Our Tether

"And this is the will of him who sent me, that I shall lose none of all those he has given me, but raise them up at the last day."
Jesus the Christ, John 6:39
 
I have a confession to make- I really don't like heights.  I know that's surprising given my past as a firefighter and military service.  When ever I get more than 20 feet above the ground, my heart starts pounding and I want to freeze up.  I've learned to deal with it by remembering the words of my grandfather- "Johnny, it's ok to be afraid.  A person can't learn to be brave and overcome fear unless they experience it, face it, and overcome it.  That is what courage and bravery really is."
 
This last weekend I was up on a quick get-a-way with my wife and brother in law Kevin to the Wilderness Resort in Wisconsin Dells.  One of the new features they have their is a "Ropes Course".  It's a series of ropes, ladders, cargo nets, and other obstacles that are suspended 20-30 feet above the arcade.  You have 45 minutes to navigate through the course on whatever path you want.  There are easier paths and hard paths; you choose which way you want to go.  There are no nets below you, but you are in a safety harness with a strong tether that keeps you from falling more than a couple of feet.
 
Kevin and I decided to try this out.  As I was getting harnessed in, I looked over the edge and saw how high we were and had that momentary panic feeling set in.  I tugged hard on the safety line, and even hung by it for a minute, and became convinced it would hold me if I slipped or fell.  The only thing I really had to fear is embarrassment if I did fall, but that's a minor consideration for me.  My inner voice then barked, "Cowboy up you wuss!" and I started to navigate the course, going immediately to the harder paths.  I had a great time climbing all over the course, and at the end wondered what I was afraid of in the first place.
 
I've found that our walk with God is very similar to the ropes course.  Sometimes God asks us to trust Him with something, or asks us to do something that looks very frightening or even impossible.  We nervously head out on the ropes only to suddenly turn back in fear.  What we don't see is the invisible tether that is wound together with several strands-
The first is Jesus Himself- He promised us that no matter what happens, He will never leave us or forsake us. 
The second is the character of our Father God, who is a good Father and gives good gifts to His children (see Luke 11:11)
The third is God's promise to us that all things work toward the good for those are called according to God's plan and purpose (Romans 8:28)
 
There are many more strands in this tether we could list.  The major take away from this is that if you have accepted Jesus as Lord and Savior, God has us tethered to Him through an unbreakable band.  Nothing can separate us from the Love of God that is found in Christ Jesus our Lord (Rom 8:38-39), and If God is for us, who can be against us? (Roman 8:31)
 
Next time you feel or hear God telling you to take a step in faith, take a deep breath, realize that you have a safety line on, and go have fun with your Father God knowing He will not let you fall. 
 
Many blessings
 
 

Real Community

        

I have a confession- I am a techno-nerd.  I love easy access to information, the ability to keep up with friends and post comments to social media that make people think and perhaps even point them in God’s direction.

As I’ve watched the American church’s response to the ever growing impact of social media, I’m starting to sense that we have embraced it a bit too much. 

Here are some of the issues with social media that I see are having a horrible spiritual impact, and believe me, I’m horribly guilty of every point-

1. The ability to hide behind a profile- we put up a façade to the world that looks great, but is not an even close representation of who we really are.  It’s the equivalent of airbrushing a picture to take out the undesirable features and project only the good.  The problem with masks is the same problem the Phantom of the Opera faced- they will eventually fall off and people will be shocked to see what was behind it.
2. On the flip side of that coin, many people engage in conversations, or post things that they would never say in person or in public at all.  Much of what happens on Facebook or other social media is spiritually destructive and not God honoring at all.  For some reason people throw aside restraint when typing on a keyboard or staring at a screen,  particularly when it comes to being downright nasty and rude. 
3. It allows us to have a sense of relationship, but on our terms and on our schedule.  That is not relationship- it is narcissism cloaked in a false sense of community.
4. It creates an addiction to attention.  We constantly log in to see who has liked our status, or see what our friends have said so we can comment.  This is gathering attention to yourself (see the definition of worship!).
5. Spiritual leaders can be just as guilty (this one in particular)- we substitute actual face to face time with the people we serve and lead with a snippet of electronic conversation (and I include phone text messaging in that) and are lulled into a sense of being authentic shepherds.  Even worse, we directly confront bad behavior online, instead of actually being face to face with a person so they can see our heart and be influenced by the Holy Spirit’s presence in us.

Authentic Christian culture is meant to be lived face to face.  “As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another”  (Prov 27:17).  This scriptural principle tells us that we are all perfected into the image of Christ by actually being around each other.  We have to guard against the temptation toward the easy.  You don’t pet iron into shape for usefulness.  You heat it up, bang on it, hammer it, cool it, reheat it, and start over again.  That can’t be done through a keyboard- you need to get up close and personal with it.

Is it any wonder why the church is so anemic in this country?  Is it any wonder why there is so little spiritual discernment among God’s people?  We’ve traded the hard course of authentic community for the easy way of posting/texting a comment.  We (I most of all!) all need to repent of our selfishness and self centered lifestyle, and turn back toward Jesus and let Him and His word define how we live.

Does that mean all social media is bad?  No, but we to guard ourselves into thinking a post on a computer is anything close to what God wants for His people.  

Make up your mind to pursue honest and authentic relationships.  Use Facebook/Twitter or whatever social media you have to proclaim God’s greatness, and then turn it off and spend some time with His people.

Prayer thought-

Lord Jesus, remove the blinders from my eyes and show me the cost of following you.  Help me to discern the right, and refuse that which does not honor you or is effective for advancing your Kingdom on earth.    For your glory and name, Amen.