Walking with Jesus is no “happily ever after”!

Well, if you’ve bothered to read on then you are either mad at me for this title or curious as to what I’ve been drinking with my coffee this morning.  Let me first assure you that I love Jesus and that I count every moment in His presence as a blessing, because I have found joy there, in His presence, which cannot compare with any joy found on this earth.  And, believe me, I have searched, and nothing this side of Heaven can compare.  So, what’s my point?

We have this idea in our minds, which was planted in our infancy, about “happily ever after”.   The stories we read (and viewed) all demonstrated a common conclusion.  That is, at the end of the drama, when the villain has received his just desserts, then the story ends with, say it with me, “and they lived happily ever after”.  Now, in our young minds we accept this to be true.  We believe that the rest of their lives will be lived without conflict.  After all, the villain has been vanquished; and all of the issues experienced by sub-characters have been resolved.  Therefore, we conclude that the bad stuff is over, done, never to be seen again.

But that’s not how life is, is it?  If you’ve lived more than 10 years on this planet, you already know that that understanding of “happily ever after” doesn’t exist.  Or do we?  My experience is that many people who follow Jesus actually expect a “happily ever after”.  I’ll make this personal in an attempt to keep my offenses to a minimum.  When I accepted Christ’s gift of salvation I FULLY expected that there would be no more difficulty in my life.  Can you imagine my shock then when trouble arose?  It knocked me off my pegs!

The truth about life is that it is full of trouble.  There is no “happily ever after” that whisks us off carefree beyond the reach of pain and suffering.

1Peter 4:12-16 

Dear friends, do not be surprised at the painful trial you are suffering, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice that you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed. If you are insulted because of the name of Christ, you are blessed, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you. If you suffer, it should not be as a murderer or thief or any other kind of criminal, or even as a meddler. However, if you suffer as a Christian, do not be ashamed, but praise God that you bear that name.

When we walk with Jesus we must expect trials and sufferings, but they are not to be feared.  On the contrary, if we suffer because of our walking with Jesus, then we can celebrate.  We celebrate because we are “blessed, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests on [us]”.  Our response is not “poor me”, but rather “praise be to God for allowing me to bear Christ’s name and to share in His suffering”.

I understand that it is very easy for me to type such a statement, but it is a huge challenge to live it out.  O but when we do live it out, what a magnificent witness it is to this world.  What a tremendous story we make when we praise God in our suffering.  But beyond our witness to the world there’s something else that comes with walking with Christ during our trials.

Even though our walk with Jesus is no “happily ever after” we actually experience something even better.  Yes, we experience something BETTER than “happily ever after”.  If we walk with Christ, even though we go through times of suffering, we will find peace.  The peace of Christ is like nothing else on earth.  And as for me, I’ll take Christ’s peace over “happily ever after” any day of the week.

If you are suffering, please turn your eyes to Jesus.  Lay down your burden of pain before Him.  Ask Jesus into your heart.  Let Him carry you for a while.  And you will find peace even in the face of suffering.  For that matter you can find Christ’s peace in every circumstance.

Philippians 4:4-7 

Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Find peace,
Lon Alderman
@leaderlifter

Stay Your Mind

Isaiah 26:3 (NKJV)
You will keep him in perfect peace, 
      
Whose mind is stayed on You,
      
Because he trusts in You.

I watched a great skit once by two talented comics titled, “Distract and Confuse”.  The story line was that these men were presenting a new product for capturing souls to a convention of devils.  Their new product was touted as a sure-fire method.  They taught that all one needs to do is to simply distract their intended victims attention away from God and then confuse them while they are distracted.  The salesmen promoted this procedure as the best thing to hit their business since the “Apple Incident” back in the Garden of Eden.

Setting the humor aside, there is a scary and powerful point to this skit.  The devil is out to get us and we are prone to distraction and confusion.

1Peter 5:6-11 (NIV)
Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.

The way to defend against the attacks of the devil is to focus our attention on God constantly.  When we focus on God there is no distraction.  And, when we concentrate on God we are far less susceptible to confusion.

2Corinthians 10:5 (NIV)
We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.

The result of our constant concentration on God is, in a word, peace.

Isaiah 26:3 (Amplified)
You will guard him and keep him in perfect and constant peace whose mind [both its inclination and its character] is stayed on You, because he commits himself to You, leans on You, and hopes confidently in You.

God has designed us with an early warning system regarding our distractions.  We can quickly gage our attention on God by the state of our emotions.  When confusion, anger, frustration, sadness, etc. present themselves we know that we have allowed ourselves to be distracted.  These non-peaceful emotions serve to guide us back to God (the only real source of peace in this world).

Bottom line is this; if you want peace in your life, then turn your full attention on God.

Stay your mind!
Lon Alderman
@leaderlifter

Creating a Masterpiece

Here's another odd part of my personality. When I have sufficient time, I really enjoy creating meals out of whatever I can find in the kitchen. I enjoy the creative process of taking what is there and making it into something edible. I jokingly refer to these concoctions as masterpieces!

The goal of my creative endeavor is to make something to eat. The challenge is to make something edible out of the ingredients available to me in the house at that time. This isn't about running to the store for groceries or planning the menu in advance. It's simply using what is available to accomplish the goal.

What if we applied this to our walk as followers of Jesus?

Jesus said, "This is to my Father's glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples." (John 15:8)

If we are disciples of Jesus, then we will "bear much fruit" for the purpose of God receiving glory. In other words, the goal of our discipleship is to glorify the name of God, the Father, through the "fruit we bear" in Christ.

What then are the ingredients for achieving this goal? I propose that we creatively use whatever we find in the "kitchen".

Paul wrote, "...I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances." (Philippians 4:11)

The ingredients for the masterpieces we are creating are found in every circumstance, person, difficulty, and joy that we face today. Our masterpiece depends upon our willingness to take what we find and do something creatively with it with the goal of bringing God glory!

This isn't about wishing things were different. Rather, it's about taking what God places in our path and creating a masterpiece for His glory!

Get creative!
Lon

Intersections, by Jarvis

Acts 17:26-27
From one man he made every nation of men, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he determined the times set for them and the exact places where they should live. God did this so that men would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from each one of us.

Lon said "Developing the habit of looking for God," (Presence, by Lon Alderman) and recognizing God, I might add, in every situation, that He is close. I have had a similar week to yours. Too many things flying at me, yet I was calmed and awed at the same time as well. One evening I'm out in the proverbial sticks and my cell phone stops working, conflicting meeting schedules, vehicle making concerning sounds, and last night I snapped my $100 fishing rod in the tailgate, and that was all just yesterday.

All opportunities that tempt you to think you're about to be stranded, alone, or financially drained. This time though I found myself calmly turning and smiling at God, as it were, and without having to speak a word, I handed my dilemma over, and went back to the task at hand.

I am coming to learn that these disconcerting "opportunities" that present themselves are actually intersections, not roadblocks, avalanches, or dead ends. Opportunities to acknowledge God, and his supremacy over your situations.

Presence, by Lon Alderman

Acts 17:26-27
From one man he made every nation of men, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he determined the times set for them and the exact places where they should live. God did this so that men would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from each one of us.

Thanks to Jamie for pointing me to this passage! I love these verses (particularly verse 27) because it speaks about the closeness of God. This week I have felt the presence of the God in a new and fresh way. The experience has been awesome!

As I've traveled through some VERY busy and challenging times over the last few days, I have regularly experienced a quiet, yet powerful, presence. The experience has simultaneously calmed and awed me! I have recognized this presence in a variety of settings - some quite stressful! This presence has to be the Holy Spirit!

Now I'm working on developing the habit of looking for God as I navigate my day. I'm learning that no matter where I am or what I'm doing, "He is not far from" me!

Seek Him!
Lon

Serenity, by Lon Alderman

Romans 8:6
For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.

When we focus our attention on the things of this earth, we are on the path to death. That is, the natural end of earthly things is death. Therefore, if we are governed by things that die, then the natural end is death, too. As we daily move closer to the death of earthly things, an anxiety grows and peace is lost.

On the other hand, God never dies. If we focus on God and make Him our Governor, then we have chosen something that will continue forever. When we look forward spiritually, we see an unending communion with God. Our earthly death becomes a step closer to God. And, there is peace.

Isaiah 26:3
You will keep him in perfect peace,
Whose mind is stayed on You,
Because he trusts in You.

Build UP: Live Today

Live Today “Through Him”

Philippians 4:11-13
…for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do everything through him who gives me strength.

It is customary at the close of the year to look back and remember the events that made up the concluding year. We can sometimes see from this vantage point how God has moved in our life in the previous 12 months. However, our look backwards should be more of a glance than a full-on stare. If we concentrate on the past, then we will miss what is happening today.

It is also common practice at the start of a new year to look ahead with expectation. We stand on the brink of the coming year and, with hope in the Lord, dream of the wonderful blessings that may come. However, our look ahead should be more of a glance than a full-on stare. If we concentrate on the future, then we will miss what is happening today.

So here we are at the crossroads of two years. We glance over our shoulder and praise God for His past work in our life. We glance forward and praise God for the hope we have in Him for the future. However, now it is time to get busy in living today. Take each and every moment of the present day to seek the Lord. Grow each day in relationship with Jesus. In this way we move through each day with praise on our lips for the past, hope in our hearts for the future, and the joy of living today in relationship with Jesus the Christ.

May 2008 be a year of growing in the Lord and finding His peace and contentment in all circumstances.

To God be the glory!
Lon

PP. (post post) I am going to be out of blogging range for a week or so.

Build UP: Peace

Peace

John 14:27
Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.

Jesus gives us peace. When we know Him, we can find peace no matter what the world hands us. And peace is an awesome thing to have when the world we live in provides us a daily dose of chaos, disappointment, attacks, and frustrations.

Yet that same world tells us to seek our comfort in a new car, retirement, a new wardrobe, a cruise, or a new love interest. We're led to believe that when we attain them we will be happy, peaceful, and content.

The truth is, I haven't found anyone yet that found any lasting peace in any of these lures. Granted, they have some fun and enjoy the moment, but morning comes and the peace is gone. The sad truth is most people pick themselves up, brush themselves off, and take off after the next thing that they're told will make them happy.

There is only one source of lasting peace and that is a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. His peace lasts forever! His peace is available no matter what the world throws at us, and believe me the world hurls at us constantly. I can't remember where I first heard this, but I'm passing it on anyway because I think it presents tremendous wisdom:

Frustration is losing sight of God.

The parallel positive statement could be: Find God and find peace.

Find God.
Lon

Acorn Build Up: Content

Content


Matthew 5:5 The Message
You're blessed when you're content with just who you are - no more, no less. That's the moment you find yourselves proud owners of everything that can't be bought.

In yesterday's Build Up on Comfort, I shared a passage from The Message, which is a Bible in contemporary language written by Eugene Peterson. I was curious about his interpretation of other passages in the section called the beatitudes. This verse caught my eye.

Contentment has been an illusive state of mind for me. I've always thought that I would find contentment around the next corner. I've suffered from what I call "If I only..." disease. If I only had a little more money, then I'd be content. If I only lost some weight, then I'd be content. If I only had a different job, then I'd be content.

Jesus calls us to accept who we are right now and we will be blessed.

Be content.
Lon