It is an interesting and somewhat discomforting assignment to delve into the subject of suffering. There is bound to be some confusion, some misunderstanding, and some hurt. The truth is we all want answers. We want to know why.
The why question is an OK question to ask. Just prepare yourself for the likely answer. Job asked the why question and got the same answer that if we have been listening, we have heard over and over throughout our lives: "I am God." With his hands raised towards heaven in utter agony in the midst of indescribable personal loss, Job has just one question.... Why?
As I spoke with a few individuals after the teaching on Sunday I felt compelled to offer this reminder, and I offer it to you: Not even the greatest teaching on the issue of suffering will answer all of your questions. You will draw general themes and hopefully be able to get to a place where hardship in life doesn't ruin you. But the truth is, we all live with the tension of mystery in our lives. "Who's to blame?" "Why me?" "Should I run or should I stay?" "Will it get worse?" "When will it end?" Many of these questions will never be answered in the way that you wish. But there is always this one answer that is given as salve to the wounded, food to the hungry, and comfort to the broken; "I am God."
The degree of comfort that we experience from that simple statement is directly correlated to the depth of our knowledge of Him. You see, to know God is to gladly allow Him to be God, even when it doesn't make sense to me. He knows better, He knows more, He knows all, and He is God. He always will be. I can rest in that and take hope. I pray you can too.
Aaron
Wednesday, July 21, 2010
Tuesday, June 8, 2010
The Mighty Burger Flipper
So this last Sunday I was terribly disappointed that I ran out of time to read this little story taken from Nancy Pearcey's book Total Truth. This really sums it up so well, so here it is:
By the time Sealy Yates was just twenty-five years old, he had already fulfilled his life's dreams. He had gone to law school, passed the bar exam, landed a great job. He had married a wonderful woman, and they were busy raising their first child. Life was good.
That's when Sealy slumped into a profound depression. He was too young for a midlife crisis, yet he found himself asking all the same questions: Is this all there is? Is this what I want to do for the rest of my life? What's the meaning of it all?
Sealy was not naturally depressive, so he probed for some reason behind it. And the answer he discovered was one that no psychologist would have guessed: The key to recovering joy and purpose turned out to be a new understanding of Christianity as total truth-an insight that broke open the dam and poured the restoring waters of the gospel into the parched areas of his life.
Years ago, at the age of fifteen, Sealy had responded to an altar call at a Baptist church. From that moment on, he knew deep in his bones that what he wanted most was to serve God. At first, he figured that meant doing church work of some kind-becoming a pastor, missionary, or music leader. "I wanted to live for God," Sealy told me,' "and the only frame of reference I had said that meant full-time Christian work."
There was only one problem: He didn't have the skills for any church-based profession. In reviewing his aptitude tests, however, a high school guidance counselor suggested that he consider becoming an attorney. The idea was electrifying. No one in Sealy's family had even gone to college, let alone law school. The very thought seemed to soar beyond the bounds of possibility. Nevertheless, he prayed, he worked hard, and now ... he had made it.
So why wasn't he happy? Sealy's impossible dream had come true, yet he was miserable. He maintained a heavy schedule of church activities, but a spiritual hunger still gnawed at his heart. Maybe he had made a mistake? Maybe he really had been called to full-time church work but had ignored God's call? Maybe he should drop his job and go to the mission field?
Christians who are seriously committed to their faith often experience this inner tug-of-war. Like Sealy, most of us absorb the idea that serving God means primarily doing church work. If we end up in other fields of work, then we think serving the Lord means piling religious activities on top of our existing responsibilities-things like church services, Bible study, and evangelism. But where does that leave the job itself? Is our work only a material necessity, something that puts food on the table but has no intrinsic spiritual significance? Is it merely utilitarian, a way of making a living?
Sealy discovered that it was just such questions that were driving his depression: He had no idea how to integrate his Christian faith with his professionallife. In his law classes at UCLA there had never been any mention of Christianity; none of his professors or classmates had shared his faith commitment; nor did any colleagues at the law firm where he now worked. And since his professional work took up most of his waking hours, that meant a large segment of his life was sealed off from what mattered most to him.
"Where is God in my life?" Sealy found himself asking. What he thought was depression turned out to be an agonized longing for spiritual meaning in his work. Adding church activities to a completely secularized job was like putting a religious frame on a secular picture. The tension between his spiritual hunger and the time demands of a purely "secular" job was tearing him apart inside.
Sealy's search for a solution was finally rewarded when he discovered a Christian study program that taught him how to address clients' spiritual lives. Instantly, a whole new world opened to him, as became to realize that the law addresses issues connected to the whole person. After all, "people typically come to lawyers when they're in a crisis," he explained. "It's a phenomenal opportunity to help them do what's right." Lawyers can minister to troubled spouses seeking a divorce, counsel misguided teens in trouble with the law, advise ethically conflicted businessmen to do what's right, confront Christian ministries that are compromising biblical principles. The law is not merely a set of procedures or an argumentative technique. It is God's means of confronting wrong, establishing justice, defending the weak, and promoting the public good.
In every profession, the prevailing views stem from some underlying philosophy-basic assumptions about what is ultimately true and right. That means Christians need not feel out of place bringing their own assumptions into the field. Sealy began to claim the freedom to bring biblical understandings of justice, rights, and reconciliation into the legal arena.
By the time Sealy Yates was just twenty-five years old, he had already fulfilled his life's dreams. He had gone to law school, passed the bar exam, landed a great job. He had married a wonderful woman, and they were busy raising their first child. Life was good.
That's when Sealy slumped into a profound depression. He was too young for a midlife crisis, yet he found himself asking all the same questions: Is this all there is? Is this what I want to do for the rest of my life? What's the meaning of it all?
Sealy was not naturally depressive, so he probed for some reason behind it. And the answer he discovered was one that no psychologist would have guessed: The key to recovering joy and purpose turned out to be a new understanding of Christianity as total truth-an insight that broke open the dam and poured the restoring waters of the gospel into the parched areas of his life.
Years ago, at the age of fifteen, Sealy had responded to an altar call at a Baptist church. From that moment on, he knew deep in his bones that what he wanted most was to serve God. At first, he figured that meant doing church work of some kind-becoming a pastor, missionary, or music leader. "I wanted to live for God," Sealy told me,' "and the only frame of reference I had said that meant full-time Christian work."
There was only one problem: He didn't have the skills for any church-based profession. In reviewing his aptitude tests, however, a high school guidance counselor suggested that he consider becoming an attorney. The idea was electrifying. No one in Sealy's family had even gone to college, let alone law school. The very thought seemed to soar beyond the bounds of possibility. Nevertheless, he prayed, he worked hard, and now ... he had made it.
So why wasn't he happy? Sealy's impossible dream had come true, yet he was miserable. He maintained a heavy schedule of church activities, but a spiritual hunger still gnawed at his heart. Maybe he had made a mistake? Maybe he really had been called to full-time church work but had ignored God's call? Maybe he should drop his job and go to the mission field?
Christians who are seriously committed to their faith often experience this inner tug-of-war. Like Sealy, most of us absorb the idea that serving God means primarily doing church work. If we end up in other fields of work, then we think serving the Lord means piling religious activities on top of our existing responsibilities-things like church services, Bible study, and evangelism. But where does that leave the job itself? Is our work only a material necessity, something that puts food on the table but has no intrinsic spiritual significance? Is it merely utilitarian, a way of making a living?
Sealy discovered that it was just such questions that were driving his depression: He had no idea how to integrate his Christian faith with his professionallife. In his law classes at UCLA there had never been any mention of Christianity; none of his professors or classmates had shared his faith commitment; nor did any colleagues at the law firm where he now worked. And since his professional work took up most of his waking hours, that meant a large segment of his life was sealed off from what mattered most to him.
"Where is God in my life?" Sealy found himself asking. What he thought was depression turned out to be an agonized longing for spiritual meaning in his work. Adding church activities to a completely secularized job was like putting a religious frame on a secular picture. The tension between his spiritual hunger and the time demands of a purely "secular" job was tearing him apart inside.
Sealy's search for a solution was finally rewarded when he discovered a Christian study program that taught him how to address clients' spiritual lives. Instantly, a whole new world opened to him, as became to realize that the law addresses issues connected to the whole person. After all, "people typically come to lawyers when they're in a crisis," he explained. "It's a phenomenal opportunity to help them do what's right." Lawyers can minister to troubled spouses seeking a divorce, counsel misguided teens in trouble with the law, advise ethically conflicted businessmen to do what's right, confront Christian ministries that are compromising biblical principles. The law is not merely a set of procedures or an argumentative technique. It is God's means of confronting wrong, establishing justice, defending the weak, and promoting the public good.
In every profession, the prevailing views stem from some underlying philosophy-basic assumptions about what is ultimately true and right. That means Christians need not feel out of place bringing their own assumptions into the field. Sealy began to claim the freedom to bring biblical understandings of justice, rights, and reconciliation into the legal arena.
Saturday, May 8, 2010
Kids These Days - 5/09/10
I wanted to give you a helpful list from Dr. Leman's book "A Chicken's Guide to Talking Turkey with your Kids about Sex." Consider this a follow up from this morning's teaching. If you would like to order the book from Amazon, just click the link.
TIPS TO TALKING WITH YOUR KIDS ABOUT :
1) Always answer the question at an age appropriate level. A good way to gauge this is by responding with a probing question. "Where did you hear about that?" Something to give you an idea of how much they already know.
2) Practice. Think through your answers ahead of time. What are your beliefs and why?
3) Get Feedback. Have your kid explain what you just explained to make sure he/she gets it.
4) Look at Families with Kids older than yours and discuss how you will deal with the same issues when you get there.
5) Help your child see past their limited experience to foresee potential problems. Your kids confidence that 'everything will be fine' may be unwarranted from your perspective. Teach them to see the bigger picture.
6) Be ready - with your facial expressions, with your eye contact, with your gestures, and with your body language - to answer anything. Remember, each time you respond, you are either building trust or ruining it.
7) Read. Get Accurate Information. I'm sure you can imagine why this is critical.
8) Wrap it in the right context. Relate everything about in it's proper context - marriage.
9) Know your Goal. It's about more than just getting the info out, it's about connecting and building relationship and trust with your child.
Here's a link to a helpful article I came across this week that also has some good points on the same topic::
http://www.focusonthefamily.com/parenting/sexuality/ teaching_children_healthy_sexuality.aspx
I hope this helps. Forward to your own family adventure!
Aaron
TIPS TO TALKING WITH YOUR KIDS ABOUT :
1) Always answer the question at an age appropriate level. A good way to gauge this is by responding with a probing question. "Where did you hear about that?" Something to give you an idea of how much they already know.
2) Practice. Think through your answers ahead of time. What are your beliefs and why?
3) Get Feedback. Have your kid explain what you just explained to make sure he/she gets it.
4) Look at Families with Kids older than yours and discuss how you will deal with the same issues when you get there.
5) Help your child see past their limited experience to foresee potential problems. Your kids confidence that 'everything will be fine' may be unwarranted from your perspective. Teach them to see the bigger picture.
6) Be ready - with your facial expressions, with your eye contact, with your gestures, and with your body language - to answer anything. Remember, each time you respond, you are either building trust or ruining it.
7) Read. Get Accurate Information. I'm sure you can imagine why this is critical.
8) Wrap it in the right context. Relate everything about in it's proper context - marriage.
9) Know your Goal. It's about more than just getting the info out, it's about connecting and building relationship and trust with your child.
Here's a link to a helpful article I came across this week that also has some good points on the same topic::
http://www.focusonthefamily.com/parenting/sexuality/ teaching_children_healthy_sexuality.aspx
I hope this helps. Forward to your own family adventure!
Aaron
Friday, February 26, 2010
Trail of Tears - February 21, 2010
"Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. Will he not first sit down and estimate the cost to see if he has enough money to complete it?" (Luke 14:28) Now reverse it: "Suppose one of you wants to destroy a tower. Will he not first sit down and estimate the cost to see if he is willing to take the loss?" A divided heart will not do. We must streamline our passions and then allow our actions to follow. Isn't it crazy that we dabble in passions that are entirely out of the realm of possibility but we kid ourselves into thinking that were not going down that road, we just want to feel the warmth of the pavement. I just want to catch a whiff of the breeze blowing from that direction, to see down that road and imagine I was down there.
I find a good hard dose of reality therapy is in order. Take a moment and think through the long term results. Work it out to its bitter end. Are you really willing to pay the price?
Any unrestrained passion exceeding your passion for God will ultimately bring you to ruin. The beautiful thing is that for the man or woman who has placed faith in Christ the Spirit of God is now dwelling in that persons heart. The Spirit comes with an entirely new and Godly set of passions that have the capacity to overpower the selfish, sinful passions. YES, they do! We need but to stimulate those desires through obedience, through the ongoing study of the Word, and through time with God in prayer.
The best future for you and your family is the one where you have settled in your heart the passions that you will pursue, and have directed your hearts desire toward God. Let Him become your all and discover the beauty of being truly alive. With God as your number one passion, you will never be disappointed, I have yet to be...
Aaron
I find a good hard dose of reality therapy is in order. Take a moment and think through the long term results. Work it out to its bitter end. Are you really willing to pay the price?
Any unrestrained passion exceeding your passion for God will ultimately bring you to ruin. The beautiful thing is that for the man or woman who has placed faith in Christ the Spirit of God is now dwelling in that persons heart. The Spirit comes with an entirely new and Godly set of passions that have the capacity to overpower the selfish, sinful passions. YES, they do! We need but to stimulate those desires through obedience, through the ongoing study of the Word, and through time with God in prayer.
The best future for you and your family is the one where you have settled in your heart the passions that you will pursue, and have directed your hearts desire toward God. Let Him become your all and discover the beauty of being truly alive. With God as your number one passion, you will never be disappointed, I have yet to be...
Aaron
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