30. November 2007 by BruceSmith.

Dear Bruce,

You previously wrote about the “Holiday of the Soul” in reference to C.S. Lewis’ quote. I think a lot about this, and continually wonder about how to get there living in the culture we live in. If I am to go on the Holiday by the Sea, how do I get from this island of
isolation I seem to find myself in, to the shore? Is there a bridge? You say it is to be authentic and share my heart. In my experience that isn’t enough. The world is full of predators that will snatch it from you so fast and try to mislead you, never mind your good intentions. Who will honor it? Who will be good and respectful and kind in response? Who can you trust? It must be some wonderful combination of authenticity and
boundaries and discernment, I guess. I want the holiday you write about as it relates to relationships, sex, marriage, and life in general. But isn’t enough to want to do the right thing, it seems to me. The wrong thing seems to happen anyway. I desire the “holiday of the soul” with all my heart, but my past, my experience, and my fears, cause me to doubt I will ever find it? At times I just want to say, “Forget it, I will do life alone”. I guess I don’t trust people, or myself, if I am honest. Do I just say, “To heck with it”, and plead grace when I mess up, or do I jump through all the spiritual rules and hoops the church gives me in order to earn the holiday? Is it all rules? Is it no rules? What?

Sincerely,

Elfie

Elfie,

I am convinced, perhaps naive, enough to believe that to the degree one is at rest in their relationship with God, and therefore at rest in their own skin, this “security” dictates the level of spiritual, emotional, and relational health with regard to the issues you bring up. This reality, I believe, applies to sex, relationships, integrity, and life in general. It comes down to knowing who you are/are not in relation to God and others.

The starting point is Isa. 6. Isaiah’s vision captures the essence of the whole deal (life before God, which includes relationships). In seeing God as He really is (Holy…tons of implications here), we see ourselves as we really are (uh, less than holy…again, lots of implications), we are undone (a tangible emotional, psychological, spiritual…and therefore relational awakening), fall on our face, and amazingly we find that God reaches down in grace, touches us, forgives us, redefines us, picks us up, places us in relationship to Him, and then fundamentally calls us to be in relationship with others. The catch is, at this moment all other relationships are redefined by our relationship with Him.

So, no matter who or what or where you are in life, the deal is the same…now relationships are defined as we live and move and have our being in Him, and we just know that relating to others means, compels us to look upon and live with others as He does.

No, indeed, rules never do it…that is the older brother syndrome…but neither does a “liberal” approach to sin/morality. We walk as He calls us because we walk, live, act before an audience of One. Who or what can even come close to offering me what the Lover of my soul can offer me? Really, no one, no thing.

So, the answer is not a fear of relating to or an abandoning of relationships completely, but rather a proper relating to others, even broken others. By God’s grace, and though tempted at times, this is what enables us to live the kind of life we are called to though greatly tempted to settle for mud pies as C.S. Lewis describes it. Why? No person or pleasure would ever be able to restore to me what would be snatched away in that moment of sin.

Make it your purpose to live as Christ calls you to live in each situation and though tempted to jump or abandon ship, you will find He gives the ability to moderate each challenge effectively.

Really, its about the Kingdom of God, living as though we truly are the City on a Hill. Forget them both (rule keeping and a liberal view of sin), neither hit the mark of the Holiday.

With regard to trust and protection. We know human nature and depravity. Yeah, not many, actually none, including yourself, can be always and completely trusted. Trust, all our trust is in His way being THE WAY. We can only trust that He has our best in mind, and then try to live trustworthy lives ourselves. Then as we fail, we don’t blame Him, we recognize we live up to our untrustworthiness and that He is faithful even when we are faithless. He forgives, restores, and gives us a restart. That is the message of the gospel. Its not about Christian perfection. Thank God. The tension between what He offers us and what we experience must be held and accepted, even as we draw a little closer to that place we seek every day. There in lies the drama, the life, the passion and purpose.

All this drams makes the game worth playing. But the game only unfolds within the lines He has drawn. In sport and in life the boundaries must be in place for the game to even make sense. Step outside the lines and bad things happen. Inside the boundaries of His plan and grace the excitement is found.

Keep at it, knowing Him, and pressing on toward the holiday,

Bruce Smith

optimuslife.org

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29. November 2007 by BruceSmith.

The following is an excerpt, updated, from my book, Soul Storm: finding God amidst disaster. Essentially, it is a call to view life with a new, more hopeful lens. As Christmas approaches, as the season kicks in, and as the spectacle of the holiday reaches a crescendo, many who are struggling have their anxiety and sadness deepened. The gap between the kind of life we hoped for and the reality of our existence leaves many of us deeply disappointed. Yet, just as Mary and Joseph were turned away from every inn and place of lodging to give birth to Jesus, this life which began in an odor-filled, dirty cave outside of the comforts afforded to others turned out to be the life which offered ultimate comfort and rest to all who would embrace Him. What looked like a less than impressive beginning, in the end, turned out to be the grandest life ever lived. The picture is always bigger than what is in front of us at any given moment. In the grand scheme of things, viewed in the context of His plan, a much bigger life opens up to us. Read on, take a look.

A Bigger View

For those living along the Gulf Coast in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, and amidst the rubble and devastation we have seen on television nearly everyday for the last two years, it is easy to have our view of life reduced to something less than we would hope for. Those too familiar with tragedy and grief oftentimes lose passion for life and give up on dreams. Driving through the Lakeview area of New Orleans (one of the sections of town drowned by Katrina) in the weeks following the storm, I had an eye-opening experience. Everywhere I drove, as far as I could see, was nothing but gray rubble. Every house had a water line nearly up to the roof, every yard was covered with stacks of molded and ruined furniture, every street was littered with mud-caked cars and trucks, and refrigerators lined the streets.

After driving through the area, where I once lived, I began to have respiratory problems and headaches. Just one hour spent in what once was a thriving, beautiful part of town left me sad and depressed. “How could anyone view life with optimism?” amidst this kind of drastic situation, I thought. After I rode through Lakeview to get a sense of the challenges lying ahead for so many, I drove out to the Lakefront area where the Yacht Club used formerly stood. It was a staggering sight. On the property that was once a playground for the city’s rich was nothing but piles of useless and damaged “toys.”

Every yacht and sailboat that was there prior to the hurricane was then part of a large pile of debris. Boats were smashed upon one another, yachts were strewn everywhere, and the once brightly colored sails that made the area picturesque were gone or shredded. As I walked through the maze of broken dreams, I came upon one large sailboat, ironically named “Stuff.” How quickly our stuff can be gone, I was reminded.

Making my way from the Lakefront I came upon a very large puddle of standing water and had to slow down. As I was slowing, I noticed what at first appeared to be a bunch of dirty birds playing in the water. They looked like everything else in the area, battered and gray. But as I got closer I noticed a marvelous thing. Amidst the calamity, mess, and misery, playing in the water in the bright sunshine was a flock of parrots! It was the first color I had seen all morning. Bright greens, yellows, and oranges were splashing in the water and enjoying the day.

The juxtaposition of these amazing creatures in that setting was profound. My senses came alive, and I had a thought. No matter how bleak it looks around us, regardless of storms endured, there are still signs of life, beauty and hope. Then I was reminded of God’s care for even the birds of the earth, and the scriptures promise that He cares so much more for us as humans, the crown of His creation. Even in the worst of circumstances there are glimpse of the divine at work.

Often, I have taken educational detours to branch out into new fields for a period of time. Brain research is one area into which I detoured for a short period while in graduate school. Understanding how the mind works and the phenomenal complexities with which God has created us is fascinating. At times we have all heard about the different hemispheres of the brain, the left brain/right brain functionality, and the various theories regarding why one person is a math wiz and another more philosophical. It is intriguing stuff.

Some time ago, I viewed a program on television that utterly captivated me. It was a look into the world of a unique and very small population of people who are both severely mentally impaired and extraordinarily musically gifted. These savants, and the implications for study in the field of brain research, are astonishing.

One of the young men featured on the program, Rex, was blind and mentally retarded, yet astoundingly gifted musically. Talking with Rex is very difficult, and his mind is seemingly hampered in every way. But at the piano, the whole world changes for this kid. Rex is a musical genius. Listening to him play, while looking at him, with his mental and physical challenges very apparent, you cannot help but be joyfully confused.

How is it that someone so “messed up,” by most people’s assumptions, could at the same time be so brilliant? Listening to him play and recognizing that something marvelous is going on inside his brain convinces me that those who would support the right to abort such a “problem” have missed out on the glorious mysteries of God’s creation. The suggestion that physical and mental disaster discovered in the womb prior to birth should allow for the termination of life has, perhaps, robbed the world of many amazing gifts and contributions to society. Likewise, the termination of a passion for life amidst the disabilities life brings our way robs us of the potential brilliance that lies ahead. We must learn to look for the divine spark, that flicker of beauty that still radiates in the darkness around us.

Our definition of life is inadequate when we view it from a human perspective. Moreover, our assumptions as to “quality of life” are far too narrow. I wonder if, in reality, Rex knows the splendid graces of our creator more than we who are “normal.” Does this “disabled” savant have access to the operation of faculties more in tune with what God created us for despite the obvious hindrances we see? It is a question worth pondering. Is life worth living even when it looks terribly messed up? Should we joyfully fight rather than give in to depression, anxiety, and bitterness? The answers are obvious I think.

Another of the savants featured on the program was referred to as the “human Ipod.” Derek was a living testimony of the dignity that coexists with disaster. More severely mentally disabled than Rex, Derek is also a musical genius. At the piano, his mind worked magic. To the onlooker, it would seem that the entire world is closed off to him. In reality, a world more spectacular than most any of us have ever envisioned lived within him. Derek could not only play the piano, but he could play any and every song he had ever heard in his entire life, note for note!

The great compositions of the classical masters could be played without a moment of preparation, and splendidly. Derek could not only recall the classical masters, but he could also play anything from any era or genre up to today. More than that, he could be asked to play a contemporary rock song as if a classical master had composed it, and pull it off! The divine spark, the grand design, the bigger view is apparent when we sit before such things.

Our view is so small, our passion so easily quenched, our hope so easily dashed. Though the magnitude of pain, destruction, and disability piles up around us every day, in the midst of this, the parrots are still at play, the genius is still at work, and the hand of the divine One is still involved. Savants like Derek and Rex remind us that as complex and, at times, as indiscernible as life can be, God is at work. He has worlds awaiting us we could never have dreamed of.

Corrie Ten Boom, whose story has been told all across the globe, found a glimpse of God even amidst the horror of the German concentration camps. Captured and sent to slave in the death camps by the German forces for housing Jews during the Holocaust, Corrie found God despite the pain and suffering around her. Seeing members of her own family dying at the hands of these cruel forces did not keep her from finding the will to continue pursuing a better way.

Eventually, after enduring much hardship and fighting the good fight, Corrie Ten Boom made it out and went on to tell the world of the horrors imposed by the Germans, and more importantly tell the world of the hope to be found in God not matter the depth of despair. The essence of Corrie’s testimony has been her view of a big God. Her view of a God that is bigger than the challenges of this life gave her strength from day to day when others around her had turned to hatred, bitterness, and deep sadness. Her big view of God eventually brought her out of the camps, keeping her from death, miraculously, and led her on to tour the world telling thousands of the power, passion and hope found in Christ.

Corrie Ten Boom, like those parrots at play in the puddles of destruction, was the light of God during one of the darkest moments in world history. Every dark night of the soul can be illuminated by the light of God if we will remove the dark glasses with which we are accustomed to seeing life and exchange our viewpoint for a much larger one. The view from above sees past the loss and the obstacles and keeps the end goal in the cross-hairs. As big as the mess may appear, down the road is better place. We must learn to fight our way through to that destination.

Hoping and praying for you to have a grand view of the season and of your life,

Bruce Smith

optimuslife.org

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28. November 2007 by BruceSmith.

October 31, 1517—The Door at Wittenberg: 95 Theses

The setting in which this historic moment of protest occurred was one in which the organized church had become a domineering and self-serving institution directed by men in “official office”. Luther had been one of those officers and had, over time, become more and more unsettled by the trappings of the office and the guilt-laden practices of the church.

Luther was a reluctant protester, but ultimately decided he must choose a relationship with the Christ of the cross over traditions handed down by men. He recognized that for men and women to be compelled to walk through the doors of the church those doors must offer life, freedom, hope– not penalty, penance and guilt. The door to God as Luther viewed it was not one of religious hoops that church goers must jump through. Rather, the door to life in Luther’s view was a compelling one, one that people run to for hope and freedom, light, beauty, and truth.

The big questions that come from the door at Wittenberg are many. Some follow.

Is our ability to know God, to be known by Him, and our ability to stand right before Him dependent upon the institution of the Church? Or rather, is our ability to know Him dependent upon God’s grace to us extended to us once and for all by Him on the cross in the person of Christ?

Is the final word about how we relate to God found in scripture where everyone can read and understand? Or is the final word about how we relate to God handed down from a man standing behind a pulpit or propped up in some official seat in the church?

Is the life of the church confined to the religious ceremony we participate in once a week or on special church holidays? Or, rather, is the life of the church contained in individual hearts of the people who make up the church and live the lessons of God’s word in everyday life?

Is the activity of the church to be stayed and cold and anchored in practices that are hundreds or even thousands of years old or should church worship be compelling to us in our time and meet us in our place, in our day, in ways that we find engaging, meaningful, vibrant, creative, artistic, and even exciting?

Each of these questions can be viewed as doors of choice. These doors, once walked through, determine the rooms in which we live. Choose the right door and the views are life giving, full of grace, love, compassion, joy, excitement, journey. Choose the wrong door and you find ritual, boredom, irrelevance, and little that is compelling.

There is one door through which we must all walk, Jesus said. The door of knowing Him in a personal way, on a daily basis.

John 10, tells us “I am the good shepherd . . .and I lay down my life for the sheep.” “I am the gate for the sheep,” declares Jesus. “Whoever enters through me will be saved. He will come in and go out, and find pasture.”

In an essay by C.S. Lewis about the Chronicles of Narnia and The Lion, Witch and the Wardrobe, Lewis writes, “At present we are on the outside of the world, the wrong side of the door. We discern the freshness and purity of the morning, but they do not make us fresh and pure. We cannot mingle with the splendours we see. But all the leaves of the New Testament are rustling with the rumor that it will not always be so. Some day, God willing, we shall get in.”

Luther’s door at Wittenberg, and indeed, the Christmas season stand as majestic doorways . Christmas, the season of Light, is the doorway which calls us to consider the significance of an amazing life lived some 2,000 years ago. That life, unlike all others, is the doorway to life to the full. In that manager we sing about, underneath that starry sky, in that stable, this life opens eternity to all that enter in.

As you travel, shop, dine, and party this season, take note of the doors you walk through. Remember, as you cross the thresholds, that Christmas is the season that leads you into a room with the grandest of views. And as you go about your celebrations live in such a way that others are able to view your life as a call to enter in to the life God has called them to. And as you walk through the doorways of the Church to worship the Christ Child remember that the lights, candles, wreaths, architecture, ceremonies, and festivals are a glimpse of the staggering glory fully revealed in the nature of that “sweet little baby Jesus born” long ago. He lives still, and He is the doorway through which we must walk if we are to know the kind of life we were meant to live.

Wherever you have found yourself this year, no matter the rooms you have entered, no matter the doors you have walked through, you can still walk toward Him. Some have walked away from the Light of God and found themselves in dark rooms filled with tragedy and pain. Some have placed themselves in rooms where they never should have ventured. Others have closed doors which they should have left open. Still others have shut, locked, and boarded the doors of their hearts. Christmas is the call to embrace a new day, a new door, a new start. He is the God of another chance. He is the doorway to healing, forgiveness, cleansing, release, and restoration. He is the doorway to the holiday of the Soul.
Behold, He stands at the door of your heart and knocks. Let Him in.

Bruce Smith

optimuslife.com

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27. November 2007 by BruceSmith.

The following article is one I wrote some time ago and is one that has direct application at this time of year.  I was reminded of the article this past Sunday when I was asked to teach a class on an Old Testament passage which records a vignette from the life of Joshua.  The episode, recorded in Joshua Chapter 10 tells of a military battle in which Joshua led the charge.  Ultimately, as in most critical “moments” in the life of the nation, God’s people memorialized this battle in a concrete way.  Memorials of God’s intervention are critical in our lives.  I would argue that they are especially critical during this time of year.

The Christmas season is a worldwide monument, a marker that points toward the central event in the history of our civilization.  The Christ event is the hinge upon which all of history moves.  Without this monument history loses its relevance in the grand scheme of things, and without this event our lives are void of purpose and destiny.  This being so, we ought to make sure that each Christmas, this one included, is held sacred in our lives.  During the holiday think back, actually take an inventory of your life and think back on how, when, and where God has moved in the events of your life.  Consider where you would be without Him actively involved in your life.  Around the tree and at all of the parties tell of the wonders of His providence in your journey.  At no other time of year, perhaps, are people more open to hearing your story and His story. 

Enjoy the article as you read on.

Memorials and Monuments 

Our nation is filled with important monuments.  The Lincoln Memorial, the Vietnam Memorial, Mt.

Just as our nation has many memorials of great significance each of us has important moments in our lives which we ought to memorialize.  The work of God on our behalf in critical moments should not be taken lightly or forgotten.  Throughout scripture the people of God named places and set monuments in places where God “showed up”.  Each name, each place became an important landmark in the life of God’s people for generations to come.  As the stories were told around these landmarks new generations came to understand the intimate nature of God’s involvement with His people.  The same should be true of us today. 

Where has God showed up for you?  When, where, and how did He impart His grace, strength, compassion, provision, or mercy when you desperately needed it?  Have you memorialized it?  We all like to “collect” certain memorabilia.  For some its photos, for others its sports cards, autographed balls or the like.  I love sports memorabilia and have a number of items of some value each pointing toward a particular moment in sports history or the character of a great athlete.  But my most important “monuments” are those items I keep around which point toward God’s active involvement in my life.  One of those monuments to God’s grace that I keep on my desk at the office is a softball given to me years ago by an older mentor who pitched on our church softball team.  I keep that ball because as a teenager I came to faith after watching this man’s life and the lives of many others in my church over a long period of time much of it spent on the softball field.  I played shortstop and the pitcher would regularly give out an MVP ball for defense after games.  The balls were embossed with the initials S.T.O.P. (Saved The Old Pitcher), and yes, I collected quite a few!  The point is God showed up for me as a teenager and won me over on those softball fields as I watched the life of God lived out in the hearts of this man and others on the field.  The ball is a monument to God’s hand in my life. 

Here’s the crucial point for us as believers.  God is indeed intimately aware of our difficulties, accomplishments, failures, and successes.  He moves on our behalf.  He has our good in mind.  He is designing our lives.  He will not allow anything to separate us from His love.  Just as in the case of Joseph, though many “pits” come our way and though many conspire against us for our demise, God has our good in mind.  Just as in the life of David, though our own strength may not match that of our oppressors, God’s strength is enough to defeat the giants in our lives.  Just as He did with the woman at the well, He breaks through those barriers that keep us from abundant life and He offers us living water.  Just as He did for the woman caught in adultery, He silences our would be prosecutors and extends us grace where we do not deserve it.  The very stones others intend for our destruction, He uses to establish and build monuments of beauty in our lives.  How many times must Peter have gone back to those shores next to the very waters where God allowed him to walk where no other human had ever walked?  How many times must the woman caught in adultery have gone back to that courtyard of grace where her life was spared?  I have a hunch she may have kept one of those rocks for the rest of her life. 

When God extends His hand on our behalf we ought to memorialize it in our hearts.  We ought, also, to memorialize those moments in some way physically as well.  Write it down, keep that photo, place that memento somewhere prominent, and by all means, tell the story to others.  Just as our national monuments are physical calls to the story of our cultural history, so we as Christians ought to have benchmarks visible to us and to others in order that we might tell the stories of His grace!  Cherish the work God has done in you and for you, and mark it in some way.  These monuments are the glue that adhere us to His purposes when the going gets tough.  These monuments call us and others to taste and see that the Lord is good—He is truly good. 

Bruce Smith

Optimuslife.org

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26. November 2007 by BruceSmith.

Well, the Christmas season is now officially in full swing!  If you don’t like Christmas music, folks, you had better wear earmuffs for the next month, because every coffee shop, retail outlet, elevator, and radio station will be airing holiday cheer without ceasing.  I for one, love it.  The only drawback to this month-long barrage of glee is the inevitable crash after the New Year.  Don’t you wish we all lived in a state of perpetual Christmas bliss? 

For those of you out there who are more at home in the “Grinch” mode, I can only offer the following word of encouragement, “Lighten up!”  By lighten, I literally mean just that, allow some light to shine in on your perspective.  This is what the Christmas holiday is all about.  It is all about the light.

The scriptures read, “THE PEOPLE WHO WERE SITTING IN DARKNESS SAW A GREAT LIGHT, AND THOSE WHO WERE SITTING IN THE LAND AND SHADOW OF DEATH, UPON THEM A LIGHT DAWNED.” (Mtt. 4:16)

This is the reality of the Christmas season.  To us, a people, nation, world, living under the dark cover of brokenness and  light-less existence, The Light has come.  And what a great Light!  Let us begin the season, thinking not upon those dark realities around us which rob us of all joy and life, but rather, thinking upon the light of Christ revealed in tangible form, in that central moment in history. 

Think on this.  God, seeing our state of brokenness and need, moved toward us, and lowered Himself to join us in our plight!  Are you kidding me!? The Creator of the Universe, needing nothing, and in need of no one, so desired to extend relationship to you and I that He came to earth to live, walk, and die among us that we might see the light!  Wow.  What a thought, as we walk through the next 30 days of cheer, hopefully with smiles upon our faces and joy in our heart, the God of the universe looks down, smiling upon us, taking joy in our hope found in the celebration of His Light, His Son. 

As you listen to the music, and as you hang the lights this season, take great joy in the hope that has been extended to you.  No matter how dark your journey has been to this point, a light has come.  When you find yourself feeling all too alone during this holiday season, remember, The Light is here.  If you find yourself drowning in grief, sorrow, loneliness, and despair, look directly into the lights on the tree and give thanks that in the midst of your own personal darkness, The Light of Life is waiting to shine.  When that Light is allowed to shine upon your soul, the darkness must flee.

The passage from Matthew hearkens back to the same words found in Isaiah Chapter 9 which points to the coming of Christ, our One True Light, and reads,

2 The people walking in darkness
       have seen a great light;
       on those living in the land of the shadow of death 
       a light has dawned.

 6 For to us a child is born,
       to us a son is given,
       and the government will be on his shoulders.
       And he will be called
       Wonderful Counselor,  Mighty God,
       Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

 7 Of the increase of his government and peace
       there will be no end.
       He will reign on David’s throne
       and over his kingdom,
       establishing and upholding it
       with justice and righteousness
       from that time on and forever.
       The zeal of the LORD Almighty
       will accomplish this.

This is the season of Great Light.  Walk in the light of God, bask in the glow of His smile upon you, and be intentional about sharing this light with others. 

Praying for your Light and Joy,

Bruce Smith

optimuslife.org

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22. November 2007 by BruceSmith.

Happy Thanksgiving.

I am spending the holiday with family in the mountains of Colorado. It is a beautiful place, and yet, a place, though flush with money, fame, physical beauty, and status, a place void of what we all need more than any “thing”.

On this thanksgiving I am thankful for the lesson of broken glass and music found. I shall explain. After a thanksgiving brunch at a local eatery in the mountain village, our family decided we would see a movie together. August Rush was the movie of choice. We arrived at the movie house early and had to wait outside in the frigid brisk mountain air for about thirty minutes. While there my youngest got busy creating a tiny “french” snowman complete with rock eyes, twig mouth, and cap to boot. As we were getting ready to enter the warmth of the theatre another family came strolling up. Leading the pack of this family was a young boy about eight or nine years old. Eager to get in the theater and out of the cold, the little guy ran up to the door and gave it a huge tug, only to see that the door was locked. In the process, the little guy dropped his glass bottle of juice on the sidewalk right in front of the door.

From down the sidewalk came a bellowing voice, “Pick it up, son”. As the father, mother and other siblings just stood there chatting, the little guy was left to do the work on his own. Noticing there were about twenty jagged pieces of glass littering the walk, I decided, since his own family would not move a muscle, that I would give the little guy a hand.

After a few minutes of gathering up the glass, the door finally opened and we all went in to the movie. Continuing to watch the father’s interaction with the son, or the clear lack of interaction, I could not help but think to myself, “What or who is so important, powerful, or otherwise self-focused that they would not care to help their child pick up a broken bottle. After all, the little guy could have sliced his finger open”.

Not wanting to be judgmental and not wanting to make an assumption that was unwarranted I held my tongue and did not mention the thought to anyone. Then, another member of the family chimed in, “Who does that guy think he is. All he could do was yell at the kid and tell him to pick up his mess. How pathetic.”

Then the thought hit me, “Here we are in this pleasure cove of the rich and famous, surrounded by minks, huge diamonds, six-figure SUVs, and multi-million dollar homes (I have none of those by the way) and what is so apparent is the pretense, self-absorption, and lack of love”. And then I thought, “How is it that people who have so much seem not to know, actually know, what really matters.” The answer seems self-evident in light of Jesus’ comments regarding the difficulty with which the rich come to salvation. Yet, we, even those who write about it so often, lose sight of the the REALITY of this truth.

I do recognize that not all who are wealthy are missing the point of life. There are many I know personally who have enormous fortunes AND a passion for God and family (for more on my thoughts on faith and wealth you can go to optimuslife.org, click on the media page, and then click on the Jim Brown radio interview). Sadly, however, many pursue the illusionary promises of wealth, fame, power, and pleasure and come up empty in the end. Longing to fill the void, that for some has been there since childhood, people turn to what they can buy, conquer, or consume to find a reason to keep going.

The doors finally opened, and then came August Rush. The movie, about a musically gifted boy who goes through eleven years of life without his parents, essentially is about finding one’s meaning and purpose in life through pursuit of what God created one to do and to be. The “music” of our souls can be heard as we find our place, our God-ordained place, in this world. No amount of success or pleasure will ever replace the feeling and deep sense of peace which comes only from a knowledge that we are walking in concert with God. All of life comes together as we walk forward in accord with God’s agenda for us. The stars “align” as we allow God to craft our movement.

Surrounded by all this “stuff” here in this beautiful place, anyone, myself included, can be tempted to think, “This is the good life.” And by God’s grace, perspective is granted as we look up, hear the majestic notes of a creative God, and look to Him for our direction. As we place ourselves in His score, we find out bliss. As we allow the Composer of all creation to write his symphony upon our hearts we find the life we were meant to live. And that is what we all hunger and thirst for.

What is it you have been longing for all your life? A parent, a relationship restored, the use of your gifts, success, the American dream, redemption, or something else? Ultimately, all that we desire, what we most long for, what our souls crave, is found in God alone. Allow Him to be the conductor of your life. You will find no greater joy than knowing that you are in tune with the Maestro.

Thankful that God calls my heart to soar…toward Him,

Bruce Smith

optimuslife.org

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21. November 2007 by BruceSmith.

C.S. Lewis The Weight of Glory

“We live, in fact, in a world starved for solitude, silence, and private: and therefore starved for meditation and true friendship.”

We begin, again, our thoughts on thankfulness with the quote above from C.S. Lewis. We are two days away from the biggest shopping day of the year. Today, actually, is the busiest travel day of the year, with over 4.5 million taking to the skies. Airports and roads will be jam-packed. Activity has ramped up significantly in the last few days and in another couple of days the American populace will throw it into overdrive.

So, today, alone, in the mountains, with the snow lightly falling, I am very grateful for solitude. I am beginning my day meditating on the Word of God, and talking with the One who is my best Friend, redeemer, and companion. I am thankful that God extended the invitation to me, in the solitude of my own heart, to walk in relationship with Him. It is in this relationship that all other relationships in my life find support. Apart from my walk with God, I cannot walk with others in friendship. Apart from my understanding of His love, I cannot love others. Apart from communion with Him, the world would eat me alive. Apart from my intimate friendship with Him, all other relationships would amount to very little. And apart from my relationship with God my mind would be crazed with all sorts of worry, desire, stress, fear, and emotional madness.

Today, I am thankful that in solitude with God I find my source, my strength, and new ability to love others another day. I am grateful that He enables me to love those who in the natural are not quite lovable, and I am thankful that He loves me, despite my lack of loveliness, thereby, enabling me to love myself despite the giant holes in my personality.

Take time today, friends, to quiet the activity around you and within you and place yourself in intimate communion with God. In doing so, your heart will be strengthened, your love will grow, and you will experience the sweet fellowship of knowing God. And throughout the holiday season make it a daily quest to do the same. Make this holiday time a true holiday of the soul. Enjoy the activity, parties, colors, sounds, smells, and joy of the season. Take them all in as you commune with others while at rest in your own soul.

Thankful,

Bruce

optimuslife.org

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20. November 2007 by BruceSmith.

I am currently reading a couple of books on the functioning of the mind. The mind has always intrigued me, probably because I do not have a very advanced one. I marvel at what some minds can actually do. Those of you who have read my book Soul Storm (www.soulstormsite.com) know that I address the idea of the minds capabilities, though briefly, in one section which deals with those we call savants. The potential abilities and creative possibilities of the brain just blow my mind. That was a sappy turn of phrase wasn’t it? Sorry.

I am currently reading Born on a Blue Day. The book is about an amazing mind, a savant mind. In the book, Daniel Tamment gives his story of growing up as a “mind freak”.

Early on in his life, Daniel became aware that he was “different”. Dan, even as a child, would come to recognize that his brain functioned in a way much different than others. Over time, as he read numbers as colors and shapes, and as he calculated, effortlessly, amazingly complex math problems, he and his family came to recognize that though he was autistic, his brain was functioning on a staggeringly high level. Daniel is an example, in my view, of the creative genius of God and offers us a glimpse of the potential within each of us. Though Daniel was “broken” in some ways, like all of us, his genius was very evident. This genius is but a taste of the divine and astounding spark which resides in each of us as intended by God.

What is so enlightening to me with regard to Daniel’s personality is the “difference” factor. I think on this often. We are such a varied group of humans are we not? Musicians, doctors, speakers, writers, athletes, computer designers, artists, tall, short, beautiful, builders, culinary masters, actors, astronomers, baristas (thank God for these people!), and on and on. Part of the wonderful tapestry of this life is the diversity of those God has created. This is what makes life so interesting.

In thinking on the diversity of human personalities and the diversity within God’s creation I was reminded yesterday just how marvelous this tapestry we call life truly is. Think how boring life would be if we were all the same. Consider how much drama, beauty, intrigue, and joy is brought into our lives as a direct result of the differences that exist within the human psyche. Even as I sit here, in a town far from my home, I am taking note just how “different” people here talk, look, carry themselves, and dress. It is great to be outside the routine and experience life from a different vantage point.

As you gather with family and friends for Thanksgiving, make a concerted effort to consider the wonder of all the personalities engaged that day, and give God praise for His creative genius. Try not to focus on all the personality defects at the dinner table and just take not of the wondrous genius of a creative God and the potential that lies within each person there. Then make a prayerful effort to be used by God to offer grace to all those present as an intentional act of thanksgiving. Look at your kids, your parents, your siblings, your cousins, and all the extended family and friends through the lens of God’s creative genius and be grateful everyone is not like you!

Thankful for each of you,

Bruce Smith,

optimuslife.org

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19. November 2007 by BruceSmith.

C.S. Lewis wrote in The Weight of Glory:

We are half-hearted creatures fooling about with drink and sex and ambition when infinite joy is offered us, like an ignorant child who wants to go on making mud pies in a slum because he cannot imagine what is meant by the offer of a holiday at the sea.

Bloggers,

This week we are going to take a little different approach to things. Rather than offer you a long treatise on any given topic, I am simply going to offer thoughts and prayers of thanks. In our holiday driven society it seems that we have all but lost the ability to pause and give thanks. Within hours of November 1 nearly every major retailer had the Christmas decorations going full throttle. Like you, I am certainly pro-Christmas, but for reasons other than most retailers and consumers are pro-Christmas. I am looking forward to celebrating the birth of Christ. I love the music, the contagious enthusiasm, the smiles, the gifts, and central meaning for the celebration. But I don’t want to miss what this week is all about–gratitude.

So today, in keeping with the holiday theme and to kick off our week of thanks, I again offer, the quote above from C.S. Lewis. Think on it today, and give thanks that God is able to offer us a true Holiday of the Soul as we turn to Him for life, meaning, purpose, and hope.

In stark contrast to the detours (false holidays) offered to us by the temptations we face each day, God offers us the peace and joy which comes only as we take Him up on the offer of life to the full. Give a prayer of thanks today for all God has delivered you from. Offer Him your prayer of thanks for giving you eyes to see where the Holiday of the Soul is truly found.

I am thankful for each of you, and thankful for the life I have been given by the Giver of Life Himself.

Again, C.S. Lewis wrote in The Weight of Glory:

We are half-hearted creatures fooling about with drink and sex and ambition when infinite joy is offered us, like an ignorant child who wants to go on making mud pies in a slum because he cannot imagine what is meant by the offer of a holiday at the sea.

Thankfully,

Bruce Smith

optimuslife.org

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16. November 2007 by BruceSmith.

Dear Bruce

Transformation: formation or fix?

Dear Bruce,

I have been a Christian for many years. After 20 years of being in God’s family I still find myself battling the same things I did when I was a new believer. Actually, it seems like many of the struggles and failures are more intense now than they were early on. I have tried everything to get free of so many problems. I have tried many different kinds of churches. I have been to hear powerful Christian leaders at conferences, deliverance ministries and miracle services. I have attended churches where others seem so excited and healthy, and praise God with abandon, shouting, clapping, crying, laughing. I have tried to think positive thoughts so as not to allow bad thoughts to set me up for failure. I have read books about claiming the promises of God. Still though, I find myself severely depressed at times over my past, and I still wrestle with the same issues I had before I was a Christian. What do I do? Why is this not easier?

Sincerely,

A desperate reader

Dear Reader,

First let me assure you that you are not alone in this battle. Many, far too many, Christians have been or are now in the same situation as you find yourself. I hope the words which follow will bring you hope, clarity, and help, but I must let you know from the start that the advice will be direct. The good news is that your dilemma is typical. The bad news is that your dilemma is typical. The reality is that I believe some fundamental re-thinking must take place as it pertains to the process of transformation.

Notice, right off, that your description of the route you have taken throughout your Christian walk has a different bent to it than the one word I have already used here at the start. It seems that your experience, my experience early on, and the experience of so many, is marred by the idea that as soon as we “come to faith” we are completely fixed in all aspects of our life. When we fail to see the kind of full scale change we expected when as we said a prayer or walked down an isle we tend to panic and/or question what, if anything, really took place. The truth is, we are indeed justified by faith when we come to God through Christ, and at that moment we are His. The truth also is, the character work has just begun. We battle against our old nature. We are flawed. We can win the battle, however.

What I have found in speaking to many people, and through my exposure to a wide array of Christian settings, is that often people make the mistake of thinking that Christian character development is like instant cocoa. The thinking tends to go like this, “If I am struggling with an addiction, I’ll just go to the deliverance service down the street and get set free when the super-spiritual folks there pray for me.” Or it may sound like, “I am depressed. That means some spirit of oppression is over me. I need to get free. I think I will try that church I heard about where lots of people get free from things like this.” The thinking can unfold along many similar themes, but essentially it comes down to an expectation that “events” or “experiences” can fix us.

Now, let me clarify something. I like great events and experiences. I certainly believe that God is intimately and actively involved in our lives and I have seen and experienced Him working “in an instant” at certain times in my life. I am not suggesting that God does not heal, deliver, remake, or otherwise touch us in various circumstances throughout our life. Yet, I am absolutely convinced (by scripture and experience) that the real life makeover we desire is accomplished not by an event-driven approach, but through the God ordained process of transformation, which is conformity to the person and character of Christ.

As human beings in a fallen state, and especially as American Christians in a fast-paced, Internet driven, drive-thru culture, we are all too prone to want our fixes and to want them post haste. There is little question that this carries over into our faith life. It is much easier for us to accept the event driven approach to Christianity than it is to embrace the model of Jesus and of Paul which calls us to a daily, moment by moment, commitment to embrace and pursue Biblical character formation.

Just as it is easier to hit a baseball 400ft. with the quick and simple help of a steroid injection, it is easier, quicker, and less demanding for us to hop from event to event to find a fix. The problem is, just as it is in the case of steroid abuse, reality eventually catches up with you. With steroids, the “catch” comes in the form of a broken body, possible cancer, the loss of reputation, the loss of respect, rage, enlarged craniums, and a host of other health,mental, and emotional ills. With respect to spiritual quick fixes, the catch comes in the form of depression, guilt, a sense of spiritual inferiority, spiritual burnout, bitterness, doubt, and a host of other personality and character issues.

I have seen this practically in many lives, and in many churches. Some of the most charismatic Christian personalities are found to be so void of compassion, love, grace, and Christ-likeness that it is scary. They seem enthused to praise, yell, pray, teach, smile, and pronounce, yet, in daily life these same folks can be seen to be harsh, impatient, unkind, dictatorial, selfish, crude, joyless, and downright sinful. And I am not just speaking of people in the “ministry”. How is this? Because, once we embrace the all powerful, Christian Superhero, happy face, claim-a-fix approach to Christianity, it always misses the mark. God has much more for us.

So, how do we get there from here? I think we must stop looking for demons around every bush, and stop blaming (more likely excusing) our patterns on spiritual oppression, gremlins, and the like. And we must be spiritually secure enough to avoid embracing the pronouncements of others who suggest, “If you just had enough faith you would be fixed.”

Notice, with regard to the woman at the well, Jesus did not tell her she was oppressed by a spirit of sex, or encourage her to just claim her victory over her issues. He said, “Go and sin no more.” That is to say, “Now walk according to the life you have seen and experienced in Me today.” Jesus and the example of Paul is for us to see what the life of God looks like and to then walk in that manner.

The more we walk in the ways of God and follow the example of Christ, the more we will experience the kind of life, joy, and fulfillment we are promised in the New Testament. The extent to which we close the gap between who we are called to be and who we are largely dictates how we experience life. This is an internal character issue. This is not about some external promise or formulaic model for Christian “success”. Rather than show up at a meeting and ask some “healer” or spiritual guru to pray for us, we ought to be so convinced of Christ’s model that we long to pursue life that way. This means we really believe that the Sermon on the Mount applies to us, and that we really ought to like, love, and do life with “sinners” just as Jesus did. It means we should live the life of Christ so compellingly that others are drawn to what they see in us. This means we don’t claim some spirit of addiction is upon us, but rather, we recognize we are called to put away those things which characterized our lives in the past (Paul writes a great deal on this). Paul encouraged his readers to remind themselves of who they were in Christ and to then live accordingly.

Rather than “binding” and “loosing” everything each time we face a challenge, perhaps we should look to Christ and to the writings of the New Testament in order to find wisdom, strength, and grace to match every situation, struggle, and opportunity. Rather than get all hot and bothered over the conduct of the “reprobates” around us at work and in society, perhaps, we should have the mind of Christ and engage them with sobriety, joy, vision, grace, and love. There are too many Christians who are “oppressed” at work and at play by the “evil-doers”. For Goodness sake, literally, Jesus hung out with sinners! You actually get the idea He liked them! He actually liked you and I, and that’s what drew us to faith, right?

Like the rich young ruler, we have the opportunity to accept Jesus” invite to walk in His path for us. Like the rich young ruler, we can turn away and say, “That is too hard.” If we choose the latter, like the rich young ruler, we will go away “sad” (depressed). I have a hunch that he lived the rest of his life that way. This is true not only with the call to salvation. It applies also to our daily life. Every moment we decide if we will live for an audience of One or if we will pursue the easy way, the wide way, the quick fix. Someone makes you angry, get even. Someone cheats on you, cheat back. Someone gets ahead of you at work, beat ‘em down. Someone cuts you off in traffic, give ‘em the finger, both hands! You get the point. As Christians, the extent to which we pursue transformation, character formation, conformity to the image of Christ, dictates the level of contentedness we experience as it relates to Biblical living. When we continually respond to life “in the flesh”, as Paul describes it, we widen the gap between what God promises and what we experience. This happens in our thought life as well as our active life.

The world is broken, and total spiritual bliss, perfection, will not be attained this side of Heaven. Yet, the Kingdom of God is both already and not yet. We can drink fully of the kind of life God promises us. The extent to which we accept this truth largely determines our experience in this life. Our fix comes each moment as we fix our eyes upon Him. There will be times we need friends and counselors around us to walk through specific pains, failures, struggles, surely. That is Biblical. And there will be times we must cry out for God’s timely and critical touch. That too is Biblical. On the whole, however, the Christian life is about Transformation. The renewing of our minds is a moment by moment issue. Walk it out in joy, in pain, in the highs and the lows…in all things and at all times walk toward the life He is calling you to. Do this, and 20 years from now your life will be much more fulfilling. That is His promise.

Bruce Smith

optimuslife.org

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