Bestowing Value

When someone else suffers for us, it demonstrates our value.

It might be something as significant as serving a loved one during their ten year bout with Alzheimer's until their death. It might be epic such as those who gave their own time and even died to save Jews during Hitler's tyranny or African Americans in the underground railroad. It might be more common like a mother and father who suffer sleep deprivation during a colicky infant's first few months of life.

When someone else suffers for us, it demonstrates our value.

No, let's take it further. Let's look at Ephesians 3:13. In his letter to the Ephesians*, Paul says, "I ask you, therefore, do not be discouraged because of my sufferings for you, which are your glory." Paul uses the word "glory" which is the same Greek word that is used to talk about Christ's coming (Matt 24:30, Mark 8:38, Mark 13: 26) and a number of other places in the New Testament to talk about the glory of God. It's the same word. It is a general word that means opinion or judgement, or view, but it is always used in a positive way in the New Testament**.

When someone else suffers for us, it demonstrates our glory. It demonstrates our dignity. It demonstrates our God given image.

So often, when someone suffers for us, we feel embarrassed to receive that type of praise from another person. We lower our eyes. We say, "I'm sorry you had to do that for me." This is why Paul had to say such a thing to the Ephesians. Paul had a difficult life because of his ministry. Accusations, shipwrecks, near death experiences, and finally house arrest. He suffered for people like the Ephesians. They knew it.

Paul told them, "Don't be discouraged that I suffer for you. It reveals your glory." His suffering revealed their dignity and God-given image. Paul knew they'd shy away from receiving such praise. He wanted to tell them that it's okay to receive sacrificial service from another person, including him, because by accepting such service they acknowledge the dignity and value God has placed in them as his creatures. And, in reality, that means they are accepting a gift from God. Receiving gifts from God unreservedly is one of our greatest forms of worship.

In our own lives, we are tempted to downplay the sufferings of others on our behalf. Do not reject such suffering, we are told. We are valuable and worth receiving such glory. This isn't because you've done something to earn such glory. It is simply because God has decided you are so valuable and worth everything to Him. Do not be discouraged that He suffered an eternity in hell on your behalf, shrunk up in a little ball of bitterness and putrid thoughts of contempt towards everyone and everything. Your value is demonstrated through his sacrifice.

He is all the more glorious for pouring His value into us through suffering.

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*The Ephesians were a group of people from one of the earliest churches in Ephesus, which is located in modern day Turkey.

**Blue Letter Bible. "Dictionary and Word Search for doxa (Strong's 1391)". Blue Letter Bible. 1996-2010. 30 Dec 2010.

Above and Beyond All Pain, Shame, Comfort, and Happiness

I don't want to get away from anger, shame, jealousy, resentment, and fear if it takes me away from God. I don't want to enter happiness, joy, relaxation, and comfort unless I find Him there.

So many of us (including me) hold happiness, joy, relaxation, and comfort to be the highest commodities. We just want someone or something to take away the pain. The reality is that sadness is the emotion we often are running from most. But even sadness isn't the highest commodity, even if it is the truer emotion we suppress with resentment and bitterness.

The bigger question I want to know above and beyond all pain, shame, comfort, and happiness is this: Are you there God? I want to know if God is there in the middle of it. That is all I want to know. If God is there, then I can fight in the trenches of World War I, endure a spouse who leaves me, fail on my end in a relationship, or survive an insult that threatens my masculinity or my femininity. These things will break me - yes they will break us - we can't get away from that fact - they will break us, but what I really want to know is if God is there in the middle of it. Does God care? Does God have tears when I am breaking apart? Does God smile when I hit a home run?

If God fights alongside me, if he cries and laughs with me, then this is all I want to know. This is all that matters. Everything else comes second.

Rage and Worship

When I rage against God in my journal and ask all of the horrible and awful questions about the deep pain and agony in my life and the world, I find myself close to God. I look down at the ink on the paper and I realize that those words are to God, and that is where the worship lies. No matter what I write, good or evil, those words are to Him. This is the basis of all psalms, whether personal or inspired. We write to God. It is worship.

Unconditional Love and the Heart of Change

I'd like to spotlight an artist I've recently run into. Here are two videos I think hit the gospel right on. The first video highlights God's unconditional love. The second video highlights the heart of changing in the light of that unconditional love.

What Love Really Means

Only Love Remains

The Preservation of Ancient Documents

Interesting thing about Western culture is if you produce a movie about hidden messages and obscure historical references, miraculously and meticulously preserved throughout the ages and used to solve a modern day crime, then audiences find it fascinating. But, then there's the Bible. It might be such a thing, but often prematurely dismissed as possibly being the very thing we've been scripting about all along.

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*These were some of my thoughts while listening to a sermon by James Waddel.

If I could write a book about anything

If I could write any book*, it would be about how a simple carpenter saved an entire population of people from destruction. Somewhat mysterious to keep the reader interested. Superhero powers beyond measure, but he'd never show off. He'd simply use them because he had them. His character and love would transcend his power, thus putting power in its rightful place - submitted to love - the definition of meekness.**
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*I'm being rhetorical of course, since it's already been written:)
**I credit this definition of meekness to Joshua Ashurst. Where he got it from, I have no idea.