from colossae to cork 2

last week i spent 5 days with other pais project leaders from across europe at the talmidin academy. we were taught by paul gibbs, global director of pais project, on discipleship.

we learned that one of the key things that is necessary for leading and growing those around you is transparency, giving people an example to follow. so, we have each been encouraged to blog our daily devotions from those 5 days...

personal devos from the talmidim academy

day 2: colossians 1:24-2:13

vs 1:24 now i rejoice in what i am suffering for you...

- when paul wrote this letter to the church in colossae he was in prison

the amazing thing about paul's attitude, he doesn't say "i know Christ will release me from prison"

instead he says "i fill up in my flesh what is still lacking in regard to Christ's afflictions" 

what is my attitude towards the less difficult struggle i face?

what is my purpose for embracing those struggles?

--

vs 1:25 the word of God in all it's fullness

the word of God-in all it's fullness-is more than words.

matthew 4:4 - man does not live on bread alone, but on the word of God

luke 8 - like a seed that bears fruit in good soil

john 1:1-3 - there from the beginning, with God, was God, all things made through Him

hebrews 4:12 - living and active, a double edged sword

1 peter 1:23 - living and enduring

2 peter 3:5 - creative (it creates)

1 john 2:14 - lives within us

rev 19:11-13 - i saw heaven standing open and there before me was a white horse, whose rider is called Faithful and True...his name is the Word of God.

(just to list a few....)

the word of God

in all it's fullness

is more than words.

--

from colossae to cork

last week i spent 5 days with other pais project leaders from across europe at the talmidin academy. we were taught by paul gibbs, global director of pais project, on discipleship.

we learned that one of the key things that is necessary for leading and growing those around you is transparency, giving people an example to follow. so, we have each been encouraged to blog our daily devotions from those 5 days...

personal devos from the talmidin academy

day 1:  colossians 1:1-23

paul (and timothy) has written a letter to the church in colossae...

vs 4-5  ...we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love you have for all his people--the faith and love that spring from the hope stored up for you in heaven... 

hope.

i find that planting our hope in the wrong place can cause disappointment, fear, manipulation, anger, bitterness.

and putting hope in nothing leads to cynicism and isolation.

but this hope that paul writes about produces faith in Christ and love for people.

that sounds good, i want that!

what do i put my hope in?

have i placed my hope in systems and legalism?

maybe a political party or a religious leader?

it's possible to put hope in a relationship...current or future...

or have i put my hope in myself?

--

vs 9-12

paul and timothy pray for the church...

- knowledge, wisdom, and understanding of God's will that comes from the Holy Spirit

great! yes, please!

how many of us have prayed for those things, to know the will of God?

to have the wisdom to do the right thing?

what university do i attend? what career do i choose? who should i marry? where should i live?

but the rest of paul's prayer doesn't help with any of those things...

- bearing fruit in every good work

- grow in knowledge of God

- strengthened according to God's might

- endurance and patience (through God's strength)

- joyful gratitude towards Father

and goes on to tell the church that they have been... 

- qualified as co-heirs in the kingdom of light

- rescued from dominion of darkness

- redeemed by Christ

seems to me that living 'a life worthy of our Lord and pleasing to Him in every way' is less about what we do and more about who we are and how we do it.

--

vs 15-18

Christ is at the center of everything.

Genesis 1

Job 38-41

John 1:1-18

but not just in the beginning, not just when he lived on earth, not just when paul wrote this, not just in the new earth and new heaven.

NOW.

how does it change who i am and how i live when i begin to fully acknowledge who He is?

--

vs 21-23

now He has reconciled you by Christ's physical body through death to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation-if you continue in your faith, established and firm, and do not move from the hope held out in the gospel.

back to hope...

hope isn't a warm fuzzy feeling.

hope is a source from which faith and love spring up.

hope is a choice, a resolution, a decision to stay on the path no matter how scary it might be in places.

first

seeking first the kingdom of God...

i've been thinking about what that means.

and if i'm honest, i realize that there are a lot of things i tend to choose over my Father's dream for this world and His desires for my life. 

when i have a decision to make, what takes priority?

what comes first?

focusing on what i accomplish rather than who i am.

what i know over who i know.

achieving/earning more over giving more away.

talent over surrender.

reputation over integrity.

flattery over honesty.

peace over discipline.

comfort over growth.

greatness over humility.

independence over intimacy.

memory over grace.

safety over love.

i noticed a few things when i looked back over this list (which keeps growing as i continue thinking about it).

first...

the two options i feel like i must choose between are very rarely obvious opposites.

choosing beween love and hate - or even love and apathy depending on how you look at it - isn't usually a decision i struggle to make. but choosing between love and safety...

then...

it's not as simple as 'good' vs. 'bad'

comfort is good. growth is good.

but i've learned that i rarely get both and choosing comfort over growth...leads to decay.

finally...

your list could look completely different from mine.

and for that reason, it's probably worth making your own.

and at the end of all this thinking, i have one more to add to my list....

right over relationship.

the temptation to think the right things, say the right things, write the right things.....to be right and yet completely miss the whole point: a life-giving relationship with my Father.

part 3

A man in the crowd said, "Teacher, I brought you my son, who is possessed by a spirit that has robbed him of speech. Whenever it seizes him, it throws him to the ground. He foams at the mouth, gnashes his teeth and becomes rigid. I asked your disciples to drive out the spirit, but they could not."

When the spirit saw Jesus, it immediately threw the boy into a convulsion. He fell to the ground and rolled around, foaming at the mouth.

Jesus asked the boy's father, "How long has he been like this?"

"From childhood," he answered. "It has often thrown him into fire or water to kill him. But if you can do anything, take pity on us and help us."

"'If you can?'" said Jesus. "Everything is possible for one who believes."

Immediately the boy's father exclaimed, "I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!"

imagine the scene.

a crowd of religious men who've missed the mark, a desperate father, a child thrown into a demonic fit and Jesus.

how should the story go?

Jesus should heal the boy, sort out the religious, and everyone can go home happy.

but the majority of his attention goes to the father in this story. why?

i can't know what Jesus was thinking and won't be able to comprehend His wisdom.

but when i put myself in the shoes of this father, i can at least begin to understand. maybe...

because when i relate to the father, i realize his need for healing, freedom and restoration was as great as his son's need.

and i realize how much healing, freedom and restoration i have experienced.

i've never been possessed by a demon, afflicted with serious illness or trapped by addiction.

it could be so easy to look around and see everyone else's obvious need for a Healer.

but Jesus came to look me in the eye, to heal me, to change my heart.

to infuse my life with hope, faith and love.

and He has.

inspiring me to cry out for help in the midst of my unbelief.

pounding walls of cynicism, fear and pride into dust.

and then teaching me to live in open spaces, free from restriction.

everyone else that day saw the son, but Jesus saw the father.

and i love Him for that.

part 2

it's taken me forever to write this because, honestly, i didn't realize how personal this story is. and yet i feel like i really need to keep writing, so maybe it's not just me who will find that this hits close to home....definitely too close for comfort.

can anyone relate to this father?

i know i can.

cynicism comes easy to me. easier than having faith, easier than hoping.

rather than hoping for the best, it's easier to expect the worse. and for some reason cynicism seems cooler than hoping. but i wonder if we elevate cynicism so we don't have to challenge ourselves?

once i can pinpoint what the worst outcome might be, i come to the conclusion that i have to depend on myself, because there are just some things in this life i can't control. and if i'm not in control, i will end up disappointed. because everything else will fail, but somehow i won't...

sounds kinda crazy, i know. but in all my attempts to be independent, i doubt that i'm alone in this.

so, to continue the story....

one day the father hears about another Healer, but this one is rumored to have "healing in His wings."

out of love for himself he guards his heart against the hope that springs up and out of love for his son he ignores the bitter feelings spreading across his chest. they leave early in the morning, he can't bear to see the hope in his wife's eyes for fear that he might start to hope.

the father stands and watches as religious men attempt, and fail, to heal his son until the Healer finally appears. He is visibly disappointed that the other men were not able to bring healing, it seems like He believed that they could.

and as his son is thrown into another fit, the Healer looks past the boy and straight into the eyes of the father.

why? can't He see that the young boy is the one with the obvious need?

part 1

so there's this father. he loves his family, provides for them, wants to see them grow and succeed.

but life lets him down.

at a young age his son becomes sick, deaf and mute. and it only gets worse...this sickness doesn't only affect his son's body but it plagues his soul. the father has had to endure what no parent should - watching his son throw himself into fire and water in pursuit of his own death. the father has been able to keep his son alive long enough to follow every murmur of a Healer, every rumor of Someone with the power to release his son.

but people let him down.

no one can heal his son.

hope fades and cynicism grows.

why should he continue to follow hope when all he finds is disappointment?

he resolves to stop playing the part of a fool.

when hope springs up, he stamps it out. he carefully builds walls around his heart so he won't feel the sting of disappointment or the red-hot pity from those around him.

how can he look his wife in the eyes when he can't even help their son? so he stops looking at her.

how can he pray to a God who won't help their son? so he stops praying.

why believe in a Healer who can't be found? so he stops believing.

and the walls grow thicker and his heart grows harder.

and life stops letting him down.

my story

the challenge: share your story in 440 characters (the max allowed in facebook status) or less...

My Story-grew up in church-always the good girl-to afraid to break rules. didn't need salvation from drugs,alcohol or sex. was desperate for freedom from fear,doubt,insecurity-desperate for my life to count for something. He changed me-gave me courage,faith,purpose. and love. crazy love that leaves no room for bitterness,fear or selfishness. now i'm a missionary-the old me would have been too scared.