Why Do we Weight Ourselves to Death?

We too often carry the weight of wounds inflicted too early in life to know how to properly cope with them. When we were wounded, something changed in us. We can’t always describe it, or even explain how we were affected. But it is there.

As a pastor I have heard some of these stories of these old wounds. They linger in our memory and come to the surface when we least expect them to. When I sit and hear these stories, I wonder, “What can I do to help ease the weight of this burden?”

Recently, the thought has come to mind that one of the most important realizations any of us can have is learning we don’t have to carry these burdens forever. We don’t have to carry these memories wondering if we can ever lay them down.

It is not necessary to hide our pain because we don’t want to overburden others with our suffering. Someone may have violated our trust and are now hesitant to try again. I understand that feeling.

But we can’t allow that to stop us from seeking healing and spiritual health. It is scary being vulnerable. It can be frightening to open up to someone else. But it is the path toward freedom. The path away from an unhealthy way of living.

There are people who can help us. We have to ask God to help us find them!

The process of spiritual awakening and ultimate surrender to God’s grace is the only path toward lasting peace. Not because it makes us holier, but because it makes us whole.

This is the promise offered by the Gospel of Jesus Christ. He does not promise to eliminate the scars or even the memories.

What he promises is the healing touch of redemption. By taking what we give to him, broken and tattered as it might be, and uses it to fashion something new, and dare we say beautiful.

In the span between lost and found is searching. Our search for purpose, meaning, and salvation. His search for the lost, broken, and longing.

And then, in a moment we did not plan, on a road we did not chose, in a place we never expected to be in, he shows up and sets right what was wrong. Not necessarily in the world around me. But in me.

I become new.

I am changed.

My perspective shifts.

My heart feels hope, as if for the first time. But not like in the way I tried before. Not in my own strength. But as naturally as a sail catches wind. Because that is what it was made to do.

This is the journey of transformation we should seek. This is the path of spiritual health we must not give up on.

There are many who are on the “fake it ’til you make it” plan. May I encourage you to cancel that plan. It is the path of self-deception. It only makes the burden heavier and the hope we desire harder to find.

We must seek those who do not operate out of pretense or a competitive nature. Not those who have hidden motives and transparent agendas. Or those who saw what we want to hear but who are never able to unlock the chains that keep us bound. These are the marks of those still operating out of a system designed to mask what is true and good. These are the signposts of those who are just lying better than the rest of us about what’s really going on in our souls!

Freedom, the kind we need more than anything else, comes at a cost. But if it is real; if it is genuine; if it is lasting, it will be worth whatever it takes to get it.

Do We Look More American than Christian? Part 1

Part 1: How we’ve become more like Jonah than Jesus.

Christian, say these words with me, directed to yourself:

Repent, and believe the Gospel.

These are a part of the historic words of the Ash Wednesday liturgy. And yet most people don’t hear them anymore (since most of our churches have jettisoned the traditions for a shinier, modern version of Christianity where they pretend they have no liturgy when, in fact, they do – they just have bad liturgy they’ve never thought through – see Simon Chan’s book Spiritual Theology).

And even if a churchgoer does hear those words once a year, they typically do not take them to heart. I truly believe God desires to do things in our generation that He has not done in generations in America. However, it will require us to humbly respond to this invitation:

Repent, and believe the Gospel.

Jesus or Jonah

If we were to assess our lives as Christians today, and the modern American church; and then contrast our lives and our churches to the life of Jonah and the ministry of Jesus, I think we would find ourselves looking far more like Jonah than Jesus. [If you don’t know the story of Jonah, it’s a quick read – go read it. And then, Click Here to go watch this Bible Project video.]

We have perpetuated a version of the Christian life and of church that essentially says to someone: “If you don’t fit into our version of church, then you don’t deserve the Gospel.”

I can hear the push back now… “Whoa, whoa, we are not exclusive. In fact, we are highly inclusive. Everyone is welcome at our church.” And those words reveal the very disease that has made us more like Jonah than Jesus – the expectation that those “nonbelievers” out there should come to us “believers” in here.

While we have traded cathedrals and stained glass windows for metal buildings and technology (still wasting money on earthy things we think will “please God” or “draw people”), we have continued the idea that somehow God is “in here” with us and not “out there” with you. And thus have communicated to the world around us the same thing Jonah was at least brave enough to own up to: “I don’t think you deserve the grace of God enough to bring the message of the Gospel to you – you’re going to have to ‘get your life together’ and make the decision to come to me if you want it.”

It’s not you, It’s me

And lest you are quick to point the finger at the “other person” who you determine is more guilty of this than you: When’s the last time you shared the good news of the Gospel with anyone?

I mean anyone.

Literally anyone.

Even yourself.

Christian: Repent, and believe the Gospel.

Here’s the harsh truth: we have not truly believed the full Gospel ourselves or we would not find ourselves in this situation. Myself included. Because if we really believed the full Gospel for ourselves, then it would passionately propel us to those around us displaying it with our actions and speaking it with our words.

Our family members, our coworkers, our classmates, our friends, our neighbors, and even the strangers we meet would see walking stories of the Gospel and we would be ever ready to share the hope that we now have.

We wouldn’t be the stuck-up, judgmental Christians bemoaning how “sinful” everyone else is and how our world’s going to “hell in a hand-basket.” We wouldn’t be the showy, cool Christians who try to “attract” people to Jesus with all of our trendiness. We wouldn’t be the “worried to offend someone” Christians who basically communicate that as long as you love Jesus all the sin you’re willfully embracing and not being transformed out of can be overlooked. And we wouldn’t be some combination of all of those things (which many American Christians today are).

Church: Repent, and believe the Gospel.

Re-Lent

As we start this season of Lent, it is meant as a time of dying to self that leads to (hopefully) spiritual resurrection at the end. How are you more like Jonah than Jesus? How is the church you are a part of or lead displaying a Jonah attitude more than a Jesus one? Are you willing to die to an American version of Christianity that assumes the world should come to us to hear the Gospel and instead be raised up into the original version of Christianity that involved you taking the Gospel to the world?

American Christian. American Church. Why do we look more American than Christian? And why are we more like Jonah than Jesus? May we hear afresh the words of the Ash Wednesday liturgy this year, and then act upon them appropriately:

Repent, and believe the Gospel.

*This is Part 1 of a 7-part series of posts on the American Church. Be looking for a new post each week as we participate in Lent and reflect on the things we need to let go of, or need to take hold of, as Christians in America.

Read the Rest of Series

Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
Part 4
Part 5
Part 6
Part 7

Lent 2018 | Day #33: Spiritual Health

Most people will readily understand the idea of growing spiritually, but far fewer understand how this growth is cultivated and sustained.

I will be borrowing heavily from the countless conversations, books, and teachings of my father, Pastor Luis R. Scott. He serves as the Senior and Founding Pastor of Ambassadors of Christ Ministries. If you would like a more in-depth discussion of Spiritual Health I commend his book, Healing the Broken Spirit, on the subject of Spiritual Health and Spiritual Injuries.

Spiritual Health is a concept that describes a holistic view of Christian growth and sanctification. Most people will readily understand the idea of growing spiritually, but far fewer understand how this growth is cultivated and sustained. In this post, I will not try to fully explain what spiritual health is. That is a subject that would require far more space than this post will allow. My goal is to paint a silhouette of the possibilities that God is calling us to.

There are two distinct features of Spiritual Health. The first is understand how transformation takes place. The second is learning how to engage in the process of transformation.

How Does Transformation Happen?

To understand how transformation takes place, we can look to one of the apostle Paul’s more interesting ideas. It is found in his letter to the Roman church.

Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect. (Romans 12:2)

The part I want to focus on is this relationship between transformation and the renewal of the mind. Paul appears to make the argument that in order for there to be transformation something has to take place in the mind of the person. But the question is what exactly has to happen?

What I find interesting is that in verse 3 of the same passage Paul talks about making sober judgments. In the context, Paul is talking about understanding our own individual gifts, as given by the Holy Spirit. But, more generally, this verse provides a framework for transformation.

For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned. (Romans 12:3)

What does it mean to have “sober judgment”? At our church we describe this idea in this way: Transformation can take place when we replace a lie with the truth. The goal is that for every lie that is replaced we become freer, and by extension healthier. The greater our health, the more opportunities we will have and see to engage in kingdom work.

Where does transformation happen?

The second feature of Spiritual Health has to do with how do we engage in the process of transformation. For my church, we teach our members—and anyone who will listen—that a disconnected Christian is an unhealthy one. What this means is that God has designed and appointed the Church to be the instrumental means of communicating the truth that transforms. Can it be found in other places? Yes, of course, it can. But every soul is guaranteed to find it in the Church.

Now, I fully understand that all churches are not as healthy as they should be. Some are downright sick. However, the failure of some to embody God’s purpose and design does not eliminate the goal and function of the Church in an individuals life.

We like to say at our church that there are three essential reasons for gathering with the church:

To hear a truth that replaces a lie.
To tune our ear to hear the voice of God.
To build lasting friendships with other believers.

These three reasons are how we engage in the process of transformation. If transformation happens when lies are replaced with truth and if the church is the place designed to disseminate God’s truth then we should connect with a local body to give ourselves the best chance at becoming spiritually healthy.

As we enter into Holy Week, I would encourage you to seek God’s truth and to engage in the process of transformation. Find a church that carefully and unashamedly communicates the full counsel of God. There really is no better time to begin to seek lasting Spiritual Health.

Lent 2018 | Day #24: Character

Your character is the result of a process. It is not something that happens overnight. It takes time and careful consideration.

Your character is the result of a process. It is not something that happens overnight. It takes time and careful consideration. This process requires the chipping away of anything that should not be there.

The best illustration I can think of is that of a sculptor. A sculptor must examine the stone before he begins to fashion a statue. If the artist does not study the marble and strikes the chisel in the wrong place or with too much force a small crack becomes a fissure and could ruin the entire stature before the project has even begun.

We all have to work on our character. The problem for many of us I that we try to work on it too fast. We think that if we can get rid of all the bad stuff right now, then we will get to where we want to be faster. But, the error in thinking this way is that we risk causing damage to our own souls. Just because something needs to change doesn’t mean it can change today. If we don’t know how to change it we will hurt ourselves and those around us when something comes flying off!

Another component of this process to consider is this: should we even be the ones doing the chiseling. Pride can become an obstacle here. We may not want others to see what is going on in our lives, so we hide and trying to “fix” ourselves. Or, we actually think we have the wisdom and knowledge required to achieve the goal of transformation. After years of walking with Jesus and of working in ministry I have come to one conclusion that I feel confident in. I don’t know how to change myself. I need others to graciously correct, but more importantly, I need God to mercifully remove those characteristics that need to go.

A few years ago, a youth ministry friend shared the video below. It was a remarkable dramatization of how God wants to work, how he needs to work in our lives. But, it also shows how and why we find it so difficult trusting God to do it “right.” After you watch the video take some time and reflect on how God would use this season of Lent to begin the process of chipping away everything that does not reflect him.

Lent 2018 | Day #12: Transformation

It can be rather startling to think that we all are in need of transformation. The problem for many of us is that we do not see and understand the invasive nature of sin.

At the heart of the Gospel is the undeniable and unrelenting reality that every soul who is saved will be transformed. This is not optional. It cannot be escaped nor can it be stopped. Now, there are some who would like to think that it can be avoided, but they are only fooling themselves. God will not be defeated in his goal of redemption.

It can be rather startling to think that we all are in need of transformation. The problem for many of us is that we do not see and understand the invasive nature of sin. Sin corrupts completely. It leaves no aspect of our being untouched. It reaches into every crevice of the human soul. That is why anytime we think that there is only a little remodeling required in our lives we do not approach God as we should. We come to God looking for a bargain on an upgrade.

Transformation is the solution God has decided fits the problem of sin. We need a new mind because the old one does not think the thoughts of God. We need a new heart because the old one is cold and petrified by the effect of sin. We need a new body because this old one is drawn to everything God has called us to avoid. Everything about us, without Jesus, works against the purposes and will of God. This is why we need to be transformed. Not from an older version of ourselves to a new one. We need to be transformed from what we are to what Jesus is—perfect, pure, and imperishable.

During the season of Lent, we are called to consider what in us needs to be transformed. And while the answer is “everything,” God is patient and leads us kindly through each of the stages of transformation. And so, during this season, what is God bringing up to your attention that he wants to replace? Don’t run from it. Embrace it as the next step in this process of transformation you entered into when the Spirit of God entered into you!

Lent Day #7 | Transformation

I think the problem with transformation is that we have to surrender control to God.

One of my favorite activities growing up was getting a new Lego® set and putting it together. It would not take me very long to do it, but once I was finished I didn’t really want to play with it. I just wanted to look at it and make sense of how all these different blocks and pieces were able to make this car or house or airplane. One of the realities I discovered about myself in the process was that I was not very creative. I loved following the instructions and seeing the final product, but the idea of taking the pieces apart and creating something original was not within my grasp.
Continue reading “Lent Day #7 | Transformation”

Where to Begin…

If I had to summarize what is different today from one year ago I would say that I no longer see my faith as something to be serious about. Being a disciple of Christ is something serious and if it is serious then there must be an equal sign between my life and my talk. Faith = Life = Speech.

A Year for the Ages

I guess that the best place to start any story is in the beginning.

The year 2010 was for me one of the most spiritually vibrant, challenging and devastating of my entire life. It was vibrant because I experienced so many points of growth that I am not sure that I can count them all (or even remember them). I am not talking about major moments of radical transformation, even though a couple of these took place. I am talking about my ever increasing awareness of God’s moving in and around me. The ever increasing sensitivity to the Holy Spirit’s leading has grown in ways that I cannot explain. Have I perfectly walked in all of this… Not even close! But I have found myself growing in areas I have long wanted to see it in.

This period has also been challenging and devastating. I have seen that I still have areas of my life that I have not fully surrendered to God. When you see this, as I have, you come away from these confrontations of conscience and, if you are honest, you know that you will never be the same. I attended a spiritual retreat in February 2010 that, as far as I am concerned, broke the dam of God’s renewing purpose for my life. I would not realize what God did that weekend until the year had come to an end. But, as I look back that was the point that I can identify where God broke through to me.

An Unexpected Friend

Connected to this event was the convergence of two lives. God brought a man into my life that would become my brother. He gently demonstrated the love of Christ to me and prayed with me and for me. He discipled me and taught me what discipleship could be and should be. The lessons that I learned at home from my father specifically, and my family in general served as the underlying foundation that God has used to bring me to where I am right now. This is a process. In no way am I trying to say that I have arrived at anything. If anything I have come to realize that any talk of arriving is to miss the point all together.

A New Desire

Basically, what I believe has to find expression somewhere in my life. Otherwise I am only playing lip service to what I read in the Bible. This has been the cumulative effect of what God has brought to my attention this past year. As a result, I hope to share some of those lessons here. These are not the perfected statements of an academic. At times they may resemble the ramblings of a searching soul. In the end, I just want to put what I am learning in a place that I can come back, reflect, pray, correct and try again.

Faith, like a fire, must be fed properly and stoked to keep the winds of doubt, fear and error from siphoning the life God has promised away from us. I am tired of being frustrated at God, when the truth is, many times, I am the source and root of my anemic and feeble faith.

Father, I ask that you would be with me, as you always have been. But, now allow me the strength to not see the circumstances of my life as coincidences or happenstances. Father, you hear your children. What I ask is that I might pray in such a way that your name would be foremost in my mind and in my heart.

Remove distractions that would hinder me from seeing you. Renew desires that are pleasing to you and replace the ones that I have lifted up out of selfish and fleshly motives. You alone are worthy of attention and affections. May it be true of me. Father, help me to practice this each day, leaving the future in your sovereign plan.

Father, may anybody that reads these and future words be challenged to turn to you. For you are supremely, uniquely and solely worthy of our praise, worship and honoring. May we all seek to lift your name up higher above all others. Amen.