“Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.” – Ephesians 4:31-32

Clutter, it accumulates easily, and as it does, it becomes a bigger impediment to our lives. Spiritual clutter, restricts our growth and hampers our faith.

One person who commented on the last post, raised an important point. Some things that clutter our lives can actually be fodder for growth and creativity as we mature. This week, I spent some time unpacking my studio. There were boxes of art supplies for me to go through. There still are, but what I did sort through revealed many things I forgot I possessed, and a few things I thought I disposed of. Many of these items provided some fresh inspiration for new projects, and I am glad they were still there to be found.

Not everything that appears to be clutter actually is, however, many things we become accustomed to may be more of a hinderance that we actually know. Looking for space in my studio revealed a number of things that were merely taking up valuable space. I feel attached to them because they were with me for quite a while, but it may be time for me to embrace greater simplicity. Maybe simplifying will be a good topic for the future. For the moment, let’s further consider our spiritual clutter. Tuesday, we looked at some of the larger pieces of spiritual clutter. Today, lets consider some other negative things that take up valuable space in our hearts.

Anger – We all get angry. People and things frustrate us, they hurt us, and from those initial emotions, anger develops. Anger is always a secondary emotion, but it is a powerful one, and when we harbor anger in our hearts, it damages our relationships. There is a place for righteous anger, but all too often we use that exemption to maintain harmful forms of anger adorned in righteous coverings. Real anger separates. It fuels division, and restricts healthy relationships. It affects our relationship with God, with others, and with ourselves.

Anger is toxic, and it is contagious. As the old axiom goes, “hurting people hurt people.” That is why the Scripture enjoins us to put it away along with bitterness, slander, and malice. Harboring these emotions, or acting on them, leads to great pain for everyone involved. The more we nurture them, the larger, and stronger, they become. This is a form of clutter that can choke the life out of our spirit.

Unforgiveness – Closely related to anger, the lack of forgiveness fosters pain in our spiritual life. People do harmful things and it is hard to release those experiences, and even harder to forgive those who caused them. However, our inability to forgive will never right the wrongs, nor will it lead to healing. Ultimately, it will attack and consume us without justice or restoration. As someone once said, “Unforgiveness is like drinking poison and expecting the other person to die.” When we forgive, we do not condone harmful actions, nor do we excuse the people who did us harm, however, we stop the cycle of harm in our lives and free ourselves from the grip of our wounds. It is not easy to forgive, but the more we realize our own need for forgiveness, it becomes easier to extend it to others.

Bitterness and Hate – These are burdens that are simply to heavy to carry. They cause us to elevate ourselves above others. We begin to embrace an attitude of superiority which leads to judgement, discrimination, and destruction. Slander and gossip follow, as we seek to demean someone else in order to feel better ourselves. Many, if not all, of the “isms” we face in our society find their roots in bitterness and hate. When we pull up these roots, we destroy their fruit as well. The more that we embrace the Biblical call to be kind, tenderhearted, and loving, the more that we reflect the heart of God and find peace in our lives.

As I reflect on these harmful forms of spiritual clutter, I am reminded of all of the broken things I kept in my life because they were familiar, or filled with emotional connections. No matter what memories I connected with them, they were no less broken. Likewise, holding on to places of spiritual brokenness is equally unhelpful, and only prevents us from receiving the wholeness God designed for us.

There are numerous, other pieces of spiritual clutter that affect our faith journey, and there are things that may be obstacles in each of our lives that may not be issues for others. If we truly desire to live in God’s hope and peace, we ought accept the challenge to do the necessary, personal house cleaning. The Psalmist said, “Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts! And see if there be any grievous way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.” (Psalm 139:22-23) Maybe this should be a regular prayer.

If we will let God shine the light into our lives, God will reveal any grievous thing that needs to be removed. Then, we can trust the love of Jesus to cleanse us, and the power of the Holy Spirit to enable us to release the clutter, giving greater space for the Sprit to fill us. It sounds intimidating, but it seems like a very good trade to me.

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“Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest” – Matthew 11:28

“Don’t be selfish,” we hear, “being a Christian means putting God and others first.” The call to self-sacrifice seems ever-present in such comments, as we are reminded that Jesus poured out his life for us, and we should do the same for him. Clearly, the Christian life involves sacrifice, but is there no room for us to think of ourselves?

One of the best bits of advice I received as I entered ministry was to remember that, “the pastor who is always available, usually isn’t any good when he, or she, is available.” The life of pastoral ministry is marked by sacrifice. It is a calling that comes with significant demands, but faithfully living out that calling requires caring for yourself, so that you have something of substance to share with the people God calls you to serve.

It is no different for any Christian. All of us are responding to the call of God, and all of us must make good choices about caring for ourselves and our families, as we do. The Bible clearly says that we are to humbly consider the needs of others, and think of others as better than ourselves. This is a call to avoid selfishness and to remain humbles. It is not a demand to neglect our wellbeing, or miss out on the beauty of life.

I once had a church member come to my office to ask me to take on a task that she felt should be my top priority. When I explained that I did not believe God was asking me to do that, and that I would be willing to help equip her to accomplish her passion, she became somewhat indignant and said, “If you have time to get coffee with your friends in the afternoon, you have time to do what I am asking!”

Of course, she was right. I had time to do what she wanted, but did not believe God was asking me to do it, and I did not sense that it was the best choice for our shared ministry. I knew how full my schedule was, and I knew I needed time to decompress over some coffee with friends if I was going to be effective at all of the other things I was doing to pour myself out in service to Jesus.

We all experience this at times. It is easy to hear the words of others, or the words in our head, and believe we should neglect things that matter to us in order to do more for the kingdom. This leads to becoming what the Bible calls, “weary in well-doing.” We are not the Savior, that role belongs to Jesus alone. We cannot do everything, and we must choose what God calls us to do, and be at peace with that.

Thankfully, Jesus himself gives us some very good news. In the second half of John 10:10, Jesus says, “I have come that they may have life and have it abundantly!” Notice, Jesus does not say, “I have come so that they can have more to do, be exhausted, and grow weary.” He makes it clear that a core part of his mission was for us to have life, to experience life, to enjoy life. When we walk with Jesus, we are invited to participate in the wonder of what it means to truly live!

A vital part of a healthy Christian life is savoring the beauty of life, and we need to make time to experience it. It is difficult, if not impossible, to experience such life if we over-fill our schedules and wallow in guilt. We must make time to enjoy life. In fact, enjoying life is a form of praise and a statement of our faith in Jesus. We are declaring, along with God in the first chapter of Genesis, that God’s creation is good, and that Jesus gives us life!

So, here is permission to take a walk, take some pictures, listen to music, enjoy a little art, smell the flowers, spend time with friends and family, play in the sand, jump into piles of fall leaves, and a thousand other blessings that come with being alive in the wonder of Jesus! God excels in beauty and life, and liberally shares it with us. Live your life in a way that bears witness to that!

I would love to hear how you celebrate the abundant life Jesus gives. Next Monday, our focus will be on Making Time for Others. As for me, I am going to enjoy another cup of coffee, and then go photograph something beautiful! May you be blessed as well, today!

The post Making Time (Part 2) – Making Time for Yourself appeared first on Thinking Faith Cafe.

When we rush into doing things, we get things out of order, and we can miss what really matters.

I remember a test one of my high school teachers gave to our class. It was a page full of instructions that we were asked to complete as quickly as possible. The list began by asking us to read all of the instructions, then went on to give us assignments such as solving math problems, obtaining the signature of another student, repeating a phrase three times, and more similar items. Assignment number 25 read, “If you have read all of the instructions, ignore everything else, sign this paper at the bottom, and return it to your teacher.” Only three people passed that test. I was not one of them.

The teacher explained that his goal was to show us the importance of reading all of the instructions, but looking back, I think it taught something else, something much more significant. When we rush into fulfilling tasks, we lose the objectivity we need to evaluate what we should do. Our priorities can become misguided all too quickly and we waste time, energy, and life pursuing the wrong things.

Jesus appointed twelve followers to the position of apostle, and many of us are aware of the great works those apostles did in their ministries. We even have an entire book of the Bible detailing the Acts of the Apostles, but did you hear what the Gospel writer, Mark, said in the Scripture quote above? Jesus appointed the twelve, “so that they might be with him.” The first priority was relationship. The text does go on to say that he gave them a mission and the authority to complete it, both of which are important, but before the assignment was the relationship.

The foundation of life and ministry is relationship. Done correctly, there can be no skipping steps. How many times have we (have I) jumped into doing things to serve God and the world, without taking the time to truly be in relationship with either God or the world? The results-oriented definitions of success we internalize encourage us to get things done quickly and efficiently, so we can get on to the next task. When we embrace this model, however, we frequently end up where I, and my high school class did; busy doing the wrong, or unnecessary, things.

From our relationship with Jesus, comes our mission and authority. From our relationship with the world comes our context and integrity. Without these key components, we can create the illusion of effectiveness and success, but we are only juggling a list of activities that are destined to fall to the ground. When we are plugged into the source of life, however, we become conduits of divine authority and power to transform lives, communities, and the world.

My denomination has a mission statement that says we, “make disciples for the transformation of the world.” That is an awesome, engaging mission. Nowhere, do we claim a mission to have full calendars, busy schedules, and too many activities. Often, however, that is what we do, and maybe you can relate to the temptation to replace a great mission with a flurry of activity because it seems so natural.

We are made to accomplish great things. All of us have God-given destiny, and it is bigger than being busy. When we embrace the significance of living in the right order, placing our relationship with God ahead of the work that we do, not only will we make a greater impact, we will also find the source of life that makes all things beautiful. As you make your plans for this weekend, for the coming week, and for your future, is it time to ask yourself, “am I skipping important steps in my drive to be productive?” Maybe, like me, you need to celebrate that your first calling is, like the apostles, to be with Jesus.

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What struck me most in her note, was her word of thanks for the bag of marshmallows we left with her family. It brought back great memories of the last day with our new friends and of the entire trip.

We brought a few things from our country that would be difficult, if not impossible, to find in Brazil to share with host families and churches. Things like maple syrup, peanut butter, and marshmallows. It was wonderful to share a part of our culture and say, “thank you,” for the hospitality. The marshmallows were a tremendous hit and the smiles they brought were wonderful. I did not realize the impact they made until yesterday.

Since then, I’ve been thinking about gifts and how we bless others. All too easily we judge gifts by size or cost. We say things like, “It’s the thought that counts,” but typically, we are hoping for more than a thought. The excesses of our holidays, even our daily lives, reveal our attachment to things and their value. I wondered how many people I knew who would be blessed by a 99 cent bag of marshmallows. I wonder if I would remember such a gift two years after I received it. The truth is, my house is full of far more expensive gifts that I’ve already forgotten.

That simple Facebook not really challenges me. It keeps asking me about my priorities and about what truly has meaning. I am wondering how many simple, yet wonderful, blessings I miss every day – gifts from friends, from strangers, even from God. I wonder if the gifts I give are special because of their cost or the value of the love in which they are given.

I know Lent is quickly approaching, and I believe God gave me my focus for this season in the words of a young Brazilian woman. Maybe it is time for the virtue of simplicity to take deeper root in my life as I receive and share the joy of simple things. Maybe all of us could benefit by taking our eyes off of the things we have and share, and looking more deeply at reason we share them in first place.

I look forward to this Lenten journey. Maybe God will inspire you to join me.

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The real challenge is keeping that focus. Every day, I try to put those three things first in my thoughts and then in my actions, but there are often so many distractions that it is easy to lose focus. The denomination has paperwork it wants. There are meetings to attend, calls to make, and emails to write. Occasionally, there are small fires to put out, and there is the reality that other people think they know your job description better than you do. It the midst of it all, it is hard to attend to what is truly most important.

At one point, early in our ministry, my wife gave me a small cartoon of a man (clearly a pastor) sitting in his chair looking quite frazzled as his wife smiles at him and says, “Always remember dear, Jesus loves you and everyone else has a wonderful plan for your life.” It made me smile, but there was truth in the humor.

Don’t get me wrong, I love what I do and these are just the challenges that come to cloud the more significant responsibilities of ministry, and more importantly, what happens to me, happens to you too. Every calling from pastor to parent, evangelist to engineer, has it’s core foci and its distractions. Each of us must take responsibility for our calling and see that we do not lose our true focus in the midst of a pile of daily details.

Here are some of the tools I use to keep my focus:

1. Put first things first. Make a plan that schedules time for what is most important. There will always be a litany of urgent requests crying out for your attention, but the loudest voice is not always the one to be listening to.

2. Set times each day to check your course. Just like navagaing a trip, it is important to check your position and the path you are taking.

3. Never stop taking direction from God. It is easy to trust in our own management skills to get us though, but God’s way is not always our way, and while we may “get through” on our own, we may miss the greater blessing God has in store if we follow his path.

4. Learn to say, “no.” All of us want others to like us and we can give in to unnecessary, and sometimes unrealistic, expectations in order to make others happy. It is good to care about other people, but only we can take responsibility for our calling. We must do what we were called to do and that may mean not doing some things others think we should do.

5. Learn from mistakes and practice grace. At the end of the day, if you realize that you lost focus on your way, discover what pulled you away and prayerfully discern how to bolster that part of your life and ministry to protect it from another occurance in the future. Don’t give up or give in to frustration. Accept that you are human, trust in the love of God and look to the Holy Spirit to guide you forward.

My grandfather used to say, “Charlie, what gets your attention, gets you.” Since I want God to have me in his hand, I want to give my attention to God. I trust you do too. That is what makes the effort worthwhile.

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As we approach the holiday, many of us are scurrying to make all of the necessary preparations for our family and friends. There is food to buy, decorations to find and hang, and, of course, presents to buy. In fact, we spend a significant amount of time thinking about, and buying, presents for family, friends, and even ourselves.

I know, I spend a lot of time thinking about what I want. Once the commercials begin and I commence the “hunt and buy” process, I find that I become more aware of what I hope to receive Christmas Day. I like to convince myself that I am only gathering ideas so family and friends will to know what to get me, but, truthfully, it involves some of my selfish side as well.

I also spend ample time asking, and thinking about, what other people in my life would like to receive. While part of me thinks about me, a greater part rejoices in begin a blessing to others. I love to see the joy on the faces of my wife and children as they open a gift they wanted. I get excited thinking about the happiness the gift I giving will bring to friends. I pray that the staff gifts will bless and encourage my staff. Part of the joy of Christmas is found in the sharing.

What about God? Do I think about what God would like to receive for Christmas? Do I ponder what the One who gave everything for me would like to have for the holiday? Sadly, no, or at least, not enough, and I wonder if others do either. In the midst of the busyness of the season and the concern for self and others, it is easy to assume that since God doesn’t need anything, there is nothing to offer him.

It is true that God needs nothing, but there are things God desires. Sure, the Almighty could merely speak and any desire would be fulfilled, but part of God’s desire is that we would be the source of that fulfillment so he waits for us to respond.

So what does God desire. The first thing God wants for Christmas is us. He wants our heart, our love, our attention. Like a mother or father who is less concerned with the cost or quality of the gift, but is filled with joy to be remembered, God is not looking for a bigger gift in the offering plate or some extravagant gesture, but is blessed when we remember him.

It is true that ultimately it is the thought that counts, but how that thought is expressed can be important. So how can we express our thoughtfulness to God? Allow me to offer a short list to stimulate your creativity.

Love one another.
Love someone you consider other.
Love mercy, justice and humility.
Work for all three.
Share the compassion and grace God has shown you.
Pray for peace.
Work for peace.
Make time to be with God.
Make time to be with people.
Feed the hungry.
Clothe the naked.
Visit those imprisoned by law or by life.
Be good news to poor and captive.
Encourage the brokenhearted.
Proclaim the year of the Lord.
In short, embrace the Gospel, live the Gospel, and be the Gospel.

May the joy of Christmas be yours. May it come to others through you, and may you feel the joy of the Lord as he rejoices over you this holiday season.

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As we enjoyed our memories and our time together, I began to think about all of the things that helped us get to this point. Lots of advice and lots of mistakes mingled with a load of grace worked to guide us to today.

One of the pieces of counsel that we received, one that made a great impact, was to be sure that we kept our priorities in order. We were told, “remember, God always comes first, then your family and then whatever ministry God calls you to.” We smiled and offered our thanks, but really had no idea how important those words were.

Putting God first truly has made a tremendous difference in our marriage and in our personal lives. Each of us makes time to care for our individual spiritual lives so that we can be in step with God and so that we can have something of value to offer to the other and the marriage. We also seek to make God the head, not only of our lives, but of our life together. God truly is the center of the three-fold cord of our marriage.

One of the greatest challenges to keeping our priorities straight was keeping our relationship and the ministry in their proper order. It is so easy to become caught up with doing the work of God, that you forget that your first calling is not to the ministry, but to your spouse. There is so much important work to do for the kingdom, but if it comes at the sacrifice of the relationships you steward, the point is lost.

Pastor, or not, we are all responsible to be good stewards of all God entrusts to us. God must hold first place, then those we are given to love, and then the work that we are assigned. There is always someone else who can do the work, but there is no one else who can provide the love and care that we give to others.

As you look at your life, maybe even your marriage, can you allow God to direct your priorities? Are you willing to put the most important things first, even if that means sacrifice? If you are, there will be blessing upon blessing in your life. It may not be what you expected, but it will be what God most desires for you.

I am so thankful for all God has given me. I pray I can always care for these blessings in the way God intended. May you also find your joy in following God and sharing life with others, especially those given to share life with you.

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Stewardship can be an unpopular topic. We like our privacy. We tire of the media voices inundating us with requests for money, and honestly, we’ve seen far too many over-paid people asking for our support. Thankfully, real stewardship is far more than a financial pledge, so far beyond paying church bills. Stewardship is an attitude of the heart; a way of life that responds to the generous heart of God with a willingness to be generous ourselves. Real stewardship acknowledges that we are blessed and seeks to be a blessing to others.

On my first mission trip to Brazil, I attended a worship that changed my life and my understanding of Christian stewardship. Sitting in a cramped pew within a crowded church, I watched as people who clearly fit within my definition of poverty came forward to place their offerings in the collection box at the front of the sanctuary. I asked one of the young women who sat next to me why they did not pass plates like we did back home. She explained to me that they believed it was important for the young people of the congregation to see their parents, family and friends putting their faith into action by giving.

I went on to ask her what the significance was of a large basket that sat behind the collection box. I’d watched as people put their tithes in the box and then placed something in the basket. She replied, “Oh, those are our gifts for the poor.” The shock on my face must have been evident as I tried to make sense of the scene – poverty stricken people collecting gifts for the poor! The young woman smiled and said, “You don’t get it do you?” I replied, “Apparently not/” Her face beamed as she said, “We have everything, because we have Him. How can we not share what God has given us with those who need it too?”

I was speechless, and moved with deep emotion. Earlier, I’d been lamenting things I, and the church I served, did not have. Now, I was sitting in the face of the most powerful sermon on stewardship I’d ever experienced. Here were people who understood that what really mattered was more than a collection of things, but a connection with people and with the heart of God.

This year, as our church celebrates its Consecration Sunday, I pray that we can capture some of that same awareness and generous spirit. I hope I can as well, as I still have much to learn. Maybe, as we embrace how richly God provides for our lives, we can embrace the opportunity to share richly with others, for that is where the real blessing lies.

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And then some people add even more. Like the gentleman we passed, people try to read the paper, put on makeup, and study for exams. Texting while driving is commonplace even when the police cite those who do and in spite of the news reports of people losing their lives or taking those of others.

I confess that I am stunned by our compulsive need to keep doing more. We make it look nice by calling the results of our efforts, “increased productivity,” and naming our addiction, “multitasking.” Is this what we were made for? How can we be fully present to the people and the activities we are doing if we are trying to do more than one activity at a time?

Jesus had time for people, even though he accomplished quite a bit in his thee years of ministry. As full as his agenda may have been, we never get the sense that he would be checking his Blackberry while the Samaritan woman was coming for water, nor interrupting his teaching of the disciples because he needed to, “take this one, it will just be a minute.”

I sit in meetings and at lunch with people who have become cyborgs, refusing to remove their earpiece while they try to convince me that they are truly present and listing to me and others around them. Friends take call after call while we are trying to share a cup of coffee together. It is frustrating, and I am just as guilty.

Recently, my daughter asked me if I could please not be on the computer so much and if I would be willing to stop checking my phone every few minutes to see if I had texts or emails coming in. She asked, “Could you just leave those things alone for a while? I would really like to spend time with you.”

Ouch! It hurt, but mostly because she was right. I too was embracing the value of multitasking over living with focus. I was choosing to be partially connected to several instead of being fully present to one. I promised to change, and gave her, and her mother, permission to hold me accountable.

It is difficult to avoid what is so commonly embraced and what is increasingly expected of us. It is hard to say that we are choosing a different way of life that enjoys and affirms the usefulness of technology without allowing it to direct our lives.

I am sure the man driving with the sports page is busy and wants to make the most of his time, but maybe there is a better way to live that really does get the most out of each moment, but not trying to do more than the moment allows. I would hate to think that I am missing opportune moments in order to see what spam came in within the past two minutes.

If God has our heart and what is at hand, our attention, then we can live powerful lives full of meaning, and what is most important will be accomplished, most likely with a lot less stress. Oh, and if you see me with that ubiquitous blue flashing in my ear, or checking my Blackberry once again when I should be engaging the people I am with, feel free to hold me accountable too.

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“How fast can you get that done.”

“Is there an abridged version?”

Speed is the order of the day. We travel faster, read faster and work faster. Slow traffic annoys us. We prefer television programs where the plot is introduced, developed and resolved all within 30 minutes (including commercial breaks). An entire business market has developed to help us grasp great works of literature by only reading the notes and outline. We even order our food fast and complain if it takes more than a few minutes to complete our order. The world we live in is on the move and we are in a hurry to get things done.

In the midst of all this busyness, it is easy to wonder what we are all so busy rushing for. Do we really want to get to the places we are speeding to reach, or are we in a hurry to get to someplace we will rush to leave? What does all this hyperactivity say about us and our values and are we losing something important in the flurry of activity we’ve become accustomed to?

We watch as families and relationships weaken. We listen to the pain of people with desires and dreams that are lost in the undertow of their schedules. We even see our most profound relationship, the one with our Lord and Savior; struggle to grow under the weight of all of our activity. What can we do?

We must begin by understanding that some things, especially those that are very valuable, cannot be rushed. Relationships and faith cannot be nurtured into maturity overnight. There is no shortcut… no set of three easy steps to a deep and meaningful relationship with Jesus. Something so important requires and investment, especially of the priceless commodity, time.

We may live in a world that has become comfortable with microwaving everything, but the truly delicious meals require some slow cooking. Others may be satisfied with a superficial spirituality developed at high speeds, but God continues to call us make the sacrifice and spend some regular, quality time with Him. Only then can we, “taste and see that the Lord is good.”

We will need to address our priorities and decide if we can do without another rerun, or, another trip to the mall. We must ask ourselves if our schedules reflect our convictions and if not, make some changes. We might even find that our calling is to live in a way that demonstrates to our culture that there is something more… something deeper than appointments and crossing off items on our “to do” lists.

There will always be important things for us to do and the Word of God encourages us to, “redeem the time,” but maybe it is time for us to stop, look at our lives and ask if we can join the Psalmist when he says, “Whom have I in heaven but you? I desire you more that anything on earth.” It is something to consider when you have a little time.

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