Hardening

So as the Holy Spirit says: “ Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as you did in the rebellion,

during the time of testing in the desert. See to it, brethren, that none of you has a sinful, unbelieving heart

that turns away from the living God.

Heb 3:7,8,12

These words of antiquity ring with an eternal urgency.  The question is: How?

The hardening, the calcification, of our hearts often occurs gradually and almost imperceptibly.  While it may be possible to look at events or decisions that caused our hearts to grow cold, it far more often happens as a series of subtle  choices. But the net result is the same.

What are some warning signs?

Cynicism.   Do you find yourself cynical and jaded? Cynicism, in many ways is a defense mechanism. It involves a level of detachment or disengagement, along with a certain sense of superiority. Regardless, it is invariably a symptom of the hardening of our heart. 

Busyness. Are you too busy to stop and listen? Are you too busy to make time for Him? Many of us are. Our timetables reflect that He is not a priority.  We are aware that He exists and that He is involved in our lives, but we won’t make the time to make a conscious relational connection with Him as a part of our lifestyle.

Obsessions.  We are not only surrounded by idols, but our hearts are idol making factories. We are easily consumed by pursuits or passions that block Him out of our lives and dull our sense of hearing.

Disobedience.  We do that which we know we ought not to do. In response, our consciences are dulled or muffled. We care less and less about what it is that He wants from us. And we are sophisticated in how we rationalize it.

Unbelief.  This is not to be confused with doubt. We are talking about the kind of unbelief that causes us to turn away from the living God. While confronting doubt is part of the battle of the Christian life, unbelief fuels ( and is fueled by ) disobedience and undercuts our relationship with Him. 

There are those for whom this actually matters. They know that they are distant from Him, growing cold in their relationship and caring less and less about what He might be saying to them in the present. It concerns them. Their conscience still functions and they are aware that they are missing what they once knew and enjoyed.

There are others, quite frankly, who care less and less. However it presents itself, the root is the same. And the warning is clear. And the Holy Spirit still speaks.

What to do?  Repentance begins with awareness and acknowledgement. And at a primary level, it involves apologizing to Him and asking Him for His Spirit to soften our hearts and to bring about the change we need to be open and receptive to Him again.  Only He can soften a hardened heart, and in His sovereign design He chooses to do it in conjunction with us. The above verse indicates that we have something to do with it. We have something to do with the hardening of our hearts and we have something to do with how He softens them.  And finally, it means making choices to work with Him in confronting ourselves in the ways we isolate ourselves from His Spirit and allow our hearts to become hardened. 

For those with ears to hear…

Strength and Courage

Joshua 1:6-9

Be strong and courageous, because you will lead these people to inherit the land I swore to their ancestors to give them. Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the law my servant Moses gave you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, that you may be successful wherever you go. Keep this Book of the Law always on your lips; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful.  Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.

To boil it down:

Be strong and courageous- Lead.

Be strong and courageous- Stay focused.

Be strong and courageous- Do what is written in God’s word.

Be strong and courageous- Know that God is with us.

If you reverse the order of the above sentences, you could read the passage to say that to lead, to stay focused, to act in accordance with God’s word and to know that God is with us requires strength and courage.

Strength and courage aren’t always what they seem.  Sometimes it takes incredible strength to be weak.  Sometimes it takes courage to acknowledge discouragement, fears and failings.  Courage has been said to be not the absence of fear, but choosing to not let fear and discouragement define our actions or identity.

In my work at Redeemer I have the sacred privilege of walking with people who wrestle these verses down in powerful ways, choosing against adversity to hang onto them.  I also work with people that guide me back to these verses whenever I lean away from them.  It is God’s gift of the spirit to send us strength and courage when we need it, sometimes in surprising ways.  May we open to God’s many gifts. 

Each one of us has accepted the role of being here at Redeemer with all the burdens and joys that that includes.  Each one of us has a calling to contribute a unique gift to the community here and beyond.  Let not one of us sidestep that.  Let none of us fear that we don’t have something to offer- or if we do fear it, remember not to let that define us.  God knows our fears.  God knows what holds us back from the abundant life that is offered to us in faith.  By God’s grace, even today let us work together in strength and courage to lead, to stay focused, to do what is written in God’s word and to grow in the knowledge that God is with us, awakening to the reality that it is God who holds all things together.

Let us challenge each other with these verses from Joshua, pray them for each other this week and see how God will answer our prayers.

Look Back, Look Forward, Look Up

Psalm 90

A prayer of Moses the man of God.

¹ Lord, you have been our dwelling place
throughout all generations.
² Before the mountains were born
or you brought forth the whole world,
from everlasting to everlasting you are God.

³ You turn people back to dust,
saying, “Return to dust, you mortals.”
⁴ A thousand years in your sight
are like a day that has just gone by,
or like a watch in the night.
⁵ Yet you sweep people away in the sleep of death—
they are like the new grass of the morning:
⁶ In the morning it springs up new,
but by evening it is dry and withered.

For many of you, Psalm 90 has been a fixture in your New Years’ reflections.   Before we leave the New Year theme completely, I would like to make a couple of observations from the above verses.

1.       Time is both linear and cyclical.  The Bible affirms that time moves forward from one point to another through history.  Creation has a beginning point.   There is also a repetitive element to time.  On that basis, the Mosaic writer can refer to the way God always does things. He turns people back to dust. As humans, we are like grass that springs up, withers and dies. It was always thus and will continue to be such.

2.       God has a different relationship to time than we do.  He is from everlasting to everlasting. He always was and will be. A thousand years is like a watch in the night.  Does He stand outside of time? The Bible is not particularly clear on that point. However, it is absolutely clear on the fact that He is not bound to it in the same way we are.

3.       God is our dwelling place.  Wherever we are, whatever we face, whatever we do.. we always have a PLACE.  This is especially in the face of our mortality and brokenness. 

There is, of course, much more to say. But at the beginning of the year I consider that I am taking another lap around the circuit. While the future is ahead and mysterious, I have seen much of the future before. Much of it will be repetitive.

Given that, I know the One who knows what is ahead. He does not have to guess at it. He does not have to predict it. He KNOWS.  And this One who knows, who is always ahead of me, is my dwelling place, just as He has been for me in the past and just as He has been for generations which have preceded me.

A word of encouragement, then, as we launch into a new term. Look back. Look forward. Most of all.. Look up.

Welcome Back!

 Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, ² fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.  Hebrews 12:1,2

Welcome back, Redeemerites!

As the new term gets underway, allow me offer a few thoughts regarding New Year resolutions. I know people who are afraid to make them because of James’s counsel regarding the making of plans ( Ja. 4:14-17 ) . However, if one closely reads what he is saying, it becomes clear that he is not stating that we should not resolve to do something. He is saying, however, that we must not resolve to do something without recognizing that our plans, however big or small ( noble or otherwise)  are subservient to His will. He is writing to and about people who evidenced an arrogance in assuming that they could direct their lives without dependence upon the One who made them.

In our language, the word resolution comes from the same root word as resolve. Roughly translated it means that which we intend to do. It is rooted in the will. One of my mentors would counsel me that Christianity ( on the human end of the equation) is not primarily a matter of the emotions or intellect (as vitally important as they are ) but of the will. Selah. And it is exactly at the level of my will I most recognize my depravity and my desperate need for Him.

Getting back to resolutions, allow me to ask some questions.

·         Are you ok with where you are right now? I know that I’m not.

·         Is there anything that you would want to change or do differently? I know I do.

Think about it in different categories: Physically, spiritually, mentally, emotionally, socially? In prayer, dig down into each of these. Spend some time thinking about them. What would you want to be different by this time next year?  What do you want to get rid of? What do you want to add?  There is much to be said for a holy dissatisfaction that spurs us onto growth and change. 

While some people are complacent, others are in despair, feeling like they can never grow. Many are overwhelmed by it all. First, recognize that it is by His power, not yours.  We are arrogant if we think otherwise.   Then try writing a small list, perhaps five things ( one for each finger) that you intend to focus upon?  Small, incremental change over time beats doing nothing pretty well every time. Especially if it is in the right direction.  

I encourage you to read the above text in this light. And as it tells us.. you have a Lord who has gone before you - and  a whole host of witnesses cheering you on.