Clay in the Hands

Often, there are multiple reasons we have a hard time connecting to God. In the last post, I mentioned the issue of FOMO. We can become so consumed with not missing out on things that we add and add to our lives to the point that we live a hurried and worried existence. Hurry can also become our norm when our focus is efficiency and productivity. Slowing down to focus on Jesus is hard to do when our lives are lived at mach speed.

But today I am thinking about another reason we lose focus on our relationship with Jesus. Sometimes, it is the burdens we carry that distract us. One of the many powerful experiences I had on the Camino de Santiago was a practice that many along the way added to their journey. Many would pick up rocks along the way to symbolize burdens they were carrying.

One day, early in the walk, I did that. I found a rock to carry and pray over. The rock had a name – the name of what I was carrying in my heart. For a couple of days, I carried that rock in my pocket and every time I noticed its presence, I prayed for God to work in the situation – to bring about healing and restoration. Then about day 3 of carrying that rock, I laid it down at one of the direction markers along the trail. As I laid it down, my prayer was one of surrender. I gave that burden, as best I could, to God and asked Him to take care of it. As I walked away, I felt His answer. What He told me was that I needed to continue to pray for the situation and show love as best I can, and leave the rest to Him.

I would like to be able to report that I have done a great job of not picking up that burden again, but I can say there has been a new sense of peace and hope.

There are so many things we carry – concerns for family, for careers, for community, for our world. But we were not designed to carry the world on our shoulders – that is God’s job. Whatever we carry can become a distraction that prevents us from truly connecting to the One who can take the weight from us.

What do you need to lay down today? Jesus is ready to take it but you have to offer it.

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Over the past several months I have given much thought to living the life in The Way – daily following Jesus. I have thought about my effectiveness to this point – and often times the lack of effectiveness. But more recently, I have been thinking about my effectiveness as a believer moving forward. There are now many more days on this planet behind me than there are in front of me. So how do I make sure the days I have left are spent pleasing Jesus?

In my devotional life, I am reading through the Sermon on the Mount – the greatest sermon ever preached – offered by Jesus Himself to His followers on the northern side of the lake in Galilee. At the beginning of the sermon, Jesus gave us a list of characteristics we should try to exhibit each day – what we have come to call the Beatitudes. Immediately after the list, He said this, “You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled by men.” (Matthew 5:13)

Salt brings out flavors in food; in moderation, it is a good thing. It also can be used as a preservative. Our lives are to bring enhancement to those around us – to add flavor to life. Our lives can bring preservation when our lives point others to the One who rescues. I don’t know about you, but if I am to be salt in a tasteless world, I don’t want to lose my saltiness.

What I have found is the only way to stay salty is to stay close to the source. When we move further away from the source, and allow ourselves to be diluted by the world, we lose saltiness. Jesus reminded us, in the Gospel of John, that we must remain or abide in Him – like a branch connected to a vine. Our effectiveness – or saltiness – is dependent on our staying close to Him.

How will you stay close and stay connected to Him today to ensure you don’t become diluted by the world around you?

Stay salty!

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This past weekend, I had the wonderful opportunity to gather with pastor couples in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico. This was part of the ministry I serve with that offers retreats for pastors and their wives. Our ministry, Proyecto Fortaleza (The Strengthening Project) exists to focus on spiritual renewal and marriage enrichment.

The theme of our retreat this year was, Becoming Holy. Our sessions dealt with what holiness means and looks like, and how we are to strive for that holiness in our lives and in our marriages. 1 Peter 3:16 says, “be holy as I am holy.” Our commitment to follow Jesus means we are to truly follow Him – every day. Our decision to surrender to Jesus and accept Him as Savior is a commitment for a lifetime. But to make Him our Lord is a daily decision. We have to decide, each day, if we are going to strive for holiness or just go through the motions.

One of my readings for today came from the Sermon on the Mount. Matthew 5:13-16. In this passage Jesus says we are salt and light. Much has been said about being the light of the world. We are to let our light shine so that all who see it give praise to God. That is what we are called to do as believers – live in such a way that others see Jesus.

But we often rush right past the illustration of being salt. Salt is less about what we do and more about who we are – or are becoming. Salt, because of its internal properties, enhances the taste of food. But Jesus pointed out that if salt loses its saltiness, it is of little use. As I have meditated on this idea, I am reminded that we are to do our part to keep our soul close to Him – to keep our saltiness. Jesus is more concerned about who we are and what we become than what we do. If we lose our passion for Jesus, our light will not be effective. It starts with being salt before we can be light.

So don’t lose your saltiness. Take time to grow in your faith – to stay close to Jesus. He has called you to be salt to a tasteless world and then to be light in the darkness around you.

He is counting on you.

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I really need to get back into the gym. I am not in the physical shape I would like to be. Exercise has been on my To Do list for a while, but my back has been giving me trouble for about a month. Every time I think about hitting the weights, I give it a second thought and I don’t. The back is finally coming around and so it will be back to the gym in the next day or two.

But today, I am thinking about a different kind of weight. Over a year ago I created a sticky note reminder to myself, that simply asks, “What is the heaviest weight you are carrying right now?” It is a reminder for me to look to God for strength and not try to carry weight I was never designed nor called to carry. But taking on too much comes naturally for me, it is my personality. I have a tendency to take on too much and carry more than I should.

Maybe that is you today. Perhaps you feel no one could possibly understand even a fraction of what is on your plate and the load you carry. But my reading in Romans chapter 8 this morning reminded me, as I hope it will remind you, that you are not alone – the Father is with you and He knows what you carry. Even now, He is working things out for the good of those who love Him. Through Christ in us, we are more than conquerors because He is with us. Nothing we face or carry or encounter or even bring on ourselves can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus.

Jesus never promised that when we follow Him we would never encounter difficulty or struggle. But He did promise that we would have a travel companion as we walk this path – He is with you today. Have hope and take strength in that fact.

Now – where did I put that gym membership card?

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Earlier this week, I had a wonderful opportunity to get away from the routine for an overnight retreat with area pastors. We had a great time of fellowship getting to know friends in ministry better, as well as meeting new ones. As we settled in for the night, I began to get comfortable in my little twin bed in my little room. The bed was pushed up against the wall, under the only window in the room.

Just as I began to relax, the lights outside the building came on; and even though the blinds were closed, the light lit up the entire room. As I lay there, my first impulse was frustration – “Now I’m never going to be able to get to sleep!” While it was not like daytime in the room, it was bright enough to make out all areas of the little domicile.

But as I thought about this new obstacle to my sleep, I thought about the power of light. It illuminates and reveals. I had no problem seeing everything in the room, even though the source of light was not in the room. Just the light coming through the closed blinds was enough to light up the room. That is the power of light in the darkness.

This Sunday, we will continue our series of looking at what we believe – the topic this Sunday will be God the Son. Jesus, one of the three persons of the trinity, is God the Son. One of the focal texts for Sunday will be John 1:1-5. It is a beautiful passage detailing the deity and eternal nature of Jesus. This passage opens with, “In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God.” We are told in verse 14, that the Word became flesh and took up residence next door.

But captured in this glorious text are 2 verses that reveal so much about Jesus. We are told in verses 4-5, “In him was life, and that life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness but the darkness has not understood it.” Jesus, the One who was in the beginning with God and IS God, is life – life in the truest sense. And that life is the light of all mankind.

In John 8:12, Jesus says, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” Jesus is life and light. His very nature brings clarity and illuminates true life. When we follow Him, we experience the life He created us to live because He reveals the best path for us to take. Our world is a very dark place. We need His light to make it through.

Jesus is the light of the world – walk in His light today.

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Last Sunday I began a new sermon series built around the basic principles of our faith. Our church exists to make disciples. We find our identity in sharing Christ and growing in faith together. But how can we do that effectively if we are not clear on what we believe. As Baptists, we are a non-creedal people – meaning, one need not sign a creed to be part of the family.

However, we do come together around common-held, foundational doctrines that give us a basis of relating to one another. And so, we are now in the midst of exploring some of those foundational doctrines as a church family.

This Sunday, we will look at what we believe about God the Father. While the Holy Trinity is a mystery to us and there is no way we could ever define God, the Bible does describe God in terms that help us know Him. We see God’s attributes throughout scripture – His holiness, power and truth. We see His love, compassion and provision. We experience these things not only in His word, but in the way He interacts with us each day – if we are paying attention.

Paul tells us in Romans 1:20, “For since the creation of the world, God’s invisible qualities – his eternal power and divine nature – have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse.” What we understand from this truth is that we see God in His creation.

I am one who loves nature – being out in it. The mountains or the beach, a river or a deer blind – it does not matter – as long as I am present in the moment, I feel a closeness to God through His creation. Two of the most special experiences to me are sunrises and sunsets. Not everyone may feel the same, but I have always had a connection to the Father more powerfully in those moments than in most other experiences. Seeing the sun peak over the horizon draws me to the point of hope for a new day and God’s involvement in it. As the sun sneaks out of sight, I am drawn to the idea of resting in the Father’s lap.

I encourage you to slow down today and look for the Father around you. His presence is ever a reality. The issue is not the absence of God in our lives but rather our awareness. Take time to look. Take time to be present. Take time to watch the sunset.

Be blessed!

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