When we think about the phrase, “neglected worship,” we are most likely drawn to some part of worship, like repentance, reconciliation, or some other aspects that are indeed very important. But perhaps one of the most neglected aspects of worship is one that is found in the book of Psalms and comprises the largest single category or themes in the biblical psalter, – that of laments. Granted some of these were individual and personal, yet some were congregational, a pleading for the nation. Rather than a study on a specific psalm, I would like for us to consider an overview of the importance of such songs and why we have neglected them in our worship.
Suffering is a part of life, and certainly a natural result of our human nature. We live in an amazing creation of God, yet we live as fallen creations from God’s original design. The pattern of insisting on our own plans rather than those of our Creator has left us with the consequences of our actions. Jesus’ redemptive work has provided a renewed access to the Father, yet the results of rebellion still echo in our hearts. Even then, God in His grace and mercy take the fruit of this rebellion and uses it to remake us in to His image. Suffering is one way God takes that which is on the surface is not good as we understand or perceive it, and uses it for our good and His glory.
[This is not a treatise on suffering, I am not qualified to speak on it, nor does this format provide adequate space to do so, since entire books are on the subject. Some suffering is a direct result of our actions, while some suffering happens to those who are innocent. Although understanding the reasons for the suffering might make it more bearable, the suffering remains, none the less.]
With all the controversies surrounding worship, I have yet to hear of one caused by someone using “laments” in worship. In fact, I’m not sure I’ve heard many in my life. We tend to steer away from anything painful, and mistakenly think that worship only means “praise.” Yet, Scripture’s songbook is full of these cries and pleas to God in the midst of extreme anguish and they are done in the context of worship, whether personal or corporate. Is our relationship with God so superficial that we only desire to know one small facet of the nature and character of God? Paul tells the church at Philippi, “that I may know Him, and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in His suffering, becoming like Him in His death...” [Phil. 3:10] Yes, there is a great desire to know the power of God that will raise us from the death, but Paul gives us a greater insight into the process of becoming like Jesus, the need to share in His sufferings.
This is not a masochistic or sadistic desire, but an honest desire to identify with the One who loved us so much that we desire to be like Him regardless of the cost. Our natural response is to avoid such pain. There are those who would preach such a perversion of Scripture as to say that if you follow God, “you won’t have problems and that God will make you rich.” Unfortunately, there are many with “itching ears” to hear such lies because they are trying to avoid the pain or suffering that they are going through. Pain and suffering are one of the ways that God uses to purge and refine our character as we learn to respond correctly to it. Does that mean that when problems come that we just sit idly by, denying that what we are going through, devoid of any emotions whatsoever? No. Look at the Psalms. The psalmist is anything but devoid of emotion. Sometimes, it is almost frightening to us to hear the psalmist address God as he does. God does not fear our honest expressions of hurt, despair, frustration, confusion. What He does desire is trust in His nature and character. When Job cries out “why” over and over again, God does respond with the answer to “why,” but does so by sharing more of “Who” He is. He reveals more of His nature, His power, His character.
That, perhaps is where we get confused in “our laments.” We are more anxious to just be rid of the problems than have God’s refining, and unwilling to take advantage of the opportunity to get to know God deeper in the midst of the suffering. We just want to scream and shout; the psalmist expresses the honest emotions of his soul, but in addressing them to God there is an underlining expression of faith that God alone was the One that could do something about them. We need to teach believers how to mourn, lament, and do it in a context that is consistent with Scripture.
This semester I have been very grateful to Dr. Dennis Cole, in his teaching of the doctoral course on “Music in the Biblical World.” In passing, Dr. Cole mentioned the lack of lament in worship, which, honestly began this consideration a couple of months ago. These past few days have given opportunity to apply some of the things that God has been trying to teach me, and no it is not easy or painless. I used to silently chide the disciples for fearing the sinking of their boat while Jesus was there asleep next to them, until I, myself, began to feel the splash of the storms in my own life. It is making me more sensitive to others going through similar situations and I trust more attuned to the Spirit’s leading in my own life.
I’m not advocating that we all run out and scream out laments during our worship services, but I do think that we need to seriously consider the addition to honest expressions of grief as part of our sacrifices of praise to God. As we offer “all” that we are, we need to offer to Him our fears, our hurts, our cries, our frustrations, and our anger, as well as our thanksgiving. Not to do so is to hold back part of that which God created in the first place. Authentic worship is not one-sided, but encompassing all of who we are so that we can learn to know God in an even more intimate way and allow His holiness to continue to purify the inmost part of our beings.
With that being said, I raise my lament:
“I cry out to You, God in my pain, because You, alone, know me and understand all that is going on around me and in You alone do I look for help. I give You my hurt, confusion, and all the mix of emotions I feel now, and ask for Your mercy and grace. I cry out to you for the many that are grieving as well around me and claim the power of Your Holy Spirit to minister to those as well. I thank You, O God, that You are our refuge and strength, our help and our God.”
Thursday, April 7, 2011
Wednesday, March 23, 2011
Worship and Faith...continued
Kathy and I are privileged to be able to teach at New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary, – she in Psychology and Counseling and I in Music and Worship. One of the great joys we have is that we get to “go to work” together every morning. This is a great time for us to share and pray together without the interruptions that come during the normal routines of the day. A few days ago we had had our time of prayer and Kathy began sharing about an aspect of faith that I had not thought about: how our lack of faith is like falsely accusing God. None of us appreciates falsely being accused of doing or not doing something. It’s unfair. Yet, when we fail to trust God we are accusing God of neglect, of not caring, of not fulfilling to be who He said He would be.
I honestly had to stop and think. When I fail to trust God to take control of difficult situations, was I really accusing Him of neglect? Was I telling God, that He just wasn’t trustworthy, so I have to help Him out? It was cause for concern. My songs of praise on Sunday didn’t seem to match the fact that I was putting God on trial accusing Him of neglect throughout the week. No, I wasn’t saying this out loud, but my actions certainly were speaking louder than my words, and I’m sure that in the ears of the loving Father, these actions were louder than my praise.
Maybe I was just thinking that my lack of faith was only affecting me; after all I believed God, knew His loving care in my life, how could I accuse Him of anything but good? God is all powerful and exists self-sufficient without my praise, but my lack of faith failed to reflect His faithful nature and character. My response now is one of confession and repentance. God is faithful. I will trust. I must trust.
This really brings me to the trip home that same day. In the back of my mind I was still going over the “accusing God from lack of faith,” when we got into the car to return home. There were lots of things going on and circumstances still did not show this blazing light that God was in control. In fact, in some ways the problems that I had been facing were still as big as before. Then, as only God can do, He reveals a truth through some everyday common occurrence. As we rounded a bend, the sun was beginning to set and several clouds blocked the sun from view. Besides a beautiful site, God seemed to speak to me out of the sunset: “The power and brightness of the sun has not dimmed; it is just as strong as it was before, the only difference is a cloud has temporarily gotten between the sun and my sight.
The parallel was too clear. God’s power is never diminished by circumstances: He is God. He is never surprised at tragedy, never caught off-guard. He is God. In the light of eternity, my circumstances are as fleeting as a cloud, for nothing can really completely block out the Glory of God. My lack of faith had been partially based on the circumstances around me, and now I understood that these really could not diminish the glorious power of the Risen Christ, nor His control over all things. I trust Him.
What a day. From sunrise to sunset His mercies are everlasting!
I honestly had to stop and think. When I fail to trust God to take control of difficult situations, was I really accusing Him of neglect? Was I telling God, that He just wasn’t trustworthy, so I have to help Him out? It was cause for concern. My songs of praise on Sunday didn’t seem to match the fact that I was putting God on trial accusing Him of neglect throughout the week. No, I wasn’t saying this out loud, but my actions certainly were speaking louder than my words, and I’m sure that in the ears of the loving Father, these actions were louder than my praise.
Maybe I was just thinking that my lack of faith was only affecting me; after all I believed God, knew His loving care in my life, how could I accuse Him of anything but good? God is all powerful and exists self-sufficient without my praise, but my lack of faith failed to reflect His faithful nature and character. My response now is one of confession and repentance. God is faithful. I will trust. I must trust.
This really brings me to the trip home that same day. In the back of my mind I was still going over the “accusing God from lack of faith,” when we got into the car to return home. There were lots of things going on and circumstances still did not show this blazing light that God was in control. In fact, in some ways the problems that I had been facing were still as big as before. Then, as only God can do, He reveals a truth through some everyday common occurrence. As we rounded a bend, the sun was beginning to set and several clouds blocked the sun from view. Besides a beautiful site, God seemed to speak to me out of the sunset: “The power and brightness of the sun has not dimmed; it is just as strong as it was before, the only difference is a cloud has temporarily gotten between the sun and my sight.
The parallel was too clear. God’s power is never diminished by circumstances: He is God. He is never surprised at tragedy, never caught off-guard. He is God. In the light of eternity, my circumstances are as fleeting as a cloud, for nothing can really completely block out the Glory of God. My lack of faith had been partially based on the circumstances around me, and now I understood that these really could not diminish the glorious power of the Risen Christ, nor His control over all things. I trust Him.
What a day. From sunrise to sunset His mercies are everlasting!
Sunday, March 13, 2011
Worship and Discipleship
Scripture admonishes us in many ways, but the Great Commandments, -(love the Lord with all our heart, mind, soul, and strength, and love our neighbor as ourselves,) and the Great Commission, (to go into all the world and make disciples) summarizes them all. In fact, we must be rightly related to God and others in order to share Christ and lead them in discipleship. The essence of worship is found in the phrase, "love the Lord with all our heart, mind, soul, and strength," for worship is not simply a feeling, but the obedient response to the revealed nature and character of God. Love is tied to obedience, as Jesus said, "he that loves me must keep my commandments ."
"Loving God" will encompass all we are, our heart (our feelings), our minds (how we think, what we think), our soul (our very being), and our strength (our physical being). Every aspect of being human is devoted to loving the Creator, Savior, and Almighty God who desires fellowship with us, though we have nothing to offer but our gratitude. When our wills, our all, is submitted to God, we are in a position to really be able to love others as we love ourselves. Loving myself biblically entails the realization that my worth comes totally from what God has done for me, not from anything, any talent, or goodness that I might have or could give. I come to love that which God has created for His purposes and by His design. I can then love others in the same way, for they too are His creations, made for His purposes by His design.
Loving God also includes learning to be open and transparent with God in how we think and feel. Admitting to God that we are angry or frustrated is not easy, for as Christians we think that we shouldn't feel that way. The truth is that many times we just hide how we really feel and what we really think, without ever asking ourselves the hard questions of why we feel or think that way in the first place. Allow me to give an example. Without going into too many details, sometime back someone did something that really upset me. My personal reaction to what happened was in reality greater than what the incident might have incited. At first, I was upset at the action of the individual involved, or at least that is what I told myself. When the Holy Spirit began to work in my heart ask why I reacted as I did and why I felt and thought as I did, I came to the realization that the greater reason for my being upset was not so much with the action of the other person, who was without a doubt wrong; the deeper reason was pride and jealousy in my own heart, for which I had to confess and repent. I cannot maintain an intimate relationship with the Father and such sin in my life. I am not free to love God or love others if I have unresolved or unreconciled relationships in my life.
If I am loving my neighbor as myself, I am free to share the news that God loves us not for we bring to Him, but for Who He is and that He desires a personal relationship with us. Just as the person who has been cured of a terminal disease by a new miracle drug would want to share the news to everyone, my desire is to share the news of this relationship that God has provided, a relationship that is free to me but cost God the life of His Son. The liberation of trying to be good enough to become acceptable to God, that I must somehow earn His favor, is found in this relationship with Christ. Christ in me has given me worth! Christ in me has given new life, eternal life, and not just for me, but for all those who surrender to His will and authority . I must not keep such good news to myself, such selfishness cannot be permitted; this is part of loving others as I love myself.
Discipleship is the coming alongside others with the goal of helping them live consistent, obedient lives, and begin to help them do the same mentoring with those that they know are young in the faith. It is the realization of carrying out the Great Commandments worldwide. As Acts 1:8 declares, we must begin with those closest to us and move outward. Sometimes we forget those closest to us are not just the neighbor across the street, but those in our own household. The greatest opportunity for discipleship is with our own family. It is also the most difficult to accomplish. Teaching and modeling what worship is and how to do it must be an essential part of what we do as we disciple those of our own family, as well as others. Our children model what their parents do, both good and bad, which applies to our practice of worship (or lack of it). (This is one reason that children need the experience of worshiping with adults, rather than be separated from them.)
Worship must walk hand in hand with discipleship, or it will be incomplete. Just as a tree will reproduce after it's own kind, discipleship that fails in teaching and modeling biblical worship will reproduce a lifestyle that is lacking in the most basic and essential elements toward an intimate relationship with Christ.
"Loving God" will encompass all we are, our heart (our feelings), our minds (how we think, what we think), our soul (our very being), and our strength (our physical being). Every aspect of being human is devoted to loving the Creator, Savior, and Almighty God who desires fellowship with us, though we have nothing to offer but our gratitude. When our wills, our all, is submitted to God, we are in a position to really be able to love others as we love ourselves. Loving myself biblically entails the realization that my worth comes totally from what God has done for me, not from anything, any talent, or goodness that I might have or could give. I come to love that which God has created for His purposes and by His design. I can then love others in the same way, for they too are His creations, made for His purposes by His design.
Loving God also includes learning to be open and transparent with God in how we think and feel. Admitting to God that we are angry or frustrated is not easy, for as Christians we think that we shouldn't feel that way. The truth is that many times we just hide how we really feel and what we really think, without ever asking ourselves the hard questions of why we feel or think that way in the first place. Allow me to give an example. Without going into too many details, sometime back someone did something that really upset me. My personal reaction to what happened was in reality greater than what the incident might have incited. At first, I was upset at the action of the individual involved, or at least that is what I told myself. When the Holy Spirit began to work in my heart ask why I reacted as I did and why I felt and thought as I did, I came to the realization that the greater reason for my being upset was not so much with the action of the other person, who was without a doubt wrong; the deeper reason was pride and jealousy in my own heart, for which I had to confess and repent. I cannot maintain an intimate relationship with the Father and such sin in my life. I am not free to love God or love others if I have unresolved or unreconciled relationships in my life.
If I am loving my neighbor as myself, I am free to share the news that God loves us not for we bring to Him, but for Who He is and that He desires a personal relationship with us. Just as the person who has been cured of a terminal disease by a new miracle drug would want to share the news to everyone, my desire is to share the news of this relationship that God has provided, a relationship that is free to me but cost God the life of His Son. The liberation of trying to be good enough to become acceptable to God, that I must somehow earn His favor, is found in this relationship with Christ. Christ in me has given me worth! Christ in me has given new life, eternal life, and not just for me, but for all those who surrender to His will and authority . I must not keep such good news to myself, such selfishness cannot be permitted; this is part of loving others as I love myself.
Discipleship is the coming alongside others with the goal of helping them live consistent, obedient lives, and begin to help them do the same mentoring with those that they know are young in the faith. It is the realization of carrying out the Great Commandments worldwide. As Acts 1:8 declares, we must begin with those closest to us and move outward. Sometimes we forget those closest to us are not just the neighbor across the street, but those in our own household. The greatest opportunity for discipleship is with our own family. It is also the most difficult to accomplish. Teaching and modeling what worship is and how to do it must be an essential part of what we do as we disciple those of our own family, as well as others. Our children model what their parents do, both good and bad, which applies to our practice of worship (or lack of it). (This is one reason that children need the experience of worshiping with adults, rather than be separated from them.)
Worship must walk hand in hand with discipleship, or it will be incomplete. Just as a tree will reproduce after it's own kind, discipleship that fails in teaching and modeling biblical worship will reproduce a lifestyle that is lacking in the most basic and essential elements toward an intimate relationship with Christ.
Friday, February 25, 2011
Learning from book of Judges: You Don’t have to Reinvent the Wheel
The Book of Judges is a fascinating record of Israel after the receiving the lands promised by God and before the rule of Saul their first king. We can learn immense lessons that can aid us in our walk with God. I would like to focus just on five that I believe would help us our churches in worship and growth in general.
1. In the receiving of their section of the land, they forgot to work together. They demonstrate the fact that they could do more working together, than they could separately. In Judges 1:27-34 there is the record of tribe after tribe failing to dislodge the previous residents of the land. Rather than ask their brothers for help, they just attempted to go it alone, and settled for a few victories, rather than the complete conquest. They forgot how they had gotten as far as they had. It is too easy to get wrapped up in our own world that we forget how much we need each other.
2. They failed to teach their children who God was and what He required. Worship and obedience are caught and taught; they failed at both. Judges 2:10 says, “After that whole generation had been gathered to their ancestors, another generation grew up who knew neither the LORD nor what he had done for Israel.” Even growing ministries are just one generation from oblivion, if they fail in this area. Children must be taught what worship is all about, just as much as the adults.
3. Worship ceased to be a priority and they absorbed the culture around them. The very next verse [Judges 2:11] states: “Then the Israelites did evil in the eyes of the LORD and served the Baals.” Just because worship might have been important to one group, it is never the guarantee that it will be for the next. The desire to “be like the nations around them” became so strong, they forgot what and who had made them what they were. There turn from the worship of Jehovah was not overnight, but slowing slipped away, one compromise at a time. There is great danger when we cease to be the salt and light God has called us to be and we are indistinguishable from those who do not know Christ.
4. They only called on God when the thought they needed Him. Most of the book is comprised of the history of the people falling into pagan worship, being taken over by their enemies as punishment and God raising up a leader to free them from their desperate situation. Look at Judges 10:15-16: “But the Israelites said to the LORD, ‘We have sinned. Do with us whatever you think best, but please rescue us now.’ Then they got rid of the foreign gods among them and served the LORD. And he could bear Israel’s misery no longer.” Relief was temporary, because their turning to God only lasted as long as the leaders’ life. The leader was able to lead them “out of the situation” with God’s help, but never to where they really needed to be. The leadership had failed to establish the ongoing patterns that would help them stay obedient.
5. They used their own reasoning as the standard of living, rather than the teachings of what God had commanded. The last verse in the book is perhaps one of the most telling: “In those days Israel had no king; everyone did as they saw fit.” [Judges 21:25] We will base our decisions on one of the following: God’s Word, human intellect, history and tradition, or personal experience. Every decision we make must be evaluated from the truth of God’s Word, lest we ourselves begin to base our actions own what we think is the most logical, what seems right, or fits our personal convenience. Only when we establish as our priority the Word of God as our ultimate authority will be avoid the pitfalls found in Judges.
We can learn from others mistakes, or re-invent the wheel.
1. In the receiving of their section of the land, they forgot to work together. They demonstrate the fact that they could do more working together, than they could separately. In Judges 1:27-34 there is the record of tribe after tribe failing to dislodge the previous residents of the land. Rather than ask their brothers for help, they just attempted to go it alone, and settled for a few victories, rather than the complete conquest. They forgot how they had gotten as far as they had. It is too easy to get wrapped up in our own world that we forget how much we need each other.
2. They failed to teach their children who God was and what He required. Worship and obedience are caught and taught; they failed at both. Judges 2:10 says, “After that whole generation had been gathered to their ancestors, another generation grew up who knew neither the LORD nor what he had done for Israel.” Even growing ministries are just one generation from oblivion, if they fail in this area. Children must be taught what worship is all about, just as much as the adults.
3. Worship ceased to be a priority and they absorbed the culture around them. The very next verse [Judges 2:11] states: “Then the Israelites did evil in the eyes of the LORD and served the Baals.” Just because worship might have been important to one group, it is never the guarantee that it will be for the next. The desire to “be like the nations around them” became so strong, they forgot what and who had made them what they were. There turn from the worship of Jehovah was not overnight, but slowing slipped away, one compromise at a time. There is great danger when we cease to be the salt and light God has called us to be and we are indistinguishable from those who do not know Christ.
4. They only called on God when the thought they needed Him. Most of the book is comprised of the history of the people falling into pagan worship, being taken over by their enemies as punishment and God raising up a leader to free them from their desperate situation. Look at Judges 10:15-16: “But the Israelites said to the LORD, ‘We have sinned. Do with us whatever you think best, but please rescue us now.’ Then they got rid of the foreign gods among them and served the LORD. And he could bear Israel’s misery no longer.” Relief was temporary, because their turning to God only lasted as long as the leaders’ life. The leader was able to lead them “out of the situation” with God’s help, but never to where they really needed to be. The leadership had failed to establish the ongoing patterns that would help them stay obedient.
5. They used their own reasoning as the standard of living, rather than the teachings of what God had commanded. The last verse in the book is perhaps one of the most telling: “In those days Israel had no king; everyone did as they saw fit.” [Judges 21:25] We will base our decisions on one of the following: God’s Word, human intellect, history and tradition, or personal experience. Every decision we make must be evaluated from the truth of God’s Word, lest we ourselves begin to base our actions own what we think is the most logical, what seems right, or fits our personal convenience. Only when we establish as our priority the Word of God as our ultimate authority will be avoid the pitfalls found in Judges.
We can learn from others mistakes, or re-invent the wheel.
Thursday, February 10, 2011
Seven Things to Remember When You are Finishing School or I’ve got my degree, now what?
No school, regardless of how fine can possibly prepare a student for everything that person will face in life and ministry. For those of us that have been around for a few years, most of the technology that we use everyday not only didn’t exist when we were students, it wasn’t even a dream!
If I could give my 2 cents in this matter, I would like to share just a few things that I have found to be crucial to those who have competed some formal study and now are finally “out in the real world.” Here’s my top seven, [and with it and a dollar or two, you can buy yourself a soft drink. :)]
1. Keep your personal devotional time regular and fresh. There is no substitute for digging in God’s Word and prayer, asking God to grant understanding and application of His Word in your life. Without it, you are on a fast track to failure. Have a mutual accountability partner that you can confide in and with whom you can help keep each other encouraged in Spiritual disciplines.
2. Learn to be wisely transparent. The temptation to “try to live up to the expectations of others” or “be” a particular person is tremendous. Being wisely transparent simply means that we avoid trying to be someone we are not. We admit failures, for they will come; we admit mistakes, for we will make them; we don’t shift blame to excuse ourselves of responsibility. Being wisely transparent says “I’m learning, growing, and have a long way to go. I will learn from my mistakes and continually ask God for help.” It is not a continual beating up on ourselves, or a false humility, but an appreciation and an attitude of gratefulness to God for what He has done and who we made in His image.
Being wisely transparent is not easy. The natural response is to try to earn our worth by what we do. One of the keys to freeing us from this type of bondage is to remember that our worth as an individual is not based on our own perfection, but what God has done for us in Christ. Otherwise we fall into the trap of earn our worth based on what we can do. Because my worth comes from what Christ has done, I am free to pursue new things, grow and even make mistakes because it does not affect my worth as an individual. We do not have to prove our worth, God has already done that. Then why would we want to work so hard? We strive for excellence, then, not to earn our worth, but out of a grateful heart to offer to God a sacrifice of praise that is the best we can offer.
Another natural response is to become defensive when we make mistakes or if someone questions what or why we are doing. This is related to the first, since if we are basing our worth on how well we do what we do, then failure becomes a catastrophe to which we cannot admit. The old adage, “Please be patient, God is not finished with me yet,” is a wonderful thing to remember. Until we reach heaven’s gate, there will always be room for growth and development. The often heard phrase, “that’s just the way I am, you just have to accept me like that...” is too often an indication of someone who has given up on allowing God’s work of transforming their character into the character of Christ.
3. Place a priority on your family. With all the demands of the ministry, the family is generally the first to suffer. Too many wives and children of those in the ministry would testify that their fathers always had time for church members, but never seemed to have time for them. Learn some basic communication skills, go to marriage retreats and parenting seminars, go to a Christian counselor; don’t just keep doing what you doing and hope that when the kids are older it will be easier. Every stage of life has its challenges. The greatest opportunity for discipleship you will ever have will be the children God places in your home for those 16 - 18 years. The weight of that stewardship is an awesome privilege and responsibility. A full 50% of all marriages in and out of the church end in divorce. The world is waiting to see an example of a home that can make it, and wants to know if Christ really can make a difference in their home life.
4. Prepare and plan your work, then work your plan. I confess that I am amused when I hear students say they can hardly wait to get out of school so that they won’t have any “homework” anymore. I know what they mean, – they don’t want to have to stay up late reading and writing papers, etc. Yet, if they thought that was work, just wait until they get to their church field and are expected to do their work as well as be the part-time janitor and secretary for the church. Or that the other duties that are a part of the job take up so much time that they bare have any time to do the work that is really priority in their ministry. Learning to set aside time to plan, prepare and evaluate your work will save you from just trying to run from one immediate need to the next, and from trying to put out one fire, while another is igniting. There are some wonderful resources in this area and wise are the ministers that invest in availing themselves to those resources and puts them into practice. As someone has said, “he who flies by the seat of his pants, will crash in the same way.”
5. Keep studying and practicing. This is perhaps one of the most difficult things to do, since there isn’t anyone looking over your shoulder and giving you an exam over the material, or having to stretch yourself with new material. Time becomes such a factor, that one of the first things we give up is that time to keep reading and studying in our field and keep honing the skills that God has given. We are more likely just to do whatever it takes to “get by” until we can “get some more time.” There are seasons of like more busy than others, but this kind of study and work is not something that will just happen. After a long day of ministry and dealing with the problems of others, the great tendency is to collapse at home and vegetate in front of the television. Something that has helped me is to read a few pages of “one of those books I’d like to read one day” each morning during breakfast. Believe it or not, I have now read several of these “breakfast books” over the years and it has made a great deal of difference in my study habits.
6. Develop meaningful friendships, mentor and be mentored. Someone has said, “There are only two things that are now eternal: people and God’s Word. If you invest your life in the things that are eternal, then you won’t have regrets at the end of your life.” Invest in people more than things, relationships that you can hold in your heart more than those things you can hold in your hands. By taking on someone to walk with you as a mentor you will be discipling by example. There are numerous examples of this in Scripture, it is not a matter of proving that it is the right thing to do, but doing the right thing.
7. Start now, begin today. Tomorrow is promised to none. Do today what you can. You cannot change yesterday, but you can change tomorrow by changing what you do today. Even reading this is a start. The longest journey really does begin with one step. As my father told me when I was young, “I don’t care how many times you fall down; you just have to get up one more time than you fall.” May God richly bless you as you grow in Him!
If I could give my 2 cents in this matter, I would like to share just a few things that I have found to be crucial to those who have competed some formal study and now are finally “out in the real world.” Here’s my top seven, [and with it and a dollar or two, you can buy yourself a soft drink. :)]
1. Keep your personal devotional time regular and fresh. There is no substitute for digging in God’s Word and prayer, asking God to grant understanding and application of His Word in your life. Without it, you are on a fast track to failure. Have a mutual accountability partner that you can confide in and with whom you can help keep each other encouraged in Spiritual disciplines.
2. Learn to be wisely transparent. The temptation to “try to live up to the expectations of others” or “be” a particular person is tremendous. Being wisely transparent simply means that we avoid trying to be someone we are not. We admit failures, for they will come; we admit mistakes, for we will make them; we don’t shift blame to excuse ourselves of responsibility. Being wisely transparent says “I’m learning, growing, and have a long way to go. I will learn from my mistakes and continually ask God for help.” It is not a continual beating up on ourselves, or a false humility, but an appreciation and an attitude of gratefulness to God for what He has done and who we made in His image.
Being wisely transparent is not easy. The natural response is to try to earn our worth by what we do. One of the keys to freeing us from this type of bondage is to remember that our worth as an individual is not based on our own perfection, but what God has done for us in Christ. Otherwise we fall into the trap of earn our worth based on what we can do. Because my worth comes from what Christ has done, I am free to pursue new things, grow and even make mistakes because it does not affect my worth as an individual. We do not have to prove our worth, God has already done that. Then why would we want to work so hard? We strive for excellence, then, not to earn our worth, but out of a grateful heart to offer to God a sacrifice of praise that is the best we can offer.
Another natural response is to become defensive when we make mistakes or if someone questions what or why we are doing. This is related to the first, since if we are basing our worth on how well we do what we do, then failure becomes a catastrophe to which we cannot admit. The old adage, “Please be patient, God is not finished with me yet,” is a wonderful thing to remember. Until we reach heaven’s gate, there will always be room for growth and development. The often heard phrase, “that’s just the way I am, you just have to accept me like that...” is too often an indication of someone who has given up on allowing God’s work of transforming their character into the character of Christ.
3. Place a priority on your family. With all the demands of the ministry, the family is generally the first to suffer. Too many wives and children of those in the ministry would testify that their fathers always had time for church members, but never seemed to have time for them. Learn some basic communication skills, go to marriage retreats and parenting seminars, go to a Christian counselor; don’t just keep doing what you doing and hope that when the kids are older it will be easier. Every stage of life has its challenges. The greatest opportunity for discipleship you will ever have will be the children God places in your home for those 16 - 18 years. The weight of that stewardship is an awesome privilege and responsibility. A full 50% of all marriages in and out of the church end in divorce. The world is waiting to see an example of a home that can make it, and wants to know if Christ really can make a difference in their home life.
4. Prepare and plan your work, then work your plan. I confess that I am amused when I hear students say they can hardly wait to get out of school so that they won’t have any “homework” anymore. I know what they mean, – they don’t want to have to stay up late reading and writing papers, etc. Yet, if they thought that was work, just wait until they get to their church field and are expected to do their work as well as be the part-time janitor and secretary for the church. Or that the other duties that are a part of the job take up so much time that they bare have any time to do the work that is really priority in their ministry. Learning to set aside time to plan, prepare and evaluate your work will save you from just trying to run from one immediate need to the next, and from trying to put out one fire, while another is igniting. There are some wonderful resources in this area and wise are the ministers that invest in availing themselves to those resources and puts them into practice. As someone has said, “he who flies by the seat of his pants, will crash in the same way.”
5. Keep studying and practicing. This is perhaps one of the most difficult things to do, since there isn’t anyone looking over your shoulder and giving you an exam over the material, or having to stretch yourself with new material. Time becomes such a factor, that one of the first things we give up is that time to keep reading and studying in our field and keep honing the skills that God has given. We are more likely just to do whatever it takes to “get by” until we can “get some more time.” There are seasons of like more busy than others, but this kind of study and work is not something that will just happen. After a long day of ministry and dealing with the problems of others, the great tendency is to collapse at home and vegetate in front of the television. Something that has helped me is to read a few pages of “one of those books I’d like to read one day” each morning during breakfast. Believe it or not, I have now read several of these “breakfast books” over the years and it has made a great deal of difference in my study habits.
6. Develop meaningful friendships, mentor and be mentored. Someone has said, “There are only two things that are now eternal: people and God’s Word. If you invest your life in the things that are eternal, then you won’t have regrets at the end of your life.” Invest in people more than things, relationships that you can hold in your heart more than those things you can hold in your hands. By taking on someone to walk with you as a mentor you will be discipling by example. There are numerous examples of this in Scripture, it is not a matter of proving that it is the right thing to do, but doing the right thing.
7. Start now, begin today. Tomorrow is promised to none. Do today what you can. You cannot change yesterday, but you can change tomorrow by changing what you do today. Even reading this is a start. The longest journey really does begin with one step. As my father told me when I was young, “I don’t care how many times you fall down; you just have to get up one more time than you fall.” May God richly bless you as you grow in Him!
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