A Faith Proclaimed in All the World

Today's guest post is from my husband, Brett. I couldn't have said it better myself, honey!

I thank my God through Jesus Christ for all of you,

because your faith is proclaimed in all the world.

--Romans 1:8 ESV

I cannot count the number of times I have read through the book of Romans. It is one of my favorite books in the Bible, and I turn to it often to be reminded of the greatness of the gospel, the graciousness of God, and how God's glory should work its way in my day-to-day life.

So imagine my surprise this morning when I turned to Romans chapter 1, but could not get past this verse:

"First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for all of you, because your faith is proclaimed in all the world." (Romans 1:8 ESV)

Yeah, yeah, God, that's cool and all... but let me get on to the good stuff.

"...because your faith is proclaimed in all the world."

Yeah I read that yesterday. It just so happens to be at the top of the page. Let's get on with it.

"I thank my God through Jesus Christ for all of you, because your faith is proclaimed in all the world."

What, God? Why do You keep bringing me back to this verse? I get it. God was using their faith to impact the world. Now let me move ahead. I'm trying to put together a sermon series here and need to get going.

"...because your faith is proclaimed in all the world."

OUCH! ... Oh, I get it. Not just that "the faith" was being proclaimed, but "your faith." God, I ask You to work this into my life.

What followed was some sweet time of prayer and soul searching. All too often I get so busy serving God in the details of ministry that I forget God's primary concern isn't the "success" of the church He's called me to pastor... His primary concern is His work on me. And this morning, this verse cut me to the core.

Rome was the center of the life and culture at the time Paul penned his letter to the Romans. The phrase "All roads lead to Rome" wasn't just a saying; it was the literal truth. And here, in a city that worshipped Caesar and proliferated evil and excess, was a group of Christians whose faith was being proclaimed in all the world.

Why was their faith being proclaimed? It wasn't because they had snazzy marketing campaigns, a big budget for four-color mailers, or billboards advertising their church meetings. No, their faith was "proclaimed in all the world" because the gospel was so central to their lives--so genuine and tangible--that it naturally carried influence. The Roman Christians were influencing their culture because their lives were defined by their faith. Those who encountered the church at Rome didn't just find a group of nice people, likable people, socially concerned people, or even spiritual people. Those who encountered the church in Rome encountered God.

I want that life. I want people to know God because of the way I live my life. The core of who I am is Jesus Christ and Him alone, and that's what I want others to see. Sure I want to be a nice guy, a likable guy, a socially concerned guy, and even a spiritual guy--but if that's all people get from their encounter with me, then I'm leaving the most important aspect of who I am hidden from sight. I want people I encounter to know the glory of Jesus Christ, the grace of Jesus Christ, and the gift of Jesus Christ. But how will they hear unless I proclaim Him to them, not only in the church I pastor but in my own life? (Romans 10:14).

I'm not talking about standing on the street corner and preaching through a megaphone. I'm talking about people looking at me, whether in the pulpit or in PTA meetings, and seeing Jesus. I'm talking about my faith being proclaimed in all the world because of Whose I am, and not who I am. I'm talking about Matthew 5:16: "Let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven."

The Christians in Rome lived in a city that was against nearly everything they stood for. They were surrounded by evil and temptation and idolatry and sin. (Sound familiar to anyone?) But people in that culture who had heard of the Roman Christians knew of their faithfulness to God and not their capitulation to culture. And because of their unwavering commitment to Jesus Christ, their faith was proclaimed in all the world.

You and I have a world around us as well. It's the sphere of influence we inhabit. Our neighborhoods, our work relationships, our travels, our friends and families, our kids, and the area where we encounter people on a regular basis. As people watch you live out your ordinary, day-to-day life, is your faith being proclaimed? When people encounter you, do they see Jesus?

Might you and I live the type of lives though which our faith is proclaimed and our God is magnified in all the office, all the neighborhood, or even all the world.

"Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day He visits us." (1 Peter 2:12 NIV)

Is It Time for a Fresh Start?

NOTE: Schools are closed here today due to ice, so instead of writing a new post to encourage moms, I'm going to spend the day snuggling with my kids. :)  Here is my most recent article for Haslet Style, for you to enjoy on this chilly day!

Bring us back to you, GOD—we're ready to come back. Give us a fresh start.

—Lamentations 5:21 MSG

Every week, we look forward to “Family Fun Fridays” at the Stair house. With Brett’s full schedule as pastor of a growing church and the ever-pressing deadlines of my book editing, we’ve made it a family tradition to set aside one night a week to do something together.

Family Fun Fridays can be something as simple as playing charades, or sometimes we head to a fast-food playland or have a picnic. Since our kids are young, we can make even small things fun.

Last Friday, the kids decided to put on a play: an inventive retelling of the Christmas story featuring the angel Gabriel, the Virgin Mary, and Joseph the Fireman (our three-year-old son didn’t cooperate with his sisters). After the show, we pulled out the couch bed and watched a movie. At one point, I looked at the clock and thought, Whoa, it’s way past the kids’ bedtime. But then again, it was Family Fun Night! So we let the kids stay up late to finish the movie.

Not surprisingly, the next day turned out to be “Super Squabble Saturday” at the Stair house. All three kids were up early—why don’t our kids ever sleep in?—and from the moment they woke, they were cranky and quarreling. They whined about what we fixed for breakfast, refused to share the blanket on the couch, and fussed about which cartoon to watch. Before long, tempers were flaring and toys were flying. Things were going from bad to worse when . . .

“Enough!” declared Brett. “I’ve had it with these bad attitudes. Today, you’re getting a do-over!”

“A what?” the kids asked.

“I’ll show you,” Brett said, marching all three of them upstairs and into their bedrooms.

Griping and muttering about Dad going crazy, the kids grudgingly went into their rooms. They continued to grumble as Brett made them get back in their beds and turned off their lights.

A few moments later, Brett flung the lights back on and announced cheerfully, “Good morning, kids! Did you sleep well? It’s great to see you this beautiful morning!”

Grumbles turned to giggles as the kids emerged from their rooms, catching on to the game. They feigned yawns and stretched as if waking from a deep sleep before being chased by the “tickle monster” and collapsing into a pile of pajama-clad smiles.

Thankfully, the rest of that Saturday—especially after long afternoon naps—was relatively pleasant. The kids just needed a fresh start.

* * *

Are you having a horrible, terrible, no good, very bad day? Or perhaps it’s not just a bad day, but you’ve had a bad month . . . or year. If so, maybe you, too, need a “do-over.”

One of the great things about January is the opportunity for a fresh start. The calendar pages for 2010 are empty, awaiting what the coming year will bring. What will you fill those pages with?

Will you tarnish this year with last year’s regrets, mistakes, bitterness, and frustrations? Or will you take a “do-over” and restart with a clean slate?

You may be thinking, Starting over may be easy for little kids, but it’s too late for me. I’ve made too many mistakes, and now I’m stuck in this mess. There’s no way out!

If you feel like your life is stuck at a dead-end, don’t give up. There’s hope! The Bible says, “GOD gives a hand to those down on their luck, gives a fresh start to those ready to quit” (Psalm 145:14 MSG).

That’s exactly why the gospel is such good news! No matter how old you are, no matter what you’ve done, and no matter how “stuck” you think you are in your circumstances, God will forgive you and give you a clean slate. In fact, when you turn to God for a “do-over,” you not only get a fresh start in this life, but you gain the assurance of eternal life in heaven. The Bible says that when we turn to Christ, He completely transforms us: “If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!” (2 Corinthians 5:17 NIV).

Now, turning to God for a fresh start doesn’t mean you’ll never mess up again. Far from it! But it does mean that you will have a bright future. After all, God is in the business of giving people fresh starts.

Consider just a few of God’s promises:

• “Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing!” (Isaiah 43:18–19 NIV)

• “Count yourself lucky, how happy you must be—you get a fresh start, your slate’s wiped clean.” (Psalm 32:1 MSG)

• “Everything that we have—right thinking and right living, a clean slate and a fresh start—comes from God by way of Jesus Christ” (1 Corinthians 1:30 MSG).

• “Everyone who belongs to Christ will be given new life” (1 Corinthians 15:21 NLT).

• “He who was seated on the throne said, ‘I am making everything new!’” (Revelation 21:5 NIV)

So this year, as you make New Year’s resolutions about getting in shape, eating right, or otherwise improving your physical health, be careful not to overlook the condition of your spiritual health.

Because no matter who you are or what you’ve done, 2010 can be the year that you finally take a “do-over” and are able to say, along with the Psalmist, “GOD made my life complete when I placed all the pieces before him. … He gave me a fresh start” (Psalm 18:20 MSG).

Moving Past the Elephant in the Room

In essentials, unity; in nonessentials, liberty; in all things, charity.

—(credited to) St. Augustine

After reading the Facebook responses to my post about how I am trying (and occasionally failing) to adjust my work schedule to fit my personal needs as well as my family’s, I want to write an encouraging post for moms (like me!) who sometimes struggle with worry and guilt. Whether you’re a stay-at-home mom, a working mom, a work-from-home or working stay-at-home hybrid, chances are that you, too, have felt the pangs of “if only.” (“If only I could stay at home…” “If only I could earn some extra money for my family…” “If only I didn’t have to put my kids in childcare…” “If only I could afford to put my kids in preschool so they could socialize with other kids…” and on and on and on.)

But before I can have an honest, biblical conversation with you about that, I first have to address the elephant in the room. Because if I don’t, I will undoubtedly get a flurry of e-mails and comments from all the elephant handlers out there. (Though I’m sure this doesn’t apply to any of you, dear readers!)

Ready? Here’s the elephant:

All Christian women should stay at home with their kids.

Ah, you’ve been pummeled by that elephant before? Thought so. Well, then. Let’s describe this elephant a bit more, shall we?

 All Christian women should be married, should not use birth control so that they are able to have lots of children, should stay at home with said children, and should homeschool them.

I could go on, but you get the point.

This elephant has a name. His name is “You Should.” He stampedes all over churches and Christian organizations, trouncing the freedom (and sometimes the faith) of countless Christians. Although this elephant is obviously gray from trunk to tail, his handlers see him as either black or white. And because they think he is black or white, they insist that You Should see him that way too.

Let me be clear: there are essential tenets of the Christian faith. These issues truly are black or white. Pastor Brett calls them “close-handed” issues, things we cling to tightly and about which we do not compromise. Beth Moore calls them “spine” issues, the things that connect and comprise the true body of Christ.

These essentials include such things as the Trinity, the deity of Christ, salvation by grace and not by works, the resurrection, and so on. These are things about which the Bible is clear, things that one must embrace in order to be among the body of Christ. (To hear what the Bible says about these essentials, you can listen to Pastor Brett’s message series “We Hold These Truths.”)

However, there are other issues that are not of the essential core of Christian beliefs. Throughout the history of the church, these have been called “nonessentials.” My pastor calls them “open-handed” issues, things we hold with an open hand and have room for differences of opinion. Beth Moore calls them “rib issues,” things that branch off from the spine and, as she writes in Stepping Up, “are not matters of life and death.”

In other words, these are gray areas. Like it or not, there ARE gray areas in the Christian life. (If there weren’t, we wouldn’t have so many denominations!)

Examples of nonessentials in the Christian faith include:

*views on the end times (premillennial, postmillennial, amillennial?)

* spiritual gifts (do the gifts of healing and tongues still exist?)

 * worship styles (hymns, choruses, modern worship, pop music, or no music at all?)

 * Bible versions (King James only, or modern translations?)

And the list goes on. In addition to these nonessentials in theology, there are nonessentials in Christian lifestyle. These are things that are a matter of conscience between one and God, things that (while some elephant handlers rush to proof-text) are neither clearly permitted nor forbidden in Scripture.

For example:

* Can a Christian have wine with dinner? Drink coffee? Smoke?

* Can a Christian watch TV? Go to the movies? Play video games?

* Can a Christian dance? Play cards? Read books other than the Bible?

This is just the tip of the iceberg. Just to show you how large this elephant is, let me throw out a few more:

 * Birth control (never permitted, only when family planning, always okay?)

* Education (public school, private school, homeschool?)

 *  Politics (should Christians belong to a certain political party, run for office, abstain from all politics?)

And, of course, the matter at hand:

 * Can Christian women work outside the home?

Now again, let me be very clear. There are essentials in Christian lifestyle. The Bible specifically forbids drunkenness, sex outside of marriage, sorcery, and idolatry, to name a few. It also forbids lying, greed, coveting, lust, and gossip. (Wow, aren’t you grateful for the grace of God?)

The Bible calls us to strive to live a life worthy of our calling (2 Thessalonians 1:11), to become conformed to the likeness of Christ (Romans 8:29), to be pure and blameless (Ephesians 1:4; 5:3; 1 Thessalonians 3:13; 4:7; Hebrews 12:14), and to be holy as God is holy (1 Peter 1:15–16).

The fact that there are nonessentials does not give Christians a “get-out-of-obedience-free” card to live however they want. (See Paul’s argument to the contrary in Romans 6.) And the fact that there are nonessentials does not negate the reliability or perspicuity of Scripture. However, we must acknowledge that God has not chosen to treat every issue in the Bible with equal clarity. He has left some things ambiguous in His Word, while other things He keeps secret (Deuteronomy 29:29). As the Westminster Confession says, "All things in Scripture are not alike plain in themselves, nor alike clear unto all."

In other words, while the Bible clearly presents essential doctrines and issues (issues to which we cling tightly and would die for), it does allow for genuine Christians to have differences of opinion on nonessentials.

Hang on… just in case any elephant handlers accidentally wandered by and are mentally preparing a response to this post, claiming “there are no gray areas in Scripture,” check out Romans 14. Because if you assert that there are no gray areas in Scripture, you’re going to have to take that up with the apostle Paul.

You see, in the book of Romans, Paul is in the process of teaching about unity in the church (chapter 12) and Christian love (chapter 13), when he has to pause to address a nonessential--what he calls a “disputable matter”--that was stirring up dissention and disunity among the Christians in Rome. At the time, the nonessential being hotly debated was this:

* Can Christians eat meat that has been offered to a pagan idol?

 The elephant handlers in the Romans church had come out swinging. The meat eaters said, You Should eat that meat, because Christians know there are no such things as idols. So come on, dig in! But the non-meat-eaters said, You Should abstain from anything that gives the appearance of evil. So get your hands off that pagan meat!

So which is it: to eat, or not to eat? The elephant handlers saw this issue as clearly black or white, and they wanted Paul to join them and say You Should do exactly what they did. Boy, were they surprised at his response!

Go ahead, grab your Bible and turn to Romans 14. Wait, better yet, I’ll paste it below. Go on, read the whole chapter. I’ll wait…

Accept him whose faith is weak, without passing judgment on disputable matters. One man's faith allows him to eat everything, but another man, whose faith is weak, eats only vegetables. The man who eats everything must not look down on him who does not, and the man who does not eat everything must not condemn the man who does, for God has accepted him. Who are you to judge someone else's servant? To his own master he stands or falls. And he will stand, for the Lord is able to make him stand.

One man considers one day more sacred than another; another man considers every day alike. Each one should be fully convinced in his own mind. He who regards one day as special, does so to the Lord. He who eats meat, eats to the Lord, for he gives thanks to God; and he who abstains, does so to the Lord and gives thanks to God. For none of us lives to himself alone and none of us dies to himself alone. If we live, we live to the Lord; and if we die, we die to the Lord. So, whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord.

For this very reason, Christ died and returned to life so that he might be the Lord of both the dead and the living. You, then, why do you judge your brother? Or why do you look down on your brother? For we will all stand before God's judgment seat. It is written:

“'As surely as I live,' says the Lord,

every knee will bow before me;

every tongue will confess to God.'"

So then, each of us will give an account of himself to God.

Therefore let us stop passing judgment on one another. Instead, make up your mind not to put any stumbling block or obstacle in your brother's way. As one who is in the Lord Jesus, I am fully convinced that no food is unclean in itself. But if anyone regards something as unclean, then for him it is unclean. If your brother is distressed because of what you eat, you are no longer acting in love. Do not by your eating destroy your brother for whom Christ died. Do not allow what you consider good to be spoken of as evil. For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit, because anyone who serves Christ in this way is pleasing to God and approved by men.

Let us therefore make every effort to do what leads to peace and to mutual edification. Do not destroy the work of God for the sake of food. All food is clean, but it is wrong for a man to eat anything that causes someone else to stumble. It is better not to eat meat or drink wine or to do anything else that will cause your brother to fall.

So whatever you believe about these things keep between yourself and God. Blessed is the man who does not condemn himself by what he approves. But the man who has doubts is condemned if he eats, because his eating is not from faith; and everything that does not come from faith is sin. (Romans 14; emphasis added)

Did you see it? Paul says that even though he has an opinion on the subject (v. 14), it is exactly that—an opinion. In other words, “Sorry, guys. This elephant is gray.” So if your conscience allows you to eat that meat, then grab some A1 Steak Sauce and chow down to the glory of God. But if you think it’s dishonoring to God to eat meat sacrificed to idols, then by all means, order a salad.

And here’s the key: no matter what your personal conviction before God—to eat or not to eat—don’t start wagging your finger and telling your Christian brothers and sisters that You Should do exactly the same.

Meat eaters, when a vegetarian Christian invites you over for dinner, don’t bring a rib-eye and gobble it up in front of them—or worse, berate them about being less “spiritual” than you are because they’re salad-only.

And you vegetarians, don’t go crusading against the meat eaters. Don’t hold seminars or post blogs saying that meat eaters aren’t real Christians.

Instead, the apostle Paul says, “Let us therefore make every effort to do what leads to peace and to mutual edification. Do not destroy the work of God for the sake of food” (v. 20). Or for the sake of education, or birth control, or television, or any of the other nonessentials, for that matter.

And do not destroy the work of God for the sake of whether moms "should" stay at home, earn an income, or something in between. Because that elephant, my friends, is very gray.

So, as Paul says in Romans 14:22, "whatever you believe about these things"--in this case, your personal conviction regarding the unique role God has designed for you in your own family--"keep between yourself and God." In other words, when it comes to nonessentials like this, don't let your "I believe this" turn into "...and You Should too."

And if this particular "disputable matter" comes up among your friends or in your church, especially if the You Should elephant rears its head, do your best to "let your conversation be always full of grace" (Colossians 4:6) and respond with gentleness and love, bearing in mind that Scripture urges us to "be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace" (Ephesians 4:2-3).

Whew! It feels good to get that elephant out of the room, doesn’t it? It feels much more… well, free in here.

By the way, Paul has to deal with this exact same "disputable matter" again in 1 Corinthians 10:23-33. I wonder if Paul felt like a parent who has to tell his kids the same thing over and over and over again? Sigh. I can soo relate...

Practical Help for Working Couples

The Busy Couple’s Guide to Sharing the Work & the Joy:

Smart Solutions to Dozens of Household Dilemmas Couples Face Every Day

by Kathy Peel (with advice for men by Bill Peel)

Years ago, when I was the public relations coordinator at Word Publishing, I met a vibrant, enthusiastic author named Kathy Peel. Her new book The Family Manager was receiving rave reviews, not only in Christian publications and media outlets but also among the in-house team at Word.


At the tender age of twenty-two, managing a family was the last thing on my mind. The ink had barely dried on my A&M diploma, and I was happily immersing myself in my first full-time job. I was single, taking master's classes at Dallas Theological Seminary, and renting a tiny one-bedroom apartment in seminary housing. I thought about passing on my copy of The Family Manager to someone who could use it, but something tugged at my heart, and I knew I should hang on it. Who knew? Maybe someday I might need it.

Hoo boy, was that an understatement! Little did I know then that someday I’d be married to a church planter, raising three kids, and managing my own freelance business. I’ve referred back to my now-worn copy of The Family Manager several times for Kathy’s advice and tips for running a well-organized household. (Though, see my honest admission that my home isn’t exactly a paragon of peace and quiet these days.)

What I appreciate about Kathy is that she gives all mothers—whether stay-at-home moms, working moms, or like me, a little of both—a significant and admirable title: “Family Manager.” And she trains women to manage their families with the same skills and strategies that successful business managers use. Her tips are practical, helpful, and seasoned with grace.

The Busy Couple’s Guide to Sharing the Work & the Joy is no exception. In this practical resource, Kathy tackles many common household issues, such as time management, housekeeping, meal planning, relationships, finances, and special events. Each chapter is filled with Kathy’s trademark practicality and can-do optimism, as well as ideas to make your family life less stressed. (One of my favorite sidebars is the list of family-friendly iPhone apps, in which you’ll discover such gems as “Sit or Squat”—an app that gives traveling families the nearest bathroom options, as well as stats on cleanliness and changing tables. Genius!) I also enjoyed her creative ideas for spending quality time with your kids.

Though some of the checklists and worksheets are a bit tedious, many of Kathy’s common-sense tips are very helpful, such as simple strategies to communicate with your spouse, simplify each room of your home, and delegate household tasks according to personality and availability. (I can vouch for that last one. For example, in our family, Brett goes shopping with the kids because he doesn’t mind the eventfulness of three kids in public places—and I put away the groceries when he gets home, because I’m just OCD enough to enjoy organizing and rearranging the fridge and pantry so that everything fits just right.)

As an added bonus, Kathy’s husband, Bill, penned a men’s perspective to each chapter, making this book a good resource for couples to read together.

If one of your New Year's resolutions is to experience more peace and order in your home, I can honestly recommend this book, along with any of the resources from Kathy Peel’s Family Manager brand.

NOTE: I received a complimentary copy of this book from Tyndale House Publishers.

A Broken Resolution... and a Faithful God

Making New Year’s resolutions is easy; it’s keeping them that’s hard.

We’re officially four days into the new year. So how are you doing on your resolutions for 2010?

I have to confess: I’ve already broken one of mine.

I’m one of the growing number of moms who don’t quite fit any labels. Although I stay home with our three kids, I am not a SAHM in the sense of being a room mother and baking cookies. And although I work between 30-40 hours a week, I don’t put my kids in daycare or drive to an office every day. Instead, I work from home while the kids are in school. When they come home, I put aside my “work” hat and assume a more traditional maternal role, helping the kids with homework, shuttling them to after-school activities, fixing dinner, catching up on housework, and spending time with my family until bedtime. After I tuck the kids in bed, I typically brew coffee and go back to work until the words start blurring together somewhere around 1 a.m.

So I’m a “work at home” mom, kind of a both/and hybrid. Add the role of pastor’s wife to the mix, and you see the tangle of work, mothering, and ministry that my daily life entails.

If I had to pick a verse to describe my life this past year, it would be Job 3:26: “I have no peace, no quietness; I have no rest, but only turmoil.” Okay, maybe not “turmoil,” but you get the picture. Little by little, one urgent thing after another, I let my time for quietness and stillness slip away.

As I mentioned yesterday, Brett and I chose as our family's theme verse for this year: “Come near to God, and He will come near to you” (James 4:8). Realizing that the expanding needs of our church and family will tempt us to neglect our time with God more than ever, we worked out a plan to ensure we both have time for daily Bible reading and prayer, enabling us to “come near to God” that we might experience more of Him this year.

Part of the plan—on paper, anyway—was that I would start spending time with God in the evenings, instead of in the mornings. Because no matter how hard I tried to have my quiet time in the mornings, I couldn’t fully relax and enjoy the lingering time with God that my soul needs before the pitter-patter of footsteps on the stairs signaled that the kids were up and already launching in full force the morning hurry-scurry of getting ready for school and the business of the day.

Sigh. I need quietness. And stillness. Things that are in short supply in the mornings around our house!

Hence my New Year’s resolution: stop working at night, so that I can spend that time lingering in the presence of God. Put the kids to bed at their regular bedtime, and instead of brewing coffee to squeeze in a few more work hours, spend that time on the things that nourish my soul. With no hurry. No deadlines. And most of all, no guilt that I “should” be using the only truly quiet moments of my day to catch up on manuscripts.

It was—and is—a practical, doable plan.

But I messed up last night.

After tucking the kids in bed, I figured I had time to do just “one quick thing” for work before having that restful time with God. One quick thing that took me two hours. One quick thing that robbed me of the stillness and peace I needed that day.

Don’t get me wrong; I love my job. But the book publishing business is driven by printer deadlines--deadlines that do not bend for authors who turn in manuscripts late or require a lot of rewriting. There’s often a lot of pressure on me to do a quality job on a tight schedule, and because I am the poster child for Type A, that causes a lot of stress for me. And that stress takes up residence, not only in my knotted shoulders and my rising blood pressure, but in my soul. After I spent two hours finishing a manuscript last night, I found myself only going through the motions of a quiet time. I couldn’t focus on what God had to say to me, because my mind was cluttered, distracted, filled with visions of the other deadlines I have coming up this month.

This morning, God reminded me of a verse—words He spoke to His rebellious people in Isaiah 30:15—and words He spoke directly to my heart:

This is what the Sovereign LORD, the Holy One of Israel, says: “Only in returning to me and resting in me will you be saved. In quietness and confidence is your strength. But you would have none of it.”

Ouch! Reality check: that’s exactly what I did last night. I knew that I should have rested in God, but I “would have none of it.” To be painfully honest, my work took precedence over my God.

I am so thankful that just three verses later, God revealed to those same rebellious people—and to me!—another chance to exeperience His peace:

The LORD must wait for you to come to him so he can show you his love and compassion. For the LORD is a faithful God. Blessed are those who wait for his help.

There it is again. Did you see it? “The LORD must wait for you to come to him so he can show you his love and compassion.”

Come to God, and He will show you His love and compassion.

Come near to God, and He will come near to you.

In his radio message today, Chuck Swindoll quoted one of my favorite professors at Dallas Theological Seminary, Dr. Howard Hendricks. Regarding the importance of setting priorities, Hendricks said wisely, “Some things must be, so that other things might be.”

True words, indeed. Some things must be given absolute priority, so that other things—the things we hope and dream to accomplish—might have the opportunity to come true.

So what is your New Year’s resolution? What do you want to accomplish or experience in 2010?

If you really want to keep your resolution, I challenge you (and me!) to “make the most of every opportunity” (Ephesians 5:16). Make a plan. Mercilessly purge the things that fritter away your time and distract you from accomplishing your goal. Because some things must be, so that other things might be.

And when you mess up (like I did last night!), don’t let that discourage you. Instead, draw near to God, rest in Him, and ask for His help. After all, His mercies are new every morning! (Aren't you glad?)

"The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases;
His mercies never come to an end.
They are new every morning;
great is your faithfulness.

The LORD is good to those who wait for him,
To the soul who seeks him."

--Lamentations 3:22-23, 25 ESV

Draw Me Nearer

God is not prodigal with His power; but to be much for God, we must be much with God.
—Leonard Ravenhill

Yesterday at breakfast, Brett shared with the kids our family’s theme verse for 2010. Opening his Bible to the book of James, chapter 4, he immediately captivated their attention by reading a passage that hit home for our three young kids, who have been cooped up together for these past two weeks of school break:

Do you know where your fights and arguments come from? They come from the selfish desires that war within you. You want things, but you do not have them. So you ... are jealous of other people, but you still cannot get what you want. So you argue and fight. You do not get what you want, because you do not ask God. Or when you ask, you do not receive because the reason you ask is wrong. You want things so you can use them for your own pleasures. (James 4:1–3 NCV)

After discussing a few practical alternatives to our kids' arguing and fighting—inevitable realities of too much “family togetherness” over the holidays (can I get a witness?)—Brett continued reading the passage until he arrived at our family’s theme verse for 2010:

Come near to God, and God will come near to you. (v. 8 NCV)

This verse, so simple that even our three-year-old can memorize it, sums up our foremost desire for the new year. Like Jonathan Edwards’s resolution #30, we will “strive our utmost every week to be brought . . . to a higher exercise of [God’s] grace than the week before.” To do that, we have made a plan—as individuals and as a family—to come near to God each day.

As anyone in ministry knows, one of the enemy’s most cunning strategies is to keep Christians so busy—even serving in the church—that they neglect personal time with the Lord. John Ortberg once said, “For many of us the great danger is not that we will renounce our faith. It is that we will become so busy and distracted and rushed that we will settle for a mediocre version of it.”

And never is that temptation stronger than when a church is growing and thriving. In just under two years, The Church at Sendera Ranch has grown from a nascent Bible study to a vibrant and healthy church. As we look forward to another exciting year of helping people develop into fully functioning followers of Christ (and the additional ministries, staff, and opportunities that 2010 will bring), it is imperative that we do not become so busy serving the Lord that we neglect our time of sitting at His feet.

Because a God-honoring church is not about “putting numbers on the scoreboard,” as one pastor referred to his own strategy. It’s about making much of God.

And a God-honoring life is not about trying to impress people with how “spiritual” you are. It’s about pursuing an authentic, vibrant, ongoing communion with God.

And here is God’s astounding, immutable promise: when you come near to Him, He will come near to you.

Yes, you.

No matter where you are, no matter what you've done or how hopeless you feel or what you fear this new year will bring, you can cling to this one promise, strong and sure: if you come near to God, then God Himself--the God of all hope, healing, love, comfort, peace, and glory--will come near to you.

So what are you waiting for?

I am Thine, O Lord, I have heard Thy voice,
And it told Thy love to me;
But I long to rise in the arms of faith
And be closer drawn to Thee.

Consecrate me now to Thy service, Lord,
By the power of grace divine;
Let my soul look up with a steadfast hope,
And my will be lost in Thine.

O the pure delight of a single hour
That before Thy throne I spend,
When I kneel in prayer, and with Thee, my God
I commune as friend with friend!

There are depths of love that I cannot know
Till I cross the narrow sea;
There are heights of joy that I may not reach
Till I rest in peace with Thee.

Draw me nearer, nearer blessed Lord,
To the cross where Thou hast died.
Draw me nearer, nearer, nearer blessed Lord,
To Thy precious, bleeding side.

--Fanny Crosby

Resolved...

As the clocks mark the passing of the first hours and days of a new decade, many people are making resolutions for the coming year. They are resolved to lose weight, to exercise more, to read the Bible regularly, to spend more time with family, and so on.

I have to admit, some of my goals for 2010 are similar. I, too, plan to read through the Bible again and aspire to lose the baby weight that has frustratingly and firmly taken up residence on my hips.

As I mentioned here, one of my random personal traditions is that each year on my birthday I reread the resolutions of Jonathan Edwards, most of which he penned at age nineteen and read every week for the rest of his life. Though it's a lengthy (at at times cumbersome) list, every time I read it, God speaks to my heart on at least one of these resolutions and shows me how I fall short and desperately need Him to help me become more Christlike in that area.

Putting together my goals for the coming year, I thought it appropriate to reread Edwards's resolutions. Tomorrow, I'll share with you which resolution hit home for me this year--and how it relates to our family's theme verse for 2010.

But for now, I want you to have the opportunity to read these resolutions for yourself. Though you may not agree with all of them (after all, most of us have been known to crack a joke on Sundays, unlike #38!), if you read these resolutions thoughtfully and prayerfully, you just might be surprised at what God might whisper in your own heart about what He has in store for you in 2010.

Happy New Year!