I Am Not Bradley Cooper

I'm officially done with my first year of graduate school. Sure, I've got a summer class in a few weeks (let's not talk about that...), but I have completed a fall and spring semester. That happened.

Woah.

It is during this year that I have come to see how much of a work in progress that I am,a dn my awareness of that only continues to grow. I'm a construction zone, and God is the foreman for a number of people sledgehammering away my old and decrepit parts or building up new parts of me.

I really have no idea what I'm doing most of the time. I think I do, but I don't. I just try my best, put my heart in it and go. So, what do I do? How can a person that knows very little do much of anything? Let's chat.

We are made to glorify God. That's what Isaiah says in 43:7. The real question comes down to how we do that (or avoid it), and it's here that I am really trying to grow. I want nothing more than for people to look at my life (and everything I'm doing in it) and see Jesus. I want God to radiate through me like sun through a window.

And yet, ain't it easy to get discouraged? You see, here's the part where I am trying to figure this out, and maybe you are, too. I try and try and try to do what I know to do, but I feel like there is never enough time in the day or people I can love or sermons I can preach or what-have-you. I am limited.

I don't know what to do in the moments that God does give me. I've had two ministry opportunities so far today, and honestly had no idea of what to do or say in either of them. I find myself Googling about this stuff and what to say to these people, because I haven't got a clue. I am limited.

I have people close to me that need me, and I don't even know how to help them. I have family and friends that want to spend time with me, and I am unable to do it all. I have ideas upon ideas for my ministries, and lack so much to make them happen. I am limited.

And so here's maybe what I'm learning most right now: I'm limited. I know that. You, if you know me, are probably more aware of my limits than I am. Ya know who else knows about my limits? God does. He gave me my limits. Like, they are on purpose. God didn't accidentally leave the parental controls on my abilities, blocking off things that I could be doing; He limits me on purpose. And I think I know why: so I depend on Him.

I'm one of those overly-scheduled, overly-independent, type-A kinda folks. I don't depend on anyone for anything if I can help it. I'm the Lone Ranger, Lone Wolf or Lonely Island or something like that. The problem with that is that I'm not an omni-God like the Lord that can truly pull that off. All my schedules and charts and calendars and what-not can do is help me use the limited time I have to use the limited energy I have to the best of my limited knowledge for His infinite glory.

And that's okay.

That's all He is asking for me to do. He just wants my best and my whole heart. To pour out myself for Him and others and do what I can. The best way to do that: rely on Him to help me do it. I can do infinitely more with my limitedness with His non-limited help. I am not Bradley Cooper in Limitless, but I worship a God that is all that and more, who loves me and cares for me and wants to help me through this life.

I'm a work in progress. Fines are doubled as you pass me. But if I rely on Him to get the project done, I can trust and hope that He will. He is my Rest, my Rock, my Salvation, my Stronghold and my refuge. So imma pour my heart out to Him, and hope and trust He'll get it done. I am confident in His promises.

That's certainly more than Lexington can say for Centrepointe, and that's all I need.

Until next time,
The Free-Flying Lightning Bug

Dirty Love: It Ain't Easy to Love Like Jesus, But We Kinda Need To.

It is not an uncommon occurrence for people to tell us about a problem that they are having. After all, they are either griping and grumbling or they have a legitimate dilemma in their life. In the event of having a legitimate problem, they need someone to be there by their side. Yet, in our culture, we are often too busy to give people that support.

Christians are called to live in a sacrificial manner, loving people in a way that is anything but beneficial from the Earthly viewpoint. Would loving that person inconvenience you? Would it make you late for something? Would you lose productivity? If you can answer yes to any of those, then you probably should go ahead and do what you can to show love. Love is dirty and difficult.

So, what are some ways to show love to people? Perhaps you'd like to know how and simply cannot think of a way. Well, here's a quick list of things that I thought of. There are many more, but I hope this gets you thinking!

1. Say nice things. When someone is having a hard time, or even just trying to get through a normal day (which is hard enough, amiright?!), they could almost always use a word of encouragement. Job was not having a good time of things when he lost all of his possessions, children and own personal health. It appeared that God had completely abandoned him, and he could have used a little bit of cheer. Instead, his friends opted to shame him and try to get him to confess whatever sin he had committed to make God do this. Job even calls them out on it in chapter 16, calling them "miserable comforters." How often are we miserable comforters, either failing to support at all or filling their lives with all of our "advice" about how they can get out of their situation?

Rarely does the person going through a breakup, battling a health issue or failing a class need more advice, especially not in the midst of their darkest hour. What people need more than anything is support and love, letting them know that we are there for them. If there is a sin problem causing their issue, it should be addressed, but not in the form of a brutal chastisement. Think about how you'd feel in their shoes, and respond with love.

So send someone a little note. Say they look cute (in a non-creepy way...) or notice their new hair. Compliment their Tervis tumbler (those are still popular, right?). You never know how far that brief word of positivity can go.

[Side bar: someone who really understands this is Hannah Brencher, the founder/starting blogger at www.moreloveletters.com. Go check out their work. It's officially one of my favorite things right now.]

2. Do something nice. Sometimes people just need to know you are thinking of them. When Jesus saw the crowds hungry in Mark 6:34, the Bible says that He "had compassion on them." He then proceeded to give them a simply dinner of fish and bread (for 5,000 people!). Now, this does not mean that we must feed crowds of people, but it does mean that we have compassion for people in need and be willing to go out of our way to do a little something for them.

Bring them coffee on a cold morning. Surprise them with a little gift that they mentioned in conversation a while ago. Drop some food over at a friend's room during finals. Scrape the snow off their car. Pay a drive-thru meal behind you, or maybe even just give someone a ride home when they need one. It's the little things, y'all.

3. Spend time with them. People get lonely, and that can actually increase during the holiday season. Be willing to make time in your schedule for the people in your life that need you. You and I are likely surrounded by a group of people that could use a little bit of our time. So what if you're busy? I get it, that is usually my excuse, too. But Jesus, ruler of all, stepped out of His eternal rule of all things that exist, have existed and will ever exist in order to walk around Israel for a few years, spend time with some rather dense individuals and ultimately die on a cross and rise again for our benefit. If He made time for the people that deserved His least (note: that's us), then we can give up an hour (or afternoon!) somewhere in our schedule for people that need us.

Go grab lunch or tea. Give them a call and talk about life. Watch basketball with the kids. Drink hot cocoa with your elderly grandparents. Help someone fix their car (unless you're more likely to break it more, and in that case go with them to get it fixed). Show that your schedule is not as important as the people around you.

People need love. Simple as that. Our lives should not be so pristine, and I know that mine has been far too clean for far too long. Love is dirty and difficult, and loving people the right way (the Jesus way) is hard work. So be willing to put in the time and effort to do it. It can be as cheap as a hug or a little smiley face on an index card stuck between the keys of their keyboard. It ain't easy, but it is necessary for the Christian. No efforts are perfect, but all efforts are better than the one that doesn't happen!

Go out, and by the end of the week, I want you to do one thing for somebody, and then shoot me an email at thefreedbug@gmail.com. Lemme know how it went. After all, I could use some more ideas on how to love people myself. :)

The Defeat of the Impossible

"For nothing is impossible with God." -Luke 1:37, HCSB

How many times have you heard that verse, right? It is a favorite verse of the underdog and athlete, the troubled and addicted.

 "There's nothing God can't help us achieve, and there is nothing that can stop us with Him at our side."

This is very true, but there is a definite asterisk next to this truth: nothing is impossible with God when He decides to do so. The passage that this verse comes from is the same passage in which the angel Gabriel is telling Mary that she will give birth to the Son of God. She is obviously flabbergasted and confused by this news, and so she asks (very humbly) how this could happen, considering that she was a virgin.

The angel proceeds to tell her of how her relative Elizabeth was currently preggo at an old age, and that "nothing is impossible with God." God is all powerful, but this verse is not meant purely to inspire us on fourth-and-goal with time expiring. It is showing that nothing will stop God on His mission. Nothing will prevent God from ruling the world, and nothing can stand in His way.

Old age? Nope.

Virgin? Not an issue.

Your past addictions? Nothing He can't overcome.

Your physical condition? Not a handicap in the working of God.

God can use whomever and whatever He so chooses to accomplish His plans. He's running the ship, and nothing can slow Him down.

You may wonder in this moment: "what role do I play in this? If God is in charge, and He is looking to accomplish His goals and plans, what do I do?" You do exactly what Mary did.

"'I am the Lord's slave,' said Mary. 'May it be done according to your word.'" -Luke 1:38, HCSB

We humbly accept God's power and lordship, and do as He says. We are His slaves, and He is our Good Master. He will accomplish great things through us, so long as we are humbly looking to accomplish His great things.

Perhaps God's purpose in your defeat of the impossible is to win a football game and give Him glory for it. Perhaps His purpose in your defeat of the impossible is to overcome your physical limitations to show the love of Christ to others. Perhaps His purpose in your defeat of the impossible is to share your story of addiction and redemption in order to help someone else see the love and freedom of life with Christ.

You never know what impossible task God may want to overcome through you, but He already did one. Your salvation through the blood and resurrection is a miracle in and of itself; who's to say He doesn't have something else for you? Humble yourself, and look to accomplish His plans with His power and might.

To Fast or Not to Fast, That is the Question

I'm gunna break from the Names of God series for a post, just to talk about something that needs discussing. The topic: fasting.

In the Church, especially in the Protestant Bible Belt of the southeastern United States (where I reside), spiritual disciplines get a lot of attention. By spiritual disciplines, I mean actions we do that bring us closer to God. Reading your Bible is one that gets an incredible amount of exposure; memorizing Scripture also gets a lot of attention. Prayer has a spotlight on it; giving money to God gets preached all over the world every weekend. None of that is bad; in fact, I'd argue that all four are crucial to the Christian journey, and if you are not practicing those disciplines, you should be. Yet, how often do you hear about someone fasting? Why does fasting get left out? Is it less spiritual or necessary to the pilgrimage of the Christ follower? Prayer was almost always accompanied by fasting in the New Testament. The early Church fasted all the time. Therefore, I'd argue its importance. Let's look at a passage and see what the Bible says on fasting.


"And when you fast, do not look gloomy like the hypocrites, for they disfigure their faces that their fasting may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. 17 But when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, 18 that your fasting may not be seen by others but by your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you." -Matthew 7:16-18, ESV

This passage is tucked into Jesus's famous "Sermon on the Mount," right between the Lord's Prayer and the passage that talks about how you can't serve money and God. How is this little section on fasting so overlooked if it sits between two of the most famous passages in the Gospels?

This little section is titled in most Bibles as "How to Fast." Handy, right? So, how do we fast? Primarily, with humility and sincerity. Jesus says here not how long you should fast, or what you should fast from (which doesn't have to be food; it can honestly be almost anything). Instead, He is far more focused on your heart. Are you making a show of your fasting? Are you fasting to look "holy?" If so, quit fasting. Now.

However, if you have wondered whether or not to fast (especially at this time of year, since we are currently in Lent, the Catholic practice of fasting 40 days before Easter), I would encourage you to search your heart. Why would you be fasting? If the goal is to grow in your relationship with God, or hear Him speak on something in your life, etc., I'd say go for it. If you can keep the focus on Him and not on you, you're golden. Which, honestly, can go for anything; if you read your Bible, pray or give money to make yourself look good, stop. God doesn't want those prayers or that money. He has no interest in your selfish desires, much less using Him to reach them.

Where is your focus? Are you doing everything for God's glory, or for your own?

Two Mistakes People Make With Spiritual Gifts (And You're Probably Guilty of One)

I've been reading through Romans for a long time now, going at a pace of a few verses a day. I've wanted to soak up some information, and really dive into the book. Today, I'd like to share what I read this morning, and give a little bit of application for it.

"3 For by the grace given to me, I tell everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he should think. Instead, think sensibly, as God has distributed a measure of faith to each one. 4 Now as we have many parts in one body, and all the parts do not have the same function, 5 in the same way we who are many are one body in Christ and individually members of one another. 6 According to the grace given to us, we have different gifts..." -Romans 12:3-6a, HCSB

Paul says, toward the end of verse three, "not to think of himself more highly than he should think." In ordinary talk: "I tell everybody not to get all cocky and arrogant." He follows this with a better plan: "think sensibly, as God has distributed a measure of faith to each one." This is speaking directly to Christians: don't get all high and mighty. Instead, keep cool and remember Who runs your life. Remember Who gave you your faith. Remember Who gets all glory.

Then Paul seems to abruptly jump to talking about how the people in the Church (parts of the body of Christ) all have different jobs within the Church, all based on our spiritual gifts. What's up with that?

I think this section is a warning to all the people who get cocky in their spiritual gifts. Some Christians, particularly those who are leaders and teachers in the Church, get all holy and arrogant about being so "spiritual" and being "the only people that work around the church." If you are a leader in your church, you must remain humble in your gifts. Your fellow church members need to see humility in your leadership, and will be more likely to follow after you in your vision and mission to spread the Gospel. This is an area that I personally have had struggles in, and totally understand the difficulty in staying humble and not judgmental of "slackers." But we all get our spiritual gifts from God.

The word for "gift" in this passage is the Greek word "kharisma," which means a "gift of grace." Any spiritual gift that you may have is a complete gift of God's grace, and that leaves us ZERO room to be arrogant. It has nothing to with our superior holiness and everything with His supremely amazing grace.

If you aren't a leader, this passage has something for you, too. Notice that is says that gifts are given "according to the grace given to us." Have you received grace? Are you saved and a follower of Christ? If you answered "yes" to those questions... then you have spiritual gifts! Use them! You are part of the body of Christ, too. Maybe you think you're just an elbow, and no where near as useful as a hand. Maybe you are an elbow. Guess what: a hand can't do a thing without an elbow moving the forearm to where the hand needs to be. Without the elbows and eyebrows and taste buds, the hands, eyes and tongue couldn't their job. You may not be the person that's out in the open, preaching on stage or leading the bible study. But without your work in the church, the leaders cannot lead. Don't waste your gifts; use them to advance the Kingdom!

So, leaders, will you humble yourself, and lead like Christ led: by a humble, hands-on example? Other church members, will you step up and quit wasting your gifts? I pray that both occur.

unChristian, Part Three: Antihomosexual

When I first read the title of this chapter, I was a bit confused. The page clearly stated that being "antihomosexual" was a wrong perception for Christians to give off, much like the "hypocritical" and "conversion-obsessed" labels I discussed last. I really thought I was supposed to be antihomosexual, but I was reading it incorrectly. Yes, the act of homosexuality is a sin, but that doesn't make the person committing the sin any worse than anyone else. Christians are supposed to be antihomosexuality, not antihomosexual. This is a subtle difference in wording that makes a huge difference in reality.

First, allow me to prove that homosexuality is a sin. This is a debated topic, and it really shouldn't be. In Genesis, we see that Sodom was annihilated, partially because most of the men in town were engaged in homosexual acts. Throughout Paul's letters in the New Testament, we see him mention that homosexuality is a sin. It is beyond clear that God intended sex to be between a man and woman.

This, however, does not give those of us that are heterosexual a right to feel "more righteous" or "more like God designed me." Oh, no. You are so wrong.

"Don't you realize that those who do wrong will not inherit the Kingdom of God? Don't fool yourselves. Those who indulge in sexual sin, or who worship idols, or commit adultery, or are male prostitutes, or practice homosexuality or are thieves, or greedy people, or drunkards, or are abusive, or cheat people--none of these will inherit the Kingdom of God." -1 Corinthians 6:9-10, New Living Translation

BOOM. 1 Corinthians 6 just leveled the playing field. Yes, homosexuality is listed. So is theft. Maybe you haven't ever stolen anything. Ever been greedy? Drunk? Abusive? Ever cheated someone? If you said yes to any one of those things, which I would wager that we all will say yes to at least one, then you are on the same level of sinfulness as a person committing homosexuality. You are no more righteous or God-like than a male prostitute. Is your mind blown? Do you feel less holy? Good. Get off the high horse. All who call themselves Christians, myself included, must get off of our self-constructed pedestal and accept people. It is only through God's grace that we breathe each breath, much less get offered an eternity praising Him.

Am I saying to ignore their sin? No. All sin must be addressed, but you should do so in a Godly, loving manner. Don't be Westboro Baptist Church, yelling and protesting. Jesus didn't host protests; He loved on people that the religious people were "too holy" to love. Samaritans, sexually active women, thieves, traitors, liars; Christ loved them all. He showed them love and respect, and in turn, told them how to correct their lives.

You know the old saying, "Hate the sin, love the sinner?" How often do you practice that? Are you on a pedestal of holiness, or are you loving on the people that need love, regardless of the sins they commit?