I hope you're week has gone fantastic. This Sunday, we're continuing to turn the page in "The Journey" through "The Story of Jesus," and we'll be talking about Jesus the Healer. If you've got an area in your life that needs healing, I so hope you'll be there. I believe it's going to be a powerful time, and we're going to have a special time of prayer and healing.
Thought for the Week
"We continually ask God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all the wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives, so that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God." Colossians 1:9-10
Spring is springing all around us, and one of the sure signs for me is the pictures of little ones playing softball and baseball all over my Facebook feed and at at local parks whenever you drive by. This is our first season in a long, long time without T-Ball. I love T-Ball because it's bananas. There's loud cheering, there's kids all over the place, coaches all over the place and it's kind of like watching a baseball game in slow motion. Of course, early in the season, there's usually a kid or two that runs to the wrong base, or they just run toward the pitcher's circle. One of the things I love about T-Ball is watching the kids get better as the season progresses. They learn to run the right way, the learn where to throw the ball, they learn when to stay on their base so they won't get tagged. They grow. Their knowledge of the game expands. That is God's intention for us, but too many times we're still running to the wrong base in life. Or, we want to get to 2nd or 3rd base before we've really mastered the basics of the faith. If we're not learning and growing in our knowledge of faithfulness, then we're not on the path God desires. We're like a kid who never gets the rules as the season progresses. God wants more for you. It's okay to make mistakes -- but what are you learning?
In Christ,
Carter
First United Methodist Church of Griffin
Saturday, March 5, 2016
Tuesday, March 1, 2016
Do we get to vote about what "Christian" means?
It's Super Tuesday, and Americans are heading to the polls to vote. And this election seems more important than ever. The candidates are about as different as possible. The stakes are high for the Church, and let me explain why.
Let's all be honest with each other, our next president will be one of five people: Hillary Clinton, Ted Cruz, Marco Rubio, Bernie Sanders or Donald Trump. All but Sanders identify as Christian, who identifies as Jewish by birth. Over America's 240 year history, we have never had a Jewish president, so that would be a particularly big event. All but Kennedy (who was Roman Catholic), identified as Protestant. What does that tell me? History says our next president will be one of the other four. But rest assured, they will all carry the Christian banner on the campaign trail for one reason: if you are Christian, they want your vote.
But they also want your vote if you are Muslim, Jewish, Hindu, Atheist, or Agnostic as well. They just want your vote. Now, I've never met any of these candidates, and even if I had, only God knows the condition of the human heart. I have no idea if they are genuine Christ-followers or what they are thinking when their head is on the pillow at night?
But all of this scares me. You see, when they say they are Christian, they become front line faces for our faith, and I'm not sure, based on what I've seen from all the candidates, that's entirely accurate. Now let's put it all out in the open here. None of us Christians are entirely accurate representations of what a disciple of Jesus is supposed to look like. But I'll bet you've got a grandma, uncle, friend, small group leader, pastor or niece whose walk with Jesus looks a lot closer than these candidates. I'll bet you know someone that you'd like to show your non-believing friends and say, "Hey, y'all, THIS is what a Christian looks like." Maybe that person is even you.
I hope you vote and vote your conscience, but for those of us that are believers, let us be careful not to parade these candidates around as representations of what a Christian is. I'm afraid it will fall terribly short of what a Christian is supposed to be. Full obedience obedience to the Heavenly Father usually doesn't get you elected -- it gets you crucified. Following Jesus doesn't mean picking up electoral votes, it means picking up your cross daily. Making decisions based on your discipleship usually doesn't win you a nationwide popularity contest, it wins you crowns in heaven.
Most importantly, believers must do two things in this season:
1. WE need to be the ones who display what genuine faith in Christ looks like. We need non-believers to see in Christian friends and acquaintances a true representation of discipleship. No candidate is going to usher in revival. Let's actually BE the Church in our communities.
2. We need to PRAY for all candidates. Pray for God to lead them, convict them, and to search their hearts. Pray for them to be faithful to God and serve ALL the people of the U.S. I believe you can do both with integrity.
Finally, if you're not a church person, I don't know where these candidates really stand on their faith in Christ. I've seen enough in debates to make me curl my nose and say, "Don't do/say that." They might very well be Christians and feel badly for some of those very things. But know this: just because they are upfront and on-stage, they don't represent the totality of what it means to be Christian. They are not our savior. Jesus is our Savior. Visit a local church in your area, and I promise you you'll meet some fine Christians. You'll meet people who will love you no matter what, who want what's best for you, who will cook a casserole for you and hug your neck when you need it. You'll meet people who will pray for you and cry with you. You'll meet people who care about you and your soul. You'll meet the real deal. They won't be perfect either, but they'll be authentic. That's the whole point. You'll meet broken people who know they are sinners but have put their faith in the grace of Jesus. People who believe Jesus died for their sins and forgave them. People who believe He did the same for you. And whatever path you choose, I hope you'll know that THAT'S a lot closer to what we believe it means to be Christian.
Let's all be honest with each other, our next president will be one of five people: Hillary Clinton, Ted Cruz, Marco Rubio, Bernie Sanders or Donald Trump. All but Sanders identify as Christian, who identifies as Jewish by birth. Over America's 240 year history, we have never had a Jewish president, so that would be a particularly big event. All but Kennedy (who was Roman Catholic), identified as Protestant. What does that tell me? History says our next president will be one of the other four. But rest assured, they will all carry the Christian banner on the campaign trail for one reason: if you are Christian, they want your vote.
But they also want your vote if you are Muslim, Jewish, Hindu, Atheist, or Agnostic as well. They just want your vote. Now, I've never met any of these candidates, and even if I had, only God knows the condition of the human heart. I have no idea if they are genuine Christ-followers or what they are thinking when their head is on the pillow at night?
But all of this scares me. You see, when they say they are Christian, they become front line faces for our faith, and I'm not sure, based on what I've seen from all the candidates, that's entirely accurate. Now let's put it all out in the open here. None of us Christians are entirely accurate representations of what a disciple of Jesus is supposed to look like. But I'll bet you've got a grandma, uncle, friend, small group leader, pastor or niece whose walk with Jesus looks a lot closer than these candidates. I'll bet you know someone that you'd like to show your non-believing friends and say, "Hey, y'all, THIS is what a Christian looks like." Maybe that person is even you.
I hope you vote and vote your conscience, but for those of us that are believers, let us be careful not to parade these candidates around as representations of what a Christian is. I'm afraid it will fall terribly short of what a Christian is supposed to be. Full obedience obedience to the Heavenly Father usually doesn't get you elected -- it gets you crucified. Following Jesus doesn't mean picking up electoral votes, it means picking up your cross daily. Making decisions based on your discipleship usually doesn't win you a nationwide popularity contest, it wins you crowns in heaven.
Most importantly, believers must do two things in this season:
1. WE need to be the ones who display what genuine faith in Christ looks like. We need non-believers to see in Christian friends and acquaintances a true representation of discipleship. No candidate is going to usher in revival. Let's actually BE the Church in our communities.
2. We need to PRAY for all candidates. Pray for God to lead them, convict them, and to search their hearts. Pray for them to be faithful to God and serve ALL the people of the U.S. I believe you can do both with integrity.
Finally, if you're not a church person, I don't know where these candidates really stand on their faith in Christ. I've seen enough in debates to make me curl my nose and say, "Don't do/say that." They might very well be Christians and feel badly for some of those very things. But know this: just because they are upfront and on-stage, they don't represent the totality of what it means to be Christian. They are not our savior. Jesus is our Savior. Visit a local church in your area, and I promise you you'll meet some fine Christians. You'll meet people who will love you no matter what, who want what's best for you, who will cook a casserole for you and hug your neck when you need it. You'll meet people who will pray for you and cry with you. You'll meet people who care about you and your soul. You'll meet the real deal. They won't be perfect either, but they'll be authentic. That's the whole point. You'll meet broken people who know they are sinners but have put their faith in the grace of Jesus. People who believe Jesus died for their sins and forgave them. People who believe He did the same for you. And whatever path you choose, I hope you'll know that THAT'S a lot closer to what we believe it means to be Christian.
Wednesday, February 24, 2016
Count Your Blessings
In the last couple of weeks, my wife and I have gone to see The Revenant, with Leonardo DiCaprio, and rented The Martian, with Matt Damon. DiCaprio's character is trying to survive in the pioneer days of America after a vicious bear attack. Damon's character (much less realistically) is stranded on Mars after his crew mistakes him for being dead and has to evacuate the planet they are researching in an emergency. After watching those movies I came to a stark realization: I have never had a bad day in my life.
No, really. I have truly only dealt with emotional pain. Now, that kind of pain hurts. Losing a loved one, getting a broken heart, having your spirit crushed, getting stabbed in the back, becoming 'a number' in a big system, or dealing with a disappointment or disagreement. Those are real pain. But, Good Lord, I went to sleep in my bed and got up the next day and had a bowl of cereal and life went on.
I have never woken up and thought, "My only job today is to survive." I have never had to sleep outside or on another planet. I don't anticipate either of those happening, and the latter seems very unlikely, as I don't think any human has done that yet.
The reality was clear: I have many blessings to count. Yes, there have been hard days (and there will be more to come). Some have endured battles with disease and tragic loss. Those days it feels like all you're trying to do is survive.
But for most of us, we have never or rarely experienced a hard day. So, we find other things to complain about:
No, really. I have truly only dealt with emotional pain. Now, that kind of pain hurts. Losing a loved one, getting a broken heart, having your spirit crushed, getting stabbed in the back, becoming 'a number' in a big system, or dealing with a disappointment or disagreement. Those are real pain. But, Good Lord, I went to sleep in my bed and got up the next day and had a bowl of cereal and life went on.
I have never woken up and thought, "My only job today is to survive." I have never had to sleep outside or on another planet. I don't anticipate either of those happening, and the latter seems very unlikely, as I don't think any human has done that yet.
The reality was clear: I have many blessings to count. Yes, there have been hard days (and there will be more to come). Some have endured battles with disease and tragic loss. Those days it feels like all you're trying to do is survive.
But for most of us, we have never or rarely experienced a hard day. So, we find other things to complain about:
- The weather
- Slow internet
- The A/C going out for a day
- Traffic
- Long meetings
- Paperwork
- Politics
- Food
- There's nothing on TV
- Car not starting
- Someone else's Facebook post
These are truly first world problems, and when we focus on them, we lose sight of the blessing we should be counting. It'll do you a world of good if you'll heed the words of the old hymn: "Count your blessings, name them one by one. Count your blessings see what God has done." He has done so much for me, and for that I am thankful. Forgive me, Lord, when I complain and lose sight of gratitude.
Sunday, November 29, 2015
Mark Richt & the Conundrum of the Christian Bulldog Fan
145-51. That's Mark Richt's wins and losses, and I was there for all 51 of those losses. In the stadium, making the death march to the truck afterward. From the inexplicable red zone misses against South Carolina in '01 to the walk down Duval St. in Jacksonville this past Halloween night. And the last one felt different. I've missed 9 games that Mark Richt coached my beloved Bulldogs, but I was there for every loss (maybe it's my fault -- we always won when I missed!). What a ride it was these last 15 years. The Hobnail Boot in '01 and the run to an SEC title that followed a year later, finally clinching the division with the miracle on the Plains. Finally defeating Florida in '04 and DJ's title in '05. The miracle finish in the arm of a young Stafford in '06 and the Celebration in '07 in Jacksonville that lit the team on fire for the rest of the season. Running this state in '09 and winning 10 striaght in '11. The magical season in '12 including winning the toughest game I've ever seen us win at the Cocktail Party vs. the #2 Gators. The '13 victory over LSU with Sanford as electric as I've ever seen it and the emergence of this kid from Cedartown in '14.
I saw brutal losses, too. I don't care to mention them. I'm trying to forget! I always believed, though, that we'd be alright. I gotta admit -- Halloween felt different.
Maybe I see this differently because I'm an old dawg. I saw Herschel play his last game in Athens in '82, and I remember hearing that Coach Dooley had retired. I was glued to the TV watching him coach us for the final time in the Gator Bowl. I remember hearing on ESPN that Goff had been fired in '95 (even though I worked for the team then). I remember learning that Donnan was out in 2000. I remember the feeling walking out of Everbank Field in Jacksonville and thinking that this felt different than the previous 50 losses. I thought I might have just witnessed the end. I was born into Red and Black and I'll be buried in it. And it won't much matter who the coach is -- I'll be cheering for him to win.
I want to say something to the Bulldog Nation: take a deep breath. I love Mark Richt. If you don't love who he is and what he's done, well, you don't know much about people, life or football. We won way more in the last 15 years than we lost, and way more than we had won in the previous 15. But, Georgia Football is bigger than Mark Richt. It's been around since 1892, and I've got pictures of Trippi and Sinkwich in my basement from the 1940s. It'll be around after he's gone.
Mark Richt presents the Christian Bulldog fan with a conundrum. He's a man of deep faith who truly lives it, which makes him all the more rootable. We believe him when he says he loves a kid. He shows it. Any Christ Follower that is a Dawg fan wants to see him win. Even opposing fans have to admit he's a great guy. They even want to see him succeed when he's not playing their team. He's molding young men, graduating players, running a clean program and impacting players even beyond graduation. He has integrity and class. It's about than football for him. And it makes the Christian UGA fan proud because OUR program is about more than football. No one wants to see a guy like that get fired. I wanted to see him get one more year with a stellar recruiting class and a healthy Nick Chubb. I thought he could win big next year. But others thought otherwise, and a change was made.
I've seen comments today that of being "ashamed of my alma mater" or "we thought it was about more than football" and "looks like winning is all that matters." Of course it's about more than football, but IT IS about football, mostly, right? I mean, listen, I adore Mark Richt, but let's don't pretend he's the only coach impacting lives and molding young men. Dabo Swinney is doing it. Mark Dantonio is doing it. David Shaw is doing it. And they're winning big while doing it. And there are plenty of other guys out there who can do it. Listen, I don't think UGA will be hiring Bobby Petrino anytime soon. That's not the Georgia Way. I don't think this is about winning at all cost, but it is about winning more. I'm all for winning more. Now, that's a tall task, and we might just win less....but maybe not. It's a gamble, a risk. That's sports.
But you don't have to pick a side here. Love Mark Richt. Appreciate him, thank him. He has loved UGA, and we have loved him. Then love the next guy and cheer like crazy for him. You're not changing the Athletic Department's mind because you're mad or disagree. And you're not really making any friends by taking pleasure in the dismissal of such a fine man. But I can tell you this: I hope we go 15-0 next year. I hope we become the first team to have a coach win the national championship in his first year. And if you bleed Red and Black, don't you hope the same? Nick Chubb will be out there along with Terry Godwin, Dominick Sanders, Isaiah McKenzie and Sony Michel. Lorenzo Carter and Trenton Thompson will be out there along with Jeb Blazevich. I think I'll cheer for them, no matter who their coach is -- because they chose to attend the school that I did, and I love them for it.
And when we shock the world, I hope Richt gets a little credit for helping build it. Should he coach somewhere else, I'll be cheering hard for him because he's a great man who did so much while in Athens. But there won't be a question who I'm pulling for if he ever plays us. UGA made me a Mark Richt fan, not the other way around.
And can I close to say something? We don't know what the next guy will do until we see him do it or not do it, so can we give him a chance to do it? Kirby Smart might be the next Will Muschamp, but he might be the next Bob Stoops, who was also a DC who got his first head coaching job at Oklahoma. Tom Herman might be the next Urban Meyer, but he might be the next Tommy Bowden. We just don't know. He might even be the next Mark Richt, and you could be called a lot worse. None of us are happy about this. A fine man lost his job. Can we be sad and hopeful at the same time? Yes. You don't have to pick sides, Christian Dawg fans. You can love Jesus, love Mark Richt, love UGA and cheer your guts out for the next guy, too.
I saw brutal losses, too. I don't care to mention them. I'm trying to forget! I always believed, though, that we'd be alright. I gotta admit -- Halloween felt different.
Maybe I see this differently because I'm an old dawg. I saw Herschel play his last game in Athens in '82, and I remember hearing that Coach Dooley had retired. I was glued to the TV watching him coach us for the final time in the Gator Bowl. I remember hearing on ESPN that Goff had been fired in '95 (even though I worked for the team then). I remember learning that Donnan was out in 2000. I remember the feeling walking out of Everbank Field in Jacksonville and thinking that this felt different than the previous 50 losses. I thought I might have just witnessed the end. I was born into Red and Black and I'll be buried in it. And it won't much matter who the coach is -- I'll be cheering for him to win.
I want to say something to the Bulldog Nation: take a deep breath. I love Mark Richt. If you don't love who he is and what he's done, well, you don't know much about people, life or football. We won way more in the last 15 years than we lost, and way more than we had won in the previous 15. But, Georgia Football is bigger than Mark Richt. It's been around since 1892, and I've got pictures of Trippi and Sinkwich in my basement from the 1940s. It'll be around after he's gone.
Mark Richt presents the Christian Bulldog fan with a conundrum. He's a man of deep faith who truly lives it, which makes him all the more rootable. We believe him when he says he loves a kid. He shows it. Any Christ Follower that is a Dawg fan wants to see him win. Even opposing fans have to admit he's a great guy. They even want to see him succeed when he's not playing their team. He's molding young men, graduating players, running a clean program and impacting players even beyond graduation. He has integrity and class. It's about than football for him. And it makes the Christian UGA fan proud because OUR program is about more than football. No one wants to see a guy like that get fired. I wanted to see him get one more year with a stellar recruiting class and a healthy Nick Chubb. I thought he could win big next year. But others thought otherwise, and a change was made.
I've seen comments today that of being "ashamed of my alma mater" or "we thought it was about more than football" and "looks like winning is all that matters." Of course it's about more than football, but IT IS about football, mostly, right? I mean, listen, I adore Mark Richt, but let's don't pretend he's the only coach impacting lives and molding young men. Dabo Swinney is doing it. Mark Dantonio is doing it. David Shaw is doing it. And they're winning big while doing it. And there are plenty of other guys out there who can do it. Listen, I don't think UGA will be hiring Bobby Petrino anytime soon. That's not the Georgia Way. I don't think this is about winning at all cost, but it is about winning more. I'm all for winning more. Now, that's a tall task, and we might just win less....but maybe not. It's a gamble, a risk. That's sports.
But you don't have to pick a side here. Love Mark Richt. Appreciate him, thank him. He has loved UGA, and we have loved him. Then love the next guy and cheer like crazy for him. You're not changing the Athletic Department's mind because you're mad or disagree. And you're not really making any friends by taking pleasure in the dismissal of such a fine man. But I can tell you this: I hope we go 15-0 next year. I hope we become the first team to have a coach win the national championship in his first year. And if you bleed Red and Black, don't you hope the same? Nick Chubb will be out there along with Terry Godwin, Dominick Sanders, Isaiah McKenzie and Sony Michel. Lorenzo Carter and Trenton Thompson will be out there along with Jeb Blazevich. I think I'll cheer for them, no matter who their coach is -- because they chose to attend the school that I did, and I love them for it.
And when we shock the world, I hope Richt gets a little credit for helping build it. Should he coach somewhere else, I'll be cheering hard for him because he's a great man who did so much while in Athens. But there won't be a question who I'm pulling for if he ever plays us. UGA made me a Mark Richt fan, not the other way around.
And can I close to say something? We don't know what the next guy will do until we see him do it or not do it, so can we give him a chance to do it? Kirby Smart might be the next Will Muschamp, but he might be the next Bob Stoops, who was also a DC who got his first head coaching job at Oklahoma. Tom Herman might be the next Urban Meyer, but he might be the next Tommy Bowden. We just don't know. He might even be the next Mark Richt, and you could be called a lot worse. None of us are happy about this. A fine man lost his job. Can we be sad and hopeful at the same time? Yes. You don't have to pick sides, Christian Dawg fans. You can love Jesus, love Mark Richt, love UGA and cheer your guts out for the next guy, too.
Wednesday, November 25, 2015
Thanksgiving thankfulness
I hope you are gearing for a great Thanksgiving with friends and family. I hope you'll be able to make it back for worship on Sunday as we'll continue "Pointing to a Promise" by talking about David. We have a lot to learn about character from him. You might even hear some Christmas songs!
Thought for the Week
"I will praise God’s name in song and glorify him with thanksgiving." Psalm 69:30
I've made it a custom the last few years to make a list each Thanksgiving for the things for which I'm most thankful. I'll surely leave a host of blessings out, but here's the ones that come to mind this day.
I'm thankful for...
In Christ,
Carter
Thought for the Week
"I will praise God’s name in song and glorify him with thanksgiving." Psalm 69:30
I've made it a custom the last few years to make a list each Thanksgiving for the things for which I'm most thankful. I'll surely leave a host of blessings out, but here's the ones that come to mind this day.
I'm thankful for...
- The blood of Jesus that covers over my multitude of sins.
- The grace of God that sustains me each and every day.
- My sweet wife, Emily.
- My four wild boys, Morgan, Tanner, Walker and Brooks.
- To still have my parents with me, because I know so many that don't.
- Parents and in-laws that support us so much
- Our brothers, sister-in-laws, nephews and niece.
- My church family. What a gift to serve a risk-taking and outreach-focused community of faith.
- For not having Christmas Eve services in high school in a month.
- For new friends at Harmony Grove that we didn't know a 18-months ago.
- For the faithful who have bled and cried with me for any part of the last 10 years in planting a church.
- For safety. In this day and age, every day is a gift.
- to Disney for bringing back Star Wars and giving me and my boys the chance to see one in the theater together.
- For Southern winters that don't really start until about mid-December and end quickly.
- For the sunshine...for a while there I thought it had disappeared.
- To the mentors that have poured their cups into mine.
- For the light at the end of the tunnel in my school work.
- For pastor friends to laugh, cry and celebrate with.
- For Jeremy Pruitt, Jake Ganus and Sony Michel. It would have been a long fall without those three.
- For Mello Yello Zero and Coke Zero.
- For Pop Tarts -- I love those things.
- For my health, notwithstanding the pop tarts.
- For the opportunity to talk College Football each week on WJBB 107.1 in Barrow County. It's been a blast.
- For coffee.
- For sleeping in.
- For warm socks. I'm really starting to appreciate good socks in my old age.
- For the chance to do life every day.
- And I'm thankful for you. It's people that make this world great and people that have so blessed my life.
In Christ,
Carter
Wednesday, October 21, 2015
Trust builds relationships
We live in a world where there is an incredible lack of trust. We don't trust anyone to do anything. We don't trust that others won't sue us, so we have waivers for nearly every activity under the sun. We don't trust our community, so we have video surveillance. We don't trust our kids, or even ourselves, so we have have firewalls on our computers. Yet, trust is THE currency for relationships, and it builds and strengthens relationships like nothing else. We just rarely see it anymore.
That's why I was shocked on Monday when I went to eat lunch at a local restaurant. They don't take cards, only cash, and the server/cashier said, "Don't worry if you don't have any cash, you can just pay us next time you come in." But I had never been before. And how did she know I was coming back? What if I was from out of town? I had cash, so I paid my bill, but it was still staggering. But you know what? It made me want to come back. The burger I was about to order was now going to taste better because she trusted me. She believed in me. She thought there was good in me. Often, we find what we're looking for.
Trust is believing there is something good in others. Now, people will disappoint us and hurt us, but we don't do each other, society, and our families any good when we don't trust each other. Instead, when we trust others, we can often bring out the best in them because, deep down, we humans don't really want to let each other down.
If you want deep relationships, you have to trust. This is what is so profound about our relationship with God. He trusts us with so much. He trusts us with our freedom, the earth, our families. He trusts us with His Church and His message. He trusts us with His heart. And when we don't trust Him, our relationship with God suffers. Trust is THE currency of relationships. When we withhold trust from God, we are saying that we aren't sure if there is good in Him. We are unsure of Him. We are thinking He might let us down. He won't. Think about all He has trusted you with. It's because He loves you and believes in you. That ought to inspire us to trust Him.
I certainly wanted to trust Casey's in downtown Winder with my business again because they trusted me. BTW, the Bacon Pimento Cheese Burger with Sweet Potato Fries is spot on.
That's why I was shocked on Monday when I went to eat lunch at a local restaurant. They don't take cards, only cash, and the server/cashier said, "Don't worry if you don't have any cash, you can just pay us next time you come in." But I had never been before. And how did she know I was coming back? What if I was from out of town? I had cash, so I paid my bill, but it was still staggering. But you know what? It made me want to come back. The burger I was about to order was now going to taste better because she trusted me. She believed in me. She thought there was good in me. Often, we find what we're looking for.
Trust is believing there is something good in others. Now, people will disappoint us and hurt us, but we don't do each other, society, and our families any good when we don't trust each other. Instead, when we trust others, we can often bring out the best in them because, deep down, we humans don't really want to let each other down.
If you want deep relationships, you have to trust. This is what is so profound about our relationship with God. He trusts us with so much. He trusts us with our freedom, the earth, our families. He trusts us with His Church and His message. He trusts us with His heart. And when we don't trust Him, our relationship with God suffers. Trust is THE currency of relationships. When we withhold trust from God, we are saying that we aren't sure if there is good in Him. We are unsure of Him. We are thinking He might let us down. He won't. Think about all He has trusted you with. It's because He loves you and believes in you. That ought to inspire us to trust Him.
I certainly wanted to trust Casey's in downtown Winder with my business again because they trusted me. BTW, the Bacon Pimento Cheese Burger with Sweet Potato Fries is spot on.
Wednesday, October 7, 2015
When Disaster Strikes
 |
| Canaan United Methodist Church in Ridgeville, SC |
- Why would God allow such a thing to happen?
- If God controls the weather, why didn't he stop it?
- Where is God in natural disasters?
God allows a lot. Contrary to popular belief, I don't believe the message of the Bible is one of a puppet-master God in the sky who controls every moment in history. Being in control and controlling are two different things. God is in control, but God doesn't control everything.
Sin knocked the cosmos off its axis. In the Garden of Eden, sin caused childbirth to be painful and the ground to become difficult in agriculture. We take these things as normal. They are not normal. God did not intend them to be this way. Sin brought death to humanity. Sin broke the world, and we're still living in the brokenness. A crazed gunman at a college campus, a flood in South Carolina, and cancer in a loved one. They are reminders of our brokenness.
Is there good news? The message of Jesus is that he is redeeming all this -- he is making all things new. And one day, when there is a New Heaven and New Earth, this will all be fixed. Murder is not normal. Natural Disasters aren't normal. Cancer isn't normal. God is fixing this back to the way it should be. And He can fix it through us.
When we reach out in love across the picket line, when we volunteer and donate to disaster relief, when we care for a friend with cancer, when we pray for the family of the murdered, when we choose love over hate, when we choose selflessness over selfishness, we begin to bring more of that redemption into this world. God is with us. The question is how will we allow Him to revealed in us?
God didn't do this. Stop saying that. God's not into flooding things anymore. Trust me. I read about it one time. It's a broken world. It's messed up. We're messed up. Our weather is messed up. Our systems are messed up. How are allowing Him to fix a corner of this messed up world through you? How is He redeeming you, making you new, restoring you?
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)