Reformed SHEology: Surrender

Showing posts with label Surrender. Show all posts

Prayer: The Believer's Ministry

Posted on April 07, 2010 comments (3)
Labels: God, Latisha, Submission, Surrender

I met with my mentor last year to discuss a grievous spiritual matter. Sitting on the couch where she has often gently counseled me, I shared with her a struggle I was having to break free of paralyzing doubts to enjoy prayer (not just petitions but really enjoying the Lord) as I once did.

It was all so random. Doubt just sashayed into my soul, took the podium front and center, and began to conduct an elaborate sabotage of my prayer life. From there, I continued to describe how I was suddenly restless to know the "context" through which I would serve God. For everyone around me seemed to be in their position and focused. They seemed clear on their calling in life. But me, I've felt and looked so random, unstable, unfocused, and nomad-like. I feel I’m a jack of all trades but a master of none. My interests are so vast and I believe I can learn anything if I have an encouraging and patient teacher.

Well, in her calm and consoling way, my mentor looked at me and said something profound and epiphany-like, "prayer is your ministry." In other words, prayer is a ministry task always available. It is my first ministry unto God. Aha! Then I thought of Anna, the widow, from the book of Luke. I thought how it is recorded that she ministered day and night, with delight and contentment, in the Temple to the Lord through prayers, fasting, and praise. The thought warmed and endeared me.

So, why give all that personal detail? Well, I hope to stir us up to pray. For I am convinced that prayer is every believer's ministry. Any believer experiencing God, (i.e. seeing and feeling Scripture become palatable, or God's movements in circumstances, or experiencing unusual blessings to the soul or the physical) is NOT experiencing something esoteric and unavailable to any other believer.

Prayer is a gate open to all believers willing to enter it, stay the course to triumph over its challenges, and mine the depths of its treasures. The believer is as Esther and Christ is our King--the golden scepter is forever extended toward us in favor. Why wouldn't we take FULL advantage of this benefit in our inheritance package? Do we understand what it is to have the favor of the King?

There is a saying, if you want to hide something valuable from a person (especially in the 21 century)--put it in a book. For, we seldom take time to read. I think this idea is transferable to some of us in the Christian community. If you want to hide something valuable from believers tell them to persevere in prayer to gain it.

....We are so afraid of the false that we quench what is true. We are people of extremes... There are some that are so orthodox but are absolutely dead, because they are so afraid of false excitement and the excesses of certain spiritual movements that they quench and hinder the Spirit and deny the truth...." --Martin Lloyd Jones

If some of us were brutally honest and courageous enough to reveal our thought-life, prayer is really quite ridiculous to us. We've seen it (we think) make a fool of too many people--believing something abstract and unlikely, by faith, that God "supposedly" spoke or lead, not to mention the damage the charismatic movement has done. There are all kinds of self-serving scams and personal deceptions going on in Christendom as it relates to prayer. So we play it safe. We clutch our prized reputations and vow to never be so risky or look so stupid or God forbid emotionally out of control. And consequently, our prayers remain powerless, perfunctory, and stoic—but, of course, doctrinally correct.

But prayer is indeed so much more than unverifiable abstractions and asking for earthly things we desire and need.

Rewarding prayer is when one comes to mount themselves upon an Altar (Romans 12:1-2) to be broken so as to bond with Christ. That is connect in such a way that we find ourselves praying in concert with the intercessions He is making at the right hand of the Father. That is connect in such a way that we pray in concert with the groaning(s) of the Spirit. That is allowing the Spirit to transfer His affections for the subject of our prayers to us--to the point He weeps or wages war through us. In this connection, we begin to pray His will into the earth for ourselves, the saints, even the world. Absolutely, exhilarating—intoxicating.

Prayer is also an occasion for uninhibited self-examination that produces a fresh brokenness over sin which leads to a spirit of thankfulness, surrender, forgiveness, and renewed joy and peace. It provides a fresh purity of heart and motive that was not present before you prayed. You know, it doesn’t always take some catastrophic event to humble or break us. No one has to know. The scripture says God gives grace to the humble but resists the proud. There is a reason God tells us to humble ourselves as we don’t want Him to do it for us. Prayer alone can humble us.

This is the best part of our salvation!

I encourage us to consider that prayer is a believer's first ministry. It is the launch pad to all other ministry in which we would engage. And one should be terrified to embark upon any place of official ministry in a Church without prayer being a pillar of their lives. If one struggles in prayer, praying with others is a great way to jump start affections that lead to prayer. Let us not quench His Spirit with our fear, pride, and unbelief. Let us go take advantage of this means of Grace. So what are your thoughts on prayer? What are your current obstacles? What step will you take today to triumph over the obstacle(s)?

Perseverance of the Couch Potatoes

Posted on January 19, 2009 comments (3)
Labels: Surrender

All my life, I hated to run. I could never understand why people would want to do such a thing. I never would run unless it was absolutely necessary, and even then, I knew that if I ever found myself in a situation where my life depended on it, I wouldn't stand a chance. I could barely last thirty seconds without feeling like I was going into cardiac arrest.

For some bizarre reason, I joined the junior varsity field hockey team in ninth grade. (Even more surprising is that I tried out and made it!) After-school practices were grueling. I can still remember running up and down the field, drilling with my partner, shooting on goal, practicing my scoops, and being completely exhausted. Then I'd hear the coach say, "I want three laps! Now!" I thought I was going to die. The cramp in my side was unbearable. My heart felt as though it would pound right out of my chest. Any minute, I was sure my calf muscles would burst right through the back of my legs the same way a frankfurter skin splits under extreme heat. Oh, it was torture! Life as a couch potato never looked so good!

There are some people who actually enjoy this torture. No matter what the weather -- rain, snow, sleet, or apocalyptic global meltdown -- these people are out running. And they do it because they want to. Which, in my book, makes them absolutely, certifiably insane.

Yet when I consider how the Bible uses the activity of running as a metaphor for living the Christian life, I am intrigued:

Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last; but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. Therefore I do not run like a man running aimlessly; I do not fight like a man beating the air. No, I beat my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize. (1 Corinthians 9:24-27)

Eric Liddell knew the power of this metaphor. Known as "The Flying Scotsman," Liddell was a committed Christian who viewed running as a way of communing with God. Liddell made it to the 1924 Olympics and was almost disqualified because he refused to run on Sundays. As the story goes, Liddell was given inspiration just before the 400 meters race in the form of a Scripture: "Those who honor Me, I will honor," (1 Samuel 2:30). Liddell ran with that scripture clenched in his fist, and won the race. He later went on to be a missionary to China, where he died in a Chinese prison camp. His last words were reportedly, "It's complete surrender." The 1981 Academy Award winning film, Chariots of Fire is about Liddell's life and legacy.

Metaphorically speaking, everyone runs. Everyone will make it through life in one way or another, but some are able to do it with more finesse than others. The secret is Christ. Christ enables us to persevere to the end. Paul urges us to run in such a way as to get the prize. How is this done? The answer: "I beat my body and make it my slave." In other words, he is no longer slave to the flesh. Instead, the flesh takes orders from the Spirit. The only way this is possible is through God's power. Suddenly, we understand what it is like to enjoy what the rest of the world views as torture. When others are living in comfort and choosing the easy way out, we choose instead to endure hardship for the sake of the Kingdom. Just as I used to shake my head at those "nutcases" running in the rain, this is how people look at me when I "waste" a perfectly good Sunday in a church service. I am running the ultimate marathon, I am competing for the grand prize, and I am in strict training. I don't care who sees me, and I don't care who thinks I'm nuts. I'm actually enjoying running the race!

The Couch to 5K Running PlanAbout five months ago, for reasons still unbenownst to me, I woke up one day and decided I was going to run. It was late August, 2008. The temperature here in Florida was in the high nineties, but that didn't stop me. I was a complete couch potato, but I was determined to run. I only lasted about 30 seconds at a time. But I refused to quit. The following week, I was running for 60 seconds at a time. A few weeks later, I was running for 90 seconds. With each week, I was huffing and puffing less. And I discovered that I actually find joy in this activity.

I can now run for eight minutes. Eight minutes! Me, the one who thought I'd have to call the paramedics after 30 seconds! There is no more cramping. There is no more pain in my calves. And I am getting stronger. How did I do it? How is it that I am better at running now than I was 20 years ago? The secret is that my outlook has changed. I no longer view running as torture, but joy. And you can do it too. All you need are two ingredients: help from God, and the Couch to 5K running plan.

The Couch to 5K gives you small drilling exercises that alternate between walking and jogging. The plan is supposed to help you run 5K (3 miles) in only two months. But do yourself a favor and eliminate the time frame. Just as we are sanctified in God's timing, we cannot put deadlines on becoming master of the flesh. It is a continual process.

Instead of referring to each step as "Week 1, Week 2," and so on, do what I did -- call these steps "Level 1, Level 2," etc. Do what you can, and do not get frustrated. You can do all things through Christ who strengthens you. Remember, the Bible uses running as a metaphor for the Christian life. What better way to commune with God and understand the work He began in you than to actually try running? You will be amazed at how strong you will become physically. When I am doing my drills, and I don't think I can take another step, I say to myself, "this is what God is doing in me spiritually". I think of times in my life where I wanted to give up on my Christian walk and just take the easy way out, but God wouldn't let me. And as I reflect on all God has done for me, I am able to persevere.

I used to think people who ran were crazy. Now, I am one of them. Only I am training for more than just a neighborhood 5K. I am training for the EK (Eternal Kilometer) race. Perhaps the most famous line from Chariots of Fire is when Eric tells his sister Jenny, "I believe God made me for a purpose. He also made me fast, and when I run, I feel His pleasure." The Bible tells us that God is able to make us persevere, but I believe it goes deeper than that. I believe it actually gives God great pleasure when we persevere in His strength:

Striking the Set

Posted on December 31, 2008 comments (4)
Labels: Creation, Surrender

Picture this: for the past two months of your life, you have worked very hard on a project. You and a group of others work approximately four hours every single weeknight to meet the project deadline. Both your body and your brain hurt as work on the project takes incredible physical and mental stamina. But through it all, you find comraderie and fellowship with those laboring next to you. Finally, the big day has come. You and your teammates are ready to present the project to the public. The public loves it. They applaud you for a job well done. You feel a sense of accomplishment and purpose. Then, you and your friends turn around, and tear the project apart piece by piece with your bare hands.

Sound crazy? It's more common than you think. In the theatre world, this is what is known as "striking the set." For an actor, it's perhaps the most dreaded, unwelcome task there is.

I used to hate strike. Not only are you completely exhausted after pouring your heart and soul into that night's performance, but you have to stay around a few extra hours after closing night to tear apart the set, pack away the costumes, and take down all the lights. The entire time, you are conscious of the fact that you are voluntarily destroying your hard work and creativity. I distinctly remember taking an unusually long time on closing night to undress, take off my makeup, and make my way back to the stage to help with the strike efforts because I couldn't bear the thought of it. I haven't set foot on stage in ten years, and I still can't bear the thought of it!

Perhaps you've never been in a play, but you can still relate to what I'm saying. Now that the Christmas season is winding down, some of you will be taking down your Christmas tree, packing away the ornaments, and removing all the trimmings from around the house. It can be a depressing thing to dismantle the hard work, the creativity, and the love and care that went into decorating your home for Christmas. After everything is put away for another year, the house can look so empty and bare. A few days after this process, you may feel a little sad. It's hard to see something so beautiful come to an end, but it must. It can't stay Christmas forever.

If it's this difficult tearing down your Christmas decorations and saying good bye to 2008, imagine what it will be like when it is time to say goodbye to all of human history.This ritual is magnified by the fact that it often coincides with the sinking feeling of saying goodbye to another year. We look back on friends we've lost, opportunities gone by, and good things that came to an end. This can be especially hard when a loved one has died in the past year. For this reason, New Year's Eve has always been a difficult time for me personally. As a former existentialist, I tend to view the past year as some sort of thick liquid that holds certain precious moments in suspension. As I move forward into a new year, those moments stay trapped in the past, and I cannot take them with me. There is a reluctance to let go of the old. I don't want to say goodbye. I want to cling to that year and never let it go. This feeling is only natural, and I think it speaks volumes about our human tendency to cherish wood, hay, and stubble.

Tonight we merely say goodbye to one calendar year. And if it's this difficult tearing down your Christmas decorations and saying good bye to 2008, imagine what it will be like when it is time to say goodbye to all of human history.

They say all the world's a stage. If that is the case, then we can expect one day for the biggest strike of all time to occur. One day, this stage is going to be torn down by the very One who built it, and each of us will be required to help out. As the Creator of the Universe burns entire cities to the ground, each of us will have to shed the costumes we wore in this life, remove our masks, and wipe off all our makeup. For those who do not know Christ, it will be a sad time. They will ask the rocks to fall on them so they don't have to participate in striking the set. They will weep and mourn over the loss of the cardboard walls they built around themselves, never realizing that all the while they were rehearsing in front of an Audience of One when they thought no one was watching.

When strike comes, what will be your response? Will you cheerfully tear down your career, pack up your reputation, and throw away your accomplishments? Or will you be the actor going through the wreckage, crying, "Oh, no! I hate to see this one thing get thrown in the incinerator!"

We do not know the day nor the hour. But when the Great Director comes to strike the grand set, there will be no opportunities to salvage the curtains and the backdrop. There will be no autographs to sign. There will be no second bows. There will be nothing left except our crowns, to be cast at His feet.

~Jennifer and Geraldine would like to wish our readers a Holy New Year~

Mrs. Hyphenated-Last-Name

Posted on October 21, 2008 comments (6)
Labels: Marriage, Surrender

It's no secret that most young girls begin planning their weddings from a very early age. But have you ever stopped to consider how much further planning we tend to do when it comes to being married? Some women already know what they want to name their children. Some have already picked out their dinnerware for special occasions. Although I was never one for planning my wedding or decorating my future home, I had already decided upon what I wanted to be called, which is exactly what I'm called now.

That's right. I swore I would not change my last name - not even hyphenate it. I have become so accustomed to my maiden name that calling myself by any other name seemed like . . . how did I describe it? Oh, yes: "an assault on my identity." Naturally I am grinning as I write this. The sentiment just smacks of smug rebellion and self-love. Needless to say, I no longer feel this way about changing my last name. Let's just be clear: there is nothing wrong with keeping one's last name, or hyphenating a last name upon getting married. The problem instead lies within the heart. I don't want to directly quote anyone here, but if you surf the net on your own, you will undoubtedly come across three general reasons women give for not taking their husband's last name:

1. We're both getting married. Why should I take his name? Why doesn't he take mine?

2. That tradition was (allegedly) based on a patriarchal system which symbolized that a woman was the man's property.

3. It would interrupt my career and create all sorts of confusion in my personal life.

The practice of taking your husband's last name has often been associated with Western "patriarchal" culture, but it is more specifically tied to Christianity because it is symbolic of the transformation that takes place when a person is born again. Just as a bride and groom promise to "forsake all others," we reject our former lives when we become born again. We call ourselves Christians to symbolize that we now belong to Christ:

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. (2 Corinthians 5:17)

The fact that I swore I'd never change my name because I wanted to cling to my identity showed where my heart was. The Christian life is precisely about forsaking one's old identity in order to embrace a new identity. Granted, a marriage is merely a temporal symbol of the greater thing: eternal union with the Lord, but what are we saying to our husbands when we refuse to take their last names, or insist on clinging to our own names?

Let me stress again that this is a symbolic procedure. If you do not change your last name or if you decide to hyphenate, God will not be displeased with you. In fact, in many cultures (particularly in Latin families) it is customary to hyphenate last names as a way of acknowledging the unity of both families. The stress again is on the condition of one's heart when one makes such a decision. If I insist on maintaining my own identity, I am essentially clinging to self. A love of self cannot be good for my walk with God or for my marriage. We are called as Christians to die to self. There is no more room for "me." In marriage, we exchange "me" for "we." In the Christian life, we exchange "me" for "Thee."

When all else fails, we may want to consider dropping our maiden names in the event that our stubborn desire to hyphenate results in one of these unfortunate combinations. (Warning: Content in this link may be mildly offensive to some readers, but I believe it makes a point!)