Make Disciples - Food for Thought

- tC

You Should Save Up Your Treasure

                                                                            

(Photo by Sheelamohan - FreeDigitalPhotos.net)

If you've read the Bible much, you'll know that Jesus has been known to made some pretty radical claims.  But just the other day I was listening to a speaker who set me up for a HUGE fall as he taught about Jesus and His view on money.  He noted that Jesus doesn't say, "Don't store up your treasure."  At first, I thought, "Wait, what is going on here?"  Didn't Jesus tell that one young ruler to go and sell all he had, give it to the poor, and THEN to come follow Him (Mark 10:17-31)?  Isn't this the Jesus who commends the woman who gives away her last penny (Luke 21:1-4)?  Yes it is, but look more closely at what Jesus tells His followers.

In Matthew 6:19, Jesus says, "Do not store up for yourselves treasures...", but then in verse 20 He says, "But store up for yourselves treasures...".

The key difference?  The location of the treasure.

Don't store it up here, but (as Randy Alcorn says) send it ahead.  I've heard it called the ultimate investment plan.  Jesus tells us to invest wisely, not here on earth where it can be stolen or lose value, but invest in eternal treasure which has an eternal return and where it cannot be lost.

Every dollar we spend shows what we think about our true home and whether eternity is real.

Store up treasure...in eternity.

- tC
  

Have A Plan

(Salvatore Vuono - FreeDigitalPhotos.net)

If you read the Bible, it's easy to grab a hold of certain verses because they just make sense.  Philippians 4:13 and Luke 1:37 are two popular ones - reminding us that God is able.  As I was thinking about today's post, I thought that Proverbs 15:22 is probably a well-liked verse - "Plans fail for lack of counsel, but with many advisers they succeed."  It's true - you seek out wise people, you look to others who know more, and your plans are more likely to work out.  However, I want to just point out the base-level assumption within this verse - the assumption that the individual has a plan of some sort.

In my life, I have found that I have to lean into the sovereignty of God more and more.  As a thinker, planner, and Type-A personality, that can be challenging.  But the more I live, the more I see how small I am in the grand scheme of all things.  However, I also see that I can use the idea of 'leaning into God's sovereignty' as an excuse for having no plan.  On a day when I don't have to work or don't have a ton of goals to accomplish, I an waste the entire day away and then, as I roll into bed at night, I think, "There is a day I can never get back."

My encouragement to you is to to have a plan.  I am of the mindset that we need personal mission statements for our lives overall (of course, written in pencil since yes, He is in charge of all things and can change what my plans might be).  But even in our day-to-day living, we need a plan.  What will I strive toward today for the Kingdom of God?  What will I do to make myself more of an asset to God's work in the world.  Or, as Paul remind us (since it is the ultimate end of all things),"Who might God want me to love today?"

Have a plan.  Write it in pencil, but have a plan.

- tC  

3 Ways to bless your pastor

 

(Photo by CreativeDoxFoto - FreeDigitalPhotos.net)

I cannot tell a lie - part of me is posting this because I want to express the frustration felt by myself and many other pastors as we try to walk the line of humble leadership.  But my own frustrations aside, I truly do believe that these are three ways you can really and truly be a blessing to your pastor.

1. Assume the best.  When something comes up that you find strange or questionable at your local church, assume the best.  Assume that your leaders are making decisions will hearts fully desiring the best for the congregation and for God's glory.  When something strange comes up, don't jump to the assumption that all doctrine has gone out the window and that the church is on the slippery-slope.

2. Ask the source.  If you have found something in, for example, a church communication that you find questionable, first assume the best and then secondly, go to the source.  E-mail your pastor or his administrative assistant with a humble attitude that is seeking clarity, not one that says, "I'm here to straighten you out."  If you have questions, ask the source.

3.  Lastly, don't talk to anyone until you talk to the source.  And I mean that - don't talk to anyone.  Because what happens is that you tell 'just one friend' and then he or she tells...'just one friend', and then next thing you know, there is a rumor weed that is taking over the church body.  Don't share it, just pray about it, and then go to the source.

If you will take these truths to heart, you will be a blessing to the leaders of your church body.
- tC

Most of all, unity

  Photo credit: Joits / Foter / CC BY-NC-SA 

Consider the Apostle Paul's words in Philippians 2.  As he starts this passage, he says,

"Therefore if you have any encouragement with being united with Christ, if any comfort from His love, if any common sharing in the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind."

As I studied this passage last night, I thought to myself, "Do we, do I value unity as much as Paul did?"  Too often, we let our own preferences get in the way of what God speaks to so clearly in this passage - unity.   Here's a quote that might also summarize a Christian perspective on unity: in essentials, unity; in doubtful matters, liberty; in all things, charity.

I once heard Dr. Ravi Zacharias say that in our discussions we need to work on creating more light than heat.  If the Body of Christ were to truly value one another and this notion of growing, learning, and (as noted above) 'the creation of light', I sense that we might look at fellow believers and realize that we are all wounded, all broken, and all seeking out truth by God's grace alone.  When we disagreed, we would offer grace and patience with an attitude that says, "Only God sees perfectly".  We would be slow to think that all the conclusions we have come to are without flaws.  And all this would drive us to the Savior without whom there is no hope for humanity, both in the life to come and in this life.

How have we as the Church today caused division over non-essential issues?  And better yet - how do we define essential issues?  I would state it this way: if the doctrine over which we disagree will not condemn one to Hell or mislead one from Heaven, let us be slow to stand our ground and find out we are standing on another brother or sister.
Above all, be like minded.

 - tC

Avoiding Pain, Maximizing Pleasure

(http://www.flickr.com/photos/unpolarized/208532652/) 

While it's not something most of us will admit, when we reflect on it we have to affirm that much of what we do in life is to avoid pain and to maximize pleasure.  We might not use such polarizing terms, terms that describe the opposite ends of the spectrum - but it's generally true. 

I was speaking with a pastor the other day who shared with me that the reason people become apathetic or bored in their walk with God is usually connected to the spiritual disciplines.  As I probed a bit, he said, "The disciplines force us into a place that is not easy.  Sure, we 'like' talking with God in prayer or reading the Bible, but if I had to choose between eating ice cream or reading my Bible as to which one brought the easiest pleasure with the least amount of energy, the ice cream wins." 

But the irony is that while the immediate pleasure has to be denied in order that we grow in our walk with God (i.e. I want to sleep in  but I get up to read my Bible), the outcome of the discipline is the greatest pleasure we can find - knowing and being known by God. 

Consider your life as I consider mine.  Do I seek temporary pleasure, immediate  pleasure at the cost of greater, lasting pleasure.  C.S. Lewis described it like this:


“We are half-hearted creatures, fooling about with drink and sex and ambition when infinite joy is offered us, like an ignorant child who wants to go on making mud pies in a slum because he cannot imagine what is meant by the offer of a holiday at the sea. We are far too easily pleased.”

- tC

Doing What Matters

We will all breathe our last breath someday.  Will we be able, at that point, to say that we redeemed the time we were given for a greater cause than just fun and safety?

- tC