I always thought there’d be more. To be perfectly honest, I assumed I would be more. I expected to have accomplished more by now. I imagined I’d be known by more people. More; it’s such a simple yet sinister word. More is insatiable; it can never be satisfied. More is a beggar, regardless of how much I already have. More is a thorn that incessantly pokes at my soul and demands that I be, well, more. Can you relate? Maybe it’s just me. Perhaps I’m the only one who is constantly uncomfortable and always seeking more. But I’ll bet that’s not the case.
humility
Life Lessons from Samson
I have always been drawn to the story of Samson. Maybe growing up as a long-haired rock-n-roll guy, I liked the “no hair cut” rule of the Nazarite vow. I love how God has recorded stories about such diverse individuals that we can always find someone who resonates with us. Samson had it all. He was the strongest man in the world. Having devoted his whole life to God, he should have been one of the greatest men in history. Unfortunately, the details of Samson’s story are more often than not very sad, and ultimately, quite tragic. Instead of living out his days as a great man of God and leader of Israel, Samson squandered his blessings and ended his life as a ridiculed slave.
Asleep In the Light
It’s amazing how warnings we received years ago still go unheeded. I was compelled to listen to an old Keith Green CD this week and the lyrics from his song, “Asleep In the Light”, jumped up and grabbed me much as they did when I first heard the song 30 years ago. It’s a call to waken a dead and sleeping church to the reality that there are people dying and going to hell every minute of our lives. We are called to tell others about Christ in order that they might repent and be saved from an otherwise unimaginable fate. In case you haven’t noticed, we’re not getting the job done.
True Greatness
Do you ever look at the lives of fellow Christ followers and marvel at what they’re doing for God? You can get into a form of hero worship when you see the impact others are having for the Kingdom. It’s easy to rejoice over the glory God is receiving through their ministry, but at the same time I sometimes get a gnawing in my soul that says I should be doing more. Of course this is often accompanied by the niggling thoughts that I could never do what they do. Forget “I can do all things through Christ” (Philippians 4:13). Apparently, that verse is for a select few according to my thinking in that moment.
What Are You Holding Back?
To be a true follower of Christ means surrendering everything to Him. The instant we proclaim Him to be our Lord, we give up our right to call anything our own. All of our money, our time, and our possessions are now His to be used to glorify God and to further the Kingdom. Intellectually, we know this, but the translation somehow gets muddied between our heart and our actions. Instead of giving everything to Him, we have a tendency to reserve certain pockets of our lives to keep outside of His control.