the Way?

I was thinking the other day about the word 'Christian' and what it means in our culture today. The phrase was coined early on by those opposing Jesus and his followers; it was a name given to the Jesus-people by their enemies. I wasn't here back then, but it's interesting to me that those opposing Jesus witnessed these every-day men and women living lives that so much resembled Christ that they couldn't think of another name to call them other than 'little Christs'. Before the first Jesus-followers were called Christians, they were indeed called Followers of the Way. The Way...

What is the way? Jesus said that he was the Way, the Truth, and the Life, and that no one comes to the Father but through Him. Nowadays though, it doesn't seem that the way of Jesus, a lifestyle looking a lot like Jesus, is the focus of my life all the time. If the early Jesus-followers were indeed following a Way, and that Way of life could only be attributed to people looking and living a lot like Jesus the Christ, then is that Way our focus today as believers? Now, for some of you reading this you're there already, you look at your life and it looks a lot like Jesus so this might be a bit boring for you to read. You can tune out I guess, this is more for the broken folks like me who are struggling in their following-Jesus journey.

If you are like me though you look at your life and wonder if your enemies would look at you and call you a 'little Christ' because even though they may despise you, you definitely remind them of the Jesus of Scripture. This is a convicting question to ponder indeed; at least it is for me. Am I a person following the Way of Jesus, the way of the kingdom if you will? Am I a man that looks in the mirror first before I point the finger of judgment at those around me? Do I show mercy first as I know that it's in showing mercy instead of judgement that I see the blessing of Jesus in my life?

Are loving God and loving my neighbor the top two priorities of my day as Jesus said they should be? Or do I get caught up with a lot of other things not-so-much important according to Jesus? Do I worry about finances more than I focus on the kingdom breaking into my reality on a daily basis? Do I spend more energy trying to play the 'good Christian' card or do I spend my energy following Jesus and living in obedience to Him?

Good questions I'm assuming. At some point 'Christian' became an adjective; that's a Christian band, that's a Christian t-shirt, etc. But when did the shift happen? If that word is an adjective then I'm pretty sure it's a bad situation from the beginning. People aren't perfect, I'm for sure not! So, if I start a band, and we're a Christian band, and we make a mistake that's not a very Jesus-like thing to do, have we just brought to surface the error in 'Christian' being an adjective? I'm thinking that would be the case.

I'd love people to look at me, and even if they want nothing to do with Jesus or His Church, they would have to call me a 'little Christ' for lack of another term that fits any better. Is that the case as of today? Definitely not I'm afraid to say. But a guy can dream right? Am I committed to a way of life, the Jesus-way, or am I content going to church on Sunday and living the life of a spectator? Good questions to ponder.

a timing not my own

“Lord, you’re late! Can’t you see the calendar?!” I’m not proud of moments when I’ve said things like this to God, but I have indeed said them. The statement is so ill-logical, and yet the very idea that God’s timing should match up with mine can unfortunately dictate the way I see Him, the way I trust Him, the way I live my life.

Lately Jesus has been reminding me of timing, His timing. I learned awhile back that there are two Greek words for time in Scripture; chronos (‘man’s time’) and kairos (‘God’s time’). Now, I’m sure these definitions are grossly over-simplified, but they suffice for now. I think in chronos time (I need a job by this Friday, July 14^th, preferably by 12pm.), but the Lord works in kairos time (It’s as if the Lord thinks to Himself, ‘When the timing is right, when everything’s in place the way I want it, when all the factors I deem necessary are in place, then the timing will be perfect!’).

God’s timing isn’t mine, and if I’m completely honest I’m glad it’s not. Thus enters the scene ‘the wrestle of the heart’; if I know God’s timing is perfect, and indeed altogether the best for me, then why do I spend most of my living as if Jesus is somehow holding out on me? Treating His unfailing love as if this is all some cosmic game and He’s just delaying things to play with my emotions. That’s not Jesus.

My life is an entire volume of evidence pointing to the fact that His timing is perfect, and the evidence also clearly shows that what I would have picked along the way, in my timing and in my way, would have been altogether disastrous! He’s known at every point what was best for me; Jesus knew my desires better than I did. If I had had my way, if my chronos timing ruled; I wouldn’t live in Corona, I wouldn’t have met Kaylee, I wouldn’t know one of my heroes in the faith, I wouldn’t be the man I am today, and chances are likely I’d still be running from me.

I woke up this morning thinking, “Lord, let’s make sure we’re on the same page here. I need a job my Friday, July 14^th, if my plans are going to work according to schedule.” Schedule? Really? As if God was boxed in like a caged animal to the iron confines of my production-driven, man-made schedule. Jesus knows what I need (better than I do), and He’s waiting for the perfect moment. I’m trapped by deadlines, but with a loving Father’s smile Jesus is eagerly waiting for the perfect moment to act.

What if I could live with His stress level? (Hopefully you catch the irony of that statement). I think to myself, “Ok. I need to have a steady job by this date, I need to be married by this date, I need to have my five-year plan finished by this date and so on.” But that’s too small of an existence! Jesus has something altogether better for me. The only question is whether or not I’ll trust Him. He’s not late, He’s not unfaithful, and He’s not un-reliable. He’s not the variable in the equation. I am.

If I could trust that His kairos timing is perfect, even for just one day, I wonder how different my life would be. Things would change. I’d be able to enjoy the here and now: I wouldn’t be stressing about tomorrow. I’d be able to enjoy the beautiful inheritance (Psalm 16) that God has for me today: I wouldn’t be wondering if it will be enough for a year from now. I’d be able to rest as I stared at my bank account balance: I’d know that what I have today is what He deems perfect for me to be me.

Hypothetically, if I learned to trust in God’s perfect kairos timing, I could love better, I could serve better, I could work better, and I could simply be me better. What a beautiful pursuit that would be!

“Man makes his plans, but God directs his steps.” (Proverbs 16.9)

When Jesus decides everything is perfect He will act. Will I trust that today?

a joy in death?

Someone asked me once, “What makes it so hard for American Christians to truly follow Jesus?”

Part of what gets in our way is our cultural lens through which we see the world. In every culture there are the beauties of God's glory, and then there are the evidences of humanity's brokenness. I've had friends of mine from other cultures tell me that one of the prayers of the Church worldwide is that America would wake up from her slumber, that the Church in America would know persecution.

What's the slumber? I'm sure there are many reasons the Church in America seems to be sleeping, but one word in particular comes to mind. Comfort. Our culture revolves around comfort; if an American is uncomfortable in any way something is drastically wrong and the alarms must be sounded. But the Christian Gospel is not about the pursuit of comfort. Not only did Jesus Christ not call us to a comfortable life following Him but He called us to just the opposite. "Pick up your cross and follow me" is the call on the life of a follower of Jesus. Death is the destination and comfort is the foe.

I wonder if we would fill our seats on a Sunday morning if we told our newcomers, “Jesus is alive, and He's calling you to follow Him to your death.” We avoid suffering in this nation like the plague, and yet Jesus says the world will (not 'might') hate us because of Him. Jesus simply calls us to obedience. Jesus was obedient to the Father for the joy set before Him. His cup was the cross. His cup was death; His very life was His obedient act. There was joy in dying for in dying He was doing the Father’s will.

Joy in dying? Really?! Those words are at war with each other in the milieu of American beliefs and cultural foundations. Jesus never calls us to 'the pursuit of happiness' as we know it. Our pursuit is a joy not of this world for our rewards are awaiting us in heaven. Happiness is circumstantial, but joy is eternal. I cannot be happy in my death for there is no happiness in pain, but indeed I can be overflowing with a joy that circumvents human logic.

There is no resurrection without the cross. There is no living without dying. Comfort is not the aim, it can't be. If I focus on comfort I will miss Jesus altogether. If I've already died with Christ and been risen to new life in Him then pursuing comfort is completely illogical, it's pointless. When I aim for comfort, I aim to avoid death. The life is in the dying, the joy is in the obedience which leads to death.

Part of the problem is that we live in a culture that throws around garbage phrases like 'all roads lead to God' and 'whatever is true for you isn't necessarily true for me.' That's not what Jesus said, sorry folks. Jesus was put on a cross for a reason, and it wasn't because he was a nice guy or a pleasant moral teacher. Jesus said He was the only way to the Father, plain and simple. He not only rocked the boat of normalcy; he capsized it completely.

It's comfortable telling someone, 'Jesus is good for me but I'm pretty sure we're all going to the same place when we die so you can choose whatever path you want.' That's easy; it doesn't cost you a thing. It doesn't cost you anything because it's not true, and it's an eternal death sentence if taken as the valid path to choose.

It's comfortable to judge. It’s death to take the plank out of my own eye. It's comfortable to proclaim that all roads lead to God. It’s death to proclaim Jesus as Savior. It's comfortable to go to church on Sunday. It’s death to follow Jesus.

Until I’m willing to die I can't live. We rejoice in our suffering for we follow the Lion who is the slain Lamb. When I share in His suffering I know Jesus. It's really that simple. Jesus is leading me to the cross, will I follow?

That is the question.