Don’t Look Back

Sodom. 1000 BC. It was Lot’s wife’s favorite place she had ever called home. She had never had more friends and more fun than in the years she had lived in Sodom. Sure, she had forgotten a little of where her family had come from and the God they once loved, but the glamor and glitz of this thriving metropolis was more than enough to quench her thirst for a meaningful life, right? When the two men dressed in white from a distant land came to get her and her family to flee the city, it was hard to understand what they meant. Sure, it wasn’t a perfect place, but is leaving really the only option? Surely there was another way. Why were they having to walk so fast? She needed time to process this change, as the view of her home grew further and further away. When the men that were leading them instructed her not to look back, it was the hardest thing they could’ve told her. The God of her past tugged at her heart, but her craving for the life her flesh longed to live called louder. She couldn’t resist. Just one more view? She looked back. It was the last glance she ever took.

Obviously, I don’t know exactly how this story transpired, or her exact thoughts. We actually don’t even know the name of Lot’s ill-fated wife. Yet to see things from her view, this is a little of how I would picture those events to have transpired.

There are many points in this story, but the most poignant to me today is the last thing we see here. Looking back. I think it no coincidence that the minute she tried to look back she could not move on.

When we think of ‘not looking back’, we think of it in all different scenarios, especially in forgetting the negative things that may reside in our past. We are told not to remember the bad and keep pressing on to the good.

My favorite scripture along these lines are Paul’s famous words in Philippians 3:13-14, where he says

“One thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead. I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.”

Paul said to forget what is behind. All that is behind. Not just the bad, but the good as well! Many times, our minds reside so easily on the successes and accomplishments of yesterday, when we should be giving them just as much attention as we give our past failures and mistakes–and that is none. Just as we must forget the bad, we must forget the good as well.

Sound strange? Possibly. This is not new news by any means, but it is a rare occasion in a self-centered world.

There may be something at which you are or were really skilled or accomplished. You have reason to be very proud of yourself for it. But do you also know that just because you used to be good at something doesn’t mean that you still are? Maybe you have been the most skilled businessman in your company. Maybe you are an accomplished musician or athlete, with record-breaking awards to your name. Whatever you are, no matter how good you are at it, if you’ve been around very long, you know that you can place no reliance on your last performance. It is always on to the next, and you don’t look back. If you do, you may miss something that you need to learn today.

Call it teachability, call it humility, call it pressing forward–there are many categories. But pressing towards the goal most always means forgetting how good or bad you were before, acknowledging God as your source, and starting new with no reliance on your past abilities and skills–only relying on God’s grace, favor, and gifting, the same as you did at the first.

Wouldn’t it be great if everything we were ever good at, we stayed good at? ‘Wouldn’t it be nice if I could do that the way I did before?’ Yes, it would be nice, but we all know that that isn’t real life, is it!

Even people who used to be the absolute best at something — Michael Jordan at basketball, Babe Ruth at baseball, or Muhammad Ali at boxing— they didn’t stay the best. These masters of their arts with all their records still hold accolades for their truly amazing accomplishments in those areas, and rightly so, but if they were to go play their games today, they wouldn’t exactly be able to keep up.

That makes sense to our minds most of the time, until it applies to us. Think about it in application to your life. Think about it in regards to our roles in the Body of Christ. What is your role? Where are some areas you may be serving? Are you a greeter, a nursery worker, or a volunteer in any area?  If so, how long have you been serving in that role?

Just because you used to be good at something–even great at it–doesn’t mean that you still are. We must all check ourselves and continually hold high standards.

You may be the most excellent volunteer the church has ever seen. Did you know that that could change tomorrow, simply by your heart? Just because you were employee of the month, volunteer of the year last time, doesn’t mean that you still qualify for it this time. You may pride yourself on being an excellent friend, parent, sibling or child. You may be the most skilled minister or orator. You may ‘speak with the tongues of men and of angels’ as 1 Cor 13 says, but if you have not love and the things that keep us qualified for excellent service in God’s eyes, then you are simply noise! If you were the best humanitarian your city has ever seen, but you lost your love in serving (which evidently we are all capable of doing, or the Bible wouldn’t have said so!), you gain nothing.

If I as an employer, employee, volunteer–whatever it may be–to think that I can go into tomorrow resting on the laurel’s of yesterday, I am mistaken. “I used to do this’, or ‘I was this’ have no bearing! What are you today? Who are you being to the people around you? Are you dependable, are you trustworthy? Are you true? Are you the minister that was, or are you the minister today?

Luke 17:32 tells us to ‘Remember Lot’s wife!’ She became a pillar not only of salt, but also of unbelief. The chapter here in Luke tells us that when Jesus comes again, it will be like that account in Sodom. People were enjoying their lives of luxury and sin, much like they do today. But verse 31 tells us to ‘not turn back,’ and in verse 33 that ‘whoever tries to save his life will lose it. But whoever loses his life will save it.’

I have learned so much in my life of walking with Christ, and I delight in sharing the stories. But if my only stories are from 5 years ago, then that does not qualify me for today. I do not want to have just been a blessing, or a good worker in my past, I want to be one in my today. I do not want to have just had a good attitude at one time in my life, I want to have one today.

None of us can live on yesterday. That includes everything from a trade or skill to your calling and being in the place you are supposed to be. What are you called to do?

Whatever it is, be faithful to that today. Faithfulness isn’t just a time period. It’s a state of mind, a state of heart. It’s an attitude and a chosen, purposeful behavior. It’s obedience.

Determine to not rely on the obedience of yesterday to get you by in your future. Don’t turn back, but press forward to be a worker before God that need not be ashamed. Let’s decide that looking back isn’t even an option, because we are so busy looking forward into the face of the One who is coming soon!

“Do all you can to present yourself to God as someone worthy of His approval, as a worker with no need to be ashamed, because he deals straightforwardly with the Word of the Truth.” 2 Timothy 2:15

God will catch you up

You’ve heard the story….the tortoise and the hare. The tortoise — though slow — is steady, and wins the race, as the saying goes.

It is fun to run your race during the times when you feel like the hare. Contrastingly, it can be much harder to run when you feel like the tortoise — when goals are slow to come and your dreams seem far away.

Social media like Facebook doesn’t help at all. If you’re not careful, they can really drum up the symptoms of “comparisonitis”, as my Pastor puts it. As the saying goes, you find yourself comparing your daily life to everyone else’s highlight reel. Live Science has studied how social media can actually be damaging to mental health for these reasons, and Forbes lists the true costs of time spent in these outlets as low self-esteem and poor body image.

All to say, whether you use facebook or not, sometimes you can really feel behind in life if you compare yourself to anyone else. That’s why it is so important not to do so. Psalm 139:14 says that you are ‘fearfully and wonderfully made’, and that includes the plan that God handcrafted for you. Jeremiah 29:11 says that God ‘knows the plans He has for you’, and that they are GOOD! ‘Plans to prosper you and not to harm you, to bring you hope and a future.’ (NIV)

I’ve always endeavored to dream big dreams, and so many have come true in my life. I have also endured seasons in life where I felt behind. In another January several years ago, I wrote down some heartfelt goals for the next few years, and began looking expectantly for them to come to pass. Yet in the year to follow, even the beginning of those goals were no where to be found. What I had written down became a reminder to me of what had not been accomplished, rather than what had. I felt behind the mark of where I wanted to be in my life. As time passed, I even forgot about the goals I had written down with such ardor the months before.

My testimony to you today is that even when we forget, God never does. Even when we are faithless, He is faithful. I forgot about my dreams, but God didn’t. Everything I wrote down that January several years ago, God has brought to pass in the last few months of 2012. I won’t take too much time sharing with you all the specific goals I had, but they culminated in the dream of being in full-time ministry, and I now enter 2013 not only in full-time ministry myself, but working alongside my husband in that role. A dream come true. The goals I wrote down that January have been fulfilled, and this new role we are stepping into is more than I could’ve hoped.

God caught me up. Then He exceeded.

He will do the same thing for you.

My encouragement to you today is to stay faithful to God in the times that seem slow. Stay encouraged in His Word, satisfied in His presence, and trusting always in His goodness, mercy, and grace. You are not behind!! As your heart stays right and you have faith in God, He will make sure you are in the exactly the right place at the right time. Maybe you had to take a detour, or something is moving slower than it should, since our lives always involve other people who have to make choices as well. Wherever you are, you should never worry. God can and will always catch you up! It is not a difficult thing. Genesis 18:14 says, ‘Is anything too hard for the Lord?’

God will do such a good job that you will never even remember you ever felt behind. The tortoise had moments that felt like defeat, but he won in the end. You will too, as you stay steady.

Rob and I have moved to Tulsa, Oklahoma to begin our new job as Senior High Youth Ministers at Rhema Bible Church, in Tulsa, Oklahoma. We are so excited to begin this new adventure, and are looking forward to 2013 with great anticipation.

Play Your Part

In music, there are many different kind of formats and styles of pieces. In all my years of classical piano studies, there was one type of piece that was my favorite to play — the concerto. Concertos are written for 2 parts: a soloist, and an accompaniment. The accompaniment is originally meant to be an orchestra, but since most musicians don’t have an extra one of those lying around, the orchestra part is usually played by a second piano. So, to get the picture in my case, they were performed with two pianos on the stage. One played by my teacher (the orchestra), and the other by myself (the soloist).

I loved performing these concertos! It was a lot of time and work to learn them, but performing them was always thrilling experience. It was exciting to get to the ‘big’ parts of the music, where the sound of two pianists playing was a much larger sound than I could have ever created playing just by myself. As fun as those big parts were, in between them, there were also whole sections where I would not play at all — where only the orchestra would play, and the soloist would rest.

Have you ever been to an orchestra concert of any kind? Have you observed the instruments as they played in harmony? If you look closely, you will notice that not all of them play all the time. There are moments when each instrument has a break — some, for a few lines, others, for a few pages. For many instruments, playing in harmony means not playing at all in certain measures; it can mean letting another instrument take the lead, and you supporting it.

Our bodies operate a bit like an orchestra as well; there are many members, many parts. The Bible compares the Body of Christ to our bodies in that same way. Romans 12:4,5 reads “Just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others.”

As members of the Body of Christ, we spend far too much time comparing ourselves to the “function” of the other members, when we should only be concentrating on our own. If I, as a pianist, were concentrating on the accompanist’s part and comparing it to mine, I would probably miss my entrance because I am distracted! I have to stay focused on my own assignment.

Why should I feel insecure if other players or musicians are doing a good job, and playing better than me? That does not make me look worse…it makes me look good! Why? Because we are a team. Together. We need each other!

Take any group sport, and you can see the analogy of a ‘body’ working together. In a team sport like baseball, they have players both on the field and in the dugout at all times. In football, there are players on the field and on the sidelines. All are needed for different functions, and no matter who is playing the most, all are equally a part of the team.

You may feel like you’ve been sitting in the dugout for awhile, waiting for your turn. Let me encourage you, you DO have a part, and as you stay faithful, God WILL get you in the game! So don’t use the time on the sidelines to feel sorry for yourself or become discouraged; instead, get yourself ready and prepared to play. Once you’re out there in the field, you’ll see the value of the time you spent recharging in the dugout.

What if I had the attitude of 1 Corinthians 12:16-18? It says “…If the ear should say, ‘Because I am not an eye , I do not belong to the body,’ it would not for that reason cease to be a part of the body. If the whole body were an eye, where would the sense of hearing be? If the whole body were an ear, where would the sense of smell be? But in fact God has arranged the parts of the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be.”

It goes on to say in verse 21, “The eye cannot say to the hand, ‘I don’t need you!’ And the head cannot say to the feet, ‘I don’t need you!’” This is “so that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other. If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it. Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it” (1 Corinthians 12:25-27).

I will add this analogy — What if you are the ring finger on the hand, and you get jealous of the thumb? You may think, ‘if only the thumb were gone, then I would look better!’ No,  once the thumb is gone, it doesn’t make the ring finger look any bigger or better! All it does is cause the whole hand to look incomplete. This analogy sounds is obvious and silly to think of in a literal sense, but there are many Christians acting this out in their lives every week in churches around the world. May this not be our heart!

There is a symphony that God has written for us to play together as a body. There is also a solo that has been written just for you from the foundations of the earth, that is a part of that symphony. There is a tune that can only be sung by the voice of your life. God is the writer. You are the instrument. He has given you all you need, but you have to be the one to pick up your instrument and play it. You also have to learn how to play together with the group, knowing when to wait on the other instruments to finish their parts, and how to value everyone’s contribution together.

There may be times when you lose your place in the music. There may be times when you feel like your entrance into the music will never come. There may be times when your fingers get tired from playing the notes. There may be times when you forget about the importance of your part. (If you feel this way, take some moments to read and think on this passage about the Body of Christ in 1 Corinthians 12:12-31.)

Prepare to win! Play to win! Play your game the best you can play it today, and don’t worry about tomorrow. Don’t consider the other people around you, except to pray for them and help them play their part too. We trust God with our future, we trust Him with tomorrow! He, our master conductor — the Author of our souls —, knows the sheet music from start to finish. He is directing the notes we play with our every step, and won’t let us miss our cue. He will show us where we are, who we are, and how to play our part. He gives us the rhythm, the beat, and the dynamics to play it like a masterpiece. Play your part, and together, we’ll win this race!

A Legacy of Faithfulness

Legacy. What do you think of when you hear that word?

Legacies aren’t usually made very quickly, but are rather the process of a steady investment into something over a period of time. More than that, a legacy indicates that something has grown from small to great, usually in an uncommon way. It is the result of ardent faithfulness to a person, thing, ideal, or cause in a manner that generates inspiration and admiration in the hearts of men.

In a recent sermon, our pastor ministered a thought that has been ringing in my spirit these past few months. He said that faithfulness cannot be proven in the good times. Faithfulness is proven in the bad times.

As a follower of Christ, as a church member, in marriage or friendship, it is easy to feel and believe yourself to be faithful when everything is smooth and going your way; just as it is easy to submit to someone in authority over you when you agree with their decisions. But that is not submission, just as much as it is not faithfulness to stay steady when life is good. No, faithfulness is —and can only be— proven when it is not easy. You’ve heard the quote: “When the going gets tough, the tough gets going.” Thatis where faithfulness begins in life, in marriage, in friendships, on the job, and in service to God’s kingdom.

The Bible says a lot about this trait, and uses the term to describe God Himself. 2 Timothy 2:13 says “If we are faithless, He remains faithful, for He cannot deny Himself.” That is pretty powerful to me.

Hebrews 10:23 also says “He who promised is faithful.” Faithful is actually who God is, and many other scriptures go on to confirm that same truth*. Psalm 89:2 says the very heavens are established on the foundation of God’s faithfulness, and Revelation 19:11 says the one sitting on the white horse is called “Faithful and True.” Our reigning king can be called by anything He chooses, and the most important thing He chose to be called is ‘Faithful’, with a capital ‘F’! Wow.

When someone’s built that over you, you can rest in it. It’s a shelter; it is a real and sure refuge to which you can run and be safe. God’s faithfulness to us is a protection for us. The promises of His word are a shield and rampart (Ps 91:4), even when walls may come down around us. Because of God’s faithfulness, we can sing with truth the words of that song by New Life Worship, saying “I have found myself a hiding place…in the shelter of the Savior’s arms,” because we know He will always be there in strength for whatever we need.

My parents constantly taught me about faithfulness as a kid. Whenever I began an extracurricular activity or commitment, I was not allowed to quit until it was completed. Even if I decided that I was not enjoying myself, I had to see it through until the end. I studied classical piano for twelve years, but around 6th grade, there came a point at which I wanted to quit. Because of the time I had put into it, my mom would not let me make that decision until I completed another year. By that point, my attitudes had changed (as teenagers tend to do), and I chose to continue. It went on to become one of the most fulfilling and defining experiences of my childhood. Even in the attendance of my lessons, we never missed a week. It was not allowed. As an adult, I have now been able to perform for thousands, all because my parents would not let me quit. I realize now that there was a more meaningful lesson learned in this than the music lessons themselves. My parents were teaching me how to build a legacy.

As a kid, you don’t really have any idea of the value of faithfulness; but when you mature as an adult, you see how challenging it can be. How hard. You understand how commitment isn’t always effortless, and staying steady isn’t always the easiest reaction.

Faithfulness is not really the natural inclination of our flesh. It can be taught though, and hopefully we were all taught its importance through godly examples and leadership over the years.

If you’re blessed enough to have enjoyed a happy childhood and young adulthood where you were shielded from the disappointments and jading of the world, then your first experience with it can hit you pretty hard. Many of us handle it far less gallantly than we should, with less courage than we could. If we examined it closely though, we would realize that most of what we consider ‘problems’ are only “first-world” difficulties, not to be compared with the true hardness that many around the world suffer in far less graceful circumstances, but with far more graceful hearts.

For many of us, those first hits of the world seem to scream at us to back off, to quit, stop or turn around and go the other direction. But we are never to go by what we feel! When things get hard and uncomfortable, that’s exactly when we need to keep going. In that place, and that place alone, is where we find true faithfulness.

I am not talking about loyalty; loyalty is a trait found in very naturally among men. But loyalty is a matter of the heart. Faithfulness, on the other hand, is an adjustment of the heart. A matter of discipline. A decision of will. A choice, brought about by deliberate action.

Faithfulness separates the men from the boys, and the amateurs from the professionals. There is a maturity about it.

That’s because faithfulness is a legacy.

I saw a quote going around on the social media site Pinterest that epitomizes this natural inclination exactly. It reads: “Respect yourself enough to walk away from anything that no longer serves you, grows you, or makes you happy.”

This sentiment sounds and makes people feel good, but it is a picture of the reaction of the flesh, not a reaction of the Spirit. It is humility that is found in faithfulness, not pride. The nature of the flesh is self-serving and small-minded, but God’s response and the reaction of faithfulness always is to stick with something and serve it instead of needing to be served. The proud of heart and those with worldly mindsets can never inherit the kingdom of God, because they cannot understand true faithfulness.

God gives us some amazing examples of faithfulness in the Word. Genesis tells us stories of Joseph, who refused to quit when uncomfortable — even unjust — circumstances came his way. In doing so, brick by brick he was building the foundation of a legacy that later sustained the Israelite nation for generations.

What if he had quit? What if he had stopped short?

Jesus our Lord walked with a strong faithfulness to his call. Difficulties? Many. Hardships? You bet. Heartbreak? Deep. Reward? Unlimited.

To add to this list, there’s Paul. Moses. Abraham. Hebrews 11 lists these and many others in the ‘Faith Hall of Fame’ as those God commends for their faithfulness; they were those of whom the world was not worthy (11:38). They experienced difficulties, hardships and heartbreak; but by walking in faithfulness, they displayed a trust in God that exceeded trust in themselves, their plans and purposes, or their decision making abilities. We can and must aspire to walk in that as well.

During the time of our engagement and wedding, Rob and I were overwhelmingly blessed with the amazing amount of support and encouragement given by our family and friends. With each shower and celebratory event, we were blessed beyond measure, and so many people put in effort, finances, and talents to make it a special time for us. As I thought about how we could ever deserve all the graciousness that was being sent our way, I had a huge realization that this wasn’t about us at all. The great joy that seemed to be present around our wedding was about the legacy our parents have built and were now passing down to us. These friends were, through us, honoring our parents.

Both Rob’s parents and my parents are very faithful people–the kind that have built a legacy up over years and decades by staying very steady and constant, not giving in to trends, or caving under difficulties. They have constantly followed God in the face of pressure and adversity. You name the situation or circumstance and, between the four of them, they’ve probably ‘been there, done that.’ That kind of living may make a few enemies, but it mostly makes friends and admirers. Those are the people that came out in abundance to support Rob and I during that wonderful time in our lives. I know that we were receiving the reward, as scripture has promised, of the faithful man’s seed. (Deuteronomy 7:9, Psalm 119:90)

I see now how valuable this trait is, and how few people are truly able to claim it. Maybe you weren’t left with something you would describe as a legacy from past generations, but there is no time for feeling sorry about it. There is time to change the future for your family and your life.

We must not let ourselves be blown about with every changing wind (Ephesians 4:14). Consistency is not the strongest character trait of our young generation. Instead, we have been taught to change our course when we become unhappy with anything from friends and commitments, to authority figures. When situations get hard and are not always agreeable, we have been told and shown it is easier to set sail on another boat than work at making the one you’re on stay afloat. We must fight against this mindset, and embrace the truth on the matter. What God says about faithfulness won’t be found on reality television or among the icons of pop culture, but they will surely outlast them all and cause your life to be built on a foundation of legacy instead of sinking sand. (Matthew 7:26)

This year, my parents celebrate 20 years of being pastors of the church they pioneered in 1992. At the time, it meant hauling our family across the country to obey God in the face of impossible situations, and odds stacked against them. Yet they still did it, and more than that, they have stuck with that decision and remained faithful ever since — not to multiple visions, but to one. Even in the small things, like going to church instead of staying home, they showed themselves faithful. Feelings weren’t consulted, although many times, I’m sure they didn’t feel like it was doing them any good to stay faithful.

You can’t always currently see what the future results of your present actions will be. But as surely as God‘s word is true, if you stay faithful, not jumping around from this thing to that thing, 20 years later, you will have built something that no one can take away. Though it may not have looked like it then, my parent’s consistency has built an immoveable foundation for our family. They taught me faithfulness with their lives and they built in me something that does not originate with man. What a wonderful gift to give to your children.

Whether we like it our not, we are all in the process of building something with our lives that we will leave behind, whether it be good or bad, strong or crumbling. In the process of faithful actions, you can actually build something immoveable and eternal that would have never existed before. One of the greatest legacies you can pass on to your children and family is that of being faithful to God and to where He has called you to be. It is what endures to generations.

We all desire depth in our lives, and it is the deepest cry of most every heart for our lives to mean something. This trait of faithfulness will provide you that. It will cause your life to have a depth about it that you would not otherwise have.

It would take me many more paragraphs to share with you all the Bible says about the great rewards awaiting those who live a life of faithfulness. In short, I can summarize by saying that faithfulness will pay. It always pays. You may not be able to see it right now in the short term, but it always pays big in the end.

With the deepest part of my being, I praise the Lord for His faithfulness. I exalt His name forever.

Thank You, God, for being faithful. To Your Word, and to Your promises, You are Faithful and True.

It is my most very favorite thing, about You.

* (Is 49:7, 1 Cor 1:9, 2 Cor 1:18, 1 Thess 5:24, 2 Thess 3:3)

Resource Recommendations for further study:

-If you are finding it hard to be faithful while you wait on God, this book by Lynette Hagin, called ‘Hey God, Why Is It Taking So Long?’ will be a great encouragement, helping you to stay focused, faithful and in faith. You can buy the book here. Or for an electronic read, find it in the iTunes, Kindle, or Nook digital libraries.

-Many times, lack of faithfulness can be linked very directly to offense, or being offended. If you don’t like the sound of that, then this subject may be exactly what you need to hear! A book I highly recommend on the subject, and a book that will help you stay faithful with a good attitude wherever you are at, is John Bevere’s book called ‘The Bait of Satan: Living Free from the Deadly Trap of Offense.’  Follow this link to purchase this item, which you will also find recommended under ‘My Favorite Things’.