Training to be Like Jesus

We have heard the old saying; “Practice makes perfect,” and we accept the truth that it teaches.  If we are going to do anything well we have practice doing it.  For the musician that means learning how to read music, learning to play scales, and learning to keep time before any actual music can even be played.  Even then hours of practice are required to play a piece of music well.

An athlete has to learn the basics of fundamentals of his sport, to spend time lifting weights, and running laps before the game can be played.  Likewise it requires hours of practicing the game before an actual can be played so that both player and team can play well.

Practice is an universal law on how to improve a skill or a talent.  With this being the case it is hard to imagine why we have overlooked it when it comes to our spiritual development.  Perhaps it is because we don’t want to be accused of being focused on “works,” so we live our lives frustrated that we are not doing better while waiting for God to magically make us perfect.  I am sorry, but I am afraid it doesn’t work like that.

C. E. Orr in his book How to Live a Holy Life wrote; “If you neglected to water your garden, you would not wonder for a moment why it was drying up. Then, when you are neglecting to water the soul in vigorous, spiritual exercises, why do you wonder at your being so spiritually dull?” (p.47).  The problem with many Christians today isn’t that they lack love or faith, but they lack the understanding that they need to be involved in spiritual exercise in order to become mature followers of Jesus.

Reflect on what the apostle Paul told Timothy:

If you put these things before the brothers, you will be a good servant of Christ Jesus, being trained in the words of the faith and of the good doctrine that you have followed. Have nothing to do with irreverent, silly myths. Rather train yourself for godliness; for while bodily training is of some value, godliness is of value in every way, as it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come (1 Timothy 4:6-8; ESV).

It appears to me that Paul is trying to remind Timothy not to waste his life in doing things that are not eternally important.  He could spend his life to argue against the silly myths of the day, which would take time but be ineffective and thus be a waste of his time.  Timothy could devote his time to healthy living and exercise, which would benefit the body, but has little eternal value.  Instead Paul says he should train for godliness.  How does one do that?

If we follow the examples of a musician and an athlete that I gave earlier there are two facets of this train.  First there are committing to the spiritual disciplines.  These are activities that have historically proven to help people mature as Christians, and they are things that Jesus himself did while he was here on earth.  These disciplines include activities such as Bible study, prayer, fasting, giving, and worship.  These things are the equivalent of learning how to play a music scale or learning how to dribble a basketball.  They are want teaches your mind, heart, soul, and body what to do when faced with the reality of life.

Second there are what I will call the Christian duties.  Things like serving people, teaching, and taking a stand for what is right.  These are things that don’t come naturally to us, and things we don’t always feel like doing, and that is why they become duties.  When we do them, even when we don’t want to or have a great love in our heart for God, they teach us about humility and what it means to love those who may not love you back.  These duties are much like practice.  It is boring and becomes old hat to play the same piece of music a thousand different times or to go to basketball practice day after day and compete against the same people, but you do it, even when you don’t want to, because you know it will prepare you for the real thing.  These duties are like that, they are not always fun, but they are preparing us so we can respond to the realities of life out of love, goodness, and self-control.

If we are going to be like Jesus we need to train to be like Him, it isn’t going to magically happen.  It is going to take a lot of hard work on our part and a lot of grace on God’s part, but together it can happen!

Momentum in Our Finances Part 5

(I am taught three sessions at a local Christian Conference called Momentum on March 19.  The first session dealt with our finances and using them for God's Kingdom.  I have broken the talk up into 5 different sections.  This is part number 5.)

In these uncertain economic times it is hard to trust God.  There are always seems to be more bills to pay than there is money to pay them.  Yet I believe it is  only by trusting God can we experience momentum in our finances.  To have momentum in our finances means that we have the financial freedom to use our money for the good of God's Kingdom.  This requires that we will be good stewards of what God has blessed us with and that we will be generous with His resources.

To build up momentum in our finances doesn’t begin with creating a budget or making the right investments, though those things are important, but it begins by having a new perspective on our finances. Ultimately our finances aren’t about satisfying our needs and wants, but it is about using our finances in the light of God’s Kingdom. This is the big idea that I want you to take away from this series of ponderings: Our finances are an avenue through which God enables us to bless other people. God has made us stewards of this wealth so we will manage it well and bless the world with it.

I know that this is difficult to do when we see all the financial obligations, the needs, and even the wants before us. We want to know how to increase our wealth, and I think God is telling many of us, “Learn to manage what you have now well.” It will not be easy and it will go against our instincts, but that is our responsibility. That is why it comes back to trusting God to provide for our needs. If we do not trust God to provide, then we will never experience momentum, using our wealth for God’s Kingdom, in our finances. Instead we will find ourselves enslaved to debt, desire, and fear. I want to leave you with the words of the apostle Paul to Timothy:

Teach those who are rich in this world not to be proud and not to trust in their money, which is so unreliable. Their trust should be in God, who richly gives us all we need for our enjoyment. Tell them to use their money to do good. They should be rich in good works and generous to those in need, always being ready to share with others. By doing this they will be storing up their treasure as a good foundation for the future so that they may experience true life. (1 Timothy 6:17-19; NLT)

Only by experiencing momentum in our finances can we truly use our financial resources for good in this world.

Knowing Truth and Living Right

Following Jesus is more than having the correct doctrine or truth about God. Having knowledge of God is not the same thing as having a relationship with Him. A person can know the Bible, but be far away from God.

I don't want to make Bible study seem unimportant, because study is a very essential discipline we need in our lives if we are going to follow Jesus. It is crucial that we have an accurate understanding of what the Bible says. Reading and studying the Bible is the main way God guides our lives. Therefore, correct doctrine is very important, and correct doctrine only comes through the Bible. The Apostle Paul wrote this to Timothy; Watch your life and doctrine closely. Persevere in them, because if you do, you will save both yourself and your hearers (1 Timothy 4:16; NIV).

What we believe about God matters! Remember, it doesn't matter how sincerely we believe something, if it is wrong, then what we believe is wrong. Our believing something doesn't make that something true. That is the reason why it is important that we study the Bible so we understand who God is and the will He has for our lives. The Bible reveals to us truth so we can know what to believe and how to act. Part of Christianity is about knowing the Truth.

Yet, we know that there is something more than just knowing Truth. We have all witnessed people who knew God's Word, but lived as if it wasn't Truth. Truth without action makes no difference in our lives. Think back to what the apostle Paul wrote in 1 Timothy 4:16. He told us that there are two areas of our lives that we need to watch closely: what we believe and how we live.

The problem the Church is facing in the United States are people who have access to the Truth, but choose to ignore so they can do their own thing. These people claim Christ, but pick and choose what they want to believe so they can live life on their own terms. They are neither watching their doctrine or their lives closely.

This damages the witness of the Church because the World looks at "Christians" and see them living like everyone else. The World doesn't see the love, the gentleness, the peace, the hope, the forgiveness, or the self-control that should be visible in the life of Christians. Instead the World sees hypocrisy, jealousy, bitterness, hatred, greed, and the list could go on and on. The bottom line is that the World looks at the Church and sees a reflection of itself.

The way people discover the relevance of Christianity in their lives is to see it lived out in the lives of Christians. Instead, you must worship Christ as Lord in your life. And if you are asked about your Christian hope, always be ready to explain it (1 Peter 3:15; NLT). Peter reminds us that people are watching the way we live. It is through the way we live people discover the relevance following Christ Jesus brings to their lives.

So how do we change this trend? I think it begins with us. We have to examine how we live and ask, "Does my life truly reflect the Truth I know about Jesus?" In other words we have to set the example. The next thing I think we need is to have Church Families that clearly explain what a disciple of Christ is and the expectations that Church Family has for members. For too long people have left on their own to develop their spiritual lives, it is time the local Church took seriously the task of disciplining people, and I believe that task starts with laying out the expectations.

Christ Jesus told His followers to be salt and light, two elements that make their presence known and produce change, in this world. The way we make an impact like salt or light is by knowing truth and living right. The two go together.

Freedom from Fear

Growing up on a farm gave me opportunity to face a few of my fears. One summer I had to face two of my greatest fears at the same time: heights and rats. We had a big white rat infested barn and that summer I was required to go into the barn, climb a ladder, walk along a 2x4, descend into the right bin, and shovel oats into a bucket to feed the horse. While I don’t remember seeing a rat (though I made sure I tucked my pant legs into my boots to prevent any running up my leg) and didn’t come close to breaking my neck I still get chills thinking about it. The truth of the matter is that I allowed my imagination to make it worse than it really was.

Fear is a common experience that we all feel. We are afraid of different things and some of us carry around more fear than others, no one has been able to escape the grip of fear. Whether it is the fear of rats or the fear of public speaking or the fear of the dark fear is a part of our lives.

When we examine our fears we realize that some of them are very practical. For instance a fear of heights will make us cautious when we are high above the ground. A fear of drowning will help us take the proper precautions when we are out on the water. One of the benefits of fear is to help us identify dangerous situations.

That is probably why our irrational fears seem so rational to us. These fears make us think about the worst that can happen, no matter how improbable that outcome may be. The result is that we avoid doing things because we are afraid of consequences that probably will never happen. Thus we miss out on the experience of God working through us because we are too afraid to live a life of faith.

Fear has the ability to consume us and hold us as slaves. The chains of fear prevent us from following Jesus to the place He wants us to go. Consider what Erwin McManus wrote in his book Uprising; “You cannot walk by faith and live in fear. You cannot walk with God and not face your fears” (p. 89). Living in fear will hold us back from living the life God created us to live.

Jesus told His followers that He came to give people abundant life (John 10:10b). We like to claim that promise, but we often ignore what Jesus said right before that. He told us that there was a thief and he was out to steal, kill, and destroy our lives (John 10:10a). I believe that fear is one of the tools Satan uses to steal and destroy the life God has given to us. Fear is a life robber.

If we are going to live the abundant life that Jesus has promised us then we have to live lives of courage. How do we do that? How does a person live a life of courage as the fear of living alone for the first in 35 years becomes overwhelming and the pain of grief is consuming the heart? How does a person live with courage when the back account is empty and the fear of not being able to provide for their family sends them into isolation even from the very family they love? How does a person live with courage when talking to people causes a sense of dread that has them freezing up in even the most causal of conversations and prevents them from serving the way they know God has called them to serve?

I am afraid there are no sure fire remedies, but as a fellow prisoner of fear let me offer a few words of advice that have helped me as I have faced my fears.

I know that it sounds clichéd but I think the first and most important thing we can do when our lives are full of fear is to pray. The apostle Peter reminds us; 6 Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, 7 casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you (1 Peter 5:6, 7; ESV). When we pray about our fears I don’t think we should ask God to remove our fears, but rather I think I we should ask God to provide us with wisdom and courage so we can manage and work through our fears. If we ask God to remove our fear then we are liable to be disappointed. God uses our fear to build our trust in Him and to develop our character. Instead of asking God to remove our fear we should ask God for wisdom and strength so we use our fear to become more like the people He created us to be.

A second piece of advice I would like to offer you is to develop friendships. One of the things I have noticed about the fear I have had in my life is that I have nurtured it by isolating myself from other people. It is when I am lonely and isolated from others that I become overwhelmed with fear. By isolating myself I allow fear to consume my life.

We need people. This is one of the truths Solomon came to realize as he pondered life. This is what he wrote:

9 Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their toil. 10 For if they fall, one will lift up his fellow. But woe to him who is alone when he falls and has not another to lift him up! 11 Again, if two lie together, they keep warm, but how can one keep warm alone? 12 And though a man might prevail against one who is alone, two will withstand him—a threefold cord is not quickly broken. (Ecclesiastes 4:9-12; ESV)

Making an effort to be with people has always been a source of encouragement to me. Even if I never tell them about the fear that is dwelling in my heart their presence brings hope and courage to my heart. When we have people by our sides it is much easier to face the fears that are haunting our lives.

One last word of advice that I would give is to remember the big picture. My fears grow and multiply when I focus on the right now. We all live in the immediate and by doing so we can forget not only what God has done in the past, but also the promise God has made for the future. We need to remember that this life isn’t all there is, there is more. Jesus said:

4 “But I tell you, my friends, never be afraid of those who kill the body and after that can't do anything more. 5 I'll show you the one you should be afraid of. Be afraid of the one who has the authority to throw you into hell after killing you. Yes, I tell you, be afraid of him! (Luke 12:4-5; ISV)

One of the things Jesus meant by this is that we shouldn’t be fearful of the things right now because they are temporary. Once we are dead those things will cease to hold any terror for us. Instead of allowing our lives to be consumed by fear with the here and now we need to set our eyes on heaven. The hope of heaven should help us manage our fears.

Jesus came to give us abundant life, but we have an enemy who wants to destroy that life. Fear is one of the weapons in his arsenal to take away our life. When we succumb to our fears we are letting Satan steal our lives. God doesn’t want us to live in fear, but to live with courage and faith. Paul reminded Timothy about the nature of the spirit God has given Christians: For God did not give us a spirit of timidity but one of power, love, and self-discipline (2 Timothy 1:7; ISV). Fear is not part of God’s plan for your life.

Fear will always be a part of your life, but it doesn’t have to define your life. It is possible to face your fears if you are willing to be honest with God in prayer, be intentional about being with other people, and nurturing your hope for heaven. Don’t let fear rob you of life any longer.

Being A Theologian

One of the realities of human existence is that we think about things. True some people ponder more than others, but everyone has pondered the great questions of life. We can’t help it. People were made to think.

This reality means that every person, on some level, is a theologian. Stanely Grenz in his systematic theology book wrote:

“Every Christian is a theologian. Whether consciously or unconsciously, each person of faith embraces a belief system. And each believer, whether in a deliberate manner or merely implicitly, reflects on the content of these beliefs and their significance for Christian life” (Theology for the Community of God, p. 1)

This means you are a theologian. We become theologians when we take time to think about who God is and consider His existence. We do not all agree on the person and nature of God, even within the Christian Community there are disagreements about such things, but by thinking about such things we become theologians. It is through this process that we develop what we call our world view.

Our world view, that set of lenses through which we make sense of the world, is born out of our reflections on what we believe, mainly what we believe about God. Since you are reading this I am certain that you have some specific ideas about God and His place in the world and in your life. These beliefs form the basis on how you approach life.

I know for myself what I believe about God determines what I find to be right and wrong, what I consider my purpose for life to be, and the hope I have for the future. It affects my understanding of how the world came to be, the events of history, what is happening today, and what the future holds. My faith in God brings times of joy, guilt, hope, and sorrow. In short pondering on God guides the life I live.

The amazing thing about this is that God has allowed us to choose what we believe about Him. He has not dictated what we believe, but He has given us a choice in the matter. This results in the fact that as you reflect on God’s existence you determine the place He will have in your life. Will you let Him guide you or will you ignore Him? The choice is yours.

Since God has given us the freedom to choose what we believe about Him that means we have a personal responsibility in developing our own faith. I cannot simply follow what my family believes, but I must search out the truth myself.

You cannot simply allow yourself to be pulled along with the crowd you have in your life. You must stop and consider what you believe and why you believe it. God desires us to think about what we believe in order to develop an understanding of life.

While it is true that we are responsible for our own faith, it is also true that we are able to impact the lives of other people. Through the conversations we have with people and the way we live our lives we are able to be an influence in their lives. That means we have to be very intentional about knowing, teaching, and living truth. Especially when it comes to the people we have the most influence with: family and friends.

The apostle Paul told Timothy:

15 Think on these things. Devote your life to them so that everyone can see your progress. 16 Pay close attention to your life and your teaching. Persevere in these things, for if you do this, you will save both yourself and those who listen to you. (1 Timothy 4:15, 16; ISV)

Paul reminded Timothy the importance of what he believed about God and how that affected Timothy’s life. We need to take Paul’s instruction to heart as well and allow what we believe about God guide the way we live.

You are a theologian. The ideas you develop about God determine the direction of your life. Don’t simply follow the ideas of another, but rather take time to reflect on who God is and what that means for your life. Being a theologian is one of the most important roles you will play. Don’t let it go to waste.

• Point to Ponder: God desires us to think about what we believe and develop an understanding of life.
• Passage to Remember: 1 Timothy 4:15, 16
• Question to Consider: Have you been sharing what you believe about God with others?

Courage and Influence

When we follow Jesus our lives begin to be infused with courage. The old fears that have held us back begin to fall off as we begin to do those things Jesus has prepared for us to do. I have noticed this reality in my life and the opponents of Jesus have also noticed this truth in the lives of His followers. Take for an example the account of Peter and John that Luke writes in Acts 4:

Now as they [the Jewish Religious Council] observed the confidence of Peter and John and understood that they were uneducated and untrained men, they were amazed, and began to recognize them as having been with Jesus (Acts 4:1,3; NASB).

The confidence of Peter and John led them to courageously proclaim Jesus in the face of hostile opposition. They were able to overcome their fear of persecution and death because they knew that Jesus had conquered death, and He promised the same to them.

Kelli, a quiet, conscientious fourteen-year-old, attended a public high school in the middle of a very liberal city. Her greatest struggle in ninth grade was not academic, but spiritual. When she learned about See You At The Pole it was something she felt she should do. Although several other kids in her church youth group had expressed interest in participating, most of her classmates had never even heard of the event. When she mentioned to them, their reaction was swift and abrupt: “What a dumb idea!” they told her. “If you show up at the flagpole and pray, everybody in school will think you’re strange. You’ll get stuck with everybody calling you weird for the rest of your life. Just pray by yourself at home!”

The night before See You At The Pole Kelli’s dad could sense she was really struggling. “Kelli, is everything okay?” She looked up at him and made a valiant effort to hold back her tears.

“Dad, I really want to do the right thing. I feel that praying at the flagpole is something I should do tomorrow, but I don’t know one other person who will be there. What if I get there and no one else shows up? What if my friends find out and think I’m just weird?”

Kelli’s dad reached out and put his arm around her shoulders. “Kelli, I have always been so proud of you and your stand for Christ. This may be one of the hardest tests you’ve had so far, and I know you’ll make the right decision. I’ll take you to school tomorrow, and whatever you decide to do about the flagpole prayer is all right with me.”

It was barely dawn when Kelli woke her dad. “Dad,” she whispered, “will you take me to school now? I’m going to pray at the flagpole--even if I’m the only one there.”

Her father’s heart ached as he watched his precious girl grip the car’s armrest all the way to school. Her face was pale but determined as she smiled at him. “It’s okay, Dad. I prayed about this, and all night long I kept hearing the same song in my head: ‘Though none go with me, I’ll follow Jesus; no turning back, no turning back.’ I guess being considered weird wouldn’t be the worst thing that could happen to me.”

As the car rounded the corner in front of the school, Kelli noticed quite a crowd had gathered--but not to pray. She recognized many of her friends and lots of other kids who were considered “popular” huddled near the flagpole. They were giggling and pointing at two students standing near the flagpole with their heads bowed in prayer. Momentary panic flashed across Kelli’s face as she opened the car door.

Her dad reached over and took her hand. “Kelli, just remember, I love you no matter which of those two groups out there you join.” Kelli smiled and nodded as she left the safety of the car and headed across the street. Her dad felt tears stinging his eyes as he watched his daughter bravely walk over toward the flagpole. How he wished he could go along, holding her hand for support. For a long, torturous minute, he watched her join the two students at the flagpole and bow her head in front of some of the most influential kids in the school. He was so proud that she had the courage to stand up for her convictions.

Suddenly, several teens broke loose from the watching crowd. Together they moved over to the flagpole and stood by Kelli. She lifted her head long enough to smile at them before continuing her prayer. As her dad watched, the number of students in the two groups began to shift. Before he finally drove away, the largest group by far was made up of those bowing their heads at the flagpole. He eagerly looked forward to talking with Kelli. He already knew exactly what he was going to say: “Kelli, I think you made the difference. I think those kids were waiting for you” (Taken from Stories For The Teen’s Heart 3; pp. 110-111)

We have much more influence than we think we do. I want you to think about that statement for a moment. Who do you have influence over? How have you seen that influence in their lives? I don’t care how beautiful or ugly you are, and I don’t care how smart or dumb you may think you are; every one of us has the power to influence someone else. Influence has very little to do with our talents, intelligence, or looks. Our influence is determined by something quite different. Erwin McManus wrote:

Character is the resource from which influence draws. Relationships are the venue through which influence travel (Seizing Your Divine Moment; p. 112).

Erwin McManus points out that our influence is determined by two factors. These two factors can only be seen in our lives when we decide to live a life of courage. Fear is the main obstacle that we have to overcome as we seek to be an agent of influence in this world. When we live with courage we are able these two factors come together to produce influence.

1. Our influence is determined by our character.

{15} But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect, {16} keeping a clear conscience, so that those who speak maliciously against your good behavior in Christ may be ashamed of their slander (1 Peter 3:15-16; NIV).

Character is how we live our lives. In order to have the character that God wants us to have we must first set apart Jesus as Lord in our lives. That means instead of living the way we want to live we live the way He has called us to live. We put other people ahead of ourselves, we serve, and we stay away from evil and pursue what is good. Living this way will make people question, What is the difference? What is this hope you have? That give us the opportunity to respond with love and gentleness, allowing them to know what Jesus has done for us. As the apostle Paul wrote to his disciple Timothy; Be careful about the way you live and about what you teach. Keep on doing this, and you will save not only yourself, but the people who hear you (1 Timothy 4:16; CEV).

Character is about how well we live what we say we believe. It is the opposite of being a hypocrite. A hypocrite will say one thing and do another, but a person of character will say something and do his/her best accomplish it. If we claim to follow Jesus our lives had better reflect that reality. How we live gives credibility to what we say we believe. By living godly lives, people will be drawn to Jesus. Courage is important because it strengthens us to do the right thing even when the rest of the world is doing the opposite.

2. Our influence is determined by our relationships.

{17} From Miletus, Paul sent to Ephesus for the elders of the church. {18} When they arrived, he said to them: "You know how I lived the whole time I was with you, from the first day I came into the province of Asia. {19} I served the Lord with great humility and with tears, although I was severely tested by the plots of the Jews. {20} You know that I have not hesitated to preach anything that would be helpful to you but have taught you publicly and from house to house (Acts 20:17-20; NIV).

Paul calls for the elders of the church at Ephesus. When they get to Paul, he reminds them of the time they were together. He was able to do that because they had a relationship, they went though that experience together. These men had been with Paul while he proclaimed Jesus to both Jews and Gentiles. It was through relationships that Paul was able to influence people. Paul will later write that our freedom that we have in Jesus is a freedom to build relationships and to show love: For you have been called to live in freedom--not freedom to satisfy your flesh, but freedom to serve one another in love (Galatians 5:13; NLT).

We cannot hope to influence people if we don’t make an effort to interact with them. Relationships are essential in sharing the Gospel and showing God’s love to others. Yet often we will find that relationships are hard and that hurt will come because of them. Courage helps us to face the heartache, the hopeless conditions, and the tragedy that we will encounter when we make an effort to build relationships with other people.

We have the ability to influence other people. Many of the people you know are waiting for someone to follow. Are you going to be the person who will make the difference in their lives? When we have character and relationships which are fueled by God given courage we become difference makers.