as broken and hurt children of God who they are.

Our “enemies” are just as much God’s children as we are.  God is not a respecter of persons.  He rewards those who believe in Him and earnestly seek His face (Hebrews 11:1-6).  In addition, He graciously hears the prayer of all people who reverence Him and “do what is right” in His sight (Acts 10:34-43).  As a result, no one has a monopoly on the goodness, faithfulness, righteousness and justice of God.  The “enemies” of God are those people who are friends with the world (James 4:4).  Offending our moral, ethical, and religious sensibilities does not necessarily make anyone an “enemy” of God.  Simply put, our judgment is not God’s.  We cannot push people out of the grace of God.

Praying for our “enemies” yields humility.  We accept we are also the “enemy” of someone else.  We, too, harm people by trampling upon their feelings and using them to satisfy our self-centered fear.  A few moments of recollection produces compassion and forgiveness.  When we pray for our enemies, the Lord reassures us of this promise in scripture.  “It is mine to avenge; I will repay, says the Lord.”  (Romans 12:19)  As we wait upon the Lord to adjudicate the offense, we acquire more of His character.  We learn to love people as He does.  God’s love is just as infinite as His nature.  Most assuredly, God’s love insists upon justice.  Yet, because of His infinite abilities, He best delivers justice in all human affairs. 

Jesus concludes this passage, Matthew 5:43-48, by reminding us God allows rain to fall on the just and the unjust alike.  He further challenges us to cease and desist with the hypocrisy of only loving those who love us.  If our love extends only to those who can reciprocate, we are no better than “tax collectors and pagans.”  God’s love challenges us to love those whom society considers undeserving.  It demands we see the hurt, brokenness and incomplete nature of our enemies.  Thereby, we love them, our “enemies,” although they are the least worthy of our affection and kindness.

Love One Another

God’s limitless, covenantal, and eternal love for humankind is the foundation of the gospel of Jesus Christ.  Through love, the gospel accomplishes what the Law was unable to do.  It demonstrates God’s steadfast love, faithfulness and mercy which comprise the basis for His forgiveness of humankind.  He creates us in His image.  God provides a perfect setting in the Garden of Eden where we may commune with Him.  Ideally, we reflect His love and goodness. 

However, human pride, disobedience and infidelity corrupt His divine plan.  Accordingly, God’s love demands humankind faces the consequences of sin.  Whereas God expels humankind from the Garden of Eden, His love yields forgiveness and mercy, allowing restoration of an ideal relationship between Creator and creature.  John, the evangelist of love, inimitably summarizes the magnanimity of God’s love for humankind.  “For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only begotten Son that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:16)

Our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, commands all disciples to emulate God’s love.  In the defining charter for Christians, individually, and the Church, collectively, Jesus determines love is the distinguishing characteristic of His followers.  “A new command I give you: Love one another.  As I have loved you, so you must love one another.  By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” (John 13:34-35)

The eloquent simplicity of that command cloaks its difficulty.  It is extremely easy to recite those verses.  In fact, we do so on automatic pilot, particularly in a Bible study setting.  Yet, we face daily challenges in living those verses.  How do we love our brothers and sisters who irk us?  What about the ones who get on our very last nerves?  There are those whose profession of faith and practice of lifestyle contradict each other.  There are also those who mistake the years of their human life with spiritual maturity and wisdom; the two definitely do not correlate.  What about the “know-it-alls” in our midst?  Then, there are those to whom we give positions of leadership and they lack the requisite faithfulness to serve.  Additionally, we have persons who linger in various sins without any apparent desire to overcome them.  We cannot miss the self-righteous brother and sanctimonious sister who insist he or she just left the presence of God.  Lastly, there are the half-hearted Jacks and Janes of all trades and masters of none who impose their “considered” opinion on the Church.  Nonetheless, Jesus commands us to love the foregoing people despite the depth of this challenge.

The least common denominator amongst these persons is brokenness.  We love people who are still very incomplete, even though they seemingly ignore their predicament.  In some instances, we are more aware of their problems than they are.  That fact, however, does not permit us to dismiss them until they find healing and wholeness.  Ironically, the love we demonstrate toward them is a critical part of their healing process.  We love them until they learn to love themselves.  The lack of self-acceptance causes the extreme brokenness of many people in the Church. 

Perhaps, they are unaware of the many ways in which they offend people.  Their brokenness partially stems from an incomplete understanding of God’s love.  As they are ignorant concerning God’s love for them, they cannot love themselves.  As a result, they are incapable of loving others.  But, they can obtain healing knowledge of God’s love when disciples freely demonstrate it. 

Accordingly, we resist the temptation to demonize these broken people.  Easily, we label them as bad people.  Naturally, we avoid them and wish they would leave the fellowship.  Surprisingly, Jesus says we need these broken people more than we readily realize.  Rather than hindering our walk with the Lord, the broken persons in our church family grace us with the opportunity to fully actualize God’s love in Christ Jesus.  Furthermore, the great apostle of love, John, insists we cannot love God whom we have never seen and hate our brother or sister whom we see daily.  (1 John 4:4-21)  Broken persons do not deserve our wrath and indifference.  Instead, they should be the primary recipients of our consideration and forgiveness.