Your Spiritual Transformation

Are You Driven By God?

2012-07-08T09:14:00.000-07:00

I went to 'trade' cars a few weeks ago. I've always found this expression, 'trading cars' odd because if I were merely 'trading' cars, I would have gotten one with high mileage, and a lot of mechanical problems, and no money would have changed hands...who would ever do that?

Anyway, I don't know about you, but the process of getting a different vehicle is one I do not look forward to because I always feel that I am getting ripped off...it's just a matter of how badly. As a C- student of Dave Ramsey, I did my homework, this time, and I think I came out 'ok' financially in the process. I guess I will never really know for sure, but the deal is done and the worst thing I can do is over-think it, after the fact.

What I wanted to share with you is about my experience since I drove my 'new to me' car out of the dealership. Having mentioned that I hate to haggle for a car, it won't surprise you that the car I traded, was a 2001, second owner (me), SUV with just under 150,000 miles on it. It had power steering, automatic windows and locks, but that's about it. The biggest thing I noticed when I test drove the 2008 Volkswagen EOS, which I ultimately purchased, was…oh, the technology!

The service department person, a woman, go figure, referred to the car as a 'learning car' in that it 'learns' the habits and the preferences of the driver, which allows the car to anticipate and attend to your driving needs. WOW! This car knows where to set the seats, the mirrors, the windshield wiper speeds, and so on, to your absolute favorite locations...PERFECTION.

Unbeknownst to me...when you buy a pre-owned learning car with an amazing computer brain, unless you get the dealership to re-set the vehicle back to the original factory 'learning' mode, you get the preferences of the prior owner...what a nightmare! While I have developed in my mind, an FBI profile of the prior owner...let's just say that despite all of my research, CARFAX neglected to reveal that the prior owner had a lead foot and drove erratically!

Thankfully, since the service department was closed when my deal was completed, I had some time in my new ride to become familiar with it before I took it back to the dealership to work on my 'punch list' of things which needed tweaking. It was during this conversation that I learned how 'smart' my vehicle is, and that the car's settings could be re-set. Ahh, the difference is night and day! Now the car drives like a dream, smooth as silk, turns on a dime...you get the idea.

Funny how our God used my car buying experience to impress upon his 'learning' servant, who He is and how keen His desire for us to understand Him and our brothers and sisters on this planet.

First; about God. He created us. He is smarter than any 'learning' car. He knows that we are wonderfully and uniquely made for an intimate relationship with Him.

Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex! Your workmanship is marvelous—how well I know it. Psalm 139:13-15

He knows our wiring and our factory settings. What's better, when we became Christians, Jesus erased our sinful 1st owner settings, and re-set us with our new and improved Holy Spirit driven 'learning' capabilities...with a goal toward perfection!

Then he breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit. John 20:21-23

The problem is that we forget who made us, and who should drive us. God wants us to be a learning car...to:

♦Trust Him to map out the best route, determine our travel companions, and to suggest the best sights along the way;

♦Spend time with Him to re-fuel and undergo routine maintenance;

♦Rely on Him to warn us of the dangers and obstacles in the roadway, and to help us navigate both the hills, and the valleys on our journey.

Second; about us. We forget that we can be a powerful vehicle for God. Sometimes we are so focused on getting there, or asking, "are we there yet?"...that we miss out on the learning opportunities He provides for us on our spiritual transformation journey. Think how amazing our lives would be if we made a conscious effort to learn how:

●We are wired based upon our spirit gift in Romans 12:6-8, and our service gifts;

●Our immediate friends and family members are wired, so that we can better attend to their needs and desires;

●We can be a powerful vehicle for God through serving others through our gifts, talents, and abilities.

Life is so much more than merely getting from point A to point B. Ask God to make you aware of those areas where He wants you to be transformed by the renewing of your mind...and then enjoy the journey!

Coaching Questions:

Has it been awhile since you read your owner’s manual (the Bible)?

Have you investigated your factory settings so that you know how to run at peak performance?

Are you living your life as a pre-owned vehicle...all rough and erratic, or are you operating in Holy Spirit driven 'learning' mode?

Are you helping stranded motorists along the way?

Are you taking time to enjoy the view?

A Glimpse of Heaven on Earth

2012-05-23T12:00:00.000-07:00

Have you experienced heaven on earth? I have...and I'm excited to tell you about it because I believe it will encourage you on your spiritual transformation journey.

I was literally born and raised a proud United Methodist. My mother sat on the back row of our church when she was pregnant with me, beside the Associate Pastor's wife, who was expecting their second child too. One thing all good United Methodists know is that ministers are appointed to serve in a church by their Bishop, and they are subject to being moved to different churches from time to time by the Bishop. As laity, we comment occasionally ..."if you've got a great pastor, who is a 'good fit' for your church, it's only a matter of time before you will lose them; but, if a pastor is sent to your church, and they are not a 'good fit'…be patient; it won't last forever."

Since I graduated from grad school, I have lived in the same State, but in several different towns. As a Methodist, when you do this, an interesting thing happens. Not only do you know laity from all over the State, but you have the awesome privilege of interacting with clergy throughout their ministry as they zig zag, or circuit ride, throughout the State. So when a respected pastor and his wife, retire after 45 years in ministry...you get a glimpse of heaven on earth...

The date was set and the word sent out that a retirement party was being given for this retiring ministerial couple at a local United Methodist Church. This respected couple had pastored churches all over the State, had served in administrative roles, which included District Superintendent, and had served as a pastor in one of the first cross racial appointments in the State. This man and his wife had touched my life, and I wasn't about to miss their retirement celebration!

So, just picture the diverse attendance...young, old, black, white, laity, and clergy- all persons whose lives had been touched by this couple. But then add the unexpected ingredient of the interconnection of pastors and laity in attendance, who had also lived in different parts of the State, as had I. It was a grand reunion. Pastors and parishioners exchanging hugs and well-wishes to persons they had worshipped with and served with, but hadn't seen in years! It was a time of laughter, a time of heavenly music, and a time of remembrance. A celebration of God's servants, of persons united in faith, of God's love.

It was an awesome gathering! And, it was an awesome sneak peak of what is to come...One day, persons from all over the world, since the beginning of time, representing all denominations, all nations, and tribes...will be hugging, singing, and praising the one true God...and at that homecoming, you won't even need a name tag!

Although we are all on our spiritual transformation journey, and preparing for the time when we will be reunited with God, our loved ones, and our family of believers, don't undervalue the importance of seizing opportunities to celebrate with your brothers and sisters in Christ while waiting for the grand heavenly reunion! It’s one way you can experience ‘heaven on earth’ and it’s bound to stand out as a spiritual marker in your spiritual transformation journey!

Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.
Matthew 6:9-11

Some Body to Love

2012-05-14T14:36:00.001-07:00

At the risk of getting whining responses from my readers, I'm gonna do it! I'm going to ask you to think about the lyrics from a song...knowing full well, once I mention the song and the refrain...you'll be singing it all week in your head, and you may 'dislike me intensely' for it. I say ‘intensely’ because ‘hate’ is really too strong a word to use here. So, read on if you dare...
The band Queen gave us some really great rock opera ballads; not the least of these is Somebody to Love. I set out for your singing pleasure, at the end of this blog post, the full lyrics. What’s addicting is the refrain which almost becomes a chant…

Find me somebody to love
Find me somebody to love
Find me somebody to love
Can anybody find me somebody to love?
Find me somebody to love
Find me somebody to love
Find me somebody to love

Isn’t this song reminiscent of what everybody wants? Somebody to love them? Main stream Christianity reassures us that God loves us no matter what; and that we can pray to God our Father directly, who loves us and cares for us. But, being God, He also knew that we would need human love too.

1Corinthians 12:12-27 reminds us that He wants us to be a part of a body of believers, a community, a family of faith, where we are each loved and valued by the rest of the body. God has meticulously put this ‘body,’ a local congregation, together to accomplish the things He wants accomplished. He wants all of the parts of the body to mutually depend upon one another and care for one another. He knows that this is possible when we truly realize that one of the most important things we can do on our spiritual journey is ‘learn’ to love somebody…the individuals who make up our local body, our local church. God knows that this is possible when we feel and share the love which comes about when our lives are truly submitted to God.

So, I’d ask you to think about the ‘somebodies’ in your congregation. I know that some of them are easier to love than others. I am presently, truly blessed to be a part of a wonderful body which is currently getting it right. It is serving, loving, and ministering to its parts, while doing local and global outreach. I’d like to say this ‘body’ has always excelled and loved its ‘somebodies,’ but it hasn’t.

In fact, there were times when this body was close to a spiritual death. The ironic thing is that some parts of this body were a part of this local family of believers when it was an ‘unhealthy’ body and are still a part of it today in its ‘healthy’ form. Some of the body parts are new, or refurbished, but many of them are ‘original.’ What has changed? What has cured or rehabilitated this body?

Several healthy things. Use this informal checklist to evaluate the health of your body:

♦The pastoral leadership is ‘preaching’ Scripture and not compromising the Truth in the Word, even though some of the topics are not ‘warm and fuzzy’ and the Biblical principles are not always easy to hear by all its hearers.

♦The very diverse congregation is responding in a positive way to being fed; and they are taking it seriously; that with the help of the Holy Spirit, no body part is unnecessary or expendable…there is a place for every miss-shaped ear, every arthritic finger, and even every crooked pinkie toe...all parts are mutually dependent on one another for the betterment of the entire body; and when the parts are serving in their gift...there is JOY.

♦The pastoral leadership is intentional about spiritual formation and growth and is making resources available to the body so that they can learn their individual spiritual gift and the way they are uniquely and specially wired by God, so that they can serve joyfully and effectively. Being a part of this body is perceived as one where joyful obedience and discipleship is the goal; and not that the parts merely be plugged into ‘slots’ based upon the results of a sterile assessment tool designed to ‘strong arm’ the body into obligatory church service.

♦The pastoral leadership understands the role of helping the body with identifying its vision and in guiding the body, and is receptive to allowing the body to serve in personally fulfilling ministries, while not attempting to quash, or micromanage the ways in which the body decides to serve; provided it is God honoring and furthers the vision of the body as a whole.

♦The pastoral leadership has set a tone which expects the body to encourage, uplift, care for, and support its members; and which openly frowns upon negativity or criticism from individual members where positive solutions are not offered up as viable alternatives.

♦The body has become contagious, with the help of the Holy Spirit, in genuinely embracing the concept of ‘when one of us celebrates we all celebrate, and when one of us mourns, we all mourn’ in its approach to intercessory prayer and ministry to itself as well as to those outside the body.

If you are in Christian leadership, or a lone voice crying in the wilderness…and your body is unhealthy what can you do? Decide if you have the strength to swim upstream against the unhealthy current…and if you do, stand in and move within your body to change things…one person at a time, one attitude at a time, one outreach at a time. If you don’t have the strength or courage to try to change things in your local body, pray that God will make you aware of a new body which you can belong to; after all…everybody needs…some body to love.

Somebody to Love by Queen

Can anybody find me somebody to love?
Each morning I get up I die a little
Can barely stand on my feet
Take a look in the mirror and cry
Lord what you're doing to me
I have spent all my years in believing you
But I just can't get no relief, Lord!
Somebody, somebody
Can anybody find me somebody to love?

I work hard every day of my life
I work till I ache my bones
At the end I take home my hard earned pay all on my own -
I get down on my knees
And I start to pray
Till the tears run down from my eyes
Lord - somebody - somebody
Can anybody find me - somebody to love?

(He works hard)

Everyday - I try and I try and I try -
But everybody wants to put me down
They say I'm goin' crazy
They say I got a lot of water in my brain
Got no common sense
I got nobody left to believe
Yeah - yeah yeah yeah

Oh Lord
Somebody - somebody
Can anybody find me somebody to love?

Got no feel, I got no rhythm
I just keep losing my beat
I'm ok, I'm alright
Ain't gonna face no defeat
I just gotta get out of this prison cell
Someday I'm gonna be free, Lord!

Find me somebody to love
Can anybody find me somebody to love?

Tend to Your Own Knitting

2012-05-07T13:36:00.002-07:00

I remember the first time my Dad made this statement to my older brother…I laughed out loud, and I almost got myself in trouble.

You see, no one knitted in my family as a child growing up. It wasn’t something we saw as an on-going activity in our home. So, I thought the expression was funny. My Dad didn’t. My older brother was being ‘called out’ for doing something he was quite adept at doing back in those days…comparing his situation or his punishment with that of his two younger sisters. My Dad was telling him to ‘mind his own business.’

Peter fell into the same trap with Jesus when Peter was overly concerned about John. You may remember that Jesus had just re-instated Peter for his denials of Christ before the crucifixion in John 21:21-22. Jesus and Peter were walking, with John tagging along close behind them. Peter asked; “Lord, what about him?” and basically Jesus told him to ‘tend to his own knitting’…it might have been funnier if Jesus had said, tend to your own netting (I can’t resist a little fisherman humor), but He didn’t…because He was as serious as my Dad.

Don’t we struggle with this all of the time? We get programmed to comparing ourselves to others. I think it goes back to when we were in school and grades were handed out. We started early on comparing how we did with our neighbor…how many words did they miss on the spelling test? Who got the best grade in the class? It went on and on.

But the Bible says in no uncertain terms, in James 4:6-12, that we are not to criticize one another, and we are not to judge one another. I can hear your exasperated sigh as you read this. You may not think you judge other people or criticize someone else…but it happens more than you think. We judge people by the clothes they wear, their accent, their hair, their political preferences, their house, car, yard, and even their church denomination. If you watch television a lot, we judge acting, singing, parenting, fashion…you name it! And this doesn’t even include beauty pageants where we avidly judge costumes, talent, swimwear, and responses to interview questions.

The Bible says, it’s got to STOP! Judging and critiquing, and keeping up with the Joneses’ are detrimental to our spiritual transformation journey. We do it because it’s second nature and because society gives us so many opportunities to participate in it; and other times we do it because we get a feeling of satisfaction that we are ‘better’ than someone else. But the Bible says that God alone is able to save and destroy...we are not to judge. We have enough to do just tending to our own knitting!

So here is a spiritual transformation challenge. See how many times this week, you find yourself judging, criticizing or comparing yourself to someone else. Keep track. Count it up. I think you will be shocked.

Action steps:

1. Were you surprised when you kept track of your judging and critiquing of others for a week? When were you most prone to judging? Around your friends, children, co-workers? Ask God to make you more aware of this behavior.

2. Try not to join in, when others are judging, comparing, or criticizing someone else.

3. If a part of your job is to assess the work of others, prayerfully consider ways to point out a person’s shortcomings while finding ways to encourage them and suggest positive ways they can improve.

4. If you are raising children, try not to compare them to their siblings, and encourage them to spend their time improving their behavior instead of comparing themselves to other siblings or peers.

Who's the Better Sinner?

2012-05-01T06:09:00.002-07:00

You may have done a double take when you read the title of this blog. But, you read it correctly. We are ALL sinners. And in God's sight, all sin is equal. So, why make a distinction amongst sinners? It's because half the battle for us, sinners, is when we 'call it what it is,' when we come truly clean about sin, and when we are humble about our view of ourselves. Look at Luke 18:10-14. In this well known story,

two characters trudge up the hill to the temple to pray. The societal pariah, the tax collector, and the prideful Pharisee. Each one takes their turn praying out loud to God.

The Pharisee spends his time 'thanking' God that he is better than other people in his community, and reminding himself and God, that he is an admirable 'rule keeper' because he fasts twice a week and faithfully pays his tithe. He spends no time confessing his sins or admitting any areas in which he could benefit from any assistance from God. He is clueless. He's a sinner whose not looking for a Savior...because he feels as if he measures up pretty well when compared to his neighbors and friends. He lacks humility and an an honest assessment of who he is...so it is doubtful that his life can be spiritually transformed. It's hard to teach people when they think they already know everything.

But what about the tax collector? By reputation, he was in a profession know for usury. Although tax collectors were permitted to charge friends and neighbors tax assessments, many of them had free reign to charge whatever they could leverage out of them and many times they severely overcharged their neighbors. We have to assume the tax collector label in the story was intentional in order to show a contrast.

So, what does the tax collector do when given the chance to pray out loud in the temple? He does several things right. First, he admits in unequivocal terms that he is a sinner. Second, he asks for forgiveness. Third, he approaches God humbly by bowing his head, and pounding on his chest in sorrow. Unfortunately, the story does not conclude with the tax collector vowing to be more fair or forgiving in the collection of his tax accounts; nor does he promise God that he will abandon his career or start a non-profit for orphans and widows with the punitive profits he amasses.

Nevertheless, Luke concludes that only the tax collector walks home from the temple truly clean because he confessed his sin before Almighty God. Luke warns us of the moral of the story, that if we lift ourselves up, we will be put down, but if we are humble, we will be lifted up.

Honesty, humility...two tough lessons to master on our spiritual transformation journey. While I don't have trouble with the honesty issue, humility is not a word many of my friends would use to describe me. One of my greatest strengths, a seemingly confident personality, is often times my greatest weakness. I find it's hard to be meek and confident. What about you?

Action Steps:

1. Do you truly agree that ALL sin is equal? (Murder and adultery as serious as cheating on your taxes or telling a white lie to spare a friend's feelings) If you are having trouble with this one, ask God to help you remember that God still loves the sinner, even though he despises the sin.

2. Do you have trouble confessing your sins? Is it because you don't recognize sin in yourself or is it more of a refusal to admit it? Ask God to help you confess one sin every day.

3. Do you, like the Pharisee, get side-tracked when confessing your sin by comparing yourself with others or justifying you sin? Ask God to reveal to you when you are comparing or rationalizing or justifying your sin before God.

4. Do you, like the tax collector, have an ability to sorrowfully confess your sin, but draw the line when it comes to truly changing your behavior? What is God telling you through the discussion of this parable? Is He calling you to change professions? Is He calling you into some type of ministry where your sin can be transformed into something sensational? Ponder and brainstorm this topic with a friend in whom you can confide. Then pray and act on it.

Wisdom for the Journey: You're Gonna Need More Than a Fortune Cookie!

2012-04-18T13:53:00.002-07:00

I love a good meal! I must confess, however, that when I go out to eat at a Chinese restaurant, I probably enjoy the fortune cookie served at the end of the meal, more than the food...crazy, right? There's just something about the 'words of wisdom' typed on the slip of paper hidden in the cookie. The sound bite...pun intended, is usually positive and contains sage advice or a comment worth pondering. I read mine eagerly, hoping for some insight or encouragement.

While fortune cookies are fun; as Christians, we know that true wisdom comes from God. Unfortunately, although we need God's wisdom if we are going to be successful in God's eyes with our spiritual transformation, most people don't strive for wisdom or even know what true wisdom really is, according to the Bible. When is the last time you heard an elementary school aged child say, "When I grow up, I want to be wise"?

We do not value wisdom as a society. If you disagree with me, I need only refer you to 'reality TV' shows as a genre and then pose these questions, "Do we watch these shows because the personalities on them are our role models for wisdom and righteous living? Or, do we watch them to feel superior, and to make fun of the personalities on them?"

Not only do we not strive for wisdom, we really don't know the Biblical definition for wisdom. Stop for a moment; and before reading further, write down a short definition of 'wisdom.' So what did you write down?

Most people respond in one of two ways:

• Wisdom is acquired with age. Knowledge is gained through experience, as in learning what works and what doesn't from the 'school of hard knocks'; or;

• Wisdom is acquired through study or formalized training and education

If these two beliefs were always true, wise folks would always be old and educated! I don't know about you, but I've observed many young, untrained people, I consider wise, and a number of foolish 'educated' seniors!

The interesting thing is that Scripture doesn't focus on age or training in discussing the characteristics of a wise person. Best of all; Scripture holds out hope that everyone can acquire wisdom! Whew, what a relief!

James3:13-18 says that the characteristics of Godly wisdom are:

• Purity

• Peace

• Gentleness

• Deference, and;

• Mercy

Were these traits in your definition? They weren't in mine. This passage also recites three traits which are not found in Godly wisdom:

• Hypocritical

• Jealous

• Selfish

I must admit that I was surprised when I first read this description. After thinking and meditating on these verses, it makes a lot of sense. I recommend that you spend some time pondering the idea of wisdom and the scriptural traits recorded in James. I think God will speak to your heart and your head, and 'renew your mind' on this topic.

The next time you are tempted to look to your fortune cookie for words of wisdom, remember that God has given us 'sound bites' of wisdom in His Word. We need look no further than the wonderful words of wisdom in the Book of Proverbs. Look at this wise passage in Proverbs 10:19 MSG:

The more talk, the less truth; the wise measure their words!

Since I'm at a word count of 556 words, it's time to stop talking and transition into some action steps to ponder...

Action steps:

• Spend some time pondering the characteristics of Godly wisdom recorded in James, can you see how embodying these characteristics would give a person Godly wisdom?

• Can you see how being hypocritical, jealous, and selfish prevent a person from developing Godly wisdom?

• Which trait will be the hardest one for you to master, and why is that?

• What is one action you can take to develop this trait?

• When it comes to being hypocritical, jealous, or selfish, which trait is most likely to cause you to stumble as you strive to acquire Godly wisdom? What is one action you can take to eliminate this trait from your life?

Smile! You're on Candid Camera

2012-04-11T12:49:00.001-07:00

Perhaps you’ve caught an episode of Betty White’s new show, Off Their Rockers where senior citizens play pranks on young adults? It’s basically a new spin on an old favorite, Candid Camera. Maybe you remember it?

Alan Funt would set up situations which were filmed secretly. After the unsuspecting person was embarrassed or responded in a memorable way, the participants would sing out…smile, you’re on candid camera!

Think for a few moments, what the results would be if an undercover hidden camera crew followed you or your church family around for a week? Would the crew find a group of stiff-necked, unhappy, judgmental people, keeping up with the Jones’? Or would the crew find a loving, joyful, God-honoring people, serving in their community and abroad? Hmm…

The purpose of spiritual transformation is in the word, ‘transformation.’ We want to evolve and change in a positive way, and with God’s help; we will. So it doesn’t matter as much whether you and your church family would have fared well during this experiment last week; but it does matter how you present yourself today, and tomorrow, and in the days to come. Scripture says that when we become Christians, we are born anew and that we are new creatures (2 Corinthians 5:17). This change must be outwardly visible and it must be God honoring.

On our spiritual transformation journey, we learn in James 2:14-20, that it doesn’t make any logical sense for us to say that we have faith, only to act in ways which deny our faith. The passage goes on to say, if our commitment to God is in words alone; that’s not good enough. In other words, talk is cheap. A new pastor friend of mine puts it this way, “There is no such thing as real belief, without an action.”

Our best way of demonstrating our spiritual transformation and our faith in God is through works performed in faith. When we attempt, in our mere mortal minds, to understand Christ’s sacrifice for us, and we reach the point of complete joy in God; it’s because we realize how wonderful His love is for our flawed, damaged selves…and it is an emotional experience. This acknowledgement gives us the desire to respond in the only way we know how; through sharing our experience and our love with someone else. Through our actions. That’s what it means to show our ‘changed selves’ through works performed in faith.

You know the refrain of the Christian standard which goes…”And they’ll know we are Christians by our love…by our love, yes, they’ll know we are Christians by our love.” The million dollar questions are:

●Do they know?

●How will they know?

If your somber answer is that others do not know and see your love, why is that the case? Perhaps it’s because you have not explored God’s unique purpose for your life. Or, perhaps, you know your uniqueness, but you are not serving in your spiritual gift (Romans 12:4-8) and according to your strengths and talents. The only way to serve in joyful obedience is to determine your spiritual gift and serve in accordance with it. Otherwise, your attempts at love are a noisy gong, or clanging cymbal (1Corinthians 13:1).

Thankfully, we are not on the reality show, Smile, You’re on Candid Congregation; but it’s something to contemplate; and it’s something to work on as we become transformed by the renewing of our minds.

Action steps:

1. Thank God that He knows that you are a work undergoing spiritual transformation. Thank God for making you aware that a big part of your spiritual transformation is in responding to those areas He wants transformed so that you ‘change’ into His likeness.

2. Do you know which spiritual gift in Romans 12:6-8 is your primary spiritual gift?

(To learn more about spiritual gifts check out: https://www.tricordpublishing.com/Work.html )

3. How are you living out your faith via your spiritual gift?

4. When you think about a real life Candid Congregation scenario of your life…what would be revealed? What areas need improvement?

5. What is one simple action step you can take this week to begin to demonstrate your faith through works?

Open Mouth and Insert Foot

2012-04-05T15:03:00.000-07:00

We’ve all heard this expression!

But, if I had a hundred dollars for every time I have actually said something I shouldn’t have said, I would be a wealthy woman! There have even been occasions when I have given such a stellar performance,
that not only have I opened my mouth and inserted my foot…I have included the shoe on the foot, and the shoe box it came in!

Now before you get all self-righteous on me, I know you’ve done it too. How do I know this? It’s because it’s discussed in Scripture, and if it weren’t a widespread problem, it wouldn’t be in there, right?

So let’s look at scripture on this topic, because if we can’t get our mouth under control, it hampers our spiritual transformation. Look at James 1:19-27. He tells us, we are to harness our mouth and keep our anger in check. We are not to spout off the first thing that comes to mind.

James also says that anger is futile. What do you think about that? When I first hear it, I think, “Everybody gets angry from time to time; what’s the harm?” The problem with it is, that many times, when we get angry; two bad things happen. First, we say something we shouldn’t, and we sprinkle in a curse word or use un-Godly or hurtful content which we cannot un-say or adequately apologize for later. This can cause severe damage.

Plus, scripture says, “Vengeance is mine,.. sayeth the Lord” (Romans 12:19). You may be thinking, “What about Jesus turning over the tables of the moneychangers in the temple? Jesus got angry and he never sinned.” I would say, “yes,” he was angry, and “yes,” he never sinned, but I would also say…since Jesus is God, it was ok for Him to show vengeance, but that doesn’t give us permission.

The second bad thing which happens when we get angry is that we hurt our Christian witness. In the few short months I’ve been on Facebook, I’ve found out that a lot of my Christian Facebook friends curse on Facebook during sporting events and in response to political issues. Plus, some of my Christian friends apparently play gambling games and buy lottery tickets. It’s not a judgment; it’s an observation. But it does cause me to see them in a bit of a different light.

James says it’s as if we look in the mirror one minute, and the next minute we forget, who we are, and what we look like (v. 23-24). And while, only God truly knows our heart, we send out a conflicting message to others…Believers and Unbelievers alike, when we say or do things which are not Godly. James also says that our mouth exposes our heart (v.26). While, we want to be vulnerable, we want our real selves to be God honoring selves.

So maybe you’ve read this far, and you say, “Ok, I hear you, but I don’t speak out of turn, or pay people back when they hurt me, I let God do that, when warranted…” Well, you still may not ‘be out of the woods,’ yet. This series of passages not only talks about what we are to refrain from doing, it also speaks to what we are to be doing. James 1:22-25 discusses the importance of hearing God’s voice and responding to it. He says we need to hear and act on what God has commanded. I will ask you to ponder this more in detail in the next post.

And just so we don’t get too prideful, James cautions us not to put ourselves on a pedestal and delude ourselves into thinking that we are such wonderful religious role models, that we are the envy of our neighborhood or local congregation. Because we are not, and even if we are doing great things, we can always do more. We can’t out give and out love God.

By now, you should be concluding as I am…there’s always something I’ve gotta improve upon. That’s why spiritual transformation is a journey, a process. So don’t be too hard on yourself. We’re all a work in progress.

Action Steps:

1. Think of the setting or situations in which you are most likely to speak to soon or inappropriately. Ask God to slow you down if you are prone to speaking up to soon or saying inappropriate things. What can you do to limit or stop this behavior?

2. In what settings and when around what types of people, are you most often angered? Ask God to help you if you are working on being ‘slow to anger.’ What can you do to change your response?

3. When do you have time forgiving others? Ask God to help you give up grudges when others hurt you with their actions or words. What can you do to respond in a Godly way when this happens?

4. Enjoy your Easter! He is the God of forgiveness, mercy and grace. He is the God of second chances.

What are Two Ways to Sabatoge Your Spiritual Transformation?

2012-04-03T13:47:00.000-07:00

Sometimes we are our own worst enemies. We consciously or subconsciously take actions which impede or hamper our spiritual journey. While you may be able to think of a number of ways we sabotage our spiritual transformation, let’s talk about two of the biggest ones:

We allow ourselves to be tempted, and;

We falsely accuse God of doing the tempting.

Let’s talk about temptation. Years ago, comedian, Flip Wilson made popular the saying, “The Devil made me do it!” More recently, Dana Carvey played the ‘church lady’ on Saturday Night Live. He would interact with Church Chat guests on various subjects only to question, “Who might be responsible for this event, was it perhaps…Satan? These celebrities are right about evil being the catalyst for tempting, and wrong about who is ultimately responsible. God has given us a mind and an ability to make decisions. While evil forces can present opportunities for temptation, it is ultimately, our choice whether we allow ourselves to be successfully tempted.

In the book of James 1:13-18, we learn that when a person gets carried away by desire, or lust, to the extent that it becomes the focus of their lives and it takes control; sin occurs. Think about it this way. When something, which may even have initially been an innocent observation or thought, becomes an obsession and is coupled with an improper action, sin occurs.

Let’s look at this light-hearted illustration. I love chocolate. Chocolate is an inanimate object…a thing. It doesn’t have motives or desires. Chocolate isn’t out to tempt me. Studies show that, in moderation, dark chocolate is even considered to be good for your health. I can sit all day long in front of a plate piled high with brownies; and it’s a temptation for me. But, as long as I don’t act on my love of chocolate… I have been tempted, but not successfully, because I have not acted on the temptation. I may have thought about eating one or more of the brownies; but I didn’t.

Is eating a brownie sinful? No, not in isolated incidents; but if taken to extremes…it can become a sin. Here’s how. If I become obsessed with brownies, if the making, purchasing, and eating of brownies takes over my life, and my thoughts are focused on brownies, it can become sin; especially if I am neglecting other areas of my life, or I let it ruin my health. Scripture tells us that our bodies are a temple for the living God. When we allow anything to take first place in our life over our relationship with God, whether it is ‘someone’ or ‘something,’ it sabotages our relationship with God, and in turn, our spiritual transformation. God is a jealous God, who wants all of us, totally devoted to Him.

The second way we sabotage our spiritual transformation is by assigning our temptation or testing to God. God doesn’t tempt his children. James capably addresses this issue when he says, “The One who created us is free from evil and can’t be tempted, so He doesn’t tempt anyone (James 1:13).” He goes on to remind us that only good gifts come from God. God is consistent and He doesn’t play games with us. God want us to have life, and live it abundantly.

God doesn’t tempt us. There are times when God will use a situation to prune us and to show us how to grow spiritually. But this is different. God’s approach is one of a parent using tough love. His goal is positive and His motive is positive…to bring us closer to Him and to refine and improve us; not harm us and cause us despair. God is about eternal life. Temptation has its origins in evil. Temptation leads to sin, and sin, ultimately leads to death.

So stop blaming God for your temptations and your bad choices! Why? If you blame God, you are falsely accusing Him of something he is not responsible for, and to falsely accuse God is both disrespectful and damaging to your relationship with Him. You don’t have to like your circumstances or the fact that you are being tempted, but scripture says that when we are tempted, God will provide us with a way out. (1 Corinthians 10:13)

Action steps:

1. Identify those areas of weakness in your life. What issues or situations cause you to stumble again and again?

2. Re-read 1Corinthians 10:13, ask God to bring this passage to your mind when you are tempted.

3. Ask God to provide you a way to successfully endure temptation and not succumb to it.

4. If you have blamed God in the past when you have been tempted, confess it. Ask God to forgive you for blaming Him for things he did not do. Surrender your anger, and ask God to shift your focus from miss-placed anger at God, to an acknowledgement of God’s power and goodness to provide you with a way out and the wisdom you need to make good decisions.

What Equipment is Needed for the Journey?

2012-04-01T09:20:00.000-07:00

The journey to spiritual transformation isn't anything like the Iron Man or triathelete competitions they show on television today! Have you watched one lately? They are elaborate events. Many of the participants have corporate sponsors,and hi-tech equipment, fancy apparel, state of the art bikes, helmets, and goggles. And don't forget about the shoes! The events are hosted in exotic locations like the deserts of Arizona or the lush Hawaiian islands. While participants struggle to contend with nature and the elements, heat exhaustion, and broken bicycle chains, they have a cushy controlled environment in which to run their race as opposed to Christians on their spiritual transformation journey. Why do I say that?

Because its true. The journey we have embarked on is for our entire life. Our race, our journey is a moment by moment, day to day striving to grow closer to God and give Him pleasure through our service to others. Since we do not know the length of our lives, we don't know how long we have to complete the course. We don't know if we are in a sprint, or a marathon. We have no corporate sponsor, and we often times, don't have the best equipment.

So, what is some of the equipment you will need in order to successfully participate in your quest for spiritual transformation? James, the brother of Jesus, gives us insight into some of the things we will need in James 1:1-12.

The three essential items are:

Faith, under pressure;

Patience to endure;

Wisdom to make good decisions.

Faith, according to James, is our ability to depend on God absolutely, in all things. During the temptation of Christ, Jesus openly, and repeatedly acknowledged God as his sole source of strength and the author of his belief system. Despite being under pressure, Jesus quoted scripture and corrected Satan when he attempted to pervert the truth.

Patience to endure is also modeled by Jesus during his temptation by Satan. No matter how much Satan turned up the pressure or upped the antie, Jesus remained patient and steadfast in his beliefs. When we are confronted by trials, we must embrace them as either spiritual warfare, through which God will protect us, or times of pruning, when we are being taught the lessons we need to learn to grow and mature so that we can be spiritually transformed.

A third essential item needed for a journey to spiritual transformation is the wisdom to make good decisions. Here, James gives us invaluable insight. This piece of equipment is actually the most attainable of the three. James tells us in James 1:5; that if we don't have all the wisdom we need for the journey, all we have to do is ask God for it and that God will grant us all the wisdom we need...lavishly, and without scolding us for asking.

Sounds like a corporate sponsor, with 'state of the art' equipment after all! What are you waiting for, lace up your shoes, and let the journey begin!

Action steps:
1. Think of one area in your life where you are not absolutely dependent on God. Ask God to give you an ability to totally surrender this area to Him.

2. Is there an area in your life where you may be trying to run ahead of God's timing, due to your impatience or inability to wait? Ask God to give you an ability to endure patiently and to wait on his timing.

3. Is there an area in your life where you are overwhelmed, confused, or uncertain? Ask God for wisdom to make good decisions in this area of your life.

Why are You here?

2012-03-31T23:11:00.000-07:00

Greetings and Welcome to Your Spiritual Transformation!

This blog is designed for a dual purpose; to give honor and glory to God and to walk alongside you on your spiritual journey as you begin your spiritual transformation. So, lets get to the point. Why are you here? We are placed on this earth for two reasons: to enter into an intimate relationship with God, and to carry out God's purpose for our lives. This blog will attempt to help enhance your relationship with God AND help you discern God's purpose for your life. So, how do you start on this journey of spiritual transformation?

First, you start with a commitment to allow God to speak to you through his Holy Spirit. Unwavering commitment is a heart and a head thing. You have to believe in your mind that this is your number #1 priority, and then you have to open up your heart to be receptive, and to feel what God wants you to know...and to act upon it.

Let's begin with a scripture which sets the stage for your spiritual transformation. It's from Romans 12:1-2. Paul states, "...in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God-this is your spiritual act of worship. Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is-his good, pleasing and perfect will."

So what does this mean? If I will let God renew my mind, I will be transformed from the inside out. Then, I will be able to discern:

What God wills

What God finds good, pleasing, and complete.

In this way, I can offer up my total self as a daily/lifetime offering to God which will be my means of worshipping God and bringing Him pleasure. As I renew my mind through reading scripture, I will discern what God wants...And I will be transformed!

Action Steps:
1. Commit TODAY with your heart and your mind the time necessary to begin your spiritual transformation.
2. Re-read Romans 12:1-2 and agree to let God begin renewing your mind, so that you can develop the mind of Christ, so that your thoughts will be His thoughts.
3. Ask God to give you discernment so that you know at all times, His unique purpose for your life, and for the ability to live it out.