America just celebrated the one year anniversary of our first black president. As always, Americans find it to be our duty to provide a yearly assessment of his time in office. The results for Obama seemed mixed. I want to do something a little different for this blog today. I want to give an assessment of the American populace instead.
I would like to start by laying down a little groundwork of my personal convictions are guiding the rest of this post. By the way, if you don't agree, please know that I don't profess to have everything right but I am seeking the right response to these issues. First, I believe that Obama and his administration care about this country. Second, I think he is imperfect just as everyone who has ever been brave enough to try and run this country. Third, my views on our response in no way convey my support or opposition to his administration or his policies. Fourth, while I am a "citizen of heaven" I am every bit called to this country and will serve it as long as the Lord has me here.
Throughout the Bible, God has called us to be ambassadors to this world and to those who don't particularly glorify Him. In the Old Testament you can read the stories of Joseph, Daniel and Nehemiah. All who served those who conquered and oppressed the Israelites. Yet they were called to serve their conquerers and did so with all their heart and with humility. In the New Testament, Jesus infuriated the pharisees by claiming that a Centurion had more faith than anyone He had seen. Paul told us to obey authorities and most of all to pray for those in authority. Has also said that they only rule by God's allowing.
We seem to have lost sight of that over the years. Instead many of us have been led to believe that our primary role in this country is to judge and whine and complain. This shift in views and action have had a profound impact on this nation. I believe that the things that we aren't quite satisfied with when it comes to the current administration is more a result of our lack of prayers than anything else. We rally together on the National Day of Prayer and lift our government up but tear it town the other 364 days. The solution is short and simple, We need to pray and we need to pray hard and often. It will be incredible to see what God does when this happens.
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
Monday, January 4, 2010
Quarter Life Crisis??
At the end of last school year (even though I graduated over two years ago I still operate on semesters), my roommate decided to put off getting a job for a while and go do YWAM. This decision was a result of what he called a quarter life crises. I admire him for that decision and while I wasn't called to take that step I feel like I am going through a quarter life crisis of my own.
Let me lay it out for you.
While I am aware that I am a child of God's, I constantly wrestle with who I am. There are moments that I am painfully aware of my awkwardness. Other times, I might be just as awkward but blissfully unaware. Sometimes I converse with people and leave feeling somewhat wise, only to move into a new conversation and realize that I am still just a child. I have tons of learning to do.
While I know the dreams that are in my heart are from God, I rarely trust in Him to bring them to pass. There are days that I am honestly overwhelmed by the fact that for the most part they are still just dreams. Out of this tension has birthed what can be described as "what the heck am I doing here?" moments. I have tried to run from them and yet they only grow. This is not a bad thing by the way, but nonetheless not an easy thing.
While I know that God created me for intimacy with Him and I long for it, I am not as deep as I want to be. I wake up some mornings and ask what have I been doing all this time? I would foolishly assume that I should know everything about an infinite God. Not only would I know everything about Him, but I would know Him intimately. Like Paul did or John did. Not only do I not know much about Him, I oftentimes feel I barely know Him.
While intellectually I know that we were created for deep community with others, I seem to only get glimpses of it. Only moments where I sit there and think wow this is amazing. Those moments often feel few and far between. Yet, sometimes when real community stares me in the face, I choose to read a book about it instead. That can feel less messy.
I was driving home the other night and all this hit me in the face at once. This happens occasionally. In the middle of it something happened that usually does. Yet my short-term memory usually doesn't seem to retain this. Or perhaps it does and yet the reality of it still needs to sink into my heart. It was in this moment driving home, thoughts speeding through my head, emotions going on overload, the fear of my body shutting down in order to cope with these one at a time, that a voice crashed through it all. Even though it was a gentle whisper it packed a punch. A blow stronger than anything I had just been feeling. The voice and Gods' and the words were questions. "Bryan, do you trust me? Do you love me? Will you receive my love for you? Will you walk with me? Do you believe that I placed these things in your heart? Do you believe that I will bring them to pass? Do you have faith?" They weren't asked condescendingly or rebukefully, but rather honestly, raw and full of love, compassion and wisdom.
In that moment things changed. One I had renewed energy and I felt excited rather than overwhelmed. Two, the manifest solutions hadn't come, but THE solution, who was there the whole time, manifested Himself. Three, rather than asking me to give up my dreams, he reiterated that He was behind them and that I need to continue to pursue them. Only this time, He wanted to pursue them with me. That encounter solved nothing and everything at the same time. I am still walking and learning. But I am walking with Him and getting to know Him. And perhaps that's all that matters.
Let me lay it out for you.
While I am aware that I am a child of God's, I constantly wrestle with who I am. There are moments that I am painfully aware of my awkwardness. Other times, I might be just as awkward but blissfully unaware. Sometimes I converse with people and leave feeling somewhat wise, only to move into a new conversation and realize that I am still just a child. I have tons of learning to do.
While I know the dreams that are in my heart are from God, I rarely trust in Him to bring them to pass. There are days that I am honestly overwhelmed by the fact that for the most part they are still just dreams. Out of this tension has birthed what can be described as "what the heck am I doing here?" moments. I have tried to run from them and yet they only grow. This is not a bad thing by the way, but nonetheless not an easy thing.
While I know that God created me for intimacy with Him and I long for it, I am not as deep as I want to be. I wake up some mornings and ask what have I been doing all this time? I would foolishly assume that I should know everything about an infinite God. Not only would I know everything about Him, but I would know Him intimately. Like Paul did or John did. Not only do I not know much about Him, I oftentimes feel I barely know Him.
While intellectually I know that we were created for deep community with others, I seem to only get glimpses of it. Only moments where I sit there and think wow this is amazing. Those moments often feel few and far between. Yet, sometimes when real community stares me in the face, I choose to read a book about it instead. That can feel less messy.
I was driving home the other night and all this hit me in the face at once. This happens occasionally. In the middle of it something happened that usually does. Yet my short-term memory usually doesn't seem to retain this. Or perhaps it does and yet the reality of it still needs to sink into my heart. It was in this moment driving home, thoughts speeding through my head, emotions going on overload, the fear of my body shutting down in order to cope with these one at a time, that a voice crashed through it all. Even though it was a gentle whisper it packed a punch. A blow stronger than anything I had just been feeling. The voice and Gods' and the words were questions. "Bryan, do you trust me? Do you love me? Will you receive my love for you? Will you walk with me? Do you believe that I placed these things in your heart? Do you believe that I will bring them to pass? Do you have faith?" They weren't asked condescendingly or rebukefully, but rather honestly, raw and full of love, compassion and wisdom.
In that moment things changed. One I had renewed energy and I felt excited rather than overwhelmed. Two, the manifest solutions hadn't come, but THE solution, who was there the whole time, manifested Himself. Three, rather than asking me to give up my dreams, he reiterated that He was behind them and that I need to continue to pursue them. Only this time, He wanted to pursue them with me. That encounter solved nothing and everything at the same time. I am still walking and learning. But I am walking with Him and getting to know Him. And perhaps that's all that matters.
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