The Unwelcome Guest

“And now my life drains out, as suffering seizes and grips me hard.” (Job 30:16 MSG)

Suffering is an unwelcome house guest. She barges into your life unannounced.  She sucks up all your energy and leaves a mess everywhere. She encroaches into every room and spreads her stuff all over your furniture. She uses your personal things without permission. She stays too long and expects you to attend to her whims. You wish you could ask her to leave, but once she moves in, she seems to be in control.

How do you deal with a horrific house guest that you cannot get rid of? You try to minimize her power over your life. Don’t give her a set of keys. Set boundaries. Do not let her spread her misery into every area of your life. Don’t rearrange your life to accommodate her demands. Even though it is upsetting, confront her when necessary.

When it becomes difficult to handle Suffering on your own, it is best to let your Roommate deal with her. If you live with God, you can let Him take over. God can manage things that you can’t manage on your own.

“In this godless world you will continue to experience difficulties. But take heart! I’ve conquered the world.” (John 16:33 MSG)

Show Love

“This is how God showed his love for us: God sent his only Son into the world so we might live through him.” (1 John 4:9 MSG)

Mike and Sandy have been married for 41 years. For the last several years, they have been dealing with Sandy’s cancer treatment. Mike sends regular email updates to all their family and friends, and he wrote the following in one of these emails: “Don't just say you love someone, show them you do.”

How can we show love?  We remain faithful, we forgive, we persevere. We continue to love, honor, and cherish--even after the illusions have faded. We express this love unconditionally, unselfishly, and regularly. And we don’t expect anything in return. This does not come naturally to humans. What we call love is often sentimental and self-centered. So we have been shown great love by example.

God loves us zealously, even though we are undeserving.  He loves us sacrificially--without boundaries, without conditions, without expectations. He expresses how He feels toward us on a daily basis, even though we often take it for granted.  Yet, because of the sacrificial love that God has shown us, because of His Spirit within us, we have been given the ability to manifest great love.  

Unique Gifts

“If you faint in a crisis, you are weak.” (Proverbs 24:10 GWT)

My husband works as a physician in the Emergency Department. Every day he helps people who are in the midst of crises and chaos. There is nothing routine about his job--he works rotating shifts, sees patients of every kind, and deals with a wide range of physical, mental, and social illnesses. He is intelligent, compassionate, and diligent in his work. Yet, what makes him especially suited for this job is his personality--he can stay unruffled and level-headed in the middle of crises. He imparts this calm to all those around him--the patients and their families, as well as his co-workers.

Placidity in the midst of chaos is a rare gift.  This ability to remain unflappable and think clearly is something which many of us lack. I am amazed that my husband was led into this career that matches his unique gifts.

God, in His deep wisdom and extravagant grace, places us in situations that bring out His best in us.  He plants gifts in us and brings them to fruition. He brought us into existence and holds us together. His purposes and plans are enigmatic. He directs the trajectory of our lives in astonishing ways.

Second Naivete

“The wisdom we speak of is the mystery of God” (1 Corinthians 2:7 NLT)

Paul Ricoeur was one of the most notable philosophers of the 20th century. And, like with most great philosophers, his thought process is a bit inaccessible for most of us. I have been trying to read and understand his writings lately. The following few paragraphs are my attempt to explain one of Ricouer’s ideas--the intriguing concept of second naivete.

Ricouer describes basic religion as first naivete. Everything is taken literally. This stage is full of doctrines, dogma, rules, and taboos. Motivation is fueled by fear of punishment and a desire for protection.

Many individuals discover that religion is unsatisfactory--especially when faced with life’s inevitable paradoxes. This compels us to distance ourselves from our early beliefs. We question everything we have been taught--approaching our faith rationally and critically. Some of us never make it out of this desert of unknowing and give up on spirituality completely.

According to Ricoeur, the desert experience is a necessary intermediate step before reaching the next stage--second naivete. This is a fresh way to approach faith after we have shed our primitive religious preconceptions. The term naivete here implies a simple authenticity, an unaffectedly, direct approach--NOT a lack of information or judgment.  It sees the value of symbolism and metaphor. It looks at things critically--picking out what is relevant, while disregarding the trivial. This level of faith requires openness, vulnerability,  and humility. It is a gift. It is a wisdom that leads us into the deep mystery of God.

Obedient Idiot

“As he considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream. Joseph, son of David,” the angel said, “do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife. For the child within her was conceived by the Holy Spirit. (Matthew 1:20 NLT)

Joseph doesn’t get much recognition for his role in the life of Jesus. He is engaged to Mary when she gets pregnant--and Joseph knows it isn’t his baby. Like any guy in this situation, I’m sure he is humiliated, heartbroken, and angry.  Understandably, he wants to break up and move on. Yet, he obeys the message that he receives in a dream. He takes the pregnant Mary as his wife. I wonder if he felt like an idiot. I’m sure others berated him for his stupidity and naivete.  

I often feel like an idiot--especially when I’m following directions that I think are from God. Spirit-conceived  ideas often make very little sense compared to humanly-constructed ideas. It is difficult to keep going when you look and feel stupid. I am frequently tempted to follow my own wisdom rather than look like a fool for Christ.

Now, there are many people who do stupid things in the name of God, but their intentions are merely to further their own agenda. They convince themselves that they are doing what they are doing because of their dedication to God. Distinguishing between Truth and half-truths requires spiritual wisdom and discipline. Or else, we may end up “obediently” going in the wrong direction.

By His Power

“By his divine power, God has given us everything we need for living a godly life. We have received all of this by coming to know him, the one who called us to himself by means of his marvelous glory and excellence.” (2 Peter 1:3 NLT)

The ultimate purpose of all humanity is relationship--to know God, to be known by Him, and to make Him known. God has given us the power to imitate Him. He has given us the opportunity to approach Him, to access his power, and to accompany Him. As we operate within God’s authority and influence, we are able to channel and express God’s power through our prayers, our words, and our actions.

“This is a terrific responsibility. Is anyone competent to take it on? No—but at least we don’t take God’s Word, water it down, and then take it to the streets to sell it cheap. We stand in Christ’s presence when we speak; God looks us in the face. We get what we say straight from God and say it as honestly as we can.” (2 Corinthians 2:16-7 MSG)

The power of the Holy Spirit is within all those who trust God. This is a great responsibility that must be wielded with reverence and discipline. The things that concern us, the words we speak, and the way we live must reflect God’s Spirit within us. We must be careful not to contaminate or dilute the expressions of God.

Lord, as you channel Your power through us, enable us to live a godly life--to know You, to be known by You, and to make You known.

Seasonal Snares

“Lead us not into temptation.” (Luke 11:4 NIV)

Once again, I’m doing something that I should not be doing. For the fourth time in the last two weeks, I’ve stopped to get myself a pumpkin spice latte. The first one of the season was wonderfully delicious. Each subsequent drink brought diminished satisfaction. Yet, I keep going back. I tell myself: It’s a seasonal treat. I have to get it while I can.  I read that it takes 75 minutes of exercise to burn off the calories of a pumpkin latte. I know I’m going to regret this later! But I continually succumb to the temptation, even though I know better.

Every season comes with its own set of temptations. The things that appeal to us in our teens are often different from the things that ensnare us in our forties. We should just drive by these traps, giving them a wide berth. Instead, we drive through, dally, and indulge in things we know are harmful.

God does not lead us into temptation. We swing by all on our own. However, we can ask God to keep us safe from ourselves. We can ask Him to make us aware of our internal proclivities and to help us be more proactive in steering clear of these seasonal snares.