The Good Shepherd

“From you will come the leader who will shepherd-rule my people.” (Matthew 2:5-6 MSG)

In biblical times, sheep herding was such a common job that no one had to explain the symbolism of comparing Jesus to a good shepherd. Most of us have never met a shepherd or been near a flock of sheep. We have seen images of Jesus walking around with a lamb in his arms. Yet, we rarely think about the full implications behind this pastoral metaphor.

A shepherd guides his sheep to good pastureland and water sources. He feeds and cares for his flock. He protects them from danger. He shears their wool when necessary. He delivers new lambs. He trains them. He goes after the wandering sheep and guides them back into the fold.

As the Good Shepherd, Jesus is our guide, provider, and protector. Everything we have is from Him. He knows what we really need. Not everything we want is beneficial. He nudges us back on track when we have strayed. He pulls us back when we are about to fall off a cliff. He delivers us from evil. He trains us through discipline. He grooms us for his purposes. He strips us of our superficial, egotistical fluff. Since we become attached to what we have amassed--our possessions, our identities, our accomplishments--this shearing is often uncomfortable. All we have to do is listen and follow.

Good Shepherd, we are depending on You to guide us, provide for us, and protects us. Shear us of our iniquities and use us according to Your purposes.

False Masters

“You must not have any other god but me.” (Exodus 20:3 NLT)

I had a conversation with my cousin, Philip, recently. We spoke for a few hours about his personal faith journey. The following is my account of his story:

Somewhere in the last few decades, I had lost my faith in God. I felt like an intellectual person couldn’t really believe in these things. I stopped praying. I went to church sporadically. I also got in the habit of having a drink every night. I rarely got drunk. However, I enjoyed drinking and entertaining guests at my house. Over the years, I collected a pretty impressive array of liquors from around the world. My friends were assured of a good time when they came over.

Then, over the last few months, several events happened that changed my perspective. First, my 14-year-old daughter started praying intensely for me. She would often pray over me while I was asleep. She asked me to pray with her frequently.  I humored her a few times. Then she challenged me to stop drinking for a week. I wanted to show her I was not addicted, so I stopped having my evening drink. I have to confess it was really difficult for me. Over the next few months, I attended a few faith-based conferences. I went to visit my sick mom and spent several weeks with her. I didn’t drink while I was with her. I also spent more time in prayer during those months. I felt convicted to stop drinking alcohol, but I continued to serve alcohol to my guests. Then one day, I felt that God was asking me... ‘Do you love me more than alcohol?’  I felt the urge to completely get rid of all the alcohol in my home, but I was reluctant. Some of those bottles had not even been opened. I had been saving a few of them  for over twelve years, waiting for a special occasion. My total collection was worth about $3500. I thought about giving the alcohol away to my friends. But that would be equivalent to getting the poison out of my house and distributing it to others so, I just kept procrastinating. Finally I couldn’t wait any longer. I lined up all 47 bottles that I had in my house and dumped them all down the kitchen sink.

Many of my friends feel like I have been brainwashed. They don’t think I’m fun to be around anymore. Several feel like I am being judgmental and prudish. I haven’t asked anyone else to quit drinking. I just decided not to drink or to serve alcohol in my home. The alcohol was just one of many obstacles blocking my way. I know God is still working on me. I still have a long way to go.

“And I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns.” (Philippians 1:6 NLT)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lbPh13yhmN8

Giving Thanks

“Then Jesus took the loaves, gave thanks to God, and distributed them to the people. Afterward he did the same with the fish. And they all ate as much as they wanted.” (John 6:11 NLT)

What do you do when resources are scarce? Perhaps you lack time, energy, money, supportive friends, a functional family, encouragement, purposeful work, faith, peace, health, security, or stability. It is natural to feel whiny-- even if you don’t express your complaints out loud.

When faced with the daunting task of feeding a crowd with a few loaves of bread, Jesus gave thanks. He was confident that the Father would provide whatever was necessary. His gratitude and faith led to contentment for all who were present.

Don’t worry about all the things that are in short supply. Give thanks to God. Trust Him to work through every insufficiency. Then you will experience contentment beyond all your expectations.

The Root Cause of Delusion

“They’ve refused for so long to deal with God that they’ve lost touch not only with God but with reality itself. They can’t think straight anymore.” (Ephesians 4:18-19 MSG)

Delusions stem from deceptive thoughts. Human nature compels us to do whatever we want--to pursue self-gratification and ego validation. We imagine that this will bring us happiness and fulfillment. These false beliefs are exposed and shattered by enlightenment. Thus, we prefer to operate in dimness--by not thinking too deeply about the way we live and the choices we make.

Eventually we realize that we cannot find satisfaction by our own efforts. This often leads to disenchantment and denial. If we cannot find fulfillment and meaning, then they must not exist. Life must be futile. Our hearts become clogged up by vanity and despondency. Our minds become inflexible and unyielding to the grace that surrounds us. Our souls become calloused--unable to sense God.

The root cause of delusion is alienation from God. Treating the symptoms can bring temporary relief. Distractions, busyness, ambitions, relationships, new goals, medications, coping mechanisms, etc. may help for a while. However, delusion can only be cured by the Spirit of Truth. May God enlighten our thoughts, soften our hearts, and make us receptive to His Grace.  May He regenerate His character and mind within us.

God's Instruments

“But the Lord said to him, “Go, for he is a chosen instrument of mine to carry my name...” (Acts 9:15 ESV)

Most major rock bands have guitar technicians who maintain and set up the guitars. These techs are in charge of changing strings, tuning, repairing, and making adjustments on the guitars, pedals, and amplifiers for the band. They do sound checks before each concert and hand the appropriate guitars to the musicians during the songs. The guitar techs must have some musical skills themselves in order to do their jobs. They have to be familiar with the band’s music and be available to tour with the band.

Imagine that you are a guitar technician who is employed by the Greatest Musician. You have been assigned to take care of one signature guitar. But what if you never took the instrument out of the case, or if you let your friends play with it as they pleased? Our spirit, the essence of who we are, is like a signature instrument that belongs to God--the greatest Musician. The physical body is like a guitar tech assigned to care for this precious guitar. Do not keep your spirit locked up in its case. Bring it out, clean it, tune it, and make changes and adjustments when necessary. Place it on the rack where it is ready and available for the Musician at all times. Allow God to bend your spirit, to use you as an instrument for his purposes, to express Himself through you.

Holding It All Together

“Everything got started in him and finds its purpose in him. He was there before any of it came into existence and holds it all together right up to this moment.”  (Colossians 1:16-18 MSG)

I have a friend who builds houses. He is involved in every aspect of the construction of his homes. He lives in one of the homes he built. He planned everything out so that the home would fit his purposes. He has lived in this home a long time. When something needs to be repaired, he gets out his toolbox and fixes it. He has remodeled parts of the house as his family’s needs have changed. He is the designer, builder, owner, occupier, and maintainer of this home.

God designed, created, and formed us for His purpose. But sometimes we allow other tenants to use the home that God built for Himself. Some are squatters that sneak in without permission. Others are renters from whom we receive some minor payback. They are not invested in us, thus, they don’t care what happens to us or those around us. These occupants need to be thrown out, or else they will damage our lives through neglect and abuse. Christ has the power to evict these interlopers. God wants to live in us and maintain us. But we need to let Him, and only Him, dwell within us. When things fall apart, He has the knowledge and ability to put us back together. He will care for us, uphold us, and sustain us.

Lord, you built us from the foundation up to the rafters. We shall depend on you to dwell within us and maintain us.

Propelled by Discomfort

“People with their minds set on you, you keep completely whole, steady on their feet, because they keep at it and don’t quit. Depend on God and keep at it because in the Lord God you have a sure thing.” (Isaiah 26:3-4 MSG)

Even though we expect a certain amount of adversity in life, we never seem prepared for it. We try to bar the door against suffering, but we can’t. Afflictions can make us miserable, but they can also teach us some valuable lessons.

“The truth is that our finest moments are most likely to occur when we are feeling deeply uncomfortable, unhappy, or unfulfilled. For it is only in such moments, propelled by our discomfort, that we are likely to step out of our ruts and start searching for different ways or truer answers.”

― M. Scott Peck

Discomfort can propel us to make changes. Adversity can break down our delusions and prompt us to seek truth.  However, Discontentment does not always lead to growth. Suffering does not always make us stronger individuals. We have all witnessed adults who spiral into an abyss of bad choices and worldly distractions when faced with a crisis. We have also seen others who manage to become better individuals because of how they react to difficult circumstances. It all depends on which way they turn in the midst of disappointments. We can either try to figure things out on our own, or we can turn to God in trust and faith. Depend on God to keep you steady and on the right path. Listen to His voice. Those who approach challenges head-on with perseverance and faith are made stronger. Those who keep their minds focused on God are made completely whole.