Yesterday, we considered the challenge of overcoming negative sources of spiritual gravity holding us back from living an adventurous life with Jesus. In order to break free from the pull of these strongholds, we must first identify them. While the list could be quite long, here are seven common sources of negative spiritual gravity:

1. Familiarity

This is the one, as a pastor, I encounter most frequently. It usually expresses itself in one of two ways, either, “We’ve never done it that way before,” or “We’ve always done it this way.” Both are ways of articulating the deeper meaning, “This is what I know, and I am afraid of change.” This is understandable. With all of its challenges and problems, what we know is familiar. We know what to expect. Making changes may lead to something better, but how can we be sure? What if the change turns out to be bad? Staying with what we already know, feels much more secure, therefore, we resist letting go.

2. Past Failure

Maybe we tried something new in the past and it didn’t work, or maybe we saw someone else fail when they tried to break free, but the fear of failure is powerful, especially when we’ve experienced it before. Someone breaks our trust and we easily pull back from trusting in the future. We try a new business venture and it doesn’t work out so we squelch our entrepreneurial spirit. An attempt to live by faith seems to come with more struggles, making it easier to settle for a more “reasonable” understanding of faith. When things go bad, we become far less likely to try new things in the future.

3. Past Success

Ironically, when things go well in our past, it can also inhibit stepping out in faith. Why fix something that isn’t broken, or, why not just do what worked before? I often hear it expressed this way, “The church I went to when I was younger did it this way and it worked.” That is probably very true, and it may even be the right choice for us today, but the assumption is, it worked well enough in the past, it should still work in the future. So, instead of asking God how we should move forward, we take our direction from past success. It happens in churches, but it also happens in our personal lives as we keep trying to do what worked well the last time we tried, often leaving us stuck in the past instead of moving into our future.

4. Perceived Safety

Sometimes, we believe that we are safer where we are, than we would be doing something new. Certainly, this can be the case, but many times we convince ourselves that we are safer inside our sinking ship than we would be risking the open water in a life raft. We insulate ourselves from the realities of our circumstances to reinforce that belief, but the situation is actually no different. We feel safe, but we can be more at risk than we know.

5. Negativity

“That will never work!” Many of us are conditioned to think negatively. We start our evaluations looking for, and accentuating, all the possible concerns. When asked to list the “pros” and “cons” of an action or decision, we begin with the “cons,” and easily find more items for that list. Instead of seeing possibilities, we see problems, and we let that worldview shape our decision. One of the great dangers of this source of negative gravity is the more we feed it, the more dominant it becomes. As we search for, and speak, negativity, we train our minds and our spirits to think this way and thus, it becomes easier to find and say even more discouraging things, sapping our strength to move forward. Like adding weight and resistance to the rocket we are trying to launch, we sabotage ourselves at the outset.

6. Lack of Faith

I know, saying, “you don’t have enough faith,” is often used as a tool to beat people up, but Jesus spoke it frequently, not as a condemnation, but as an honest assessment and an invitation to think differently. Without faith, it is outrageously difficult to embrace new things, or to step into a new stage of our destiny. In many ways, faith is the fuel we burn to create the energy for upward momentum. The more faith we have in our tank, the easier it is for us to achieve liftoff and begin to soar where Christ has led.

7. A Controlling Spirit

Admit it, sometimes life feel wildly out of control. The more chaotic things feel, the more we try to control them. I recently discovered this was a growing problem for me. Over the last year, a number of things happened to reinforce the lack of control I actually possessed over many circumstances. During some recent prayer and reflection, I became aware at how much I was trying to find order through my own ability to control my circumstances. Of course, this control was just an illusion, and all I managed to do was create large amounts of stress in my life. Yes, things are often in chaos, but the good news is that God does some of the greatest work in chaos, and speaks order in the midst of it. Attempting to control things only restricts us from releasing our circumstances to God and embracing God’s power to walk through the storm together.

Maybe you find yourself wrestling with some of these issues, and maybe, they point to some other strong sources of gravity holding you back in your personal journey. Take heart, Jesus overcame the world, and he can help you overcome every stronghold that is holding you back.

In my next post, we will discover how to break free and soar. To do that, we need to know what is holding us back, and trust the One who is calling us forward.

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It is clear from the story that missing the point was actually his intention. You do not have to be a theologian, biblical scholar, or psychologist to see that Pilate wanted to dodge the question. Jesus presence and words were searching him and he knew it. Rather than join in that process and come to greater self-discovery, he chose to redirect the conversation and remain comfortable where he was. Sadly, this is a very common, human response. Rather than allowing God to challenge us at a deep level we continually divert the discussion to something else and conveniently avoid that revelation.

I once received a letter from a person who attended the church that I served asking me to change the way I was preaching. She said, “sometimes I leave worship and I don’t feel like a good Christian. I want to come to church, hear that I am doing well and that it is all going to be okay, and I want to leave feeling good.” I feel for her discomfort, but I also know that sometimes we are not okay. Sometimes, the Spirit wants us to be uncomfortable and to look deeply at our lives. It is through this discomfort that we grow stronger in our character and deeper in our insight.

I’ve heard similar concerns about the personal nature of the sermon, or the praise worship, or the prayers. The implication is always similar, “Can’t we just avoid anything that gets too close to home? Let’s just get this church thing over with before it costs me anything or asks me to change.” That, however, is not the way of Christian discipleship.

We dare not simply find people and experiences that tell us we do not need to change or grow. We should be looking for Spirit-led people and Spirit-filled experiences that lead us deeper into truth. Jesus said, “you shall know the truth and the truth shall set you free. He also said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life.” In Jesus, we experience truth and that truth will change us. It may not be the truth we expected and it likely will not be what seems popular, but it will be real.

Recently, a number of my Facebook friends posted links to articles that support their particular theological, or political beliefs. Some of the sources were very questionable and the arguments shallow, but they were presented with great passion. They were also affirmed with similar passion by a whole group of like-minded friends. I had two thoughts in response: first, this is very dangerous, and second, God show me where I do the same thing.

We ought to be challenged deeply, but we need to be challenged by the truth. The source of what we take into our thoughts and actions needs to be grounded in God’s truth, not mere popularity. Real truth should lead us closer to God and to the revelation of God given in Holy Scripture and in Jesus Christ. If we are not careful, we can sound like Pilate as we attempt to redefine truth to fit our expectations and desires, to be popular, and to avoid the deep searching of God.

If, however, we will embrace real truth, we will discover the freedom it brings. Like the driver who finally accepts that they need directions to find their way, we may not like what we hear, but we will know exactly where we are, and the real pathway to where we are going. We will find that Jesus really is the truth and the way, and we will so much the better for it.

Truth can be frightening and uncomfortable, but it is also liberating and enables us to find our way to the destiny marked out for us. Pilate asked, “What is truth?” The answer is truth is God’s perspective. Truth is Jesus Christ, the same yesterday, today and forever, and that is a wonderful rock on which to stand.

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The context of this quote does speak of mocking God and reminds us to consider that our work will be shown for what it is. This is an important caution, for all of us have times when we are a little “plastic,” trying to hide our real feelings and motives behind a good image. We may fool some people at times, but God sees the heart and the fruit of our works will ultimately be seen for what it is.

This is a heavy truth, but it also points to a tremendous blessing. For if our poor choices yield a harvest of poor fruit, then it is also true that our good choices will yield a harvest of good fruit. When we sow good seed in our lives, our families and our ministries, we experience the blessings that naturally follow.

Someone once said, “Who you are today is the result of the choices you made yesterday.” If I do not like where I am at today; if I do not celebrate my thoughts, actions, or harvest in my life, I can immediately begin planting the seeds of change by sowing into what I dream for tomorrow. Not all seeds bear fruit overnight, and there may be weeds to uproot, but the conscious decision to sow the seeds of life that come from God will lead to the life abundant.

Today is a good day to examine the fruit of our lives. It is a good day to be honest about where we are. It is a good day to celebrate our harvest of life, and to sow new seed in the areas that are dead or dying. This is the day the Lord has made and in it we can choose to plant something good for our tomorrows.

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I already indicated my desire to stay where I was and the church shared their hope that I would remain their pastor. We were comfortable with each other and enjoying ministry together, then God stepped in with another opportunity to follow into something new.

Most of us enjoy being comfortable. We like the familiar and the predictable. There is a sense of peace that comes from knowing what to expect and where we fit in. In short, we don’t like to change, yet change is a given and can be one of God’s exciting blessings.

The church I serve, and the one I will be serving, are both facing a myriad of questions as we enter this transition. Likewise, I have questions of my own. In the past few days, as I began my advance planning, I realized I have little idea what my new worship services look like. I do not know what my weekly schedule will be, nor all of the expectations that will be awaiting me. I have only begun to become acquainted with the community and region and will have a list of questions when I arrive. My friends, my family, and everything I’ve known since I began my ministry will be hours away. My life is going to change.

It would be easy to be intimidated by all of the unknowns, but it is equally possible to be excited and energized by all of the changes. There will be new people to meet and minister with, new treasures to discover, new opportunities to share my gifts and to grow, and new encounters with God. The familiar will give way to the fascinating, and the comfortable to the creative. It will not easy, but it will be good, fun, and life-giving because God is at the center.

Too often we run from the blessing of being with God on the journey, by entrenching ourselves in what we already know and have. When we open our lives to God’s ideas and plans, the possibilities are endless.

Two scriptures have been on my mind though this transition. The first has carried me though from the beginning, “I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord, plans for good to give to you a future and a hope.” (Jeremiah 29:11) the second, is also a favorite, “Glory to God, who is able to do far beyond all that we could ask or imagine by his power at work within us.” (Ephesians 3:20)

With the truth of these two wonderful promises at work, and placing all of my hope in God, how can the future be anything other than amazing?

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Watching nature transition from the luscious life of summer to the vibrant beauty of autumn, it is hard to miss that a deeper beauty is revealed in the process of letting go. As the nourishing light begins to diminish, trees struggle to keep their foliage, but even as they lose the battle again, a palate of colors is revealed. Each day loses more sunlight, but that light becomes more dramatic at the same time. Even the composting leaves and grass become richness for the future.

Too often, as we face obstacles in our lives we lose sight of what is on the other side of the challenge. Lost in the drama of the moment, we miss what beautiful thing is being created in us. The test we face is producing a testimony that will bring light to dark spaces and color the gray places.

I do not believe that God causes evil in our lives, but from the painful moments, God can create something wonderful. During an especially difficult time in my life, I shared my challenges with a dear friend. As I poured out the issues before me, he replied, “Just remember, God does his best work in chaos.”

What a wonderful truth. The biblical story even begins there, as the Spirit hovers over the chaos and God says, “Let there be.” In a moment, at the word of God, the disorder begins to take on the order and the beauty of creation. As the story goes on, we find places where Israel’s chaotic experience becomes the setting for God’s recreation. We read of people, great and small, who God leads out of their challenges to new beginnings. Even in the death and resurrection of Jesus we see God redeeming darkness and death to bring forth light and life, and the promise of his future return is the expectation of the ultimate re-creation.

The difficult places of life are never enjoyable and they can feel like they have no end, but God, who declares the end from the beginning, not only sees where our challenges are taking us, but is personally invested in seeing that we get there. When things get tough, it is easy to throw our hands up, sit down and give up, but that is precisely the time when we need to press into God, draw strength from the Spirit and push through the dark valley to the hidden beauty beyond.

Whatever you are facing today, God is more than big enough, more than able to redeem it by using the tough moments to reveal the hidden beauty within you. Have patience. Have hope. The God of all creation is with you, loves you and is speaking words of creation over your life even now.

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Whenever one of these tragedies occurs, there is a sudden outburst of emotion by people troubled by horror of what happened, accompanied by reflections on how we can stop or prevent bullying. It is good this conversation comes to the forefront, and it is a shame that it takes a tragedy for that to happen. Sadly, all too often the passion and concern is short-lived and things slowly go back to the way they were, hidden.

While many questions are being asked about what causes bullying and how it can be stopped, I have one other question that often seems to go unspoken, “Why?” You may say, everyone is asking the why question, isn’t that the heart of the whole discussion, wanting to know why this happened? That is true, but the question I am pondering is, “why did a precious young man feel that the only solution to these attacks was to take his life?”

Please understand, I am not pointing out a fault in him. I am pointing out a fault in us. Where are we failing our children as a community that the harsh words of some peers can destroy their sense of value? Where are we letting down those who need our strength and encouragement so that they can stand strong in the face of their adversaries? This problem is not just about some narrow-minded students who said mean things to a classmate; it is a problem of which we are all a part. Our actions, or failure to act, leave people vulnerable to greater pain.

None of us likes to feel complicit when evil occurs, and it is true that most of us were not directly involved in the events that led up to this most recent expression. But ask yourself:

Do you speak evil?
Have the hurtful words spoken to someone else ever been yours?
Have you criticized someone?
Have you sown those critical seeds behind their back?
Do you take every opportunity to build others up?
Do you make time to encourage those who are hurting, or those who are difficult?
Is your life an example of love to the world around you?

These are hard questions, often ones we would like to avoid but, like pebbles in a pond, our choices create ripples that affect others, even people we do not know. Every action counts. The seeds of love, hope and encouragement we plant will touch lives just as surely as the hurtful comments of others will, but the result will be very different. As disciples of Christ, we know nothing and no one is hopeless. The very revelation of God is just the opposite. There is always hope and no one should ever face the evil of the world without that knowledge.

Sharing hope involves more than saying, “Oh, by the way, there is always hope.” It is a truth that needs to be demonstrated, lived out before the entire world. We declare by what we say and do that there is always something worth living for, even when it is hard to see. We proclaim that in spite of the negative, hurtful things some people say, each person is a beloved creation of God, supported by God and those who represent God. As a community of people we can care for one another in ways that give strength and hope; we can make a difference.

In the end, it is not about blame, but about opportunity. We have an opportunity not to feel emotion for a short season and then forget. We have an opportunity to change our words and actions into examples that change the world. We have the opportunity to care, to love, to encourage and give hope. We have the opportunity to speak and offer life. Let’s not miss the opportunity to make a real difference.

We can make a difference, a lasting difference. Will you join me in making our corner of the world, and ultimately the whole world, a different place? The change can start today.

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This is the classic question that arises when we face seasons and situations of great need. The recent effects of the hurricane on the east coast of the United States, have raised this question again for many of us. What can we do that will make a difference in the face of great devastation and suffering?

It is not just hurricanes that cause us to wonder about what we have to offer. It can be the plight of children in the world, the scope of human starvation and lack of clean drinking water. The question arises when we consider those suffering with sickness and pain, with brokenness and grief, and with wounded pasts and frightening futures. What can one person, or a group of people do in the face of such things?

I often hear the question asked in two very different ways. The first, puts the emphasis on “I.” What do I have to offer? How can I possibly make a difference? The question is forged in a belief that the problem is too big and our resources too small. Sometimes, the distance of the problem makes it seem even more removed from our lives. We say, “what can I do,” silently answer, “nothing,” and go on with our lives.

The other form this question takes comes with an emphasis on “do.” In this response, we believe that may actually have something to offer, some way to make a difference. We are not looking at our lack, but at the possibility to use even the little we have to make a difference. Add to this pebble of faith, the trust that God can multiply our little, and a passionate belief that even “little-ol-me” can change the world begins to surface.

You may remember the story of Jesus when he stopped to feed the 5000. Jesus was teaching and a huge crowd gathered to hear his wisdom. Recognizing it was getting late, he instructed the disciples to feed the crowd, which was huge in their eyes. The Scripture says there were about 5000, plus women and children. Yet, in the face of this multitude, Jesus looked at twelve men and said, “feed them.”

The disciples were dumbfounded. What could they do? They didn’t have the resources. The task was just too great. But then, Jesus steps in to guide them. He asks what food they have and they bring forward the bread and fish one boy brought to eat. Jesus prays a blessing over the gifts and sends them out to distribute the meal. In the end, everyone is fed and there are twelve baskets full left over.

The disciples learned a simple, yet profound principle that day. Jesus can take our little and make it much. Sometimes, that happens from the accumulation of many people’s “little” and sometimes it is the result of the miraculous power of God. Either way, with Christ, we can all make a difference. We can share our resources, our talents and our insight. We can support others who are doing hands on work. We can do many things, the greatest of which may begin with our willingness to pray.

We can ask God to help others, to heal brokenness and to solve enormous problems. We can then ask what part we are to play in that process, how can we be partners with God in making a difference. We may be the one who gives up the bread and fish, or one of those who helps to bless them, or even one who takes the gifts to those who need it. Through prayer and our willingness to respond to God’s call upon our lives, we can make a difference.

There is a quote from R.A. Torey written in the front of my Bible. I often turn to it when faced with an enormous need. It reads:

“Pray for great things,
 Expect great things,
 Work for great things,
 but, above all, Pray!”

Below those words is this simple prayer that I pray for all of us today, “Lord, help me make a difference today that is utterly disproportionate to who I am.” May it be so.

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One part of my presentation (and the preparation for it) that really captured my thoughts was the concern for the language we speak. All too often, we fall into the belief that we should be able to speak our language and expect others to understand it and grasp what we are saying. When they ignore or reject what we are saying, we can easily place all of the responsibility on our audience while never asking ourselves if we communicated in the right way.

I have a passion for ministry in Brazil and enjoyed the privilege of leading groups there to do missions work. Never did we arrive in Rio expecting that the people we would minister with would speak fluent English. Instead, we took time to learn some Portuguese and we arranged to have an interpreter ready when necessary. We made every effort to speak the language of the people we were with.

The same thing applies in the areas we all live and serve in. The church, reaching out to the community and the world, must be willing to learn the language of the people we are speaking to. We cannot simply expect that our words have the same meaning and that our methods of communication are the same. They are not. Even though the learning curve is significant and seems to continue to change, we must not step back.

When I was young, the church found its greatest growth through its members having children. People remained committed to their church and people who moved into the area typically looked for a church of the same denomination they previously attended. There was tremendous denominational loyalty. By the time I began in ministry, people were shopping for churches based upon the programs they offered. They would often change congregations based upon their needs and the seasons of their lives.

Today, people are seeking something real and a place where they can be engaged and connected. They want to be known and to know others, and they want to be a part of something that is bigger than they are, something that enables them to make a difference. The church can meet these needs and become stronger in the process, but we will need to speak the language of a new day.

Change can be intimidating, but what wonderful opportunities it presents. Thank God the message of divine love and saving grace remains unchanging. Thank God the Holy Spirit enables and empowers us to face a changing world and speak a relevant word. Thank God we have the privilege of living is such exciting times, and when it all seems overwhelming, take heart in John Wesley’s final words, “The best is, God is with us.”

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