God, what is it that you think about me?

This question was presented by Sara Carlisle at Vineyard Columbus Women’s Summer Series last night. It’s a great question especially following the question she first encouraged us to ask: “How do I think about God?”

Most of the time, how we think about someone greatly influences our impression of what we think they think about us.

For example, several years ago I worked in an open office environment – lots of desks in one big room. One day a co-worker said something to me that still impacts me 17 years later. “Lisa, you think everyone likes you don’t you?” Stunned at first, but my response came from my heart and it applies today both in positive and negative ways. “Well, yes. I like everyone. So I assume they like me unless I give them a reason not too.”

You see. How I think about someone greatly influences how I think they think about me. Neither may be accurate but it impacts my attitude toward everything in life.

With God, I can read his word and discover that he loves me… unconditionally. There is nothing I can do to cause him not to love me.^[*] If I let that truth sink in, it will influence my response to everything that goes on around me.

So, how do you think about God? Before the next question, ask God if what you think about him is true. Now, ask God what it is he thinks about you. Keeping your mind on the truth of who God is and what he thinks about you will change the way you experience today.

Keep Growing and Sowing,

Lisa

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^[*] Romans 8:38-39

Team Development - Part 1

Praying for Clarity of Your Purpose

For the sake of this column we will assume that you already have a daily routine of meeting with God for personal growth and guidance. If not, please talk to a spiritual mentor about exciting ways to seek God according to your personality.

You know the emergency instructions reviewed each time you board an airplane. If the cabin pressure changes, those little toy-looking air masks will drop down. If you are traveling with someone who needs assistance, who gets air first? YOU! Why? Because you can’t help anyone if you pass out.

The same concept applies to Team Development. You cannot assist others in understanding their role on the team without first establishing clarity of your role.

Your individual purpose is, most likely, not the same as the vision or purpose for the ministry itself.

For example, when I was a volunteer women’s ministry director in a church with weekend attendance of 1700, the stated purpose of the women’s ministry was:

to assist women in getting to know God in such a way that
their daily life becomes a divine experience

The role of the women’s ministry director was:

To encourage the women God calls to the team
to use their giftedness as He desires

Alone, I could not assist a large number of women in getting to know God. However, I could encourage a team of gifted women called by God according to the gifts he placed in me.

Seek God’s guidance with these questions to help you clarify your role.

• What unique passion, gifts and/or desires has God given you for leading a team?
• Are you a big-picture motivating leader or an in-the-details working leader?
• How can you best assist others in their giftedness?
• What does God want to teach you in this experience?
• Have you noticed a specific scripture or recurring topic in your quiet times?

Staying focused on your individual purpose will allow others to respond to God’s calling on their life. This brings about unity and it provides clarity for the world to see the Body of Christ at work.

May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me. John 17:23

Articles to Come:
Team Development – Part 2: Your Ministry’s Spot in the Big Picture
Team Development – Part 3: Flip the Organizational Chart
Team Development – Part 4: Work with What You Have
Team Development – Part 5: Healthy Team Meetings

Why do we pray?

“I found that I’d been saying, in effect, ‘Keep me from trial or tragedy or pain or anything that would make me really grow and become a man of God. Just give me a convenient, happy, satisfying, problem-free life.’” (Bill Hybels Too Busy Not To Pray, Second Edition 1998, Downers Grove, IL: pg 106)

Maybe it is this culture of quick fixes, but I think it is easy to fall into this concept that prayer is about getting God to make this life easier. If so, that would mean this physical life is the most important part of existence - indicating that prolonging a comfortable life is our goal. This leads to the conclusion that man and God are failing because the odds of physical death currently stand at near 100% and many of those deaths are painful to the one dying and to those who love them.

So there must be another reason for prayer.

Since the Garden of Eden, the Enemy has pursued us with the desire to possess and destroy all that belongs to God. The fullness of God was ushered into this physical world through Christ. Luke 19:10 reports that Christ came to seek and to save that which belongs to God. Like a soldier planting his country’s flag to claim the land, God has planted his flag – the Cross of Christ. This is the essence of the spiritual war we have been born into.

John 17:17-19 indicates that Christ has enabled us to continue his work. There are many wounded from the war. Some have been deceived by the Enemy. Our job is to push back the Gates of Hell, usher in the presence of God, and seek and save the lost and wounded - reclaiming what is God’s.

It is not God’s kingdom that we are preparing for. The kingdom is already present. We are preparing for the greatest display of God’s power when He ends the war and totally annihilates the enemy. In that day there will be no more fear. No more pain or sorrow. The restoration of a new heaven and earth will be complete - an earth that never again needs fixed.

So why do we pray? I would like to suggest the purpose of prayer is to report the casualties and receive our marching orders from the Commander in Chief.

It’s important to remember the cause of the war. If we focus only on the comfort of our unit, we will continually get flanked by the enemy. Do you really want to prolong the world as we know it? God could wipe out the Enemy now if he wanted, but “bear in mind that our Lord's patience means salvation” (2 Peter 3:15). Are you ready to see the Enemy destroyed along with all those he has captured?

Our physical death is imminent. The war and our purpose in this life is to reclaim what belongs to God before the Enemy and his possessions are wiped from existence. They will not be present in the new heaven and new earth. Let us pray that God’s presence would overpower the Enemy not only for our comfort but for the cause of this war. May we ask for His strength and boldness every day to seek and save the prisoners of this war.

Related Scripture References:

Matthew 16:18 Pushing back the Gates of Hell

Luke 19:10 Reclaim what is God’s

Colossians 1:13,17,19 Ephesians 3:13-19 Usher in God’s Presence – once fully in Christ, now in us

Philippians 1:6 Preparing for Christ’s Return

A New Covenant

“He has made us competent as ministers of a new covenant – not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.” 2 Corinthians 3:6

The concept of this verse has recently changed the way I view my relationship with God and my relationship with others – especially with my children.

When Jesus said “it is finished”^[1] he ended the covenant established with the Ten Commandments^[2]. When Jesus said “this cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you”^[3] he introduced a totally different agreement between mankind and God.

“Do you not know… that the law has authority over a man only as long as he lives?... by dying to what once bound us, we have been released from the law so that we serve in the new way of the Spirit, and not in the old way of the written code.” Romans 7:1, 6

Have you ever thought about the concept of no law? We assume that laws are written to improve relationship and avoid chaos. However, law brings punishment. Grace brings kindness and peace.

Without law, there is no judgment (Romans 8:1-2). Think about that. Are you living under grace or under law?

Lord, may we live in the freedom you have given us through the fulfillment of the old covenant. May we recognize that being “good” is not valid in the new covenant. May we minister by the new covenant which gives life.

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^[1] John 19:30

^[2] Exodus 34:10-28

^[3] Luke 22:20

Where are your stones?

In the future, when your children ask you, 'What do these stones mean?' tell them that the flow of the Jordan was cut off before the ark of the covenant of the Lord. When it crossed the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan were cut off. These stones are to be a memorial to the people of Israel forever." Joshua 4:6-7

At a Life Purpose Facilitation I was instructed to write down ten significant moments from my life – events that had changed the way I lived or my perspective of life. I can see now where God was present in all of them. But only the ones that I recognized his presence at the time do I have “a stone” as a reminder for my children or others to see.

Those around us, especially our children, need to know how God has impacted our life. One stone in my house is a picture of our stillborn son. His blood red coloring and tiny lifeless body draw attention to those who visit. Many are struck with sadness at first. But then I tell them of God’s loving arms around me during that time and how we learned to trust God through the experience.

What can you show to your children so that they know your faith is real and not just a story of an invisible God?

Life and Death

Last week a friend told me of her struggles to control circumstances concerning her children.

Yesterday a friend described how her joy had seeped out over of a period of time without her realizing it.

Today a four year old girl named Riley will be told her daddy is dead.

Life and death. What is it all about? What’s the purpose?

I asked that question many times in my teens up through my late thirties. Now in my forties, I’m getting a glimpse of the real meaning of this life. My understanding is probably equivalent to Riley’s understanding her daddy’s death. But whether I understand it or not doesn’t change the facts. Death is the absence of life and Jesus is Life.

My biggest spiritual (and therefore emotional which leads also to physical) struggle plays out in my thoughts.

Sometimes it is a struggle to control circumstances.

The tempter came to him and said, "If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread." Jesus answered, "It is written: 'Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.'" ^*

When things aren’t going the way I want them to go, I can easily come up with a plan to let someone else know the thoughts that are feeding my actions. This verse reminds me that my response to this world is much more satisfying if I allow God to feed my thoughts and actions like a mother bird feeding her young.

Sometimes the struggle is in my expectations of others.

"If you are the Son of God," he said, "throw yourself down. For it is written: "'He will command his angels concerning you, and they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.'" Jesus answered him, "It is also written: 'Do not put the Lord your God to the test.'" ^*

Leadership in any area is exhausting – including the leadership role of “Mom.” I often forget that God is giving me the opportunity to work with him. It’s not about getting others to work with me. An example of this is in watching my head-strong son try to take on the role of parent in the neighborhood then expect me to support him when the other child or their parent strikes back.

The most recurring battle in my mind is the desire to just enjoy a comfortable life.

Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor. "All this I will give you," he said, "if you will bow down and worship me." Jesus said to him, "Away from me, Satan! For it is written: 'Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.'"^*

Sometimes I just want to enjoy the whole spectrum of pleasures available in this world. But the truth is this world and its physical pleasures do not last forever. Whether I choose to live it as if I own it or hide from the worldly pleasures as if they don’t exist, people are leaving this world without the thrill of worshiping the Lord your God and serving him only.

God is continually reminding me that I experience life by trusting him. He is perfect love. Life is all about experiencing his love. Sometimes love hurts terribly when imperfect people are involved. God knows that pain too.

That pain makes us want to take control of the circumstance, other people, and the pleasure of life. But when we do that, we’re not experiencing life any more. We experience death and that hurts worse than love ever will.

May you experience the love of Christ, though it is so great you will never fully understand it. Then you will be filled with the fullness of life and power that comes from God. Eph 3:19

^* From Matthew 4:1-11

Servant of the Lord Your God

“Dear God, Why did Joshua keep saying ‘servant of the Lord your God’ when he was referring to Moses when the people already knew that?”

We’ve tried various ways to encourage our kids to read their Bible daily but it always ends up to be dreaded routine. My desire is that they will discover the Bible to be exciting dialogue with an awesome God – not rules and regulations that threaten their enjoyment of this gift of life.

Over the past year my nearly ten year old son as become absorbed in a book series called A Series of Unfortunate Events. The stories are filled with conflict, mystery, and sadness. Lemony Snicket is a great author but he can’t match the real life series of unfortunate events found in the Old Testament.

So, I encouraged...uh suggested...ok, I told my son to read the book of Joshua and write something in his journal each time he reads – a question, thoughts that intrigued him, anything that came to mind while reading. The question beginning this blog is from him.

The thing I love most about studying the Bible with kids is their questions. So why did Joshua keep referring to Moses as “servant of the Lord your God” when the Israelites already knew that about Moses? My simple response, “I don’t know.” But let’s think about that question.

We have had some outstanding leaders in our contemporary Christian culture - people like Mother Teresa and Billy Graham. Most of us see these individuals as exceptional people who have done far greater things than we could ever do. But the truth is they are simply servants of the Lord your God. Well, that is if Yahweh of the Old Testament is your God.

When I asked my son if he knew what “lord” meant, he responded with the common reference to Lord as a ruler in a kingdom. I suggested he think of Lord as in landlord – one who owns property that someone else uses for a period of time.

Look around you: Everything you see is God's - the heavens above and beyond, the Earth, and everything on it. Deuteronomy 10:14

Perhaps Joshua was simply reminding the Israelites not to worship Moses for his accomplishments – or fault him for his “self-moments” that kept him from entering the promised land. The same should hold true for us today. Mother Teresa and Billy Graham are examples of outstanding leadership not because of what they accomplished but because they show us how to be servants of the Almighty God.

God gave me a dream of speaking but even if I don’t step foot in the promised speaking arena, I want my kids to remember me as a servant of the Lord their God.

How about you? Are you focused more on accomplishing the tasks in which your Lord has allowed you to participate or being his servant each step along the way? It’s a question I have to ask myself every day.