31. January 2008 by BruceSmith.

What’s Our Motivation?

Dreaming, giving, sacrifice, loving, building the kingdom, the pursuit of holiness, fasting, prayer, living the Christian life; what’s the motivation?  The love of Christ gives us the compelling drive to pursue Godliness.  John 4 reveals to us a vibrant image of the love of God.  Jesus, a Jew, breaks through the boundaries of society, politics, expectations and the like, and reaches out to a Samaritan woman.  This was no small boundary crossing in that culture.  In stepping through the boundaries Jesus demonstrates the extravagance of God’s love and His desire to reach us in the midst of the tangled mess we create in our lives. 

 Beyond breaking the rules enforced by the culture, Jesus shows a woman who has lived a life of longing, where real love is found.  This woman, who has drank from the well of sensuality and hungered for the bread of acceptance, has her life turned upside down by the one who sees “everything she ever did”.  In showing her the reality of her own heart, Jesus reveals the futility of this woman’s attempts to find meaning in life in the arms of another human.  While she had counted numerous men as lovers or husbands, and was now living with another who was not her husband, she had become more and more thirsty for a love that would remain.  It had never been found.  Jesus tells her that the finding of that kind of love and security could only be found in the wellspring of God’s heart.  The harder this woman had pursued love in this life the more it had eluded her.  Regardless of how much she drank from the stolen waters she never quenched her thirst.  The more she drank the more she thirsted.

 For years this woman had gone to the well of worldly love just as she had journeyed to the well for water that day.  On this occasion, however, she is unexpectedly offered a new well and new water that provided a total quenching of her deepest thirsts.  Marveling at the prospect and finding the Christ, her quest and motivations were set in a new direction.  Leaving her water jar behind (therein leaving what had previously been the depository of unfulfilled longings) she runs into the city to tell of a new kind of love.  She yearns to share this all knowing and all seeing love with anyone that would listen.  Though this man (a man unlike all the lovers she had known) knew her fully and told her everything she ever did, He loved her and offered her love like she had never seen or heard. 

 Our motivation for the Christian life is our knowledge of the One who sees everything we do, knows everything about us, and loves us still.  This One who offers love of a kind we cannot find in any mate, friend, brother, sister, mother, father, or lover, is the One in whom we find all our hopes, dreams, failures, disappointments and hurts set right.  This kind of love, a love that goes beyond the expectations of our society, culture, job, family, and friends, is what motivates us to be what God has called us to be.  All of our hunger and thirst for the things of God and our desire to see His Kingdom expanded here on earth grow out of our understanding of His great love.  As long as we hunger for the imperfect loves of this world we will fall short of a pure motivation to live and experience true Christian life.  When we accept and find joy in the reality that only His love is complete, we find our motivation for life.  In Him, we live and move and have our being, as the scripture says. 

Bruce Smith

optimuslife.org

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30. January 2008 by BruceSmith.

Running for His Pleasure

Running the race with persistence and endurance and finishing well—that is where we left off last week.  The importance of proper spiritual training, spiritual nutrition, proper care for our “injuries”, and the necessity of the training log are all critical keys for staying in the race for the long term.  If we want to finish well we must run well. 

 Some additional questions come to mind as we consider our pursuit of the goal to run and finish well.  Three critical questions give us our direction and lead us to the proper passion for this race we call the “Christian Life”. 

 The first question is the question-for whom do we run? 

The movie Chariots of Fire is a heart stirring story about the 1924 Olympic runner, Eric Liddell.  Liddell was not only a world-class runner, but also a minister, a missionary called by God to China.  He and his family wrestled with his calling to China and the passion in him to run.  Most of us, not being gifted with world-class speed, cannot begin to understand Eric Liddell’s dilemma.  He was a man called of God to reach people with the gospel and yet gifted by God to run like the wind!  What’s a man to do?  I can relate, being the multi-sport athlete that I am! (Just kidding)  Eric Liddell, and especially his sister, truly struggled with this.  Ultimately, Liddell came to the crucial realization that God had gifted him and called him to both things.  For him it was a question of with whom his loyalties lay.  If he recognized that he were putting China off for his own pursuits then he would have dropped the running.  He shared with his sister what he came to understand as he wrestled with this dual calling, “God has made me for a purpose, for China. But he has also made me fast, and when I run I feel His pleasure.”

 It all comes down to who it is we serve ultimately and first.  If our aspirations are for our name, our reputation, our recognition, our promotion, our financial goals, our self, then we miss the mark.  When we aspire to excellence because we want to show His glory and His excellence then we hit the mark.  Eric Liddell had decided that he would indeed serve His God in China, but he also knew that God had given him the ability to run before Him in order that Liddell might have a platform from which to share his faith.  The question is one of preeminence.  Excellence honors God and draws people to Him.  What He gifts us to do with excellence we ought to use to tell of His grace.  Ultimately, it’s a question of worship.  Ravi Zacharias instructs us this way in his discussion of Eric Liddell’s life and priorities, “worship binds all of life together and gives it a single focus. It takes all of the cries of our heart, the diversity of our loves and abilities and coalesces them into one direction. Worship is the supreme expression in life, the root from which life’s branches grow and expressions flower.”

 The second question is “Why do we run?”

What’s our motivation?  Again, it comes down to our aim.  Is the goal self promotion or the rewards of this life?  Or rather, is it our intention to run well in order that those looking on might see the difference Christ makes in a life?  Do we pursue the “moral high-ground” in order that we might appear as a superior personality, or do we pursue God’s morality because we long to honor Him as a loving response for His matchless grace in our lives?  What we must come to understand is that we find our greatest pleasure as we run our hearts out to bring Him pleasure.  His pleasure results in our fulfillment—that’s the ridiculous grace of God!  He is not a cosmic killjoy who wants us to be bored to death.  He has assured us that in running to and for Him we find life and that abundantly.  Don’t you want that more than anything?  How may of us run after all the wrong things?  Much of what we run after leads only to heartache, broken psyches, stress, and a thirst for more.  Only when we run for Him do we run with a sense of peace.  Only in Him do we find our stride and hit our runners “high”. 

 And lastly, we must ask “How do we run?”

It has been pointed out already, but it must be highlighted again-we run with excellence.  Excellence is the minimum requirement for the people of God.  We serve a God of excellence.  Excellence honors God and draws people to Him.  His love is excellent.  His grace is excellent.  His justice is excellence.  All His ways are excellent.  Let us be passionate about excellence in all we do.  As we do our work with excellence, as we relate to others with excellence, as we maintain excellence of integrity, as we worship with excellence, as we preach with excellence, as we serve with excellence, as we live with a passion for excellence we gain an audience for the Gospel.

 We must also run straight.  As people of God we harm ourselves and others, and we misrepresent God’s character when we get “off track”.  The straight way is the way.  Too few choose the narrow way, but those that do finish the race in the winners circle.  It is not always easy to put the old man to death; however, it is critical to running the race well.

 We run with passion.  Passion stirs the heart and wins people over.  The passion of our Christ is what compels us to come to Him.  God’s passion for His people is what draws us.  Our passion for His purposes will be the hook that draws others to consider God.  Those that see us passionately run the race may just want to pick up the running with us!

It is a beautiful thing to watch the “good runner” do his thing.  Have you ever looked in awe at the Olympic runner?  The musculature, the evidence of years of passion, training, heart, and sacrifice-this is what makes us watch the games, is it not? 

 Friends, this race is worth running.  We run with divine purpose.  We run with the inspiration that comes from the knowledge of the reward that lies ahead. When we finish well ours is an eternal reward.  May God enable us to train, aspire, hunger, dream, and indeed to run and run well. 

 RUN.  BE FAITHFUL, FINISH WELL.

 Bruce Smith

Optimuslife.org

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29. January 2008 by BruceSmith.

Running the Race

Be faithful…finish well. 

 Those words ought to inspire us to stay in the race.  Too many start the Christian walk with the idea that nothing but “happy” circumstances will follow once a decision is made to follow Christ.  While we are assured that life and “life abundantly” is found in Christ, we are never promised a life of health, wealth and prosperity.  What God promises those who follow Him is a life of meaning, purpose, and virtue amidst all that life brings our way.  While there will be many days of great joy, happiness and perhaps “good” circumstance, there will also be many challenges along the way.  As the renown theologian and boxer, Mike Tyson, has suggested, “Everybody has a plan, …until you get punched in the face”.  So the question we must ask is, “How do we stay in the race?”  “How do we reach the finish line?”  and, “How do we get up off the mat when life lands us a staggering blow?” 

 The life and training of the marathon runner provides us with a great metaphor for our endurance challenge in the Christian life.  Consider the principles and practices below which are followed by any strong marathon runner.  Applied to our lives they offer us the ability to run the race for the long haul and enable us to finish well.

1. Learn to adapt to any race day conditions.

Strong marathoners prepare themselves to run in any temperature.  Even in overwhelming heat, the good marathoner will be able to adapt and indeed thrive in the race.  As Christians, we need to find the resolve that enabled Shadrac and friends to remain in the furnace waiting for God to show up.  The heat will be turned up at times in our lives.  If we choose to bail out and give up each time a major challenge comes our way, we give up on the call of God to make us what He is calling us to be.  Jeremiah was the “weeping prophet”, but he endured and was God’s great spokesman.  Do not forsake the race of faith when all around you appears to be caving in.  Endure the heat, adapt, and run for your life.

2. Beat muscle soreness.

The race will take its toll at times.  You can feel beat up.  But as any athlete knows, muscle soreness is a sign you are doing things right and growth is taking place.  Don’t quit when the soreness sets in.  Work through it and allow God to bring about the growth He intends.  Its part of the process.

3. Learn to train when you hurt.

Press through the workouts even when you feel some hurts.  All great runners and indeed all great athletes “play hurt” from time to time.  Who can forget those nights when Michael Jordan came to the court totally depleted, dehydrated and weak and yet played his heart out and scored 50 points to lead his team to a big win?  Those kinds of moments inspire those looking on.  When you are pressing hard for the goal there will be moments that hurt—stay with it, keep running, and never, never, never give up.

4. Massage therapy

All marathon runners have many massages during their training period.  Without this kind of professional care and attention their muscles would not last for the next day of training.  None of us, no matter how “spiritual”, can go it alone all the time.  We all need some help occasionally.  At times, even leaders, need to get in front of someone who can offer counseling and help for issues we wrestle with.  There are no Christian Supermen.  Rather than pretend you are something you are not, get help when you need it.  Its o.k.  God intends for us to minister to one another.  Left unattended, some of our issues, hurts, pains, will scar us for life and will kill the life of God in us. 

5. Injury recovery strategies

It is not true that “time heals all wounds”.  Some wounds, left alone, only get worse.  Scar tissue can hinder proper function in the body.  Runners pay special attention to hip, back and knee issues.  If a runner leaves an injury to one of these areas alone too long it can indeed take him out of the race.  These are big ones for runners.  A marathoner cannot endure 24 miles with a major problem in one of these areas.  As Christians we must address the “big” issues in our lives.  Those besetting sins which we hide from others can ultimately sideline us.  Take care of the nasty wounds and get a bandage on them as quickly as you can.  Properly cared for they can heal and gain new strength.  Neglected, they can put you on the disabled list.  And if you are on the disabled list, you cannot be a difference maker.  You cannot run.

6. Proper nutrition

Eating the proper diet is absolutely critical for the long distance runner.  The right mix of fat, carbohydrates and protein are essential to performance.  If a runner eats too much fat or too little carbs leading into race day he will not perform as he should.  Likewise, as Christians, if we do not feed on the Word daily we will falter, wear out, loose momentum.   Sunday is not enough.  We must place ourselves at God’s training table on a daily basis.  Remember, the chief end of man is to know God and enjoy Him forever.  We cannot know Him if we are not spending time learning of Him on a regular basis.  If we do not know Him then we cannot enjoy Him. 

7. Keep a training log

Runners will often times keep a very accurate journal of performance.  Seconds shaved can make a difference.  Adjustments in technique can save a long distance runner minutes in a race.  Accomplishments and goals pursued and recorded offer ongoing incentive to the runner to keep on track with the training process.  As followers of Christ we find great hope when we can look back on what God has done in our lives, what lessons we have learned along the way, how we navigated challenges in the past.  These things give us passion to remain in the race and pursue the finish line. 

 Train like the finish line is worth pursuing.  Remember, our reward is eternal and the joy set before us is our inspiration.  Run to show the life of God in you.  Pursue the finish with the same enthusiasm with which you started.  In fact, make it your prayer that God would enable you to sprint through the finish line! 

When knocked down, stay down long enough to catch your breath, but stand up before the 8 count is done, then get up and throw another punch.  Just don’t bit anyone’s ear off!

Be faithful, finish well.

Bruce Smith

optimuslife.org

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25. January 2008 by BruceSmith.

Dear Bruce,

Why is it so hard for me, after being a Christian for year, to deal with habits and issues that seem to plague even non-Christians?  It seems like I am too prone to do the wrong thing too often.  I don’t feel like I am a bad person.  In fact, many great people I know have the same tendencies, but don’t seem to worry about it as much.  Should I be so concerned with doing better?  Or should I just relax and accept that I am human?  I do want to become the person God wants me to be.  Please, help.

Dave

Dave,

You are right in giving thought and concern to issues that continue to creep up in your life.  Sin is a reality we all deal with and we ought to pay attention to its destructive nature.  Some people do not take enough care in living the life God has called them to and so live a life beneath that which God calls them.  When we just accept the sin in our lives we fail to recognize God’s call to a holy life and the fulfillment such a life offers.  Sin is a problem.  There is an approach we ought to take, and we can be increasingly victorious though never perfect this side of heaven.

Whether it is Adam and Eve in the Garden, Moses striking out in anger, David finding himself a deceitful, adulterous, murderer, or the darkness of our own hearts and desires, sin is present.  We must, like Isaiah, abhor the sin, cry out to God for healing, and fall into the arms of Grace extended to us.

I hope you will continue to fight the fight, rest in His grace, and pursue the life He has called you to.  Others around you are not your standard.  God’s standard is the only standard worthy of your affections.

Below, please find an excerpt from Soul Storm (www.soulstormsite.com), which offers one literary legend’s approach to the sin in his own heart.  Perhaps, you will find the kind of resolve and insight John Donne seemed to be crying out for.  As you read, remember the words of Paul as he wrestled with the same reality, “…its the good I want to do that I fail to do…”.  Paul goes on to affirm that where sin abounds, there grace abounds all the more.  His grace, according to Paul, then compels us to strive further to remove the stain of sin, and to pursue the life God has called us to.

Read on!

 Donne In

 John Donne (1572-1631) was, perhaps, the greatest writer in the grand lineage of the many great Seventeenth-Century writers.  Once a Roman Catholic, trained at Oxford, and eventually an ordained minister in the Anglican Church, he was a marvel with language.  Not only a great preacher, he was also a heavenly magician with the pen.  His use of words captures the soul like few in history.  Donne’s ability to put to paper what most of humanity can only feel somewhere deep within but not express is seemingly beyond our realm.  His writings, though rarely matched, are the inspiration of many great poets and writers of prose.  The depth of psychological insight, drama, and emotion lead us to the heavens and to a place of passion we did not know existed within us.  He was a complex person and his thoughts were deep and meaningful.  They offer us much insight into our discussion on finding God amidst disaster.  Two of his Holy Sonnets offer us the divine view of suffering, pain, and ultimate purpose.  Donne deals with our battle for proper affections in this life and the temptation to settle for less than God has for us.  As we will see shortly, Donne actually prays for more battering that he might be made into God’s image.  He also demonstrates for us, in his famous sonnet on death, that even in what we so often view as ultimate disaster, God has the last word.  So, let’s take a look.

 Sonnet 14

Batter my heart, three-personed God; for You

As yet but knock, breath, shine, and seek to mend;

That I may rise, and stand, o’erthrow me, and bend

Your force, to break, blow, burn, and make me new.

 Let’s pause here to look at these first few lines.  What is Donne saying?  He is actually asking, beseeching God, to batter him.   What if such a battering of our lives, our souls, would bring salvation-would we dare voice such a prayer?  Donne continues by reminding God that up to this point the Creator had only brought a knock, a breath (small quiet wind), and some warm sunlight to lead him down the right path.  According to Donne, this has not been sufficient to captivate his affections.  What a contrast to the health, wealth and prosperity “gospel” we hear so much today!  Donne goes a step further and calls on God to overthrow him, to forcefully break, blow, and burn him in order that he might be made new.   One of the greatest writers in history, a man of God, suggests this is the road to newness of life.

 We continue.

I, like an usurped town to another due,

Labor to admit You, but oh! To no end;

Reason, Your viceroy in me, me should defend,

But is captived and proves weak or untrue.

 In these lines, Donne is telling why this battle within him is so intense and his struggle so severe.  He suggests that his soul is overrun by an enemy which holds him captive.  Though Donne labors to “admit” God in his life, it does not come to fruition because his worldly passions get in the way.  Reason, which should convince Donne of his need to offer all to God, does not even do the job.  Though common-sense should defend us against the snares of this world, we too often fall prey to the allures of sin.  Sin is pleasurable for the moment.  The problem is that those “moments” become habits, and those habits become addictions, and those addictions become our destruction. 

 There’s more.

Yet dearly I love you, and would be loved fain,

But am betrothed unto Your enemy.

Divorce me, untie, or break that knot again,

Take me to You, imprison me, for I

Except You enthrall me, never shall be free;

Nor ever chaste, except You ravish me.

At this point Donne is crying out to God with abandon about his dilemma.  Though his love for God tugs him, He cannot escape the grip of worldly living because of his marriage to things which are at war against God’s purposes.  In New Orleans, and America for that matter, we claim such piety.  We suggest we are a “Christian” nation.  And yet, are we not  married to so much that is in opposition to God’s agenda?  

 All that Donne has written in this sonnet leads up to the crescendo of the last few lines.  It is here that we see Donne’s need of a soul disaster for God’s purposes to take root.  Donne cries out for the storm to come.  In a stirring, emotional torrent Donne begs God to break the bonds of marriage to his former life.  He cries out for the Lover of His soul to break the knot that ties him to a false love.  Rather than freedom to love the harlot of sin, Donne now hungers for the imprisonment of being confined to God’s plan.  That imprisonment is indeed where true freedom is found.  His use of paradox in these last few lines is riveting.  He shows the value of this divorce of soul in light of his being jailed in the love of God.  The enthralling power of God, he urges, is the key to freedom.  Again, he throws himself before his Maker in surrender of the old life, taking on a blessed future. 

 That brings us to the last line.  “Nor ever chaste, except You ravish me”.  Its worth reading again isn’t it?  Chaste.  Ravish.  The two terms could not be more opposite.  Much debate and inquiry has been made of John Donne’s use of these words here.  The language, in that day, would have been jolting to the reader.  In keeping with his matchless use of the English language, Donne is reaching for words which take the reader as far as possible in order to demonstrate just how severe our need of God’s love really is.  We live in a culture where the chaste man or woman is ridiculed.  In our city, the recklessness of sexual immorality runs wild.  In our nation the promotion of sexual freedom is destroying the fabric of family life.  In this last line Donne shocks the reader by calling on God to ravish his soul.  Some scholars suggest the original usage of the word conveyed rape.  Rape, by definition, is a taking by force what is not given or offered.  Donne is suggesting that our need of a relationship with God and our obedience to Him is so great that we ought to allow the force of God’s rapturous love to overtake us and make us chaste unto Him. 

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23. January 2008 by BruceSmith.

Does God speak in the hard things?

“Hear, you deaf, and look, you blind, that you may see!

 Who is blind but my servant,

 or deaf as my messenger whom I send?

 Who is blind as me dedicated one,

or blind as the servant of the Lord? 

He sees many things, but does not observe them;

his ears are open, but he does not hear. 

The Lord was pleased, for his righteousness sake,

to magnify his law and make it glorious. 

But this is a people plundered and looted;

they are all of them trapped in holes and hidden in prisons;

they have become plunder with none to rescue,

spoil with none to say, “Restore!” 

Who among you will give ear to this,

 will attend and listen for the time to come? 

Who gave up Jacob to the looter, and Israel to the plunderers? 

Was it not the Lord, against whom we have sinned,

in whose ways they would not walk, and whose law they would not obey? 

So he poured on him the heat of his anger and the might of battle;

it set him on fire all around, but he did not understand;

it burned him up, but he did not take it to heart.”  (Isaiah 42:18-25)

 In the passage from Isaiah, we find a God who has immense love for His chosen people.  The nation Israel, as history and scripture proclaim, was, in God’s plan for the world, the people through whom God chose to establish His plan for all of humanity.  History is replete with the dialogue, controversy, and horror stemming from this proposition.  In order to avoid going into a book length exposition of Israel’s place in the divine plan and in history, we must assume here, for the sake of argument that this nation does indeed fit into God’s redemptive plan as a crucial hinge-point.  Assuming then that Israel is under the blessing and obligation of this reality, it is important to know what God expects of His people with regard to how they follow the plan.  The passage from Isaiah clearly reveals that somewhere along the road God’s chosen nation had independently decided to take a detour.  This nation, promised great blessing by a loving God, made the conscious decision to create a new map, one in direct conflict with the one given to them by their leader.  Apparently, like the huge neon orange and white striped signs we see on the road at major road repair construction sites, God had sent warning after warning.  At every turning point God had placed caution signs that were repeatedly ignored by His people.  God’s call to His people was not being heard.  His warnings were not registering with a people more concerned with the trappings around them.  His people had grown confident in their own plans, desires, pursuits, and ideologies.  God decided it was time to send a call loud and clear.  By God’s design, the emergency horn would sound louder and louder until heard.  God’s love, in discipline, would make an attempt to get His children back on the road to recovery.  But, one might ask, “Is that truly loving”? 

 It would seem to make sense that just as any financial counselor who truly has a client’s interests in mind would lay out a clear game plan for success, so too would a caring parent who wants the best for a child, lay out a plan for healthy growth and development. Any good doctor, aware of an individual’s reckless behavior, would go to lengths to warn his patient of the risk involved in chemical abuse of any kind; drugs, alcohol, steroids, nicotine, and the like.   Likewise, a good judge, probation officer or counselor would warn a paroled defendant of the future peril awaiting should one go back to a former way of life.  Common sense would inform us that, if indeed, God loved His people He would want to present to them a plan for life that could be followed and which offered them the opportunity for blessing.  Further, any good financial planner, coach, boss, or parent would want to point out the pitfalls along the way to prevent major disaster.  We see just how committed we are to this idea in the stories we read about Enron, World-Com, and so many other business scams.  No one would think it sensible or morally defensible for a person in leadership to intentionally lead those under their care astray.  Why would we then expect anything less of God?  Any good parent, we would contend, would discipline a child that was in danger of causing harm to themselves or others through willful disobedience.  Unloving parents are those who abandon their children, leaving them without means for provision, care, love and direction.  Worse, are those parents that would intentionally mislead their children, knowing full well, that destruction would be the result for following the path put in place.  Moreover, any good parent or leader would provide a means to follow the plan, reinforce the plan with the promise of blessings that derive form following the blueprint, and provide warnings and discipline for deviation from the plan.  The warnings and discipline, of course, are intended to “bring us to our senses” and get us back on track.   Could God be speaking to America through difficult circumstances we encounter politically, financially, physically, and otherwise?  Does He use “natural” disasters to reveal a sickness of soul to those He cares about?  Is there something we are missing?  Why do we fail to see God’s hand at work?

 The problem we find ourselves in as citizens of the world’s one remaining super-power, is that we no longer want to embrace a common sense view of morality, let alone spiritual sense, unless it fits into our own pursuit of pleasure and comfort.  Our view of spirituality, even within some churches, has grown so decidedly contrary to God’s plan that He has no choice but to raise the volume on His call to us.  God’s own “church” in America has come so closely to resemble the culture at large that in many settings the church is not discernible from the culture in which it operates.  That culture, given a rich heritage of blessing and providence by God, has for some time, been turning a deaf ear to the warnings of God. 

 Just as God had warned Israel of the folly in turning away from Him to the worship of false Gods, so we in America have turned to the idols of sensuality, the false security of riches, addiction to pleasure, and the astonishing craving for the renouncement of absolute truth.  As Americans we want desperately, against all common sense, to suggest that all truths are equal even when they contradict one another.  This kind of moral, intellectual, and spiritual suicide, like the doctrine of assisted suicide, is beginning to show its consequences.  The outcome of such thinking, indeed belief, is a society in moral and civil decay before our very eyes.  “In God we trust”, a now debated doctrine in our halls of justice, is on the verge of becoming extinct.  We cry out for God’s help amidst disaster, yet, we have systematically removed Him from our schools and public forums.  The “right” of women to choose has trumped the doing of the “right”.  We should be aware that the worship of the right to choose will reap, perhaps, a morbid consequence down the line when those who choose the termination of the unborn early in life are eventually called upon to choose whether or not to care for the elderly when they are frail, economic, and emotional burdens.  A trampling of the sanctity of life now very well may end in the trampling of an entire generation of people.  When created beings hold their “right” to be supreme, all sensible moral restraint is at risk.  The whim of individuals to choose and the retreat from absolute truth is a war raged against reason.  The struggle to live rightly has been replaced by a battle against the “right” side of the political spectrum. 

 When is it ever right to choose wrong, I must ask?  What happens if my desire for choosing contradicts all rational and moral judgment?  What if rational and moral judgment itself is defined a thousand or a million different ways?  Who is right when no one wants to say that right exists?  The proliferation of the “truth” that no absolute truth exists is, literally, non-sense.  One cannot absolutely pronounce that no truth exists.  The very suggestion is contradictory and without logical basis.  Yet, here we are in America, a “Christian” nation, and we find, even in the finest of our academic institutions, this whole hearted embrace of intellectual, moral, and spiritual bankruptcy.  This kind of “free” thinking is the very curriculum for our developing leaders and has been for far too long.  Is it any wonder we see, in moments of great pain and desolation, looters abandoning all moral restraint, while their city lies in waste?  Rather than looking for a way to help those drowning in the rising waters of Katrina, the “Americans” were taking all they could get at an opportune moment.  But it was their choice, was it not?  Who is to say it was right or wrong?  Who draws the lines?  Where are the boundaries?

 That brings us back to Isaiah.  The message from this spokesman of God was simple and direct.  According to God, His people had moved beyond the boundaries of the Kingdom.  In doing so, God’s people opened themselves up to a world of difficulty and decay.  This decay showed up in the nation Israel in the form of war, murder, adultery, idolatry, sexual immorality, harlotry, homosexuality, neglect of the poor and spiritual distortion.  These among other less than desirable qualities came to define those chosen by God to live lives of blessing, goodness and peace.   Could it be, that God in His love for us as a people, a city, and a nation, has allowed, sent, or is intending to use national and or personal disaster/setbacks, to call us, a people similar in too many ways to the nation Israel represented in this passage from Isaiah, to a life more in line with His calling for us?  Not only is it possible, but it is exactly how He has worked throughout biblical history.  When people He is calling to Himself act in ways not in keeping with family life in His Kingdom, the Father extends His loving hand of discipline to bring the kids back in line and protect them from greater danger.  God knows what life beyond the boundaries looks like. 

The farther from home we get the worse life becomes.  At times the Father will increase the pressure, and sharpen the discipline to get our attention.  When His children turn a deaf ear to His wisdom, He finds a way to be heard.  Rather than this being a sign of His prudish inclination, it is a sign of His marvelous love and hunger for our good.  Just as He assured the nation Israel that they were the “apple of His eye” so he assures us, as His people today, He is for us and not against us.  He uses all things, we are told in the book of Romans, to work out His good plan for us.  All things-even disaster!  He will use, send, allow, mold, and make all things turn out for the good of His children! 

Life beyond the boundary, as the Prodigal Son found out, is no life worth pursuing.  The quest for pleasure at every hand, as Solomon found out, is not enough to quench the soul.  The thirst for sexuality outside of the plan of God ends in confusion, disease, psychological disarray, and broken families.  In His plan, as is revealed in scripture, our sexuality finds its most exhilarating and soul inspiring fulfillment.  Life on the other side of the fence, God knows, only provides different grass.  Inside the boundaries of God’s playground, life and life abundantly unfolds bigger and better than any fantasy displayed on the grandest of silver screens.  Inside the boundaries of God’s intentions for us are found the boundless heights of love, joy, peace, and life everlasting!  

Find the life you were meant to live,

Bruce Smith

optimuslife.org

The essay above, edited for the blog, was originally from Bruce’s book, Soul Storm: finding God amidst disaster

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22. January 2008 by BruceSmith.

The following is an excerpt from Soul Storm: finding God amidst disaster (www.soulstormsite.com)

If you find yourself today, adrift, bored, down, or looking for some sort of “newness” in your life, we hope you find some inspiration in the words below.  Read on and ask God for the life you were meant to live as you ponder being washed away in the love of God.

 Washed Away

 John Coltrane was a jazz master.  His accomplishments have reached beyond the realm of jazz and his recordings are studied by musicians of every stripe.  If you have ever taken time to listen to his work you know what it is to be washed away, lost, for a time.  “Train” or “Trane”, as he came to be known, pushed the envelope in the jazz world.  Always looking for a fresh sound, an innovative creation, Coltrane was perhaps, the hinge point for change in the jazz world.  His music registers on a different scale from the many jazz greats that had gone before or have come since.  John Coltrane’s ability with the saxophone is legendary as is his ability to carry listeners beyond what they have known or experienced.  Trane’s greatest achievement as a musician, is the highly regarded A Love Supreme.  Coltrane, himself, knew almost immediately that this was what his entire musical journey was leading up to.  He had come to know also, how far away he was from truly living life with passion, understanding and insight.  Leading up to the creation of this work Coltrane’s story was like too many we have heard about.  Fame, travel, money, the pursuit of pleasure, had all led to a life of addiction and desperation.  As the winds blew over the years the storm within his soul grew in intensity.  Eventually, the addictions, brokenness and strife washed over him and He made a turn, a change.  Out of this change, one of the most important contemporary musical contributions on record was birthed.  A Love Supreme spoke to him immediately, and has arrested hearers every since. 

A Love Supreme was born over a five day period in 1964.  John Coltrane had been going non-stop that year and had recently seen the birth of his first son.  Taking a few weeks away from his brutal schedule and planning to spend time with wife and child, Coltrane got away from it all.  He took his wife and son to their new home and planned to kick back for awhile.  Then “the work” came calling.  Amidst the joy and expectation of having a newborn son, John Jr., came the birth of another creation.  This new birth would be the crowning achievement of his musical life and would demonstrate a new found desire to leave his old life behind in pursuit of the divine call to a higher life.  His new artistic creation would be a marvelous, poetic, heart stirring jazz tribute to God.  After those five days of seclusion in a separate part of the house John Coltrane came back to earth a different man.  His wife knew something different had taken place.  Ashley Kahn, in the introduction to his book on John Coltrane, titled after Trane’s most famous work, records Alice Coltrane’s remarks,

 It was like Moses coming down from the mountain, it was so beautiful.  He walked down and there was that joy, that peace in his face, tranquility.  So I said, ‘Tell me everything, we didn’t see you really for four or five days…’  He said, ‘This is the first time that I have received all of the music for what I want to record, in a suit.  This is the first time I have everything, everything ready.”

 This work, written as a tribute to God, became a best seller as soon as it hit the stores.  Its impact still reaches listeners today.  Musicologists, musicians, music lovers can tell of their first encounters with this amazing work.  Ashley Kahn, points to a few of the memorable recollections of first-timers,

 The first time I heard A Love Supreme, it really was an assault.  It could’ve been from Mars as far as I was concerned, or another galaxy.  I remember the album cover and name, but the music didn’t fit into the patterns of my brain at that point.  It was like someone trying to tell a monkey about spirituality or computers, you know, it just didn’t compute.  (Carlos Santana)

 I was at the top of the Grand Hotel in Chicago [on tour in 1987] listening to A Love Supreme and learning the lesson of a lifetime.  Earlier I had been watching televangelists remake God in their own image: tiny, petty, and greedy.  Religion has become the enemy of God, I was thinking…religion was what happened when God, like Elvis, has left the building.  I knew from my earliest memories that the world was winding in a direction away from love and I too was caught in its drag.  There is so much wickedness in the world but beauty is our consolation prize…the beauty of John Coltrane’s reedy voice, its whispers, its knowingness…Coltrane began to make sense to me.  I left the music on repeat and I stayed awake listening to a man facing God with the gift of his music.” (Bono, Lead Singer U2)

 Just as Santana, Bono, and many others have gotten washed away to another place while listening to Coltrane’s work, so we too can be carried away by the Master’s purposes. 

The experience of Coltrane moving on from a life of addiction and despair toward something more birthed a musical achievement that will live on for time to come.  His willingness to hear, listen, and respond to God stirring him, moving him, and offering him a better life provided all of us something of beauty we can appreciate.  Had he chosen to stay where he was, living in what he had previously known, we would be without this great work.  And the same is true of us.  When we are brought to that “moment”, that fork in the road, that turning point, we must pursue the route that God assures us is for an enlarging of the borders of our heart.  Moving on and allowing God to wash away what we formerly knew is critical to our future.  Like Santana, though we may not at first see the patterns in the music, in time we can come to recognize the value of God’s plan.  In the wash cycle of God’s work, we find a life clean, fresh, new, and more desirable.  When the old is gone and the new has come we understand what Coltrane intended in his titling his glorious work A Love Supreme.  It is the Creator’s supreme love that gives our lives direction.  The supreme love of God is where we find a life worth living.  In the stirrings of our lives we ought to look for the hand of God seeking to lead us to a better place.  Washed away in the waters of His unending love we find ourselves carried away to new life.  Displacement of the life we once knew may be the very thing we need. 

 Bruce Smith

Optimuslife.org

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21. January 2008 by BruceSmith.

 Lessons From a Dream Life, from Bruce’s book, Soul Storm: finding God amidst disaster

The Change You Always Dreamed Of

 Martin Luther King Jr. lived a dream life.  It sounds odd, perhaps, but it is true.  Though his life was cut short tragically, this king of oratory lived his life calling for a better dream in America.  His was one of the most important voices in the history of our nation, and his legacy lives on forever.  It was not an easy dream or an easy life to follow, but it was a life well lived.  His was a life calling for change, radical change.  And in keeping with much of the research on change, most did not want to change, and the change did not come easy.  Eventually, however, the change did come and we are all the better, though not perfect, for it.  We have all seen the world through a different frame as a result King’s life and his passionate speeches, and the course of our nation’s story has been altered for the better because he was willing to be a change agent.  King’s life and words offered us the opportunity and encouragement to embrace a new worldview. 

Let’s take a close look at a few of those powerful words. 

 We have all heard time and time again the famous passages from Martin Luther Kings’ “I have a dream” speech.  But another of his speeches which is lesser known gives us a look at the foundation for his dream speech and dream life.

The night before his death, in his “I’ve been to the mountaintop” speech, Dr. King closed with these words, “Well, I don’t know what will happen now.  We’ve got some difficult days ahead.  But it doesn’t matter with me now.  Because I’ve been to the mountaintop.  And I don’t mind.  Like anybody, I would like to live a long life.  Longevity has its place.  But I’m not concerned about that now.  I just want to do God’s will.  And He’s allowed me to go up to the mountain.  And I’ve looked over.  And I’ve seen the Promised Land.  I may not get there with you.  But I want you to know tonight, that we, as a people, will get to the Promised Land.  And I’m happy tonight.  I ‘m not worried about anything.  I’m not fearing any man.  Mine eyes have seen the glory of the Lord”.

 These may be some of the most important of any of Dr. Martin Luther King’s words—and he spoke many important ones.  They are important for the depth of spiritual courage and for their crystal clear divine perspective.  These words are rich with many lessons that offer us insight to how we make change and our course of action for living the “dream life”.   Below are a few of the deep truths revealed in this brief excerpt from King’s speech.

1. Once we have seen the glory of the Lord, then and only then, does life come into proper perspective.  In light of the knowledge of God we see ourselves as we are, we see the majesty of the creator, and we recognize the futility of all that does not derive its meaning and purpose in Him.  If we are to have any power for change, it must come from outside or ourselves.  Change, as the researchers point out, is very unlikely for the majority of us.  Enabled, however, by a power beyond ourselves, change is attainable. 

2. When we are living life for a purpose bigger than ourselves, the dream becomes the “the thing”.  Even our own lives seem dispensable for the cause.  The thought of death, while real, does not deter us from our passion for the fulfillment of the dream.  Many in New Orleans and the surrounding areas are contemplating a new dream for the city.  The unfortunate reality, however, is that most are beginning to call for a “life as usual” approach.  The dream seems to be a desire to get back to the way things used to be.  If we can embrace a dream beyond “normal”, beyond “the way it used to be” then we can find passion for a pursuit worthy of our time, effort, and sacrifice.  There does appear to be a great deal of rhetoric flying around about building New Orleans bigger and better, yet, the outworking of that rhetoric is not quite living up to the dream at this point. 

3. One glimpse of the mountaintop is enough to convince us of the sufficiency of the dream giver, the one who actually created the mountain.  He becomes our all in all.  From the mountaintop, everything else looks so small.  If we can gain a fresh understanding of God’s agenda for human community we will be on our way to building our cities and our nation better than ever.  The Maker of the mountains has a dream for our communities that provides for the economic opportunity, educational enhancement, vibrant social initiatives, care for the poor and needy, and spiritual revitalization.  With a holistic approach to rebuilding that is pointed toward the building of soul and structures, we have a much greater chance for success.  Change research points this out as well.

4. Quality trumps quantity.  As an investment broker of rare collectible assets I have always told my clients that quality rather than quantity of assets should be the goal.  Dr. King understood this was true of life.  Longevity was not the ultimate aim; rather, the quest of the dream is what determined his essence.  To live life well is the goal.  To build well should be our goal.  As we look toward rebuilding our cities and our lives, we must begin the process with an acknowledgment that quality of rebuilding is what counts.  Some will say “rebuild everything”.  The reality is that a more strategic approach should be embraced with an eye toward shoring up the quality of those parts of New Orleans that really ought to be rebuilt. 

5. When you know the “promised land” is secured in the future, worry and fear diminish.  The knowledge that the ultimate dream will at some point be fulfilled is the soul’s anchor amidst any storm.  Like Moses and so many others, King found his strength in the promise of victory ahead.  The knowledge that the dream life you are building is a God-given vision assures you of the outcome.  Some see the promise fulfilled here on earth, others are used to call out the dream and empower others to chase after it.  In the end, the victory is for all.   Knowing that God is smiling upon the building of you life settles the soul and gives grace amidst all obstacles that my come.  Nothing can stop the man, woman, boy or girl that is pursuing God’s call for the future. 

6. The desire to do the Lord’s will is enough.  The Westminster confession tells us of the ultimate issue:  to know God and enjoy Him forever.  The two go hand in hand.  Those that know Him enjoy Him.  He really does give life and life abundantly.  We tend to get caught up in the world’s agenda for obtaining “happiness”.  The message given is that the pursuit of toys and pleasure is the road to happiness.  In reality, these pursuits and many others distract us and hinder us from obtaining the life God has for us.  In exchange for the temporary, God’s offers us peace, contentment, and an internal life that apart from God we can never know.  That is why no matter how high we climb, how much money we make, we will never be at rest apart from a knowledge of God.  St. Augustine once wrote that our souls were created with a God-given void.  In that place, a place only God can fill, He offers to place His Spirit.  We will have no rest, says Augustine, until we find our rest in God. 

7. If the dream is God given it MUST be pursued.  As was the case for the nation Israel in the Old Testament, the life God calls us to is the only option if we want a sustainable future.  To turn from God’s agenda for our life personally, as a city, as a nation, leads only to more misery.  If we are to rebuild with the promise of a hopeful future we must build according to His plan.  In stark contrast to the lives of those already rebuilding the “old way” we must pursue a new future.  It is sad to hear that the first businesses re-opened in New Orleans were the strip clubs.  Equally disturbing are calls for the city to embrace an expanded gambling district in New Orleans in an effort to “jump start” the economy.  In a city notorious for crime, filth, immorality, drunkenness, and dirty politics an embrace of an industry leading to more of the same is not the answer.  If we fail to understand that a different way is best for our future, and if we miss God’s call for change, we are in for more destruction.  It is incongruous for leaders to call for the help of the Church amidst disaster, and then turn from God’s message for life building and community building once the panic has subsided.  Similarly, those caught in the violent storms of life as a result of bad decisions cannot call on God and claim His name while pursuing the very activities that have led to their demise.  His plan, His way, is the only way.  The very pursuit of His plan is what will bring us fulfillment, purpose, poise, and passion; things we all crave.  Dr. King’s life and speeches were characterized by a life filled with these values and his call for change in American was eventually heard.  Change is possible.  A change for good is preferable.  God offers us the means for change. 

 In the aftermath of hurricane Katrina our nation has became aware of the depth of the storm which still rages in our country regarding race and class.  The looting, desperation, and revelations of the extent of poverty in one of America’s most visited cities gave onlookers a tragic look at how much change is still needed in America.  The changes we must pursue will not come overnight, and they will require a radical approach.  In the end, however, these changes, should they be accomplished offer us a much brighter future.  The changes accomplished through the efforts of Dr. King came at a great price to many involved and certainly to him.  The goal and the achievements were worth the struggle.  All the difficulty, pain, loss, and sacrifice paid off in the long run.  Our nation, as a result of the extreme changes called for in the battle for civil rights, is stronger, more diverse and much richer.  The changes God calls us to are always for our good.  At times those changes require that we go through intense turmoil and loss.  What we lose in the exchange, however, is always returned with much greater reward.  When we move from the slavery of brokenness, division, and spiritual poverty, into the light of healing, community, and integrity, as people and as a culture we always win.  In the wake of disaster and displacement God’s desire is to bring radical change into our lives.  These changes in values, priorities, location, profession, goals, relationships, and the like will result in a future we could not have imagined. 

 Bruce Smith

optimuslife.org

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18. January 2008 by BruceSmith.

Dear Bruce,

It seems like life offers me one blow after another.  Most of them, if I am honest, have come at my own doing.  I have made a series of mistakes which now have me in a bad place.  I have messed up my family, my relationships with friends, and my life in general.  I want to be different, but I am not sure how do rebuild my life or if I can.

Help!

C

Dear C,

Read the following excerpt from my book, Soul Storm.  Its the story of Steve Jobs and the turnaround at Apple.  I think you will find much value here.  You can do it!

Bruce

read on:  The Apple of His Eye

 Steve Jobs, the legendary CEO of Apple Computers, and college dropout, is a case study in the value of never quitting, never giving in when all appears lost.  The story of Apple is one that demonstrates the value of viewing the original goal, passion, and mission as something to cling to until the very end.  Steve Jobs is a huge figure in the world of computers and wealth building.  He co-founded Apple computer, gave the world its first PC-like machine in 1976, was a multi-millionaire before the age of thirty, and was the prime mover for Apple’s early and rapid success.  Bored, burned out, or just looking for something else to do, Jobs walked away from his company.  Upon Job’s departure from the company in the mid-eighties, Apple began to flounder in the absence of its leader.  For many years the health of this great company was deteriorating.  With market share deteriorating, profits falling, on the verge of terminal illness, and with all the experts pronouncing impending doom, Steve Jobs came back to Apple in 1997 as the “interim CEO”.  In 2000 he officially took the helm as the point man and CEO of this dying company.  When nearly everyone else had given up hope, Steve Jobs found inspiration in the initial passion and mission that birthed this once great company and he committed himself to a major rebuilding effort. 

 His first step toward recovering what had been lost, and in moving forward better than ever, was to give the company a makeover.  Apple, by design, Jobs was convinced, had to be a company of fresh vision and forward thinking.  Jobs was determined to demonstrate that this dying behemoth could and would lead the industry once again.  He started the makeover by totally redesigning the company and its products from the ground up.  The image, marketing, and design would have to be new, fresh, out of the box, and beyond anything the industry had ever seen.  The “Think Differently” marketing campaign set the tone for Apple’s new future.  In the days following his return, and still today, the compelling artistry, design, and user-friendliness have seemingly everyone craving Apple products once again.  The new highly stylized computers, the iPOD, the new Nano, iTunes, and the software have developed a cult like following.  Though I am cranking this book out on a windows based laptop, in my home office you will find one fantastic kick butt Apple desktop with a ridiculously large Apple cinema screen!  Somewhere in the house are more than a couple Apple iPods.  This company’s products are way cool, way fresh, and very alluring.  The attraction is back at Apple, market share in increasing, profits are climbing, and our culture is eating up its products like candy.  The turnaround is happening.  The company is better than ever.  The future looks bright.

 How does this kind of thing take place?  What is it that enables a once faltering and sputtering entity to come back to life in such a manner?  We have heard it quoted many times, “Never, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, give up. Never give up. Never give up. Never give up.“  These often quoted words of Winston Churchill are use by speakers, writers, and self-help gurus around the world regularly.  What many of us are unaware of, however, is the occasion, context and body of the entire speech.  Context means everything if the true import of a given quote is to really speak its truth.  The rousing speech, given by Churchill amidst the battles raging in World War II, is a testament to our call to persevere and press through the darkest of days.  The speech, given to students at the Harrow School conveys strength, character, poise, and resolve to fight for that which one considers to be of ultimate value.  Those words, in there entirety, are here for our consideration and have many parallels to the issues addressed in this book.  Britain, the apple of Winston Churchill’s eye was worth fighting for even amidst his country’s darkest days.  His words follow,

 Almost a year has passed since I came down here at your Head Master’s kind invitation in order to cheer myself and cheer the hearts of a few of my friends by singing some of our own songs.

The ten months that have passed have seen very terrible catastrophic events in the world–ups and downs, misfortunes– but can anyone sitting here this afternoon, this October afternoon, not feel deeply thankful for what has happened in the time that has passed and for the very great improvement in the position of our country and of our home?

Why, when I was here last time we were quite alone, desperately alone, and we had been so for five or six months. We were poorly armed. We are not so poorly armed today; but then we were very poorly armed. We had the unmeasured menace of the enemy and their air attack still beating upon us, and you yourselves had had experience of this attack; and I expect you are beginning to feel impatient that there has been this long lull with nothing particular turning up!

But we must learn to be equally good at what is short and sharp and what is long and tough. It is generally said that the British are often better at the last. They do not expect to move from crisis to crisis; they do not always expect that each day will bring up some noble chance of war; but when they very slowly make up their minds that the thing has to be done and the job put through and finished, then, even if it takes months - if it takes years - they do it.

Another lesson I think we may take, just throwing our minds back to our meeting here ten months ago and now, is that appearances are often very deceptive, and as Kipling well says, we must “…meet with Triumph and Disaster. And treat those two impostors just the same.”  You cannot tell from appearances how things will go. Sometimes imagination makes things out far worse than they are; yet without imagination not much can be done. Those people who are imaginative see many more dangers than perhaps exist; certainly many more than will happen; but then they must also pray to be given that extra courage to carry this far-reaching imagination.  But for everyone, surely, what we have gone through in this period–I am addressing myself to the School–surely from this period of ten months, this is the lesson: Never give in. Never give in.

Never, never, never, never–in nothing, great or small, large or petty–never give in, except to convictions of honor and good sense. Never yield to force. Never yield to the apparently overwhelming might of the enemy.

We stood all alone a year ago, and to many countries it seemed that our account was closed, we were finished. All this tradition of ours, our songs, our School history, this part of the history of this country, were gone and finished and liquidated.  Very different is the mood today. Britain, other nations thought, had drawn a sponge across her slate. But instead our country stood in the gap. There was no flinching and no thought of giving in; and by what seemed almost a miracle to those outside these Islands, though we ourselves never doubted it, we now find ourselves in a position where I say that we can be sure that we have only to persevere to conquer.

You sang here a verse of a School Song: you sang that extra verse written in my honor, which I was very greatly complimented by and which you have repeated today. But there is one word in it I want to alter - I wanted to do so last year, but I did not venture to. It is the line: “Not less we praise in darker days.” I have obtained the Head Master’s permission to alter darker to sterner. “Not less we praise in sterner days.” Do not let us speak of darker days: let us speak rather of sterner days. These are not dark days; these are great days–the greatest days our country has ever lived; and we must all thank God that we have been allowed, each of us according to our stations, to play a part in making these days memorable in the history of our race. 

 And so, the call to fight for that which is important to us must be heard loud and clear.  Rather than giving in amidst life’s most desperate moments and pronouncing a death sentence upon all of our dreams, we must passionately pursue that which is so precious to us.  Never give up, never give in, never quite pursuing your God given passion.  No matter where you are in the journey, at the top or beneath the rubble, turn you gaze upwardly, think differently, think with the mind of Christ, and go for it.  Attempt the ridiculous for good of others as God inspires you.  Pour the rubber into the waffle iron, cut the mold, build the shoe, lace it up, and go for it.  Just do it.  If you think your idea, your dream, your passion to rebuild your life is just too hard or too unthinkable, read the story of Bill Bowerman and the creation of the first Nike tennis shoe. 

 God tells us we are the apple of his eye.  He assures us of His love for us, and He has told us over and over again that He is about the business of rebuilding.  His ways are not our ways, His thinking is outside the box, and life looks much different from His perspective.  When all around may appear to be death and destruction, through God’s eyes the view is much better.  From the grave He brings new life, fresh dreams, and bright futures.  In His hands, devastation and hopelessness are transformed into life and that abundantly.  Pick up a hammer, its time to start rebuilding!

 Bruce

optimuslife.org

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16. January 2008 by BruceSmith.

…continued from yesterday…Learning through waiting (from Soul Storm: finding God amidst disaster)

Beyond what we have already investigated previously, Milton’s poem (see yesterday’s blog) offers us some very practical insights into God’s waiting room.  These truths give us some concrete foundational instruction upon which we can build our lives when we find ourselves in God’s waiting room.

 1.  It is worth the wait

Anytime God does not give us what we want when we want it, we must remember it is for our good.  We cannot fathom what God has in store for us in the unfolding of His plans.  If we can keep ourselves from attempting to direct His hand so often we will find ourselves much more at peace.  Any perceived delay is in reality God’s perfect timing.   Much greater is the joy for those who have worked, prayed, pushed, and hoped over the long haul.  In God’s plan, a pleasure postponed is in reality a joy increased.  How thrilled were the Red Sox to finally win the World Series again after “all those years”?  How thrilled will the people of a rebuilt New Orleans be when the Saints finally win the Super Bowl?  O.k., maybe some things are meant to never happen, but you get the point.  The scriptures tell us, “No eye has seen, no mind conceived what God has prepared for those that love Him”.  It’s worth the wait.

 2.  There is strength in the wait

Typically, men and women of great inner strength developed that gusto through a great deal of time and hardship.  There are no shortcuts to greatness.  Great strength is the exception because so few are willing to “wait” for their time.  It is too tempting to settle for mediocrity which comes so much quicker and so much easier.  How does a world class athlete get to that place where the body performs so perfectly that it looks effortless?  Years of conditioning, training, and pain are the requirement for that kind of accomplishment.  When a man or woman of God endures what seems like endless suffering, and in the face of that suffering exhibit marvelous grace, it is a thing of beauty.  That kind of strength comes from a heart dedicated to waiting on God.  The strength to wait on Him settles in when we let go of our craving for ease and comfort.  That is a hard thing for Americans.  Who has not been astounded by stories like those of Joni Ericson Tada and Corrie Ten Boom?  These women have demonstrated Godly strength in the face of terrifying difficulty.  As we surrender ourselves, our hopes, ambitions, understanding of life, and all that we are to God, we find hope even in places of hardship and we find a supernatural strength welling up within us.  We can make it through.

3.      There is character in the wait

Have you seen the movie “Mr. Holland’s Opus?”  Mr. Holland became a high school music teacher by default, but ultimately came to find his life’s purpose in instilling vision, passion, and a love of learning in the kids he taught.  At the end of the movie Mr. Holland is let go from his job of many years and he is heart- broken.  He is tempted to question if his career meant anything at all.  This man, who early in life aspired to be a great composer, is now at the end of his journey as a teacher and is feeling totally dispensable.  As he is gathering his things from his office and leaving the school campus for the last time he hears noise coming from the auditorium.  With his wife tagging along he ventures into the auditorium to see what is going on.  What he walks into is a testament to the power of character, his character.  The auditorium is full of students, current and those from years gone by.  They are all there to celebrate a life lived with character.  Though Mr. Holland never made it as a composer, he made a difference in the lives of countless youth.  His true Opus, they tell him, are the lives he transformed.  I have watched it 20 times and never once with a dry face.  People, as we go through this life, we must remember that our character is what is most important.  “What does it profit a man if he gains the world and yet loses his soul?”  If we abandon character for selfish ambition we miss the boat.  Any legacy we leave will stand or fall based upon our character.  It is not about the size of our house or bank account, and it not about the toys in the garage.  All of that, as we have seen, can go ten feet under in a matter of hours.  When all our things are lost and we as a people get “displaced”, what is inside still remains.  When all we have left is what we see in the mirror reality hits home.  Character of soul is what matters.  The character and integrity of the structure or our soul is what will determine how we weather the storm. 

      4.  There is grace in the wait

Milton, who gradually “watched” his sight diminish and eventually totally leave him, wrestled intensely with God’s purpose in this illness.  At the end of the day God gives him a remarkable glimpse of His grace.  God birthed in Milton an amazing poem that crystallizes the heavenly perspective on disaster. Milton comes to understand that we do not need to have it all “put together” to be used by God.  He comes to see that we have value before the Creator for just showing up!  God’s ability to love us and to use us is not hindered by our disability!  As we hunger and thirst to know what amazing accomplishments lie ahead for us, at the end of the day, what really matters is just that—waiting on God.  This waiting, Godly waiting, amounts to no more than a joyful, restful, strong, grace filled acceptance that God’s agenda for us is enough.  It is up to Him to show the extravagance of His grace in our lives.  As we cooperate with that purpose, waiting on him is life and that abundantly.  In the rubble of disaster, the message is clear; the clock has not run out on us.  God is not finished.  The best may be ahead.  Remember, John Milton’s Paradise Lost, was written while he was blind!  And the rest as they say “Is history.”  He is the treasure hidden in a field, the pearl of great price, the beginning and the end, our all in all-and he is worth waiting on!

5.      Waiting reveals truth, absolute truth

We live in a culture overcome with opinion.  Just listen to all of the opinions on how the city of New Orleans ought to be rebuilt.  There are fights over re-entry, FEMA contracts, which areas of the city to bulldoze and which to rebuild, who is to blame for the havoc, who gets press time and who does not, and fights over who will pay for all of this mess.  Beyond opinions on this disaster, Americans embrace the idea that truth is relative and each opinion is as valuable as the next.  The contemporary American view is that all beliefs are equal.  Essentially, as a culture, we are making the ridiculous assumption that no absolute truth exists.  This is, of course, stated by our talk-show host-philosophers, absolutely.  What God shows us, however, in the waiting room of disaster, is that we all crave one sure answer for our pain and loss.  At the juncture between dreams and nightmares, truth is cried out for.  We all want the dream life, we all want protection from the nightmare.  We all give ourselves credit for the good, and we are too tempted to blame Mother Nature for the bad.  In moments of misery opinions just do not carry the same weight as firm truth.  Truth is what we all need when all is lost.  Mother’s who are losing a child to a terminal illness want someone to make sense of things for them.  Adult children that have lost an elderly parent as a result of someone’s neglect and failure to evacuate a nursing home prior to the flood waters arriving want answers.  Pain, loss, and waiting thrust us in the direction of God.  Just as we sit with family and friends in hospital waiting rooms while our loved one undergoes a life-threatening surgical procedure, so we also wait with a hunger for hope of good news from above when all our hopes are fading away.  One friend, whose business and life were dramatically affected by the hurricane, recently told me, “I am just looking for some hope”.  Disasters propel us to find the source of hope and truth.  The truth is that there is hope.  That hope is found only in the Truth.  Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life”.  He is absolutely our only hope.

I have come to see the reality of these practical truths throughout my life as I have wrestled with God during my own personal disasters.  So many times I have thought, “This is another roadblock, another step backward.”  In reality, as I look back now, God was and is at work.  God was and is at work in the lives of all of those impacted by hurricane Katrina.  Our view of God, as was the case for Milton, is being re-worked as we deal with this darkness.  Our prayer must be that God give us spiritual eyes to see what He is saying to us.  In our own spiritual blindness we seem to be missing the point, I am afraid.  Just as Milton could not understand how God’s plan for this great mind, writer, and poet could possibly unfold amidst blindness, we too lack eyes to see what God is up to in this present disaster.  Could it be that God has placed us in the waiting room of life in order that we might think more seriously, as a city, a people, a nation, about whom God is and how far we are falling short of His call to us?  All the re-building timelines and projections point to this being a very long wait.  It will take years of extremely hard work to get the city of New Orleans and the Gulf Coast region moving again.  For our own good and the good of our county, we ought to use this time in wait to reflect upon where we have been and where we are going as a country.  Now, just days following the devastation of Katrina we are hearing about the possibility of the coming bird flu pandemic.  What if another huge storm is ahead for a nation without eyes to see and ears to hear the voice of God?  As bad as the devastation of Katrina has been, all the experts are now telling us it could have been much worse.  If God does not have our undivided attention now, what will it take?  God’s ways, as Milton found out, are indeed justifiable.  Like Job and Milton, we often view ourselves higher than we ought to.  We are not the end of all things.  When we find ourselves at the mercy of “nature” this reality comes painfully close to home.  Standing amidst such catastrophe we have no power as humans to “speak” our desires into existence as some preachers or “positive thinkers” might suggest.  As was true for John Milton is true for us, no man centered theology will fix this mess.  God alone can make sense of this.  The answers are there if we are willing to listen.  In moments like these we must simply recognize that His ways are higher than our ways, humbly throw ourselves before Him, and trust in His grace.  Only a word spoken from God can heal this kind of hurt. 

Bruce Smith

optimuslife.org

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15. January 2008 by BruceSmith.

 An excerpt from Bruce’s book, Soul Storm: finding God amidst disaster (www.soulstormsite.com)

They also serve who only stand and wait

 John Milton (1608—1674)

 John Milton was and is an enormous figure in the world of literature.  His work, Paradise Lost, sits with very few others on a short list of the greatest poems ever written.  Another of his works, When I Consider How My Light is Spent, is critical to understanding the life, thought, and substance of this epic writer, and is a short poem penned amidst his battle with blindness.  It relates to our discussion regarding the storms of our souls because Milton wrestles honestly before an all powerful God who holds in His hands the ability to quell all storms and heal at any moment.  Often times, amidst the hard realities of this life, we wonder, “Where is our help?” Like those caught by the waters of Katrina, stranded for days on end in a city that seemed to be caving in moment by moment, we often stand mystified by the severity of our dilemma and the lack of apparent response from a helper.  How do we understand this?  How do we make any sense of this?  The images of angry, starving, dehydrated citizens of the world’s only remaining “super-power”, struggling for survival in a city crushed by the brutality of nature, humbled us, startled us, and leaves us wondering what to make of this tragedy.  What do we do when life saps us of all our resources, ups the ante on our misery, and seemingly mocks us?  How do we move on when the world changes so much from one day to the next?  One day all is light, and then darkness falls and remains.  So much changed, in just one day, for the inhabitants of the city of New Orleans.  The Big Easy, in a matter of 24 hours, was turned into the nation’s big dilemma.  What now?  What do we do with this mess?  What can we do while the city is put back together?  How do we wait on God during a disaster?

 John Milton dealt with these questions as he struggled with the disaster of blindness.  This brilliant mind, a mind determined to know and understand what life was about, wrestled with his debilitating condition.  From the beginning of his life John Milton was a gifted learner.  He mastered his studies and was adept with languages.  He was a hungry scholar.  That, of course, entailed a great deal of reading and writing.  Reading and writing require sight.  Early on, Milton felt the call of God to pen the greatest English poem ever put to paper.  The result of that call, and the affirmation of that call in the minds of many, is the epic, Paradise Lost, which was his attempt to “justify the ways of God to men”. 

 Milton’s life was not an easy one by any standard.  Scholars point to three major periods in his life, each characterized by difficulty and struggle of varying sorts.  By 1663, all of it came to a crescendo.  All of the wrestling with God amidst various and intense disasters led up to his greatest contribution to literature in Paradise Lost.  The Norton Anthology of English Literature, makes reference to this, “In 1663 Milton married his third wife, Elizabeth Minshull; and in blindness, poverty, defeat, and relative isolation, he set about completing a poem “justifying the ways of God to men…”.  While Paradise Lost is referred to as Milton’s greatest achievement, an investigation of what it offers is not our aim here.  Rather, a brief glimpse of one of his most intense struggles is our concern.  For the justifications of God’s actions explained in Paradise Lost, stem from a life of wrestling with physical, emotional, financial, and spiritual disaster.  The poem, When I Consider How My Light Is Spent, offers us a heart-felt and soul stirring look at what it means to find God amidst disaster, and helps to direct us to that place where we can say with Milton, at the end of the journey, “God’s ways are higher than our ways, and He truly has us in His hands”.  Let’s get after it.  Milton writes,

 When I consider how my light is spent,

Ere half my days, in this dark world and wide,

And that one talent which is death to hide,

Lodged with me useless, though my soul more bent

To serve therewith my Maker, and present

My true account, lest he returning chide;

“Doth God exact day-labor, light denied?”

I fondly ask; but Patience to prevent

That murmur, soon replies, “God doth not need”

Either man’s work or his own gifts; who best

Bear His mild yoke, they serve Him best. His state

Is kingly.  Thousands at his bidding speed

And post o’er land and ocean without rest:

They also serve who only stand and wait.”

 What is Milton saying with this powerful poem?  The lessons are extensive, but I would like to call our attention to a few of the most relevant messages.  First and foremost, Milton has his faulty view of his importance corrected.  How many of us quickly fall into self-pity when difficulty sets in?  How many of us, deceived by our own preoccupation with our “need” turn to bitterness and resentment when we don’t get what we want as soon as we want it?  And how is it that people we once thought were good look so bad when life gets challenging?  Case in point-looters.  Images of looters running throughout New Orleans at our lowest moment were stunning.  Where did these people think they were going with Nike tennis shoes, stereos and televisions?  No dry land on which to run in those shoes, no one to play basketball with, no electricity for radio or television, and no way to hide from the cameras.  What were they thinking?  Milton, like Job has his inflated view of his importance sharply corrected by the Creator of the Universe.  God doth not need us.  We tend to get that backwards.  His desire is that we might see our need of Him during desperate times.  Desperation ought to send us upward.  Once we understand, regardless of our “success” in this world, just how little we are in light of God’s universe and plan, we can begin to look up to God in gratitude for our lives and humbly turn to Him when the odds are against us. 

 Milton writes also of his new awareness of the value in waiting.  In contrast to the all conquering Christian superman ideal, we see heroism of faith in this poem put on display by humbly and peacefully waiting and trusting a power other than ourselves to work out the plan. We do not like waiting.  At all costs we avoid the long lines at the grocery, we buy express passes at the Disney theme parks, we Tivo, we do “fast food”, we microwave, and we pay out the nose for anything and everything to be shipped next day air.  These things seem trivial at first glance, but in reality this frame of mind does, indeed, transfer to our view of how God should work in our lives.  Our expectation is for God to hurry up and fix us and our situation.  This greatest loss in such a view of God is the resulting lack of peace and growth in the journey.  God values the journey, and uses all its twists and turns to unfold His plan, His glorious plan, in our lives.  We see this again and again in scriptural accounts of heroes of faith, like Joseph, Abraham, Moses, Paul, and many more.  In any inspiring historical account of a life well-lived, and in every account of heroes of faith, you see a life filled with grace and triumph amidst overwhelming odds.  We do not admire people who always have it easy.  We value courage, strength, and integrity; all of which are displayed in difficult situations. 

To be continued!  Tomorrow, The Practical Value and Lessons in Waiting

Bruce Smith

optimuslife.org

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