Yesterday was challenging. Mid-afternoon, we received a call from my wife’s new doctor informing us that that her recent tests showed that she was in serious condition and that we needed to go to the emergency room right away. It was a life-threatening situation. You can imagine the fear, and a host of other emotions, that flooded us in that moment. Things can turn upside-down in a moment.

Things can also turn in good ways just as fast. After some time at the hospital, and consultation with a previous physician, we discovered that there was a misunderstanding in the interpretation of the data. My wife was completely fine, and she was able to return home with me a few minutes later. It was a wild ride and, while we may not be happy about the process, we are elated at the end result.

As I processed my emotions last night, I took some time before we went to sleep to read some Scripture and to pray. I typically work my way through the Psalms before bed. I opened to where I left off, and began reading right at Psalm 91.

Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High

will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.

I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress,

my God, in whom I trust.”

It is funny how God provides just what we need to hear when we are attentive. As I read through the remainder of the Psalm, I found my peace increase, and I gave thanks for God’s presence in every circumstance.

As I approached the end of the chapter, I found the closing words especially helpful. I know these words were probably written for the king of Israel when they were composed, and I strongly advocate reading the Scripture in context. Still, last night, I felt these same words applied to our situation and so I claimed them for our lives as well. So, pardon me as I change the pronouns in the text, and I pray that you might find hope in them as well:

“Because she loves me,” says the Lord, “I will rescue her;

I will protect her, for she acknowledges my name.

She will call on me, and I will answer her;

I will be with her in trouble,

I will deliver her and honor her.

With long life I will satisfy her

and show her my salvation.”

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It is unlikely that many people approach their lives thinking, “I should make this more complicated,” yet, too often our decisions do exactly that. We want things to run smoothly and to be easier in many ways, only to find that it takes very little to make it all more complicated. Even the seemingly insignificant decisions and actions can come with a cascade of unintended consequences.

The biggest challenges to the sense of comfort and peace I desire are found in the things I own, and the engagements I accept. The “stuff” that collects in my house and in my calendar seems useful, even necessary, at the time, and later turns out to be a source of frustration and complication. As we continue to unpack our belongings, I find there are numerous things that have no home. These simple things take up space, filling drawers that could hold other things, and taking up valuable shelf space. Unpacking pens, refills, and miscellaneous office supplies filled several drawers that I now need to root through to find the items I need, and there are still more things that could go in the same space. I keep asking, “Why did I buy all of this? Am I ever going to use it? Will I remember where it is when I need it?” Useful items have suddenly become clutter.

My schedule can experience the same overload. It is easy to say, “Yes,” to invitations that I find attractive and meaningful, but it is also easy to say that to too many of them. Of course, it doesn’t take long to realize that each acceptance typically comes with preparation and a greater commitment of time than I expected. Unchecked, activities I love become burdensome and affect everything else in my plans.

I know I am not the only one who experiences such challenges. Things and plans embraced with good intentions quickly accumulate and become obstacles instead of opportunities. This is probably why the early church Mothers and Fathers placed such a high value on simplicity. The fewer attachments we have, the less the things of life can impede our journey. As we embrace the simple life, it is easier to find our focus and pursue it with passion, and in the process, we create space to commune with God.

The rich, young ruler who came to Jesus asking, “What must I do to inherit eternal life?” was certainly not expecting Jesus’ reply. I imagine he was ready to take on a new task, or embrace something else into his life. Instead, Jesus called on him to release what he already possessed and follow him. The story ends with the man leaving discouraged. Letting go is hard.

Saying, “No,” is hard as well. There are so many wonderful, important opportunities around us, so many places to be involved and make a difference, yet we cannot do it all. It can be equally discouraging to turn down invitations we want to accept but, whether it is things or appointments (or anything else for that matter), anything that removes the simplicity from our lives also removes our peace and our effectiveness.

During a part of my education, while I had a full schedule at school, and a church I served part-time, a friend gave me a small cartoon. In that pre-digital meme, a woman is speaking to her exasperated partner, “Just remember, dear, Jesus loves you, and everyone else has a wonderful plan for your life.” I laughed, but I also winced, because much of my life was consumed by things that kept me busy, not things that brought real meaning to my life. I thought I could blame syllabi or others’ expectations for my full schedule, but that was not the true cause.

The real key to navigating these challenges comes in the realization that we set our schedules, and we choose how much we possess. We have the power to choose the simple life, or we can continue to make the same decisions that keep us cluttered and confused. We have the power to let go, and the authority to say, “no.” This is where a clear sense of vision and purpose becomes invaluable to our decision making process. When we have a clear vision of who we are and where we are going, we are able to make wise choices about what we allow in our lives. Just as we can choose to buy one more thing and take on one more task, we can also choose the simple life that accentuates the significant things while releasing the clutter and busyness.

Jesus offered some very sound advice to his followers. He said, “Seek first the kingdom of God and God’s righteousness, and all these other things will be given to you.” (Matthew 6:33) When we put God, and God’s agenda first, all of the other things of life will find their proper place. When we invert the process, we become overloaded and exhausted, and God’s great purpose for our lives gets lost in the mess.

Choosing the simple life is not easy, but the reward is great. To make the decision, we must let go of the need to own everything, and we must find our value in our relationship with God. It requires accepting the truth that our possessions do not make us important, nor does the level of activity in our calendar. Our value, our sense of worth, our identity will not be found in these places. Instead, we must come to know that our significance is found in the truth that God, “chose us in him [Jesus] before the foundation of the world, to be adopted as the children of God.” (Ephesians 1:4)

We matter because we are created in the image of God, loved by God, and made God’s children through Jesus Christ. With that knowledge, we can pursue lives of meaning, rooted in something much greater that the things people typically chase after. As a young woman I met in a poverty stricken community in Brazil once said to me, “We have everything because we have him.”

May the simple life of that truth call us and guide us as we live lives of destiny and purpose. May we throw off the things that weigh us down, so that we can run into the future God prepares for us. May we bind ourselves to God and find that the chains that hold us back are broken as we do. Maybe it is time to take our saturated schedules and our over-filled spaces, and trade them for the joy of simplicity.

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“Now fear the Lord and serve him with all faithfulness. Throw away the gods your ancestors worshiped beyond the Euphrates River and in Egypt, and serve the Lord. But if serving the Lord seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.” – Joshua 24:14-15

Choices matter, and they are ours to make.

Today’s post is a little later than usual, and that is a choice. It is not a decision based upon deep research regarding the best time to blog on Thursdays, nor is it founded upon the statistics and insights of the Cafe’s usage. It’s the result of a conscious decision to do something else. Before you find that thoughtless and selfish, please hear me out, and trust me, it is about something much more important than me.

Currently, my wife and I are on vacation. We are enjoying some time away together in the Adirondack Mountains. My normal routine is disrupted for a good reason, and some of my inspiration is emerging while I am here. Normally, my post would be mapped out in advance, and most of my writing done long before the post is due, and yes, I did have something in mind for this morning, but you will get to see that later.

Last night, I was able to spend some quality time playing cards with my wife, and this morning, our coffee conversation was filled with laughter and visioning for our future. Of course, I could have cut those moments short to sit at my laptop, but I chose my relationship over my blog. So now, as my wife prepares for another day of adventure, I have a moment to share with you.

We all make choices, lots of them, everyday. We make decisions about how to use our resources of time, treasure, and talent. Every choice is an investment in something and comes at the cost of something else. Too often, we feel as if we must surrender those choices to someone, or something, else, when the choice is actually ours and ours alone. We can blame family, work, even pressing blog posts, for forcing us to sacrifice important things, but the power of choice belongs to us. Even God does not take that away from us.

Of course, there are consequences to our choices, but that is exactly why we must weigh them out as we make our decisions. Things are expected of us, and many things are necessary, but the final decision rests with us. Will we trade our time for a stronger faith, a healthier family, deeper friendships, and a better world, or will we exchange what we have for a little more wealth, power, and position? Will we choose to serve God and others in Jesus name, or will we serve ourselves and the expectations of the world around us? These are the questions we need to ask, because the impact of our decisions will matter whether we are aware of our motivations or not.

Joshua called upon the nation of Israel to renew their covenant with God. It was an invitation to a choice: choose God, or something else. He did not make the decision for them, he couldn’t. It was their choice to make. What they could not do was avoid the choice. Even choosing not to decide was a choice to avoid choosing God. Joshua spoke the truth to the people, and then he led by example, “as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.”

Today, we all have choices to make. Among them, is one of the most important decisions we make. Will we choose to serve the Lord? Will we put God first, above everything else? Will we accept the freedom and power God gives us to choose God?

The decision between strengthening the bond with my wife, or posting my blog before 9:00am was easy. The choice to deny myself and put God first in every aspect of my life is much more challenging, but the consequences of that decision are eternal.

So, as you live this day, the only August 16, 2018, you will ever experience, what, and who, will you choose? The choice is yours. No one else can make it for you. What is your choice?

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Teach me your way, O LORD, that I may walk in your truth. – Psalm 86:11a ESV

Recently, we experienced a major storm, one filled with lightning and thunder, and significant rainfall. The storm started while my wife and I were at a church meeting and continued for several hours. As we opened the doors to leave, we knew we would get very wet on our short walk home.

My wife was aware of some obstacles she noticed on the way to the meeting and reminded me to be careful. The problem… in addition to the heavy rain it was extremely dark. As we made the brisk walk to our porch, we both thought we knew the safest way home, but it was not the same way. This made for some humorous moments as we walked hand-in-hand trying to take each other in different directions. Soaking wet, and laughing, we made it back realizing neither of us knew for sure what we were doing.

While that night will remain a happy memory, it is true that not every path is so safe, nor is every journey lighthearted. There are places we must go and choices we must make that are far more significant where, if we are honest, we still feel like we are walking in darkness. We think we know where we are going, but it may be more accurate to say we hope we know.

In John 14, Jesus tells his disciples, “You know the way to the place where I am going.” The disciples, in a moment of honesty reply, “How can we know the way?” Jesus, recognizing their human confusion offers the greatest solace, “I am the way.”

The psalmist understood the disciples dilemma. Walking the right path, the way of God’s truth is not always easy, but we are not alone in our journey. There is help from the One who knows, and is, the way. When we remain in Christ, and allow him to teach us his way, our path is secure. There is no darkness too deep, nor storm too strong, to cause us to lose our way. The journey may not be easy, but following Jesus, we will not be lost.

We can try to find our own way, and we can let others pull us in different directions they believe are correct, but we may end up more lost than we were when we began, getting soaked by the powerful rains of the storm. We may end up running into unexpected obstacles, injuring ourselves or others. Yet, when we humble ourselves enough to admit that we do not know the way, we are then in a position to seek God’s direction; to pray, “Teach me your way, O LORD, that I may walk in your truth.”

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Incorporating experience into our discernment process is much more than merely deciding what we want to be true, or what we think Scripture says on a particular subject. Rather, it is adding the knowledge each of us accumulates to the mix, along with the stories and key moments that shape our lives. This allows us to ask good questions of our interpretation of Scripture and to rightly examine our experiences, allowing the Holy Spirit to use these sources to guide us in our beliefs and actions.

Some Cautions with Experience

Our experiences can be wrong, or at least, misinterpreted. We may think our view of the world is correct, but sometimes our lens is skewed and things are not exactly as they seem. This happens frequently on social media. We read posts or comments, convinced we understand what they mean, only to find out that we misread, or misinterpreted, the words we read. We may be sure that someone is angry with us, only to discover that is far from the truth. Of course, it can go the other way as well.

We also see this concern play out in bigger ways as posts are made by those we trust, and reposted by others declaring something to be true. We may be so sure of our source that we post them as well, only to fact check later and discover we are all in error. These near daily occurrences should give us caution when we are assessing our experiences. We must always be open to the truth that our view of our experiences could be wrong.

Our world is not the whole world. It is important to incorporate not only our own experience in our discernment process, but the perspectives of others, especially those who do not see things our way. This may be difficult at times, but the result is worth the effort.

As a pastor, I frequently have church members who will approach me on an issue saying, “Everyone feels this way.” When I press them on who they spoke with, we soon discover that “everybody” is only their family, or just their circle of friends. This does not necessarily mean that their perspective is wrong, but it does mean that it is not fully informed. Incorporating experience goes beyond our thoughts and stories, to include those of others.

Emotions can help and hurt our understanding. Our emotional experience can be a great blessing in discernment. How we feel about something can be a revelation in itself. If a path doesn’t feel right, we may need to be careful before we proceed, or if we feel positive about something, it may be the Holy Spirit encouraging us to move forward. Of course, our emotions can be shaped by things other than the Spirit. Our fears and frustrations can discourage us from that the right path, and our passions can lead us to places we never wanted, or intended to go. Sober judgement is certainly called for when we examine our emotions.

While there are some cautions to consider when we engage our experiences, there are many blessings as well.

Blessings of Experience

We learned it for a reason. Our life is more than just a series of random experiences. If we believe that, “the steps of a righteous person are ordered by the Lord,” (Psalm 37:23) then we must believe that our experiences have a God-ordained purpose. They shape us and our understanding to prepare us for future decisions and discernment. We should never discount our experiences. We may need to learn to rightly understand them, but they are a valuable gift from God.

Experience makes it personal. It is all too easy to have lofty thoughts and ideas, but the real “rubber meets the road” of the Christian life is understanding the impact of our theology and beliefs on our actions, on our witness for Christ, and on how we treat others. While the “What Would Jesus Do” movement often seemed to go a little overboard, the question is still of great importance. Knowing what we know from Scripture and Tradition, asking what God wants us to “do” with that insight central to our faith walk. It is all too easy to “know what is right” and yet, live wrongly.

Application helps us understand. I love to fly fish, and I love to read about fly fishing. I can assure you, there is an amazing difference between knowing how to fish, and fishing. All of the book learning is helpful, but putting it into practice teaches what no book ever could. Likewise, our experience of putting Scripture and Tradition into practice refines our understanding. Even our mistakes and failures help us better understand the truths we live by, and refine the way we put them into practice along our journey.

Scripture, Tradition, and experience all inform our discernment process. Tomorrow, we will see how God’s gift of reason helps us bring these sources together. Until then, seek God in your circumstances and discover what the Holy Spirit is saying to you through them.

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It might seem that, if traditions are flexible in some way, that focusing on tradition would not be a solid source for discerning God’s will. This is quite true if by “tradition” we mean the practices we accept as normal, and meaningful, but when we talk about Tradition in discernment, we are speaking of something much more stable and powerful. Tradition, in our quest, is much more than just, “the way we’ve always done it.” Instead, we are looking at how the Christian Church across history has understood and applied biblical truth to the issues we face.

For our purposes, we are asking how the early church understood the teaching of Jesus and the rest of Scripture, along with how the church maintained its theology and mission across many centuries. In this case, tradition does not refer to personal, familial, or regional practices. Instead, the goal is to connect with the larger Christian Tradition that forms the foundation upon which we build our theology and practice.

Why is Tradition important in discernment? Consider these points:

Closer to the Original is Better

Maybe you played the Telephone Game at some time. The game involves putting people in a circle. The first person says something quietly into the ear of the person next to them, then that person does the same until the comment makes its way around the circle. Typically, the final words are quite different than the words originally spoken.

In a similar way, the closer we can get to the time when Scripture was written and theology formed, the more accurate our understanding of what the original words and ideas meant in the their context. We can have a much greater confidence in the interpretation of the Bible and church theology as we listen to the voices closest to the original.

In order to discern God’s direction, we must consult the voices of the early Christian mothers and fathers, for in them we find a clearer, more accurate understanding.

Consistency is Valuable

While the value of the early voices of the Christian community cannot be stated strongly enough, there is also is also great significance in the way the Church consistently expressed, and practiced, its theology. After we examine the teaching of Scripture and consider the interpretation of the early community of faith, we should also look at how that interpretation was maintained across 2000 of Christian history. When we see biblical teaching reinforced by the early faith community, and consistently maintained in the centuries to follow, we can more clearly discern God’s direction, and have more confidence in the direction we take. As Gordon Fee said, in his book How to Read the Bible for All its Worth, “Unique interpretations are usually wrong.”

Many Issues were Already Addressed

When we investigate the teaching of our Tradition, we often discover that many of the issues we wrestle with were already deeply considered and addressed. Too frequently, modern Christians struggle with discernment on issues that have already been answered. Just as education does not require us to relearn, or prove again, what we already know to be true, so our life of faith does not require us to readdress the foundations of our faith and theology

Can you imagine the frustration you would experience if you had to prove your math tables every time you wanted to pay for something, or make change? It would be exhausting, and unnecessary! We accept that these foundations have already been addressed and have no need to be challenged again and again.

In the same way, the Church has already addressed many aspects of our faith and theology, and we can safely accept that foundation in our spiritual discernment. A good, modern example is how we understand what Christians often refer to as the Old Testament. Frequently, I hear people say that the Hebrew Bible no longer has an influence over our Christian life, or that the God of the Old Testament is not the same as the God of the New Testament. These are bold assumptions and thankfully, they were already addressed.

In the year 144, Marcion of Sinope put forth his theology stating that he believed in Jesus Christ was sent by God as the Messiah, but he rejected the Hebrew Bible, and believed that the God of the Old Testament was a lesser god, and not the God of the New Testament. After much consideration and debate, the sound minds of the early church denounced Marcion’s position as heresy, restating the deep connections between the Christian witness and that of the Hebrew Bible, and reaffirming that the God of the Hebrew Bible was indeed, the same God found in Jesus and in the teaching of the early biblical writers.

When such claims are put forth in our modern day, we can say with confidence, that these issues have already been addressed and there is no need to reinvent the wheel by defending the faith against them once again.

Tradition is not infallible, but when layered upon the truth of Scripture, we have an even stronger foundation from which to discern God’s will. Tomorrow, we will turn our attention to the third layer of this process: our experience. Until then, may the cloud of witnesses that went before us, and surrounds us, help shine light upon your path.

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We all have moments when we want to quit. The battle we face may seem too big, or too long. We begin to grow weary and that exhaustion weakens our resolve and wears on our thoughts. We begin to imagine that there is an easier path than the one we are traveling. Our pace slows, and we can even choose to simply stop where we are. Many people remain stuck, sitting alongside the path of their life, unable to go any further.

As I write this, my thoughts keep coming back to Sailor Gutzler. She is a 7 year old girl who recently survived a plane crash in Kentucky. The lone survivor, having lost her family in the crash, she freed herself from the wreckage and walked a great distance through some of the worst terrain to find help. She was not trained for the path before her, which was overrun with obstacles, nor was she prepared for the journey. However, she pressed on through the briars, ditches, and downed trees, and through her emotional pain and trauma, to reach a place of safety. Her story is amazing!

The past few days, I faced some challenges and obstacles that I would have rather avoided. At times, I felt like I wanted to avoid the path in front of me and sit down for a season. Then, I thought of Sailor, knowing that my journey and obstacles are nothing compared to what she faced, and I kept moving. Then, I thought of Jesus, and the journey he faced, and found more inspiration. Then, God reminded me that Jesus is walking with me, going before me, and giving me strength for the journey, and I allowed the Holy Spirit to renew my strength. Somewhere between the tenacity of a 7 year old girl, and the great grace of God, I lost my weariness, and moved forward .

Many people are talking about how miraculous Sailor’s successful journey was. I agree. I also am overwhelmed with the miraculous strength she found to press on, to overcome. I do not know if she had an awareness of God as she pushed through her circumstances, but I do know that God was aware of her, and empowering her to keep moving.

We all face unwanted and difficult things, some are far worse than others. Many times, we dig deep and try to find the strength to keep going, yet that strength can be quite elusive. Then, we discover a strength that exceeds our situation, a power that gives us more than a hand, it lifts us up on wings like eagles. God’s strength has no limits, and the Holy Spirit shares that strength with us.

The great preacher Charles Spurgeon once said, “I have a great need for Christ; I have a great Christ for my need.” No matter what we are facing, God is bigger. No matter how difficult the task, God’s power is stronger. No matter how great our need, God’s willingness to meet it is greater. We are not alone, and we are not left to our own strength to continue. When we hope in the Lord, God renews our strength with his inexhaustible supply.

I thank God for grace, power, and hope. I am thankful for Sailor’s tenacious witness. I pray that God continues to strengthen her for the difficult journey ahead, and hope that one day she will see how her actions, in the face of great pain and adversity, inspired the nation and the world.

Let us not grow weary. Let us not faint. Let us hope in the Lord and be strong and courageous.

“Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his might power.” – Ephesians 6:10

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