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15. May 2010 by BruceSmith.
As a kid I had little motivation when it came to study and academics. That all changed when as a young college student I finally came to realize I had a purpose for being on this planet, and God quickened my heart to prepare myself for life.The desire for preparation he sparked in me was not merely task based or even vocation based. Once God made it clear to me that all of this world and my little life had meaning and significance, it all came alive in a wonderful way. Almost in a blink, my heart was hungry, my mind was engaged, and my passions for taking on an adventure of study were kindled.I cannot fathom a life without the gift of learning. I cannot imagine, nor dare to try, what life would be like as a mature (I should use that word loosely I suppose) adult, to just allow my days to pass by without being fully aware, and fully interacting with the world around me. This place is magical. It convinces me, in the words of G.K. Chesterton, that there must be a “magician” behind it all.The truth of God seen in the artistry of a symphony, the blades of grass in a field, the shimmering diamond-like quality of a snowflake glistening in the air as the sun strikes it just so, the innocent laugh of a child in the throws of simple ecstasy, the wonder of a profound truth explained by a gifted orator… these things convince me that behind the facts we find a Maker.After spending years as an agnostic, and upon coming to a place where his thoughts led him to consider reality for the first time, to consider why this world is here at all in all its marvels, Chesterton put it this way,”This was my first conviction; made by the shock of my childish emotions meeting the modern creed in mid-career. I had always felt facts to be miracles in the sense that they are wonderful; now I began to think them miracles in the stricter sense that they were willful. I mean that they were, or might be, repeated exercises of some will.In short, I had always believed that the world involved magic: now I thought that perhaps it involved a magician…that this world of ours has some purpose, and if a purpose, there is a person behind the purpose. I had always felt life first as a story: and if there is a story, there is a story-teller.”I do not know where you are today on your journey, in your story. I do know that your story will take on much deeper meaning and adventure when and if you wake up to the world and events around you and truly engage. Take time to study it out. Search out the truths which bring life into greater clarity. Find how God’s wisdom comes to bear on relationships, politics, health, pleasure, family, romance, medical ethics, music, nature, beauty, and on and on. It is not merely an exercise in growing one’s mind (though there is much value in that), rather, it is a thrilling process whereby you soul is quickened to the magical hand of a loving Creator who has much for us to experience. This becomes critically important as you seek to fulfill your calling and lead others to embrace your vision. People follow intelligent, capable, thoughtful, prepared, aware, mindful, and joyously “measured” leaders.If you are seeking to bring a greater sense of magic and meaning into your own life, hear the call which came to Saint Augustine, “Take up and read!” Put some time into opening the books, opening your life to new areas of experience, culture, and expression. Take in all this amazing God has given us to enjoy. Drop the common and lazy preoccupations of a distracted, crude, and slothful world, and enter into the journey full throttle.There is magic in the air. Have you seen it?
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5. May 2010 by BruceSmith.
The Catch …From Now On…
Life takes off when the CATCH sets in.
In luke 5:1-11 a remarkable scene unfolds. Because we have heard the story so many times, and because we tend to minimize the details upon rehearing, we have missed just how much is really here. Let’s take a close look, a new close look, at some of the magical implications which unfold in this dramatic scene. What we may find, as we look deeper, is that the real miracles unfold, in the lives of those involved, not in the boat, but in the lives which are walked out after the fish bust open the nets and the boats nearly sink. Its the magic of life that is really to be seen here.
After “one of those days” on the water, an empty “catch”, and readying themselves for the off time, those dedicated professional fishermen received the gift of a lifetime. A gift for a lifetime. Therein lies the problem. Look again at the text.
The market for fishing, no doubt, had to be quite competitive in their little neck of the woods. The one thing that could change their lives forever would be a lock on the market. Imagine what must have gone on in the minds of those on the boats that day when the catch of a lifetime came their way. This is it! We hit the lottery! This guy is gonna take us to the top! People will be coming to us from now on! Our lives have now changed! We are gonna be rich, rich, rich! I can see the Jewish screenwriters pounding out the drama now. They may have called it, “The Kosherest Catch!”
Put yourself in their hip boots. You’ve been just one of the many grinding out a living, providing for your family and for your community. You go home dog tired every day. You wonder, at times, what life would be like if you hit the mother load. And then, all of the sudden, out of the blue, BAM…luck strikes. Any of us, in all likelihood, would be tempted to think about the new boats, the new house, the new clothes, the new reputation, … And I cannot help but think these guys had the same urge, at least initially. Simon (Peter), James, and John, had to be licking their chops
And this is where the magnitude of the miracle really unfolds. Again, place yourself there in the scene. Jesus has your back. You ride in with him with more fish than the entire village has ever seen before. Everyone is looking at you like you are some sort of fishing god. Is that Peter?! Look at all those fish! He is coming to my next bar mitzvah! Someone call Larry Kingstein, he needs to be on T.V.! That guy is a fishing beast!
In one afternoon, as if winning the lottery, life has the potential to change in amazing ways. But something different is on the mind of those impacted most intimately on this day. While many are, no doubt, standing around in amazement, and wondering just how things will unfold from here, Peter, James, John, (and I would guess many who worked for them), took thought not of the financial implications of the big score, but rather, focused on the Man behind the miracle.
What Peter and the others clearly saw that day was the radical life-changing force behind this Jesus. The response is instructional. They did not jump up and down high-fiving each other and shouting, “We’re in the money!” Rather, they fell down in humility, and with a healthy dose of the fear of God, and asked Jesus to make them different inside. In light of who Jesus was, and in light of who they were (the ugly part), they saw not monetary gain, but the chance to move in an entirely new direction. With the promise of a big financial gain right in front of them they made it to shore and gave all they had ever known not a single additional thought! Wow. Talk about “getting it”.
The real miracle, for them, and for us, is this: an encounter with Jesus Christ can change everything. Radically. Upon encountering Him, it all changes. Life from that moment on is just different. Totally, completely, and marvelously different. This is the brilliance of the Gospel. Prior to a relationship with Christ we live, but we can’t really live by definition. As the Gospel suggests, He is life, and those who walk apart from Him walk not in life. Those who find Him, as He suggests Himself, find life, life abundantly. This is what Peter, James, John, and others found that day amidst “The Catch”. We go from daily life to living out a calling upon meeting Him. And a calling lends our life momentum, purpose, and a compelling force. In light of this force, all else which is not in keeping with the pull of the call, looses its allure. Money, fame, sex, pleasure, titles, … you name it, it cannot compete with being caught up in the net of God’s grace.
Jeremiah 29:11 affirms this truth, “I know the plans I have for you. Plans for your good. Plans for a future and a hope, declares the Lord”.
Sometimes the plan comes into full view, as if never before, in the most unexpected of moments. Sometimes the experience seemed sidetracked or delayed. For some it happens early. For others its not till later in life when they open up their hearts and souls to the reality of this newness of life. Whatever the case may be for you, wherever you find yourself now, God is tracking you. He has cast His net wide. He has laid the trap for your capture. He longs to have you home. He has been waiting for you. He is expecting and longing to see you, to know you, to embrace you. He longs to make all things new from this moment on.
Ravi Zacharias tells the story, in many of his lectures, of a man and woman who know the meaning of finding this kind of love, longing, and aspiration for something profound. The woman and the man, who met as teenagers, and whose love was lost at an early age, literally spent their entire lives apart until the latter days of their adventure. You see, the two of them, apparently truly in love even as teenagers, were separated by parents, distance and time, but never in their hearts. They knew they were meant to be together, yet life had prevented it from coming true. Providence, in an instant changed all of this in a marvelous way.
On a typical day, as a man was going about his day, he came upon a bill fold which had been dropped in a park. Constrained by his faith, and his desire to impact the lives of others, he set out to find the owner of the wallet. Leafing through the wallet, behind the three one dollar bills enclosed within, he noticed a tattered letter which looked as if it had been penned decades before. When he opened it he realized it was a love letter. It was addressed to the woman in the story. Determined to find the owner of the wallet, he pursued his clue. Upon knocking on the door where the letter led him, he was told that the woman had not lived there for many years. They did know a relative of the woman, however, and suggested the man contact them. Upon doing so, he was told that the woman was now living in a nursing home.
Undaunted by the challenge of continuing his investigation, the man who found the wallet eventually had the time and ability to go to the home where the woman was now staying. Entering the nursing home, of course, he was questioned about his intentions and so he shared the story of his find with the staff, and asked if he might see this woman who may lead him to the owner of the wallet. What happened next is nothing less than God-ordained wonder.
When he entered the room of the woman he was struck by her presence. She just had a way about her. After the informal greetings he told this kind woman of his quest to find the owner of a wallet which contained only one clue, a love letter to her. As she listened to him read she began to cry. When she did he was provoked to stop and ask why. She went on to tell him that the man who wrote the letter was the only man she ever gave her heart to, and that her heart still beat for him even as her life was drawing to a close. She had never dated nor married, constrained by her love for him. “After him”, she said, “no one else was good enough”. Sadly, she had no idea what had come of him after their teen years, and she had no help to offer to him on this search.
Touched to tears, and somewhat discouraged on his quest, he left her room. As he left in tears one of the orderlies noticed he was crying and asked what happened. As he shared the story of lost love and undying devotion the orderly nearly screamed with exultation. She said, “He is here!”. Stunned, the man remarked that she must be mistaken. “NO!” she exclaimed. “He is here!”
The orderly walked the man down to the appropriate floor and room and made the introduction. The man began to tell his story again. Explaining that he had found a wallet containing a love letter, and sharing his desire to find the rightful owner, the man’s heart began to beat out of his chest at the possibilities in front of him. He asked the elderly man if, indeed, he were the writer of the love letter, and if, indeed, the wallet were his. To his astonishment he said, “Yes.”
As their time together went on the elderly man spoke of his undying love for his girl. Amazingly, he too, had remained alone in love his entire life. He too could settle for nothing less than his first love. He missed her and often thought of her, and this, he said, is why he kept the letter all this time.
Fighting back the tears, and with his heart now tearing its way from his chest, the good finder suggested to the elderly lover that he may know where his lost love was. Taking him by the hand, he led him up three floors and to a room. Waiting in that room was his past, his unknown, and his future. As the re-introductions were made it was clear love was still in the air. The staff and the good samaritan, feeling as if they were now intruding upon something sacred, left the room, giving the lovers time to “catch up”.
Three weeks later, the re-united lovers were married!
God is like that. He loves. He longs. He waits. He loves. He is, and has been waiting for you. You are the one His heart has always beat for. Yours is the heart that sparks a twinkle in His eye. Oh, how He loves you.
When we “meet” Him, what we fail to realize is that He has searched us out. He has “caught us” finally. From that moment on, as it did for Peter and the others, as it did for the re-united lovers, life changes. It changes in magical ways. It changes in ways we always hoped and dreamed and longed for but never expected. That is life abundant.
Its found in Him. He loves you.
Bruce Smith optimuslife.org
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22. April 2010 by BruceSmith.
An A.P.P.L.E. a day …
A successful life is largely abut execution. Execution, not in terms of knocking people off, mind you, but rather, execution in terms of diligently pursuing and implementing a strategic plan. What is obvious, but often neglected, is the people part of the execution equation. In all we do in life we are surrounded by others. Daily life now and ahead will force us to engage others. Biblically, we were actually created in community, and for community. Its fundamental. It goes without saying, then, that we ought to be about doing community well. The acronym below (A.P.P.L.E.), I hope, will prove helpful to you as you implement the principles spelled out. Its all about relationships. Like it or not, you will never escape this reality. Learn to like it, engage, and get on with it.
The people part of the equation becomes critical to our “success” in life. That is to say, how we handle people, can make or break us. This is true in romantic pursuits, business pursuits, friendships, casual interactions, families, and in our spiritual dialogue with others. Because none of us lives in isolation (nor should we try), the quality of our relational interaction largely determines how life unfolds for us.
The principles reviewed here, if applied, I believe, can set us up for much greater depth, security, intimacy, trust, and fulfillment in every area of our lives. Applied to every interaction we have, these truths offer the potential for us to experience a much greater sense of freedom and fulfillment on a daily basis. So, as the saying goes, an APPLE a day keeps the…relationally strained life away.
Authenticity– this is that quality which speaks to who we are and what we are about in reality. We cannot, despite any efforts to “act” a part, experience true fulfillment in our relationships if we are not operating from a standpoint of character and truth. Some, being better actors than others, can fake it and sort of keep things going o.k. for awhile, but there is always the nagging sense of deception, hidden agenda, and lack of depth or personal heart connection. Life cannot go on that way very long before our hearts are in a severe state of decay.
In a very real sense we cannot offer what does not reside within us. Until and unless we become something authentic before God, we are merely playing roles to get us through the next interaction. It is God who makes us into the most real self He has created us to be, and only in relationship with Him do we find freedom and authenticity which will make all our other relationships utterly meaningful. If we don’t know Him we cannot truly know ourselves, and we have no hope of giving properly to others. Authenticity, a true knowledge of who you are, Whose you are, and who you are called to be, enables a you to relate to others with a strength, comfort and transparency that far too few have found. It distinguishes you and sets you up for greatness. This authentic personhood, found only in intimacy with God, is the foundation for a life of deep relational interaction with others.
Poise– if you have ever watched a world-class athlete perform splendidly, unrattled, under immense pressure, shot clock running out, 2 outs in the bottom of the ninth, down match point, sudden death…you have seen poise. Poise is the ability, the presence, in the face of real pressure, real life pressure, to perform at a high level, consistently, and superbly. Poise is so critical in relationships and business because at every turn we encounter situations where obstacles arise and present opportunity for destructive reactions. The opposite of poise is a reaction based life. You know these people. Every first reaction to anything resembling discomfort results in an emotional outburst, negativity, assumption of the worst, daggers flying, and self-protection. A lack of poise can kill a relationship or a business deal real quick. Why? Because mature authentic people know that a pattern of life void of poise invites nothing but ongoing chaos and emotional and relational misery. Poise enables honest, deep, reasonable, and patience based responses even when things are not all we want them to be immediately. Poise sees the goal, the potential, rather than the moment. Poise constrains the emotions and the response because we want people to be built up, integrity established, love demonstrated, regardless of how a deal or an agenda unfolds for us. Poise is a grace filled execution of stability and emotional and intellectual strength. Get you some.
Proficiency– This is that quality which gifts us with the preparation needed to succeed on a high level. This is where the mind is equipped through authentic desire to “be” all God has called us to be. Proficient people have minds that are clearly in a process of mature and ongoing thought. If all we know about relational interaction is what we see on television or what we witness in others or have experienced in our past, we will remain deficient in many ways. The authentic person seeks out more education and preparation in order that they might be all they can be to all people and in all things at all times. The business deal, more often than not, will be won or lost (assuming you are authentic and poised) based upon your proficiency. Are you able to demonstrate that you have mastered your business, the deal at hand, the leadership process? The extent to which our lives show excellence in all things greatly determines who is drawn to us in business, love, friendship, and all of life. To neglect your mind is to fall short of God’s call to be prepared at all times. As it relates to spiritual matters, the degree to which we impact others can be measured in great degree to how we have taken time to prepare our own hearts and minds. Again, we cannot offer spiritual seekers, business partners, or others, what we do not have.
It is true, “The mind is a terrible thing to waste”. Turn off the television, pick up the books, prepare yourself for life. With an authentic heart intact, a poised personality in place, its the prepared mind which will set you apart from the crowd. You can fool yourself and others, with regard to intellectual, spiritual and professional proficiency, only for a while. Soon enough you and others will realize its been a shell. Prepare your mind continually. Always be learning. Education is a life long pursuit for those that live a big life.
Leadership– We get the most out of life and all our relationships when WE lead. You will be far more effective in your business and personal endeavors if you are perceived as a leader. If you are authentic, poised, proficient, and demonstrate leadership all along the way, people WILL follow you. If you desire to secure the affection of a client, then lead. If its a friend you seek to motivate, then lead. If its a spouse or a child who needs your direction, then set your compass sure and for the love of God, LEAD.
Demonstrate you are purpose driven, prepared, and headed in the right direction, God’s direction. If you are sure of your calling, and grace filled on your trek, they will follow you. There should never be any doubt about whose you are and to whom you listen. If people cannot tell, chances are good your leadership is frail.
This became very real to me years ago while working for a large investment firm. Though surrounded by veterans, and “sales” masters, and though new to the world of investments, I put my head down, refused to read the sales technique books, and spent countless hours devouring everything on leadership I could find. To the extent it was measured, it was clear that the leadership focus enabled me to outperform all my sales oriented peers. People don’t want to get close to the “sales person” in real life. They refuse intimate and deep relationships with someone who is always looking to sell them something. People want authentic leaders not technique based manipulators. This is true in business, church, families, and everywhere else. They want to see your True North, your compass, what drives you. And to the extent you demonstrate your authentic and God-given course, they will be glad to follow. Stay away from the back-biting, negative, and un-poised followers. Lead others to something more. Lead with authenticity, poise, proficiency, and thoughtful assurance.
Expectancy– This quality, added to the recipe above, is what fills people with a longing for what you are running towards. Its about hope. For decades we have seen political campaigns won or lost on the ability to rally people around this quality. It matters. And all of us have seen those, endured those, who only see what could go wrong, or what is wrong, in a deal, situation, relationships, etc. The first sign of trouble and they focus all energy on how bad things are and the end of the world that is near. Expectancy, hope, is a profound energizer for those who understand its force. Hope, a cornerstone of biblical faith, is also nectar for the longing soul. Dreams are only accomplished when fueled by hope. Marriages are restored through hope. Kids are grown through hope. Business gets accomplished amidst a climate of expectancy for future accomplishment. Our words, our attitude, our presence, ought to be sounding the clarion call of hopeful expectation in all things. When the obstacles come, and come they will, our hearts must be set to the truth of scripture, “All things work together for the good of those called according to His purposes.” And we should find the wind in our sails that we need for the long road ahead in light of the encouraging pronouncement of God, “I have plans for you. Plans for your good, plans for a hope and a future.”
Hope is that quality which is the energizing force for all the rest. Hope feeds the authenticity, poise, proficiency, and the desire to lead. All those qualities, applied to life situations, in turn, fuel more hope. Its circular. When hope is present we can pursue the other qualities with an unceasing passion. And when the foundations of those aforemetioned qualities are supporting our life and relationships, we cannot help but live expectantly and full of hope. Its a win win.
Remember, an APPLE a day brings the adventure of life your way. Get after it, and get on with it.
Bruce Smith
optimuslife.org
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24. March 2010 by BruceSmith.
Spiritual Autopsy Series finale: A tall drink of water
Before we begin, or as your read, click on the following link, and get a sense of the story you are about to read, brought into our contemporary times. Perhaps, listen now, then read, and then listen and view it again. God bless you and speak to you, and transform you as you dive in.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q49BbfgJbto&feature=related
John 4
Jesus Talks With a Samaritan Woman
1The Pharisees heard that Jesus was gaining and baptizing more disciples than John, 2although in fact it was not Jesus who baptized, but his disciples. 3When the Lord learned of this, he left Judea and went back once more to Galilee.
4Now he had to go through Samaria. 5So he came to a town in Samaria called Sychar, near the plot of ground Jacob had given to his son Joseph. 6Jacob’s well was there, and Jesus, tired as he was from the journey, sat down by the well. It was about the sixth hour.
7When a Samaritan woman came to draw water, Jesus said to her, “Will you give me a drink?” 8(His disciples had gone into the town to buy food.)
9The Samaritan woman said to him, “You are a Jew and I am a Samaritan woman. How can you ask me for a drink?” (For Jews do not associate with Samaritans.[a])
10Jesus answered her, “If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked him and he would have given you living water.”
11“Sir,” the woman said, “you have nothing to draw with and the well is deep. Where can you get this living water? 12Are you greater than our father Jacob, who gave us the well and drank from it himself, as did also his sons and his flocks and herds?”
13Jesus answered, “Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, 14but whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.”
15The woman said to him, “Sir, give me this water so that I won’t get thirsty and have to keep coming here to draw water.”
16He told her, “Go, call your husband and come back.”
17“I have no husband,” she replied.
Jesus said to her, “You are right when you say you have no husband. 18The fact is, you have had five husbands, and the man you now have is not your husband. What you have just said is quite true.”
19“Sir,” the woman said, “I can see that you are a prophet. 20Our fathers worshiped on this mountain, but you Jews claim that the place where we must worship is in Jerusalem.”
21Jesus declared, “Believe me, woman, a time is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem. 22You Samaritans worship what you do not know; we worship what we do know, for salvation is from the Jews. 23Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. 24God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth.”
25The woman said, “I know that Messiah” (called Christ) “is coming. When he comes, he will explain everything to us.”
26Then Jesus declared, “I who speak to you am he.”
The Disciples Rejoin Jesus
27Just then his disciples returned and were surprised to find him talking with a woman. But no one asked, “What do you want?” or “Why are you talking with her?”
28Then, leaving her water jar, the woman went back to the town and said to the people, 29“Come, see a man who told me everything I ever did. Could this be the Christ[b]?” 30They came out of the town and made their way toward him.
31Meanwhile his disciples urged him, “Rabbi, eat something.”
32But he said to them, “I have food to eat that you know nothing about.”
33Then his disciples said to each other, “Could someone have brought him food?”
34“My food,” said Jesus, “is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work. 35Do you not say, ‘Four months more and then the harvest’? I tell you, open your eyes and look at the fields! They are ripe for harvest. 36Even now the reaper draws his wages, even now he harvests the crop for eternal life, so that the sower and the reaper may be glad together. 37Thus the saying ‘One sows and another reaps’ is true. 38I sent you to reap what you have not worked for. Others have done the hard work, and you have reaped the benefits of their labor.”
Many Samaritans Believe
39Many of the Samaritans from that town believed in him because of the woman’s testimony, “He told me everything I ever did.” 40So when the Samaritans came to him, they urged him to stay with them, and he stayed two days. 41And because of his words many more became believers.
42They said to the woman, “We no longer believe just because of what you said; now we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this man really is the Savior of the world.”
I took the time to give you the entire passage because it is rich and much more powerful than my own verbose insufficiency; that goes without saying. So, why did I say that? I don’t know. We move on.
This series has been about death, spiritual death. More, it has been about the passages in life which we take and that lead us headlong to a death of the soul. We have looked in many a place as we have traveled this broken road together, and we have found ourselves, myself included, all too often, stranded there on the roadside, battered, beaten, and bruised. Here in this final installment we see the culmination of our journey and we find the source of our healing. Our journey, leaving us weary, thirsty, and parched of soul, has us searching for a drink. Lost in the desert, all the mirages have proved insufficient, and we need a tall drink of water or we will die.
For all who have attempted to find life in relationships, sex, pleasure, success, money, notoriety, vengeance, self-help, self-denial, and anything else, and have, yet, found themselves utterly dry and weary, empty and calloused, Jesus’ encounter with the woman at the well stands as the beacon upon a hillside, the lighthouse upon the shoreline. For those lost in a dry and weary land of the soul, Jesus is that tall glass of water you desperately need.
Note first that Jesus places Himself within the scene of this woman’s life. The scene does not unfold in some air-conditioned, comfortable, and otherwise “safe” tabernacle. He meets her on the road of real life. He is there in our lives today, wherever we may be. He is not scared to venture into the darkest of places we may find ourselves in. He is looking, and calling us out, and He longs to sit down and chat with us amidst the fray.
Also, note that He meets her at her point of need. She has need of water, she is working her butt off to provide for daily life, and it is clear she has deep relational, emotional, and spiritual needs. Jesus uses the tangible need for water, for provision, to address the deeper needs in her life. Previously, it is clear, she has only paid attention to urgent felt needs and desires. Jesus is heaven bent on waking her up to more. He is dead set, life set, on removing the scales from her eyes.
We cannot help but notice, third, that this woman is not one a Jew would typically address or interact with in public. Jews did not associate with Samaritans, let alone men with women. But even as Jesus was breaking custom, which would have offended many, those closest to Him realized ( and remained silent as they watched ) that something significant was taking place here. They realized God was working in this exchange. This was holy ground. It was not longer about food, drink, daily life. A holy intervention was underway.
Notice also the critical nature of Jesus’ profound interaction with this worldly woman. Jesus, who represents in Himself, complete and utter goodness, has thrown Himself into the life of a woman who lived with little regard for goodness and purity. He does not beat around the bush, and He goes straight to her heart, her emotional, relational, and spiritual heart. A broken and misguided heart to say the least.
First off, He gets her to realize that standing before her is one who loved her like no one ever had. She had not taken time to notice this apparently. It seems as though her typical lenses were still on and she was probably wondering where this interaction was going. “Here’s another jerk.” “I wonder if he’s single?” …or something like that was probably underway in her mind. It could not have been any more different. He was noticing her for sure. But this time, someone, some One was really seeing her.
Second, He calls her to realize that He sees and knows her in the most intimate of ways, spiritually. He knows her more intimately than all the men she had given herself to, and more than the one she was presently living with. And despite knowing her, and her rejection of His ways, He loved her. He loved her purely. Though she had given herself away to be ravished by many, Jesus was intent on ravishing her soul and bringing her life and healing. This used up and given out gal, undetected by her, was about to be made new! This guy only had one agenda! A perfect agenda.
What must this woman have seen to have awoken her so unexpectedly and marvelously to the reality of truth? My guess is the heart of Christ came through in the eyes, words, and touch of the living God, right there, sitting next to the well. Unlike any man she had ever encountered, this man was different. He was discerning, loving, leading, and calling her to a much bigger way of life. He was really engaging her. He was loving her. She was being truly loved for the first time. And this love captured her. She wanted more. She was captivated and longing to give her heart away, in all the right ways, for the first time in her life. I cannot help but think how different her life must have looked in the days, weeks, months, years following this interaction.
Lastly, we must notice that this woman, who no doubt hid her life from most people in the past, even her “closest friends”, went away from the well telling all who would listen that this Man told her everything about herself, and in doing so, loved and healed her at the same time. In the past I am sure, the truth about her caused shame, produced anger, hindered her from relational and spiritual vitality, and forced her into a kind of living slavery, soul death. But now, the truth telling of God about who she was, enabled her to see it clearly, name it, tell it, own it, and yet, run headlong toward goodness for the very first time. Now, all the waters she had drunk before, the stolen and filthy waters of the world, were seen for what they were, and she longed for a true, living, life-giving, tall glass of water, the healing waters of a living God which spring up into eternal life and healing.
As the account unfolds, we see a woman, clearly known by the community for her past, calling others to taste and see that the Lord is good. This has to be so, for the account tells us that in seeing, literally seeing it in her countenance and life, it registered with onlookers, and they went in pursuit of the One who could bring about such a transformation. Immediately upon knowing Christ, apparently, this woman’s entire presence and way of interacting was transformed. She was living the reality of scripture which reads, “Be transformed by the renewing of your minds”. The Man at the well, the One who offers living water, is the only One who can accomplish that kind of transformation.
If we are to escape soul death, we must long for that tall glass of water offered us even today. Drink it in. Ask God to dunk you in that pool of life. Ask Him to raise you up into newness of life. Allow Him to speak the truth about yourself to you, and drink in His love which heals and restores your heart, mind, emotions, personality, and soul. The tangible reality of His love is powerful and real enough to literally change you, even the deepest and darkest and most broken parts of you. You must be willing to throw yourself into that well.
Bruce Smith
optimuslife.org
soulstormsite.com
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17. March 2010 by BruceSmith.
blog.optimuschoice.com Death by Bait
It was the first lie, the original lie, the lie that changed everything, and still does. It was and is the lie which is the foundation of all death of any sort, and certainly of spiritual death. The lie is subtle, seemingly innocuous, but make no mistake, it is vulgar, deadly, and grotesque. It is real, it is really present, always looking for the next player to take the bait.
“Did God really say…?” Seems, upon first glance, a sincere question. But if you look closely, you cannot help but acknowledge the dark reality behind the deceit. As the serpent came to Eve, the first one to take the bait which leads to death, he came knowing that the thing which would kill had to contain the allure of self-serving doubt. Doubt, doubting God, specifically, opens the door to Pandoras box. The doubt spoken of, in reality, is a questioning of God’s intentions for us. Once we begin to question that all his precepts, boundaries, and desires are for us, we have taken the bait which will hook us and lead to the dismemberment of our soul. It shows up, in tangible form, in every manner of our lives. As we question God with regard to our desires, intentions, families, relationships, finances, pleasure pursuits, life missions, romances, and more, we open our lives to a score of dangerous realities.
The bait for Eve, and then for Adam, was presented to them in the form of a question. Behind the question was the unspoken maxim, wrapped up in another question, perhaps rhetorical, “Are you not the master of your own soul?…Don’t you make the rules for your own life?” The enemy appealed to the human craving, despite all God offers us, to make our claim upon our own lives. “I am the measure of all things!” Our soul cries out. “This is about me!” The difficulty with this worldview, and make no mistake, it is a worldview, is that it abandons the biblical reality and teaching on the Sovereignty of God. All the world, all the universe, all of us, are His. We exist for His pleasure, not the other way around. The real kicker we all fail to miss, so often, is that His pleasure is to bring us meaning, fulfillment, and joy. In our own grab for the control of our lives, our pleasure, our relationships, our passions, our addictions, our own escape plans for our past pain, we derail the good plan He has crafted for us. It shows up in so many ways.
Where does it show up? Where is this soul death evident? Its in the rage of a man or woman, railing against everyone in their lives. Its found in the pursuit of a broken heart looking for healing in yet another miserable relationship outside of God’s agenda. Its is also found in the lives of young people seeking to find meaning, fun, and belonging in social arenas which promote, glorify, if not worship, all that is in opposition to God’s call. The enemy presents the lie to worn out parents who refuse to engage children needing a deep sense of security, and who, instead, send them off to their rooms or the television for parenting. The enemy offers us the lie as he presents options galore, appealing for our time, in order to distract us from worship, prayer, thoughtfulness, and deep intimacy with God. The enemy brings the lie to our doorstep through friendships and other relationships which offer us nothing of value, and which only lead us deeper into distraction, illicit pleasure, or shallow gossip and worldliness filled banter. The bait is everywhere. It lurks in the boardroom, the bedroom, on the playground, on the radio, the billboards, the trading pits, and yes, even in our churches. The bait is ever present.
How do we escape death by the bait? Fundamentally, it begins in the chief end of our heart’s desire. The battle against the bait is won and lost in our understanding of what life is all about and who we are living for. The Westminster Confession suggests that the chief end of man is to know God and to enjoy Him forever. This flies in the face of just about every conversation and suggestion you will meet on a daily basis. And it’s an assertion that the darkness lurking in you craves. Everyone around us seems convinced that its about “me”. Its easier to take to bait and let yourself go, isn’t it. For the short term. In the end, all things being known, actually, its much harder to go the way of self. That always, at some point, ends badly. Very badly. Those that try it very long can be locked into a pattern so deep and twisted that it effects every human, mental, emotional, and even unconscious reality or relationship they know. And the spiritual reality is even more depressing.
The only escape from the trap of the bait is to flee before you see it. Stop lurking around the tree God warned you about and focus your attention on the playground He has left open to you. A fundamental choice to embrace God’s call for fully devoted followership and joyous pursuit of Him is the only option which protects us against this most grotesque death. The riches of intimacy with Him, the rewards of Christ-based marriage, the profound sense of rest resulting from God-inspired goals and pursuits, the sense of soul-enriching purpose found in raising kids in the light of God’s truth, the deep and abiding strength which comes from Godly friendships, and so much more is there for our benefit it we will pursue it. The quality of life offered by God is worlds away from the decay we see around us every day.
Soul neglect and an ignorance of spiritual truths will not help us when the enemy has his hands around our throats and is dragging us and our families into a murderous hell with him. The bait is held at bay as we pursue Him and His word. If you doubt that enemy is real, the bait is deadly, and that the is the end result is the darkening of your heart to God’s truth, you had better reconsider before its too late. Read the stats. As teen suicides, drunk driving deaths, divorce rates, criminal justice realities, bios of pleasure seeking and self-serving “celebs”, front page news, wars, disease, racism, spousal abuse, relational illness of all sorts, and so many other present day realities demonstrate, what the scriptures say is true, “The enemy wanders about, always lurking, looking, for those whom he may devour…his quest is to steal, kill, and destroy, like a roving lion.”
If you have found yourself, after honest evaluation, caught in the snare of soul death, and you realize you have taken the bait in one of more arenas in your life, TURN! Turning is the biblical definition of repentance. Repentance, rather than penance, is the biblical path toward a thriving soul. In biblical language, repentance, is a turning from one activity, pattern, way of living, and moving in the exact opposite direction toward something brand new. If you wish to stave off soul death, you must be moving in God’s direction for living. Has soul death darkened the reality of your child rearing? Go the other way. Has it taken you captive in your relational world? Go the other direction. Have you taken the bait of soul neglect? Throw yourself into a regular pattern of learning who God is and what He is about (small groups, study, worship, music that enlivens your soul…). Are all of your relationship characterized by attachments to those who are the walking dead spiritually speaking? Make a decided move to find Godly, mature, and alive people to spend your time with.
What we must know is that soul death can be cured. While we still have breath in these mortal bodies, God extends His hand, as He did to Lazarus, and longs to call us forth from the grave. When we hear His voice we must respond, stand up, even with grave clothes still around us, and walk toward Him to find newness of life.
For those who have come to faith late in life or who may have found themselves in patterns of soul death early on as a result of spiritual neglect, pleasure addiction, deep woundedness, or other life realities, you must be aware that your turn, your repentance, your healing could use an extra measure of aggression in terms of how you deal with the past. As has been said before, “The only difference between a grave and rut is the depth.” Some have merely lost focus for a bit and gotten off course, and have to this point not encountered deep disasters of soul or otherwise. A word of caution, don’t minimize your situation. That rut can quickly become a grave. Let me say it again, no distraction, no sin pattern can be ignored. Deal with it. Go the other way, before you are in a grave. For those who now find themselves in a graveyard situation; get after it. Healing and hope is available. Your deeply flawed choice have landed you there, and you will have to be even more aggressive in your turn away from the old way of life. Why? The enemy will provide you with old bait and new bait, and a world of distractions to keep you in that cell. He longs to keep you with him. This is no joke. He wants to completely devour you, your kids, your spouse, all you are connected to. Run for your life to a new way of living.
Had Eve, and Adam, taken the bait more seriously “in the beginning”, we would all be much better off. One little lie. One hint calling God’s intentions and ability into question. Now look where we are! Do you think it could be any different for you if you question His call for living a life totally based upon His principles? Do you think ignoring your kids embrace of the bait is going to go well for them? Do you think the bait of love outside His calling will heal you? It won’t. Move away from the bait. Run. Into His arms and His new path.
Bruce Smith
optimuslife.org
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6. March 2010 by BruceSmith.
Finding Your Muchness
Where do you go to figure out who you are? In a world full of options, far too many to list, and far too diverse, this becomes a question of paramount importance for every living adventurer. If you have paid attention (and if you’ve seen the movie), its the question resounding in the heart of Alice in Tim Burton’s new take on the classic Alice in Wonderland. The recent movie, a new look at a classic story, is grappling with a question for the ages. Have you found your “muchness”?
Reality TV, the FaceBook phenomenon, and other social networking platforms, for observant participants, can be quite a study in our modern day search for our “muchness”. If you are connected to a decent amount of “friends”on FaceBook, or if you have access to those who have not blocked their life from outsiders, its worth doing a little research project of your own to find out where and how people in our culture are searching for their own muchness. Parents, if you want to know where your own kids are on this search, brace yourself, do your homework, and take a look at their social networking lives. You may be in for a wake-up call. Its an education for anyone truly looking for social, societal, and spiritual insight.
Now, you say, “But we are not to judge a book by its cover, and we are not to look on outward appearance!” And to some extent this is true. But the reality is, just as on network TV, the world of music entertainment, the movie screen, and any other cultural outlet open to observation, the themes that are clearly evident and on display for the world to see tell much about our lives, and the lives of others around us. Entertainment industry analysts will tell you that ratings grow as resonance heightens within a demographic audience. That is to say, people watch what they like, aspire to, identify with, and in some real sense, embrace.
Before you jump to conclusions here and think I am suggesting that we can or should evaluate people’s lives based on outward appearance only, I am not. Nor am I espousing some moral police program for evaluating the lives of others. That being said, remember the oft quoted truism, “Your life may be the only Gospel some people ever read.” What are the adventures we are living telling others about who we are, what our compass is, and who our God is? Take a look at your own adventure pics, entertainment expenses, social scene, calendar, friendship networks, and bank statement if you really want to know what your life is about and what it may be telling others about your own muchness.
We all crave a life of adventure, and we all want to know we matter. Few would argue with this. Too seldom, however, do we actually pursue the kind of adventure story that betrays our desire to live out the quest according to God’s plan for “muchness”. Parents, what kind of adventure are your kids seeing lived out in your life? Is it one of passionate pursuit of Christ-likeness? Do they see a humble, loving, nurturing, tender, vibrant, consistent, joyous, holy, honest, and courageous pursuit of God in your daily life, your weekend excursions, your relationships, your work, your goals, and your encouragement to them? Are you able to coach them toward what Godliness looks like? Teens, what are your muchness pictures and adventures telling the world about you? Is every adventure, every adventure pic, every adventure story about the last party, fling, thrill? Can your friends, and outsiders, see a difference in you? Could anyone looking in on your outer life get a sense of who you are inside? What does your inner muchness look like?
We all need to be reminded that our outward reality points to an inner truth. This is a biblical principle. “From the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks”. What are you talking about? What’s your muchness conversation about? Anything remotely resembling biblical muchness? “If anything is pure, holy, good, right…think (and talk) about these things”. Are you a rumor mill, or is the beauty of Christ-centered talk what people hear when you speak?
Along the way, like Alice, we will all encounter many interesting twists and turns in our lives. There will be crossroads where we must decide how to find and pursue our muchness, again and again. In reality, every day, our lives are filled with these opportunities. Its the millions of little moments and choices which define our ultimate muchness, actually. Will I go on that date, will I go there, will I say that, will I give in to that thought, will I watch that, will I strike back, will I pursue the scriptures today, will I worship when times are tough, will I be true to His call when things are good and I’m not in a bind, will I …?
What Alice in Wonderland makes us aware of is the reality and draw of adventure in our lives. We crave it. We must all have it actually. Its not if we will live an adventure, its about the quality and nature of our adventure. Our muchness is all about our heart, our soul. Are you at a crossroads? Have you been defying the muchness to which God has called you? Are you ready to consider again, perhaps for the first time, a full embrace of the muchness of God? Are you ready to do relationships, work, missions, fun, money, and all of life with a passion for the muchness of Christ?
We all need to be reminded at times that we need to get our muchness back. We all need to be hit with the reality at various moments in our lives, that we have not taken the right route to the land of muchness. When we find that our own inner map-quest has led us astray and sent us throttling along a dangerous road to nothingness, we have a choice. As the story illustrates, “Which way shall I go from here?” “Well, that all depends upon where you are going?” If you are not sure where you are going and where you are called by God to go, then most any road will get you to that land of nowhere. Its not a place you want to be. When God calls it changes everything, literally and profoundly. His muchness touches thoughts, words, deeds, motivations, human interaction, life pursuits, mate choices, child-rearing, sexuality, emotions, …
Life lived to the full is found in pursuing our God given quest for muchness. As we throw ourselves into that adventure an entirely new world full of color, characters, drama, passion, purpose, meaning, and hope unfolds. The life God has for us, lived out, will call all the onlookers to marvel at the work of Christ in us, and will compel others to find their own muchness in Him. There is no other adventure big enough to satisfy our souls. Anything aside from the biblical model for muchness is a distraction, a detour from the best God has for us. Any many, if not most, certainly most, of the characters you encounter along the way will steer you away from a truly Christ-centered quest. “Wide is the road, and many who are on it, that leads to destruction”. If you’ve taken those detours in the past you know that only pain, confusion, pettiness, and misery awaits. If you’ve ever taken God up on his muchness, you know what the scriptures say is true, nothing in all of creation compares. Indeed, we close with the scriptural version of the account of muchness, “No eyes has seen, no ear has heard, nor mind conceived, what God has prepared for those who love Him.” Amen and amen.
Looking for adventure? Find you muchness yet? Need your muchness back? Its all in Him.
Bruce Smith
optimuslife.org
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3. March 2010 by BruceSmith.
Beautifully Dead. Wonderfully Alive. A Story that might have happened.
Spiritual Autopsies, the series continued.
The coroner entered the room. This cadaver, dressed in white, somehow seemed strangely beautiful, almost alive, yet, dead, and yet again, maybe not. He had never encountered such deadly beauty before. What was it about this one that was eating at him so? He looked, he thought, he looked again, he could not take his eyes away. There was something missing from this story, but he was not sure just what exactly. She lay there. Clearly dead, or at least dying, maybe dying to be alive? It seemed as though she were telling a story and crying out to live at the same time. Beautiful. Deadly. Dead. Beautiful. But how? What would he put on the report?
As he reached for his investigative tools he was struck with a thought. Its the eyes! No, its the face. No its the expression. Hoping to pull his eyes away, he was suddenly taken in, and the story came to him, almost as if she were telling it herself.
In her eyes, which had not fully closed, the coroner saw glorious pools, deep, brooding, intoxicating, sorrowful, yet bright. They told part of the story. In those eyes, like he had rarely seen before, and had at once seen many times over, he found a tragic tale. The eyes were telling him of how she came to die. The death she spoke of, however, was clearly more than her recent demise. This was a death which began a long long time ago.
As he looked deeper in her eyes with his penlight he began to see it vividly. This glorious specimen had been hurt long ago, as a child even. The death began long ago. The traces of her tears were still evident well behind the veil of death covering over those lovely pools. The eyes were telling this coroner of the rejection, beatings, confusion, pain, anger, resentment, self-protection, and longing. It was all clearly there.
After investigating the eyes, it was the mouth which caught him next. The mouth, pursed open as if beginning to scream, yet reflecting an attempted discipline to hold something back. He noticed the lips still had color. They were ravishing, and nearly made him touch them. He licked his own lips as he thought how they must have tasted when fully alive. He was taken aback when he noticed they had been altered. Tragic he thought, “they are so perfect”. He reached out to touch them again, and it struck him, part of this beauty’s death was her insecurity and longing to be seen. He began to cry, but caught himself, remembering he was a professional.
The eyes had told him part of the story, the lips had revealed another part of the drama, but it was the position of her head which struck him like a boulder rolling down the side of a mountain slope careening into a car unexpectedly. Her eyes, fixed toward him, were positioned so softly and timidly, while the head was slightly turned away as if trying to escape the scene. She was hiding, and yet hoping, all together in one movement. What was she hiding from he thought? What was she hoping for? So much was untold here. Then it happened. In a moment, as he pulled the sheet back and revealed her hands, the picture unfolded in a wave of truth and overwhelming revelation. The hands told the rest of the story. Her left hand and the right. They each portrayed a different side of her, and they both told the truth. Her right hand was clinched so tightly the nails were burrowing into her flesh. The right was still fighting, still holding on to something, many things. She was going to the grave with this fight, this much was clear. But the left hand. Oh, what a different story this hand was telling. Supple, soft, gentle, and at the beginning of a movement upward. It looked as if this hand was starting its submissive offering to the heavens. The left was trying to undo the fight on the other side. The left was attempting to allow the pains swimming within those beautiful brown pools to escape once and for all. The left hand clearly wanted to let the pains go. Had there been more time, perhaps, the left hand may have proved strong enough to actually save her, he thought.
As the coroner took all of this in, his soft cry became a violent sobbing battle. Her left hand could have been her way to redemption, he thought. If only… he sobbed. He was undone. Never had he been so drawn, so captivated by his vocation. Without thinking, he took her left hand, and he began to pray,
Oh, God! Did this one have to die?! She was, is, so beautiful. Why? Why? Why? This one, so beautifully dead, yet so nearly alive, a hand away, she was so close. I know she appears gone, I know its too late. But, I am asking you, YOU, to make a way back for her. Was the story of Lazarus real?! Was it? What about the woman at the well? Did she really find life, and healing from her life of abuse, promiscuity, and pain? Did she?! Well, if so, if those things really happened, and if you still change things, then change THIS!
This is not fair! She is a remarkable creature. She died in a fight for her life. I see it in her eyes, God. She was lost in a prior life, and yet, moving toward a new one! I ask you now, in the name of your Son, who raised Lazarus himself, raise this one. Raise her now. I am tired of seeing death win. I am sick of it! YOU take her left hand now, and lift her up. DO IT!! I SAID DO IT! Please.
Oh, God, my Father. I have seen you move in the lives of so many. This one did not have to go. I still see signs of life there. Don’t allow this gift of remarkable beauty to be stolen. The enemy has stolen too many already. Raise her up, heal, restore, right here, right now, on this table, while I am standing here. And when she gets up, make the fight be gone. Make her right hand like her left. Raise them both in sweet softness and in the strength of great joy toward you. Then move them toward your purposes. I don’t know why, God, but I am begging you to do this.
I am believing that you will remove the fight in her which brought this beautiful life down. I am believing that you will bring ever increasing light in those marvelous eyes, and that the brooding waters would yield once and for all to tenderness and mercy. I am believing that glance would lose its shame and look life and love square in the eye with the strength of grace and relational peace. And I am believing that those lips, those luminous lips, will soften ever more, will awaken, and will offer the world life and love that is sweeter than honey from the comb.
At that moment, without even realizing it, the coroner leaned over her and threaded the fingers of his right hand through the fingers on her left, bent down softly, hovering over her and breathing deeply, and using his left hand forced open the fingers on her right. He paused to look at the cuts in the palm of her right hand left there by her nails. Having opened each finger and gently caressing each wound, he placed his left hand under her head, stroking her hair gently, and then raising her torso upward, he kissed her. He kissed her.
Losing consciousness, having never been caught up like this before, the coroner kissed her, and as he did he simply prayed again, “Bring life. New, beautiful, clean, restored, vibrant, joyous, tender, and true. Just bring her life, the life she was beginning to reach for.” He repeated this simple prayer for what seemed like hours, the tears never slowing. And when he “awoke” from this place of longing, he awoke to find himself in the arms of a radiant woman, weeping along with him; her new dress, white and flowing, soiled with tears of joy.
Its just a story right? But what if God is in the business of bringing us to life abundantly as the scriptures tell us. Do we believe its real? Does He still heal? Does He involve Himself in our drama? Does He use us? Does He hear our prayers? Does He sometimes grant us answers to those things we long for? These are important questions for each of us to answer.
There are those around us everyday who need people to stand in the gap and bang on the doors of heaven for their sake. Some of us need people as impassioned as the coroner in the story. Some of us need to be the coroner in the story. And some of us need to realize we are the ones in need of newness. Maybe its not spiritual newness in terms of needing salvation. But perhaps its newness of understanding into our past, how it affects our present. Or perhaps we need newness in our desires, our relating patterns, our personalities, our social life, our thought life, our motivations. Sometimes, the death which the enemy of our souls sends our way is allowed in and allowed to take up space all too easily. Left alone, ignored, or not taken seriously, the death trap of the enemy can over take us.
Wherever it may be in us or in those around us, may we allow ourselves to see the full picture, and passionately pursue life and healing in every case. And may we, like the coroner in the story above, “wake up” to the reality of overwhelming joy.
Grace and Peace,
Bruce Smith
optimuslife.org
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1. March 2010 by BruceSmith.
Spiritual Autopsies, The Series continued
Death by After Shock, Living in the land of Tremors
As anyone who has been watching the news lately is aware, our world is shaking, literally shaking, as our planet’s tectonic plates converge with violence. The aftermath of the earthquakes in Haiti and now Chile is difficult to watch. The tragedy which has unfolded leaves one squeamish in a tangible sense. Bodies lying, decaying on rubble strewn streets, tales of the stench in the air, children dismembered. The site is gruesome. Do doubt, far more gruesome for those witnessing it and living in it firsthand.
It is difficult not to be moved by compassion unless one’s heart is totally calloused and hardened, when viewing such sites in our world. Seeing this kind of life-shaking thing unfold, something inside most of us screams, “Those poor people!”, “How can I help?!”, “I want to help!”, “Let’s rescue them!”
This being so, and because this news is fresh in our minds, I think its an apt metaphor for our series on Spiritual Autopsies. Why? Look around you. Have you not seen the very same thing, in a spiritual, emotional, relational, and psychological sense in the people you have known?
All around us everyday people are living beneath the rubble of victimization, violence, abuse, demoralization, and inner quaking. In a spiritual sense, many have had no choice but to endure the victimization they have experienced. They need someone to come along side of them and bring the hopeful resurrection power of the gospel to their lives. Many others, perhaps still impacted by the pain of their past, have chosen to live amongst the tumbling ruins of life. These are those people who have seen the difficulties of life, and have chosen to live amidst the death and decay, rather than embrace the rescue which has been extended to them.
Perhaps you have seen these quake victims around you. Perhaps you are one of them yourself. Broken by the tumbling world around them, these spiritually dead ones have made a conscious decision to remain in the epicenter of the pain despite being offered help and healing. Its a tough thing to witness. It breaks your heart through and through.
The girl who was abandoned or abused by a parent or loved one, the spouse broken in two by the shaking of infidelity, the man or woman living in the aftermath of a broken lifelong dream. The profiles are endless, but the story of these living dead is the same. The way out from under the rubble is to acknowledge that we live in a shaking world, and that bad things do happen, but then to make a decided run from the area of disaster toward a new way of living.
To live, or rather to die, amidst the chaos and carnage of inner quaking is to continue in the same patterns which brought the very disaster in the first place. For some its a continuation of relating patterns which can only bring division and strife. For others its to embrace the catastrophic pursuit of fun at every turn and to ignore the unfolding of wounds which result from that approach. Still others refuse to see the impending quake which is sure to come if they start on an all out pleasure trail early in life or early on in the aftermath of mistreatment or failure. Whatever the day to day realities are, the result is the same. Life in the land of ongoing tremors only breeds more brokenness.
Part of this death story is that the walking wounded refuse to see our groaning world for what it is. They refuse to admit that the pathways of this world’s fun house are littered with debris. For them, the falling rubble of life lived in nightclubs, immoral relationships, anger, bitterness, self-absorbing focus, and the like, is ignored despite their dysfunction, pain, and ongoing loss. All the while, God sends His rescue team to comb through the chaos and offer help. Too often the wounded only hide from and disregard the rescue effort. This is born out in research conducted studying those that are being rescued from the sex slave industry. Too accustomed to the gross abuse and misery, they cannot imagine a different life beyond the twisted “care” of a pimp. Satan seeks to pimp us all out to one form of imprisonment or another. We have to see it.
The scriptures tell us in Romans 8:22 that we live in a world that is groaning, longing for the day when things are set right. We are also told in Romans 8:37 and following, that those called by God, and in His hand, can face anything this world brings and yet come out full of life, health, joy, peace, and with the fruit of the Spirit (God’s character) defining us.
Death by aftershock, then, remains a choice for each of us. Are we, as secular psychologists suggest, doomed to a life of miserable and broken interaction, if we have endured a tough past? Are we, based upon our past lifestyle, unable to change our stripes after decades of behavior patterns?
The answer to these questions, from a biblical perspective, is a resounding “NO!”
We are not doomed to repeat the failures and mistakes and patterns of the past. We do not have to carry our brokenness with us. We can flee the scene and run toward the light of newness. We can do pleasure differently. We can have more enduring and enriching friendships. We can experience the kind of love only God offers us. We can lead others toward the same.
The greatest problem for many is not the desire to get out from under the rubble. Rather, its the moment by moment desire and commitment required to make it out and far away. For most, really, the desire is there, yet only one foot makes it over the rubble and into the new world. Too many who crave a new way are still drawn back to the old broken way of life. They stand straddling the perimeter between life and death, past and future. If this is you, you must know that your only hope of escape is to stop looking back, stop dragging your feet, and to get moving like never before toward the life God has for you. If you are spending your time with others who are straddling the perimeter with you, you are asking for more of the same. Again, your way out is to grab onto those who are fleeing the scene, at all costs, and run with them to safety and shelter.
You may be damaged so severely that you need a spiritual medic. Find one. You may be so entrapped in patterns of the past that you need a mentor to help you find a disciplined pattern of newness. Get one. You may need to educate yourself on what life really could look like on the other side if you have never seen it in all its glory. Find someone to help you get it done.
Death by aftershock is a gruesome reality in our world. Can you imagine being in Haiti or Chile yourself, and being rocked by the earthquake? Can you see yourself trapped beneath the rubble for days, what seems like years? Can you then see loving, courageous, and devoted people coming for your rescue? What would you do?
Maybe this very thing is happening for you now. Maybe this is exactly where your life is and you have not fully owned it. Can you, again, envision, on CNN tonight, a scene where rescue workers are feverishly attempting to rescue victims beneath the rubble, victims dismembered, bleeding, gasping for breath? And yet, as the rescuers get within arms reach, the victims look them in the face, smile, and turn away to die with each other. Is there a more horrifying scene than to see others minimize the desperation they are really dealing with?
Sadly, many in our world live this very scene day in and day out. They actively embrace a life filled with tremors. One aftershock after the other, never learning or moving on. They actually, by daily choices, pursuits, relationships, patterns, choose to run headlong into the rubble to die a slow and painful death. There is a rescue. There is a hope. New life is out there. What, in God’s name, are you waiting for? Are you thriving in the land of aftershocks? Do you really think things are going to get better where you are, how you are? Wake up from your death. Run from the trap. Find healing from the pain. The groaning which overwhelms you is your soul crying out for newness. He is extending you a rescue plan.
Will you take it?
Bruce Smith
optimuslife.org
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24. February 2010 by BruceSmith.
Conversations to stave off spiritual demise; leading others to spiritual vitality.
“He who saves one life saves the world entire”. Jewish Proverb
One of the things I aim to do as we continue this series on spiritual death autopsies is to provide the positive and hopeful side of the story. While spiritual death is a formidable reality in our world, we know that God has a plan to bring about life where death once reigned. The bible does in fact say that outside of Christ we are in fact spiritually dead. It also says that in Christ the old is gone (death) and the new has come (life).
The quality of the new life we lead is directly in proportion to the quality of our thinking and listening ability, our teachability. That is to say, the level at which we are able to open our hearts to Godly leadership and committed discipleship, determines the rate, character, and ongoing reality of our soul health. We must be able to allow others with our best interest in mind to speak into our lives, and we must eventually become followers who are self-feeding, leading ourselves, that is, into deeper intimacy with God. This being so, we must be reminded of what the bible says about the importance of “saying” or “telling”. The Old Testament culture was steeped in the call of the people of God to “bind the world upon their hearts” and the call to share the covenant realities with their families everyday as life unfolded. The New Testament picks up where the Old Testament left off and throughout we see “households” coming to faith as the formative model for life and cultural change, not just individuals. The faith of mature believers, and those in places of relational leadership is meant to be shared. Always. As a way of doing life with others.
The following conversation, a real life episode (the names of the guilty withheld to protect the guilty!), is an example of how spiritually mature believers are to lead others, and a good lesson for those struggling to find their way to spiritual health. If we are neither willing to lead or to learn, we are doomed to seeing ongoing decay, frustration, brokenness, relational madness, and broken fellowship with God. Not a fantastic set of results by and large.
So here is the scene, and hopefully an example of how we might have meaningful and life transforming conversations even if its tough. There’s a lot on the line. Everything in fact. While the scene below is teen focused, with minimal variation, it could be changed up and be clearly applied to people of all ages an backgrounds. It is not so much the particulars of the background, but rather, the focus of the conversation and the emphasis on dealing with reality as God defines it. Its about lives being on track and in deep intimacy with God and others. Here we go:
A teenager who has grown up in a vibrant Christian home from the beginning, and who has attended youth functions, small groups, Christian schools, …you name it, is clearly struggling in the latter teen years to stay on track. A concerned adult or friend, looking in with care and longing for the good of the teenager, and seeing many potentially destructive patterns taking root, decides its time to step in and sound the alarm bells. A number of options may unfold at this point.
What should a Godly conversation look like where a teen is missing the mark, pursuing relationships, social settings, and various activities that are not in keeping with the biblical plan? What’s a concerned leader, friend, parent, teacher, family member to say? Anything? Nothing?
Here are a few approaches which could be taken:
If the best approach looks obvious, its not as easy to play it out as one might imagine. Personalities get involved, daily grind has its affects, walls go up, other parties complicate things, and life gets generally messy. These realities can cause one to lose focus when dealing with an issue like this. This being so, I would compel us to remember what is at stake. If the realities listed above get the best of us who are in a position to lead others to spiritual health, we run the risk of losing those we most care about. It can and does happen every day. Kids fall through the cracks, and adults, because those close to them are too self-absorbed, bitter, angry, tired, confused, over-worked, spiritually shy, emotionally or relationally immature…and on and on. And there are others who tend to evaluate situations and behaviors from a worldly grading curve perspective rather than a biblical perspective and so they minimize things for years and then its too late.
If you know anything about coaching or leadership you will remember just how important modeling is. The most successful coaches and leaders are not merely “tellers”, but rather modelers of behavior. Coaches, teachers, parents, friends, who wish to impact the lives of others (and we are all called to do this, like it or not) must be models of character, not merely orators of rules. Children will not follow a parent’s admonition to stay out of night clubs, bars, and other soul-risky settings if parents are themselves socializing there. They will not stay away from sexual promiscuity if mom or dad jump into bed with anyone they date. They will not abstain from anger and bitterness if it is seen in the home on a daily basis. They will not pursue godly relationships if mom or dad don’t have a radical commitment to the biblical plan for dating and marriage. They will not work hard if those leading them are lazy. They will not embrace a vigorous use of the mind if mom or dad are always entertaining themselves with mindless television programs reduced to the most common denominator. Our greatest task as leaders of others is not to tell them, but to walk in the very activity and character we encourage. If this is not in place nothing we say really matters. And when we fail in a given area we must own it, tell it, turn away from it, walk the other direction entirely, and demonstrate what life change, grace, repentance, and change actually looks like. We are called to champion the grace of God to others as we tell them how He changed us from the inside out. As we go, it should be talked about all along the way. This is the biblical model for life, leadership, and loving relationships.
So, back to the practical scenario as it plays out.
The teen comes home one afternoon to announce he/she is headed off to a big bash to celebrate an event, mile marker, for a friend. The marker, as culture dictates, is to be celebrated by a night out at various clubs, bars, and other social venues where a clear diversion from the biblical plan for life is unfolding in graphic fashion. The announcement comes on the heels of ongoing and increasing patterns which are getting the teen further and further away from a sensitivity and passion for God’s call for life and lifestyle. If it all plays out, down the road this will be just another life who tasted God’s plan, but who was swept away by the tsunami of culture into a life of secular living. A tragedy from God’s perspective, regardless of what others say.
Here is perhaps what a loving, Godly, concerned person ought to make this wayward friend aware of, and how it might unfold:
So, yeah, we are going “out” and …( insert details here)
You are doing what now?
Yeah. Its just fun. No big deal.
No big deal? Really? Why not?
All teens do this every weekend. I don’t know anyone who doesn’t. Well, almost no one.
So its no big deal you will be in a setting where drunkenness, profane music and speech, and amplified sexual energy is all around you?
Just cuz I’m there doesn’t mean I am a bad person!
It does not mean its good for you either.
I can take care of myself.
Really. What does that mean?
It means I don’t have to do what everyone else is doing.
But if everyone else is doing what they should not be doing there, basically, and the whole situation is about enjoying those things, you don’t think any of your thoughts, desires, actions will be similar? That you will be tempted to join the “ fun “, or that over time the same could become normative behavior for you? And you don’t see a problem with ignoring, enjoying, or reducing unbiblical living to “fun”?
Maybe. But don’t make it such a big deal.
Don’t make it a big deal? And how does that help you? As a person. More importantly, in terms of you becoming the person God has called you to be.
I don’t want to be bored!
So, if you are not doing something contrary to God’s standards you have to be bored? There is nothing more meaningful to do? And non-boredom is officially defined by people who have abandoned biblical teaching?
Its just fun!
JUST fun? You sure there is not more to it than JUST fun? Because, as you know, fun is not how God describes a life devoted to drinking every weekend, dancing like you are having sex with someone, listening to music that promotes everything contrary to goodness, shallow relationships, relationships with no biblical basis or depth, and all the other stuff that goes along with it. And much goes with it, as you know.
Yeah, but.
But? What am I missing here?
I’m almost 18!
Almost 18 means you are exempt from God’s plan for life? I did not realize there was an age of exemption from Christian character. At 18 the official life rule book states, “Fun, even fun without boundaries, is now the guiding force for life”? Pleasure is the bar for living now?
I’m almost an adult!
Adults are not held accountable by God to live properly and find what life is truly about and to pursue it? And did you realize that 18, just from a legal perspective, is not a legal age to drink?
Everybody drinks!
Everybody does not drink. And certainly everyone does not go out to find a place where everyone else is drinking, for the purpose of drinking, and the other “purposes” people are in those settings for. I have many exceptional, fun, intelligent, vibrant friends who want no part of that shallow and unproductive lifestyle.
O.k. …well, I’m going!
No, you are not. Not while you are still a child under my care and living in my home. You are accountable for your life, motives, desires, and actions, but I am accountable as a parent called by God to lead you, to do just that, lead you. And protect you. And while you are here, you will know that I love you and care for you, AND I make the rules and will do all I can to encourage you to consider the life you are building.
This sucks! I hate you! I can’t wait to be out on my own!
Understood. I love you. I will always love you. I want all the world for you. But I’m not caving in to your tantrum. And one day, I pray, you will look back on this time in your life and be thankful I was not a soft, unconcerned, coward of a parent. If nothing else, I will be able to look at myself in the mirror and know I did what I felt God called me to do in terms of loving and leading you to His plan. Its up to you to follow it. I don’t do it perfectly myself, but its my goal to follow Him fully. I have learned that’s the best way, the most fulfilling way, and even the most fun way, actually, to do life. I hope you will, sooner rather than later, come to see the same.
**now the sound of a door slamming shut is typically heard, and for now, the conversation is over. It will be revisited many times to come. But in the end, this concerned loved one did the job God called them to, and that has to be enough in this instance. That will have to be enough in every instance, surrounded by prayer, compassion, grace, personal lifestyle, consistency, and Godly interaction. We have the biblical promise that the word of God does not return void. It registers, even if it does not appear to outwardly. Its a biblical fact. But if we don’t say it, share it, tell it, the word cannot have effect.
If we have enough of these kinds of conversations with others, and sometimes with ourselves, we are much more likely to bring others and ourselves into greater spiritual maturity and health. In many instances souls, and sometimes lives, will be saved in the process. Life-changing events can be averted, teaching moments embraced, deep and abiding relationships nurtured, respect built, and God’s plan unfolded in the long run.
As has been said, “Your life may be the only gospel some people ever read”. As our lives and our words encourage others to consider God, we entreat them to find the life they were meant by God to live. When they, and we, fail, that’s when grace and forgiveness must be applied against the backdrop of the ongoing call to find His way again. Every step in our lives and in the lives of those we care about has eternal significance and radical present day implications. Our goal is never to run another’s life or to run over another, but rather, to point to the matchless life God offers each of us, and the wonder which opens up as we take Him up on His offer for life abundantly.
Again, as has been said, “The problem is not that the Gospel has been tried and found wanting, rather, the Gospel has been found hard and left untried”. May we try, indeed, with all impassioned sincerity, to allow God to show Himself faithful as we walk in His steps… and as we encourage others to do the same. Their entire world depends on it. Our entire world in fact.
Bruce Smith
optimuslife.org
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22. February 2010 by BruceSmith.
Sliding into Ruin: autopsies of spiritual death. The Series
In the weeks ahead we will be profiling what spiritual decline, and death, looks like. Why? I become more convinced every day, especially as my calling to be a father, life coach, and mentor continues, that the average “good person” you and I know is asleep, often by choice, to the reality of soul decline and spiritual death. That is to say, most people so crave the idea that life is about fun and moment by moment self-fulfillment, that very few are willing anymore to consider the brevity of choices or the importance of deep, consistent, and meaningful thought. Shockingly, this is largely true within the “church” as well. Even within the walls of Christendom, professed “believers” live lives indiscernible from the average secular humanist. Christianity in many cultures has been reduced to the religion of individual opinion, and biblical truth, let alone truth as it relates to character formation, has been sacrificed upon the alter of our own lusts for pleasure.
This series will investigate how a soul loses its way upon the slippery slope of spiritual neglect. Lest you think now that this will be a series of messages hell bent on slinging bibles and condemnation upon a well meaning group of hearers, let me be clear: it is the love of God which draws us to repentance. I know this full well. It is this love, spoken of in the scriptures, which has captured my heart, did so at a young age, and has held it ever since. I am equally, and thankfully aware, however, that this love is the very love which warns me of mortal soul danger and chastises me when needed in order that my soul might be saved many pains, and my heart might experience all that God has for me. I know I am in good company in pursuing this series of spiritual autopsies, for the scriptures themselves are full of “warning passages”. The Old Testament, and the New Testament, are replete with warnings, loving warnings, cries and promises of God, directed to His children, whom He loves, to avoid the tug of this world. We are prone to ignore setting, motive, temptation, proper thinking, and we have a general lack of hunger for holiness and purity in daily life. These are deadly realities.
And so, as we begin, I ask you to consider where you might find yourself in these stories while reading. The bible instructs us to test our faith, and the prayer of a righteous man beseeches God to search the heart and purify the soul. May we all do so as we look deep inside profiles of those who have suffered a death we all seek to avoid.
Autopsy No. 1 – “ Its no big deal…I’m an adult…or almost anyway…its just a little fun”.
Description of cadaver: middled-aged person, recently divorced, burned out, good career, unfulfilled life, mid-life crisis, multiple lovers, addicted to drink, experiments with drugs, night life player, kids are a mess, angry, bitter, porn habit, respected in community, disrespected by family, disrespects himself/herself, believes a lot of things but nothing really, no purpose, no life-giving relationships, self-absorbed, bored, ready for life to end.
Immediate Cause of death? Soul bankruptcy.
Extenuating Circumstances? No leadership, no thought, no concern, no measuring stick, “no problem here” approach to life and thought
Here’s how it happened.
As a teenager the deceased would come home at night, after a night out, having done and experienced whatever the moment brought, without any thought, roadmap, or compass other than comparison to others more “bad”. A few drinks as a teenager seemed harmless and fun. After all, mom and/or dad or other adults had no problem with them drinking if being “responsible”. A few more months into being so grown up a little sexual experimentation seemed fun and natural. Responsible use of a condom seemed smart enough, and mature enough for this loving teenager. After all its just part of the process, right? No harm no foul. A few more months in and the weekends ramped up a bit and the fun kicked up a notch in the night clubs and bars. Part of growing up, after all, is about experiencing life and being young while one is young. Clubs are just fun, nothing really wrong there, right? A few more months into the latter teen years leads to a little experimenting with other substances while out at the parties and clubs and campus frat houses. Again, its just a stage while young, and again, mom/dad don’t really have a problem with it as long as I can handle myself. Mom/Dad actually talk fondly about their time doing the same thing, and even tag along sometimes in order to stay young and hip. All the music celebrates it, the television shows rejoice in it, its the talk at school, on the ball field, on the cheer team, and in the home…what’s not to like? Surely this is just normal life. Everyone partakes.
The college years are more of the same only more mature fun now. Feeling even more responsible and capable now, the activities of the past are becoming set patterns and ways of thinking. This is life, becomes the motto. Those earlier years in the church seem a world away, archaic, frozen in some time warp and not able to be accessed. Now as the only relationships known for years have all been secular and worldly there is not even a resource for considering anything different. Dating is just part of life like eating and sleeping. It does not matter who you date or why you date, just that you date, and have fun doing it. Sex becomes just another activity like driving, brushing one’s teeth, or dining out, or dancing. Booze is part of the routine. Who actually thinks about any of these things?
College rolls right into real “adulthood” and as all real adults do, they get jobs and get married or live with someone, so… that’s what takes place. A few live in relationships don’t pan out, and finally a marriage is tried. Kids, cars, suburbs…all part of the mix of life as the fun continues, the parties, the dance clubs, the porn, the flirting, the business trips hidden from the spouses, … they are all there, but now more strategically placed and perhaps spaced out “more responsibly”. Nothing has really changed in the mind and heart, just the schedule has changed for when and where the moments are pursued. Sooner or later all the patterns of relating come home to roost, the fun leads to conflict, the lifetime of never asking “why?” produces bigger questions. Life is beginning to unravel. This makes no sense. I been so good and so responsible for so long! How did this happen to me!
The problem is, half of a life has been lived void of any real measure of truth save “responsible adult” behavior. And now this responsible “adult” living has left one empty, confused, broken, divorced, and bankrupt of soul. There were warning signs along the way, but there was too much invested in the cravings of the moment to pay attention. Now, the teenager who proclaimed his/her adulthood early on, and who charged forward in full confidence of their own agenda, sometimes blessed by mom/dad, have found adulthood, real adulthood, utterly exhausting and confusing and the internal challenges insurmountable. And now the would be fun is no longer providing the kind of charge it once brought. Now the fun has left only a heft price tag. The mind is suffering under the weight of moral confusion. The heart is wrecked amidst the carnage of failure. The soul is ripped open wide by the knife of reality. There are no resources for this. Why does fun not answer the question of existence any longer? Why does my own idea of love not provide for fulfilling relationships? Why does money not remedy my soul cravings? Why does a mistress not meet all my needs? Why did the last date not heal me? Why does the psychologist not fix me once and for all? WHO AM I?
You may think the case above an oversimplification of reality. But I will tell you from 20 years of ministry experience, it is very accurate. I see it played out in homes where secular humanism was the tone of the house, and I have seen it played out where church going parents neglected their role to lead, clearly and biblically lead, their children. Wherever there is a void of biblical teaching and a compass based upon scriptural reality, lives are doomed for this kind of unfolding. I have seen this very thing unfold where godly men and women and have loved and led their kids, and the kids slowly turned away and followed the masses of their own volition. Make no mistake, where the gospel is abandoned at the altar of fun and human independence, lives are doomed to spiritual bankruptcy and soul death.
Where are you? Are you the one who has lived for nothing but the moment? Are you the teenager who spurned godly counsel? Are you the parent who has celebrated worldly fun with your kids and thereby reenforced the framework of spiritual death in your kids? Have you allowed the practices of a godless world addicted to pleasure and self to take up residence in your very home?
Read the words of the Apostle Paul in Ephesians as he calls us to demolish the strongholds of sin, confusion, lust, sexual immorality, pleasure, anger, bitterness, lazy thought, greed, and the trivializing of truth. Its more than fun, so much more. We are called to a life of meaning, virtue, passion, and spiritual vitality. The call to that kind of life has nothing to do with age, life stage, or anything else. We are called to that road, plain and simple. Young, old, rich, poor, white, black, broken, strong, abused, content, simple, educated, single, married, divorced, male, female… the call is for each one of us.
Do you want to live again? Hear the words of Jesus, the One who literally lived, died, was buried, and was physically and actually resurrected from the dead, “I have come to give you life, and life more abundantly.” John 10:10 He who said that was none other than God Himself, in the flesh, come to earth to point the way back to Him. He is the only one who can bring new life where the pronouncement of death has been made. And make no mistake, if you are not living for Him, you are dead indeed. In love He points out the death to us, and offers us new life in Himself.
Next up:
Conversations that can stave off spiritual death.
Parents, friends, mentors, teachers, and anyone who seeks to impact the lives of others, you will want to tune in for this one, pulled right out of real life experiences.
Bruce Smith
optimuslife.org
soulstormsite.com
blog.optimuschoice.com
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