philosophy

Posted somewhere in most businesses and institutions is a philosophy, a system for striving, a creed... "THIS IS WHO WE ARE, AND WE EXIST TO ACCOMPLISH [THIS]." I think the same is true of every man. Our lives reflect a philosophy- what we believe to be true and meaningful, what we strive to achieve and for what purpose. It is one man's philosophy that sets him apart from the next guy. So I've been thinking... what is my philosophy of life?

So here it is:

IN VIEW OF THE BREVITY OF LIFE

AND THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THE UNSEEN ETERNAL,

I WILL ENDEAVOR TIRELESSLY TO:
 

1) KNOW GOD INTIMATELY

2) LOVE PEOPLE SELFLESSLY

3) ENJOY BEAUTY THOROUGHLY

 

Know God Intimately.

John 17:3 says "This is eternal life: that they may KNOW You, the only true God, and the only One You have sent- Jesus Christ." Eternal life is more than pearly gates and streets of gold, Heaven is Heaven because God is there. Paul enunciates the same concept when he wrote the Philippians- "More than that, I also consider everything to be a loss in view of the SURPASSING VALUE of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. Because of Him I have suffered the loss of all things and consider them filth, so that I may gain Christ" (3:8). There is no greater pursuit and there will be no greater reward.

 

Love People Selflessly.

The progression is natural... if I know my God and grasp His grace then I will love as He loved. 1 John 4:7-8, 11 make this connection pretty clear- "Let us love one another because LOVE IS FROM GOD, and everyone who loves has been born of God AND KNOWS GOD. The one who does not love does not know God, because GOD IS LOVE.... Dear friends, if God loved us in this way, we also must love one another." Not to mention, according to 1 Corinthians 13:2, if I do anything without love I AM NOTHING. People are forever... so if I invest in anything, may it be souls!

 



Enjoy Beauty Thoroughly.

"From the creation of the world His invisible attributes, that is, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what He has made. As a result, people are without excuse. For THOUGH THEY KNEW GOD, they did not glorify Him as God or show gratitude..." (Romans 1:20-21). The splendor of creation provides an opportunity to recognize the splendor of He who created. The book of Job is filled with declarations of the jaw-dropping grandeur of creation, but my favorite verse is 26:14. After a lengthy list of things only God could do, Job says- "These are but the fringes of His ways; how faint is the word we hear of Him! Who can understand His mighty thunder?" Beauty is everywhere and I'm determined to soak it up. From the little things like dandelions and dimples to the big things like the galaxies.... I want to live in gratitude for this extravagant backdrop.

 



the other side of the storm

I'm one of those people who can sleep through anything. For instance, every night I set six alarms; and every morning I sleep through five of them. But somehow I don't think I could have slept through the storm in Luke 8:22-25.

Picture this: Twelve disciples and their teacher all pile in a boat and Jesus instructs them to cross over the sea of Galilee. No big deal- at least four of the guys were seasoned fishermen- they knew the routine. Jesus curls up and falls asleep. All is well in the world.

And then comes the storm. Not uncommon- in fact, the Sea of Galilee is infamous for these kind of storms. The Sea of Galilee sits like a basin 700 ft. below sea level with mountains and hills on every side. Cold fronts brought violent wind storms over the hills resulting in thrashing waves up to seven feet tall. This is no laughing matter. The disciples panic. Fearing for their lives, they turn to sleeping Jesus. Desperate, they wake Him. "MASTER! MASTER! DON'T YOU CARE?! WE'RE GOING TO DROWN!"

The sovereign Savior woke from His slumber and silences the storm. The sea is still and the wind stopped.

"Where is your faith?"

What an unfair question. It was Jesus who suggested this journey in the first place.

The disciples turn to one another, amazed and yet afraid- "Who can this be? He commands even the winds and the waves, and they obey Him!"

Maybe that's it... WHO is this object of our faith? In perfect sovereignty, Christ gave His disciples an opportunity to trust Him. Someone once said "Faith not tested can't be trusted." So here was the test. Jesus Christ is the object of our faith. We can trust that when He calls us to "cross over to the other side, He's gonna go with us and we will make the journey. He's given us a direction and promised us a destination, and when disaster strikes- the decision is ours! We can be confident even when the boat gets rocked because our God is capable; He is faithful. He is sovereign to take us THROUGH the storms to the other side.

Where is your faith? For faith is only as strong as its object!

Don't tell your God how big the storm is. Tell your storm how big your God is!

the face of AIDS

Etched in my memory are faces- the faces of women lying hopeless on their beds. They laid there, tormented by pain that would never be comforted and tortured by fears that would never be calmed. They laid there under the cover of dingy blankets in a ward that reeked with the unsettling stench of death and decay. A small group of us went from bed to bed, listening as each woman whimpered and whispered. They told us they were alone and afraid. We leaned in close over their listless bodies and prayed for each one. We prayed that the God of all comfort would draw near and make Himself known. We prayed that the Great Physician would intervene and bring healing to both body and soul. We left those ladies with some fruit and a gospel tract in their own tongue. But more than that, we left them in God's hands.

Etched in my memory is the face of a young boy suffering the consequences of someone else's sin. His room was lonely and cold. But the sickness couldn't hold his smile hostage. All we could offer that shy little guy was a small bag of sweets. He grabbed that little bag and held it close to his chest. It might as well have been Christmas! But just across the room in stark contrast to that lively little guy lay a lethargic little girl- too weak to move. It broke my heart to see someone so young suffer so much. In moments like those, prayer seems so futile. But it's moments like those that I have to remember that my God is a faithful Father and He calls His children to cast every care on Him in full assurance that He cares.

Etched in my memory is the face of an infant. Through big brown innocent eyes, that tiny little baby had already seen and experienced a fallen world. That child was already part of a reality that only exists in my nightmares. The desperate cries still ring in my ears. It doesn't seem fair does it?

Statistics became a reality when I saw their faces. AIDS takes the lives of about thousands of South Africans each day. Thousands of people facing an eternity somewhere. AIDS has a face. AIDS has a family. AIDS has a story. But who is listening?

I saw the face of AIDS at the government hospital we visited, but I saw the end result at a cemetary in Hammanskraal. Grave after grave gave testimony to destruction of that disease. Row upon row upon row of graves barely inches apart. Dozens of freshly dug graves will be filled by the weekend. Plots in South Africa are very different than the ones we have in the States. Mounds of dirt are outlined with small rocks and topped with dishes or jugs of water, nothing fancy, just graves. The people believe that when their loved ones awake from their sleep they will need food and water. Some "better off" people had granite tombstones like we would be more familiar with, but most had only a hand written marker giving testimony to a life. The lives of some were long but the majority lived only a handful of years, some just days. One area of this particular cemetary is dedicated to small children and babies. Those tiny little graves hold the remains of children who didn't live to be even as old as my nephew. Marked with baby bottles and teddy bears, those little graves are enough to make you cry.

One of the guys on my team noticed an aloe vera plant placed on top of a grave. It reminded him of the story of the rich man and Abraham. The rich man who had everything in this life had nothing in the next. He was in agony. He called for Abraham and pleaded for just one drop of water on his tongue to sooth his pain. But there was no relief. The suffering man then begged that someone would warn his brothers and spare them the same eternal torture. Oh, what people would do for a drop of aloe from that plant! I wonder how many of those souls would cry out and beg that someone warn their loved ones. So often I get wrapped up in my comfy cozy little world and forget that I have the good news of the Gospel. Millions around the world die everyday and many will face a Christless eternity in Hell. What am I doing to get the Word out?

the depth and beauty of the Body

It's hard to put a finger on the Body. I can't quite wrap my mind around it. Who can really define or fully explain it? [Didn't Paul call it a mystery?]

I used to think church was that big brick building with the big white cross on the front. I used to think it was the place you went on Sundays. I thought it was the place where you went to look at the back of people's heads for a couple hours while a man behind a pulpit rambles on and on.  I used to think "big church" was just for "big people" and kids were supposed to color quietly. I don't know if my mindset changed when I became a "big person" or if somebody finally got through to me.

Regardless of when I started to "get it," I've never understood so fully as I did amidst God's people in South Africa. [Disclaimer: I don't mean to say that my church has failed me or Americans can't "do church." I'm just noting my observations.]  One of the most glaring lessons I learned in Africa was the depth and beauty of the Body of Christ. While I was there I had the privilege to see many different aspects of "church." My team enjoyed a morning service in Hammanskraal, worked at a future church site in Pretoria, visited a church plant in a squatter camp, helped in a well established church in Kokstad and participated in a service in a dirt poor village called Horseshoe. Each one of those churches left an impression and each one taught me much.

The church is not a building. One of the churches we visited was in a small dilapidated building that could not be identified as a church by any outer means. A broken window revealed the dust covered cement floor and in one corner was a stack of plastic chairs. We didn't get to see this place when people gathered within to worship, but I couldn't help but imagine what it would have been like if we had. Another church we went to was in the heart of a very poor township. These beautiful people gathered faithfully several times a week in the biting cold under a mid-sized tent. A small strand of lights was draped through the middle of the tent. A few dozen white lawn chairs made up the seating, but many were left to stand for the length of the service. At the front of the tent was a makeshift stage where the pastor stood to preach. These buildings didn't keep anybody warm or comfortable. There were no formal pews or lush red carpets, no stained glass windows or grand pianos, not even a pulpit or lectern- but God was there. All these buildings boasted were the people that they hosted. Those people had nothing but Christ and most of them wouldn't have it any other way. It was the smiles they wore that distinguished them, not the tattered clothes that were draped on their backs. The bitter cold didn't matter because they were filled with Spirit fire. You wouldn't believe the worship there! Most of those saints would never win African Idol but the fervent sounds they uttered were the coolest things I've ever heard in all my life! Participating in a service like that makes Heaven seem all the sweeter. Oh that I would worship with half their zeal! Something else struck me. More than these people longed to fill their bellies, they longed for soul food. The pastor began

to expound from God's Word the simple truths of salvation and  the people hung on his every word, feverishly scribbling down notes as he spoke. I've been under the teaching of God's Word all of my life. I've sat through thousands of Bible lectures in Christian school and college. I even have a 4 year degree. But somewhere along the way I lost some of that "hunger and thirst" after righteousness. Is it poverty that sets these saints apart? Or culture?

Before I give the impression that America fails at "church," allow me to make my point clear. Being in South Africa reminded me anew that it isn't the clothes you wear, the money you make, the house you call your home, or the car you drive. It isn't the building or the color scheme, the pews, the pastor... it's not even the style of worship that matters. God established His church to be a people who as one would reflect Christ on earth and bring glory to His Name. Nothing else matters! One day EVERY knee will bow and EVERY tongue will confess Jesus Christ as Lord. One day people from EVERY tribe and EVERY nation will gather for the single purpose of worship. Until that day, I'll stand in awe of the depth and beauty of the Body. Until that day, I will worship the One who saved me and sustains me with arms high and heart abandoned. Until that day, I'll wait patiently.

"For even as the body is one and yet has many members, and all the members of the body, though they are many, are one body, so also is Christ. For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body, whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free, and we were all made to drink of one Spirit. For the body is not one member, but many."

- 1 Corinthians 12:12-14 -

when God applauds

I'm convinced that God is always working thematically in my life. You know, when every sermon you hear seems to drive home the same point? For me lately it's this area of PRIDE. Handy, I s'pose, since all sin really boils down to that anyway... but none the less. The youth group just started a new series in Sunday School based on CJ Mahaney's little book Humility: True Greatness. I think it's going to kick me in the face... repeatedly.

In my 22 1/2 years on this planet I've managed to get really good at the pride thing. Actually I think I was born pretty good at it (is that prideful?). Sometimes it's pretty obvious- the nose-in-the-air, I'm-better-than-you-because... attitude. Or the "hey, have you heard how great I am lately?" conversation. Or "hey, did you know that I am crazy spiritual!?" Or when I start to talk about the terrible trinity- I, Me, and My, more than anything/anyone else. But other times it's not so obvious. Sometimes it's well disguised. In fact, sometimes the ugliest kind of pride looks like humility. This kind is more sneaky- others might not even catch on. It could be going out of my way to serve in some way as if I'm just a humble servant-person... and all the while hoping in the back of my heart that somebody's taking note. Or... it could be denying and deflecting others' compliments or kind remarks. For the longest time I didn't even realize that was pride! Ha ha, truthfully, the first time I really remember being confronted with this truth was when Carey Nilius was doing my hair for Jr/Sr my senior year. She gave me some sort of compliment or something that I tried to ignore which turned into a golden opportunity for rebuke. I so needed that, though, and I've never forgotten that conversation either! Who knew an Eeyore "whoa is me" attitude is prideful? But it is... and it's ugly!

[Wanna hear a funny story? OK!] When I was in Junior High, I remember for Bible class each week we did a unit on a different character trait that we should be growing/acquiring as Christians. One particular week the unit was on "humility." [True story, mind you.] I remember wanting so badly to impress Mr. Lane with my skill in humility. So during activity period I was shooting hoops and thinking... "how can I look REALLY humble playing basketball?" DING! DING! DING! "I know! Every time I miss a basket  I will just hang my head in shame. And if I make it, I'll still hang my head and shame... that way, I'll look like I'm super humble!" Pathetic right? Yeah, tell me about it.

I was reminded last Sunday that humility is really just having an accurate understanding of self. Accurate is key though. John Calvin wrote, "It is evident that man never attains to a true self-knowledge until he has previously contemplated the face of God, and come down after such contemplation to look into himself." Similarly, Mahaney says "Humility is honestly assessing ourselves in light of God's holiness and our sinfulness." That's it. It's that simple! There is no room for pride in a world where God is truly exalted as God. But I guess that's why Heaven is Heaven. Think about it. Essentially, pride is just measuring yourself against the standard of everybody else. If we assess ourselves this way, we always come out on top because we can always find somebody who's worse than we are. But what if man is not the standard? What if God is the standard? If God is the standard, NO ONE measures up! His standard is perfect holiness and righteousness and sinlessness. But we don't like to think this way because then we feel small and insignificant. But true significance comes when God applauds.

"Let him who boasts boast in the Lord.

For it is not the one who commends himself who is approved,

but the one whom the Lord commends." 

2 Corinthians 10:17-18