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I could use more Faith, more Hope, and more Love

So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love.

‭1 Corinthians‬ ‭13:13‬ ‭ESV‬

This month has been insane. I don’t even have the time to write it all down here. When I saw today’s verse, at first I just went into study mode. But then I realized how much I really and truly need more faith, more hope, and more love right now in my life. I’ve really been trying to stir myself up and to endure gracefully. I’ve tried to encourage so many others that I see hurting during this season — and I’m hurting too. So I think this verse is perfectly timed for me.

I used to think that the proper order should be hope, faith and love — like a set of steps. I thought about hope as “not quite faith”, as a type of “gamble” where I didn’t quite think the odds were in my favor but it “might happen”. In the common English language, this is how many of us might use the word “hope” — whereas “having faith” that something will happen usually describes someone who is mostly confident that it “will happen”.

This difference in our common use of these three spoken terms today — versus their use in our modern day translation describing the three graces of faith, hope and love (that Paul spoke about in his letter to the Corinthian church over 1900 years ago) — makes me appreciate the bracketed guidance that the AMPlified version offers us:

‭1 Corinthians‬ ‭13:13‬ ‭AMP‬
[13] And now there remain: faith [abiding trust in God and His promises], hope [confident expectation of eternal salvation], love [unselfish love for others growing out of God’s love for me], these three [the choicest graces]; but the greatest of these is love.

https://bible.com/bible/1588/1co.13.13.AMP

The extra detail can throw some readers off and doesn’t make it an easy translation to preach from — but it sure is helpful for studying and digging in (to really chew on what is being said).

Anyone can take a verse and twist it to their own preferences — look at how Satan does this to tempt Jesus — look at how religion has been misused to justify war and oppression through the ages — look at how religion is used by some even today to fuel hatred and division — look at how even well meaning students like myself can misunderstand on first glance and want to sort and order things to my own whim if I’m not a good Berean willing to study and learn (rather than manipulate).

But the graces of Faith, Hope and Love do not speak of generic human feelings, emotions, attitudes or perspectives. They speak of gifts from God that are the power of Christ in this body of believers who walk in The Way. The graces aren’t about me sitting myself up to maybe hope a little, and eventually being strong enough to have faith, and to aspire to one day be strong enough to love — as if training myself to eventually run a marathon. All of this would just be the striving of men, not something spectacular and amazing! These three speak of the power of God!

Faith is a gift from God:

‭Ephesians‬ ‭2:8‭-‬9‬ ‭ESV‬
[8] For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, [9] not a result of works, so that no one may boast.

‭1 Corinthians‬ ‭12:8‭-‬11‬ ‭ESV‬
[8] For to one is given through the Spirit the utterance of wisdom, and to another the utterance of knowledge according to the same Spirit, [9] to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit, [10] to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another the ability to distinguish between spirits, to another various kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. [11] All these are empowered by one and the same Spirit, who apportions to each one individually as he wills.

And we receive this gift by hearing the Word of God:

‭Romans‬ ‭10:17‬ ‭ESV‬
[17] So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.

Faith (trusting God’s promises), Hope (confident expectation that He is fulfilling His promises) and Love (that grows out of His love for me) are graces given to us — not demanded of us. They aren’t precepts to just be learned and applied and practiced and sharpened by people who are conscientious and are good citizens. Our God makes the bold claim that people who we see outwardly as faithful and hopeful and loving people can’t even stand proud of this themselves — because if it is true, genuine faith, hope and love it isn’t from them. Imagine how infuriating offensive such a statement would be to those who are proud of the image and reputation they have created outwardly for themselves — if their true intentions are to leverage that for their own benefit rather than it actually being the genuine graces of faith, hope and love.

Would it infuriate me to hear that I can’t expect that person to love me back just because I’ve been doing what I think is loving towards them — that what I’m doing is trying to be controlling and manipulative, and that shows nothing of real love at all? Could I hear that I need to repent and ask God to give me His love — so that I might actually love others well?

Would it infuriate me to hear that my attempts to try harder at stirring up or proving my faith by my actions, service, and consistent practices are actually undermining any real opportunity for faith because I’m still making it about myself rather than being humble, contrite and surrendered? Could I hear that I need to repent and ask God to give me the gift of faith that comes from Him?

Would it infuriate me to hear that my confidence in a sinners prayer, or a baptism, or a church membership, or service to others, or regular attendance, or constant tithing, or building a ministry, or knowing the Bible is not a source of hope that can be relied on and that it all falls short of the hope and confidence that we are given freely through Christ Jesus?

I apologize if my study this morning has been more academic than relatable. But I don’t need us to just read together and like each other, or like the topics we’re discussing, or enjoy writing and reading about good, intellectual, wise things. We need the power of God to lay hold of our thoughts, our minds, our hearts, our words, our actions, and our lives. We need the grace of God that is so much more powerful that anything we could muster up in ourselves. We do not need to play at Christianity — we need to walk by the power of the Holy Spirit of Almighty God in The Way that Jesus Christ had shown us. We make an amazing claim that only God himself can fulfill.

May you know the grace of God and may your lives be blessed by His abiding presence in and over and through your lives, my friends. Lord, help us to be what we could not be on our own — like you. Amen.

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But I want to touch the hot stove top!!!

Last night we got to hear my daughter play in her band concert and enjoy her talents and her commitment to making music and the arts part of her life. We will get to hear her chorus concert next week. This weekend she will have friends over for her birthday party. We are getting to celebrate moments like this, and we get to be involved in the day to day commitment and challenges that allow for these celebrations. Teenage girl relationships are not always easy to navigate, and committing to practice is not always the most fun choice available to her in a given moment — but they are a part of the process.

I want my daughter to work hard, do well and succeed — but these are not the reasons that I love her. I cannot imagine disowning her (or my love for her ever ending) because of something shameful or foolish she might do in life. It isn’t her strength that I love, and I don’t hate the things about her that will improve over time with growth. She doesn’t have to earn my love — it is constant.

And as a father who loves his daughter and wants the best for her, love isn’t just letting her have her own way — it is helping her learn, teaching her discipline, correcting her, and sharing the values of wisdom and faith.

It seems that it is easy for us to be confused about God’s love for His children. We might hear things about “fearing God”, about “His wrath”, about “His law”, about “hell” — and be reminded of abusive people who want people to fear them, who are full of wrath and vengeance, and who enjoy hurting and torturing others — and we cannot see any good in serving, sorting, praising or worshipping such people. If we do not know God as a loving Father and do not trust that He is merciful, we might miss out on His love.

Since she was very young, we have taught my daughter that there are expectations that we should all have in our household when it comes to respectful behavior towards each other. We’ve also shared with her that we are helping her to grow into a healthy, responsible, caring, self-sufficient, and productive adult and that some of this long term growth may be contrary to her own wants, desires, passions, opinions, and feelings at any given moment. So having wise advisors that you can trust, who can provide outside perspective and not just be an echo chamber amplifying our own desires and demands of the moment — this is valuable.

Life comes with enough unexpected consequences for poor decisions — so when she was young, we tried to explain why certain decisions/choices were bad and set up known punishments/ consequences we could enforce to help her learn to avoid things that could be a very real danger later in life. Simple “rules” helped before she was old enough to be reasoned with. Then explanations, expectations and consequences when she could be taught precepts and concepts. And at some point it seems we might transition into more of a supportive advisor role.

My point in this is that we’ve had the concept of a belt, and she has understood very clearly from a young age what actions would result in the belt being used — and that was enough. We have never wanted to use it, and we have never had to use it on her — but she knew that we were WILLING to use it IF she demanded by her actions that we correct her in that way now — so that she wouldn’t establish patterns in her behavior that could be very dangerous to her as an adult.

This is how I see God as my good Father in Heaven. This is how I can have a reverent fear and awe of Him and of His mercy — because I know it is not that He demands that I arbitrarily do it “his way” just to satisfy his demands — no! He loves me and wants the best for me. He wants to protect me from things that are dangerous to me and that will steal from me. There is wisdom behind why he teaches me these things even when I might not feel like hearing them — because they are good for me! He even knows that at times when I’m feeling defiant, that I’m not going to want to hear Him, and that I’m going to sometimes try to ignore Him and do it my own way.

He doesn’t only love me when I’m “obedient” — in fact, it isn’t about being obedient to some arbitrary list of rules. A spoiled toddler might throw a tantrum about mommy and daddy saying “No” when they try to touch the hot stove top. But are so many of us spiritually still raging toddlers (who refuse to understand and trust that God’s guidance is wise and good and for our own benefit)?

It is see inspiring to realize how the favor of God is revealed when we listen to and follow His wisdom. He has created and architected everything — so trusting and following wisdom from Him is better than relying on our own strength. If one man has a detailed map of safe instructions for a long and dangerous journey, and another has a fun, fast car with loud music, the scent of drugs floating out of the windows and no plan or sense of direction — which of these will a wise person choose and which one is for the fool?

Lord, help us to appreciate and be in awe of the wisdom and guidance that you offer us. Help us to wait and trust when we cannot see it, help us to know your mercy and your love. When we have put ourselves in danger, please correction us not in anger but with what must be done to set us back on the path. Help us to learn wisdom and give up our foolishness. Help us to give up on striving for our own desires or even striving to prove our own worth and to rest in our Father’s love. Amen.

‭Psalms‬ ‭147:10‭-‬11‬ ‭AMP‬
[10] He does not delight in the strength (military power) of the horse, Nor does He take pleasure in the legs (strength) of a man. [11] The Lord favors those who fear and worship Him [with awe-inspired reverence and obedience], Those who wait for His mercy and lovingkindness.

https://bible.com/bible/1588/psa.147.10.AMP

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Why do we do it?

I’ve taken some of my unused PTO days this week (since my truck was stolen, and since I have a lot to get done before my daughter’s birthday party). Early yesterday morning after my wife and daughter had finished getting ready to leave for work and school, they let me know that we had no running water in the house. I had no time to look at it because I have a bridge call for my IT team at the beginning of each work day. I make myself available to the team (for as long as they need me) for triage, prioritization and guidance during the busiest and most chaotic part of the IT day. They don’t have to join the bridge if they don’t need me for anything, but I make myself available to them during this time each morning.

Yesterday was a bit more busy than normal with critical issues that needed to be tackled, so I worked with them for a few hours before I was free to tackle the personal things I need to do here at the house. The night before, I left work at the end of the normal shift to spend time with my family (dinner together, family time, errands and personal commitments we had for the evening). But there were several open critical issues that I needed to follow up on before my scheduled time out of the office — so I circled back to the work items that needed tending and put in several hours late into the night/morning to make sure things were in a good place.

Why do I do this?

I’m not advocating that everyone regularly work late nights and still work on their scheduled days off. In fact, I try my best to ensure that the team that I lead doesn’t have to. If I see them working on their days off or late at night, I tell them “Go spend time with their family” and “We’ve got you covered. ” As a leader, I serve them by filling those gaps as best I can on their behalf. I still divide and delegate the workload as needed to the team, but we are not a critical 24×7 operation that needs an on-call IT rotation (like I’ve had in previous banking, healthcare and commercial datacenter jobs).

But I see how reliable and trustworthy and faithful my God is to me in my time of need — and His example leads me to try to be available for my team in their greatest time of need. I see His example of taking care of things silently and behind the scenes (not to get credit or be lauded as a hero, but because He loves me and wants to see the best for me). I see His taking care of me even while I am at rest, and I want to do the same thing for the people that I serve.

After I finished our IT bridge call, I returned to the personal errands and responsibilities. I did what I knew to try on the well and didn’t find a quick resolution, so I called the well installer and left a message. I started tackling other challenges and nothing seemed to be going right. Then I just lifted up my eyes to the Lord and said, “I could really use some help with this stuff, Lord.” Not in a demanding way, but humble by my own inability and surrendered to the truth that I needed help. My wife called back shortly because on of her clients had brought her Christmas gift by the salon and he had a suggestion of something that I didn’t know to try. I cut the power to the well and cleaned the contacts on the pressure switch as he described and boom, it worked again. I’ll have to replace the switch, but that saved me an expensive repair visit and got us up and running immediately. Then everything else took hard work, but I made progress and was able to be grateful to God for His help the rest of the day.

You are reliable, trustworthy and faithful. If we haven’t seized hold off this hope, help us see this more clearly. If we have hope but it has wavered, help us to remember and to cling tightly to you. By the power of Christ in us, help us to be like you for those we get the opportunity to serve today. Amen.

‭Hebrews‬ ‭10:23‬ ‭AMP‬
[23] Let us seize and hold tightly the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is reliable and trustworthy and faithful [to His word];

https://bible.com/bible/1588/heb.10.23.AMP

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The Gentle, Respectful and Open Invitation

There is a lot to be said about being gentle and respectful — especially when we interact with people who think, believe and behave differently than we do. Being harsh and disrespectful to others who are different than us isn’t a sign of commitment or superiority — it is a sign of weakness, fear, foolishness and a lack of love. Someone who always points fingers at others in a demeaning way shouldn’t hide behind their beliefs as a blanket excuse for their hatred, condescension, pride and self righteousness.

I do not have to shame and scare people out of their tribe and into mine. I do not have to win converts into my way of thinking. You see, I serve a Holy and powerful God who calls me to be loving, gentle, respectful, generous, and forgiving even towards anyone that considers themselves my enemy.

It isn’t my depth of understanding or application of his wise guidance, precepts or laws that I use to convince people “to consider my religion as their best choice” — but it is the visible testimony of my new life walking with Him, my explaining how the truth of the gospel impacts me deeply, personally and powerfully each day, and my heartfelt reliance upon Christ in me (the Holy Spirit, God with us, Emmanuel) to bear fruit that is a blessing to those around me. That all serves as the call for others to “Come as you are” to meet my beloved Jesus.

That statement “Come as you are” can make many a self-righteous, religious man (who trusts in his own actions, not in the grace and mercy and power of God) hate and lash out at “those people who deserve hell” — but this is the ONLY GOSPEL THAT CAN SAVE! That statement “come as you are” is the only perspective that can keep a preacher safely on his knees in front of the cross– instead of lifted up on a pedestal where he will fall like a great weight has been tied around his neck. That statement “Come as you are” is the only exit ramp sign that breaches the gap between the broad and The narrow Way.

I invite you, my friends, to “Come as you are” not so you can try change your ways and be a better or more blessed person — but so that by the power of God you WILL be so much more than just those things. I invite you to “come as you are” because you are wonderful, amazing, unique and loved — regardless of how others see you or how anyone (including you) thinks you “measure up”. I have found a friend in Christ who lives in me, I have believed in Savior Jesus who lived died and was resurrected, and I have realized a Good, Good Father in Almighty God — and my confidence, my hope, and even my faith is a precious gift that I have been given and told to spread out on my table and invite others to “Come as you are” and to “taste and see that the Lord is good”. Amen.

‭1 Peter‬ ‭3:15‬ ‭AMP‬
[15] But in your hearts set Christ apart [as holy—acknowledging Him, giving Him first place in your lives] as Lord. Always be ready to give a [logical] defense to anyone who asks you to account for the hope and confident assurance [elicited by faith] that is within you, yet [do it] with gentleness and respect.

https://bible.com/bible/1588/1pe.3.15.AMP

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Facing, not Avoiding

This is a challenging time for us. We have made commitments that stretch us thinner than usual and that challenge us daily, weekly and monthly in uncomfortable ways — yet we have made those commitments because we decided together as a family that they are worth it. Since making those commitments, we have faced many unexpected challenges that have tested our resolve and our commitment. And a few times when life has recently kicked us in the face, my wife has had to remind me or I have had to remind her that it is all going to be okay and that God is still in control. And I know that my daughter is seeing first hand how we handle these situations — that we aren’t always strong, that we don’t always get it right, that things can be stressful or scary, and that we don’t always trust God as faithfully as we should.

My daughter and I love riding Rollercoaster and thrill rides together. And some of the best rides are the ones that still scare us. Choosing to face that fear each time, knowing that there will be fear but that there will also be the thrill of a new experience together is fun within the safety of a ride designed and tested by skilled engineers and properly maintained by theme park operators. In a similar way, choosing to face fear in life offers an opportunity to experience life’s opportunities more abundantly — if we are confident and trusting that God is with us and will not abandon us.

In everything we do, there is a chance of failure — but even in failure there is an opportunity to learn, grow and improve. And there are other common fears of things like fear of abandonment, death, the unknown, physical harm, rejection, embarrassment/ humiliation, etc. But for each of these fears, we all deal with situations in life at some point that offer fear as an obstacle (or even fear as a choice).

Fear does not have to be our default setting. Or even if fear is our default setting or first reaction in a situation, we do not have to let it remain in control. Fear is not always irrational — we will all die, we will all fail, we will all be rejected — we must accept reality when it comes to these things. We will not always have a villain to name, and we will not always understand a clear reason behind why things happen a certain way.

For some good additional reading on fear, see this article: Identifying the Three Fundamental Fears: Death, Abandonment, and Failure by Jim Dubos https://stenzelclinical.com/identifying-the-three-fundamental-fears-death-abandonment-and-failure/#:~:text=Fear%20of%20the%20unknown%20is,Abandonment%20or%20Fear%20of%20Failure

Jim says about fear:

This is why God is not and never will be obsolete. He will never leave you, His love is not earned, and He has conquered death.  Death, rejection, and failure will happen, but you do not have to live in fear of them.

Jim Dubos, Identifying the Three Fundamental Fears: Death, Abandonment, and Failure

What have we chosen today — choosing to our fears or facing them?

What have we not handed over to Him?

What areas of our lives and our challenges have we not trusted Him with fully?

Lord, forgive us for our lack of trust in you. Heal our foolish unbelief. Help us to be courageous and strong in you, especially not just in ourselves. Do not allow the enemy to steal from us by way of fear. May it be so clearly evident to all that it is foolish to not trust you, that you do not fail, and that you do not abandon. Amen.

‭Deuteronomy‬ ‭31:6‬ ‭AMP‬
[6] Be strong and courageous, do not be afraid or tremble in dread before them, for it is the Lord your God who goes with you. He will not fail you or abandon you.”

https://bible.com/bible/1588/deu.31.6.AMP

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Cadence and Consistency along The Way

I got to go on a 4 mile hike in the mountains with a friend yesterday. Things have been a bit stressful lately and it was so nice to get away outside in nature, get some exercise, and get my mind off of everything else.

When I’m able to start my day with a quiet devotional, get outside for exercise regularly, spend time in praise and prayer, eat healthier, and maintain a grateful attitude, no matter the chaos, challenges (or even loss and grief) — I don’t find myself overwhelmed, depressed or hopeless with a negative or victim mindset.

There is something about having an expectant mindset and a purposeful and intentional approach to each day that shifts not only my perspective, but that helps me rise above the circumstances. And I can be expectant and intentional if there is something that I can hope and put my trust in.

Walking in The Way isn’t about finding a way to change our stinking thinking so that we can be more prosperous — it isn’t a self help trick to manifest our best life now either. We seek the Lord, we want to know Him better, we want to walk with Him and better understand His ways, we put our trust in His promises and His guidance, and we follow Him. And when we are walking close with Him, and have our eyes set upon eternity, the little things of this world just don’t seem as important or scary or tempting.

When I hike, if I can maintain a steady cadence — like a drum beat that gets neither slower or faster — I can hike for much further distances without getting as tired and without my body, muscles and joints aching as much afterwards. I will lengthen or shorten my steps depending on the trail itself, but maintaining a constant cadence in hiking and biking helps me with my endurance and my recovery. And maintaining a steady and consistent cadence of seeking the Lord and putting my hope in Him helps me endure whatever life has to throw at me and rise above it.

If there is something that is wrong you down, if you find something is making you easy, show, tired, or overwhelmed — I encourage you to seek the Lord more consistently, to put your trust in Him more fully, to decide to follow Him, and to experience the power and strength that He will renew you with. Amen.

‭Isaiah‬ ‭40:31‬ ‭AMP‬
[31] But those who wait for the Lord [who expect, look for, and hope in Him] Will gain new strength and renew their power; They will lift up their wings [and rise up close to God] like eagles [rising toward the sun]; They will run and not become weary, They will walk and not grow tired.

https://bible.com/bible/1588/isa.40.31.AMP

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Waiting isn’t even about what is “missing”…

My truck was stolen on Friday, and we’re working with the police and insurance to see what can be done. But something like this isn’t resolved overnight. We could only focus on the challenges of this situation and grumbling — and miss seeing multiple friends offering us their spare vehicles to temporarily help us out, miss seeing people sharing the video of the theft online to help find the truck, miss precious time with my parents helping us search for a wise and responsible replacement, and miss an opportunity to trust God, wait patiently, and praise Him in the storm.

Sometimes things are completely out of our control and there is nothing we can do to “fix it” in the moment. Sometimes no matter how much we “want it right now”, that isn’t the way life goes.

For my daughter and I, visiting amusement parks and riding roller coasters is a good analogy for life. Most times the best rides have a wait involved. They are thrilling and exciting once our turn comes, but the wait is part of the process. And through the years we have come up with various ways to keep ourselves occupied that doesn’t include grumbling about the wait. 

It is the same with life. Grumbling about having to wait doesn’t change the situation for the better, it just makes it worse. In life we can’t always look at a the situation and estimate when our wait might end. In life there are usually no guarantees that our waiting will eventually result in our getting what we are waiting for. But how we wait can influence our whole life.

If we are spoiled children who always demand our own way “right now”, the disappointments of real life will eventually wear us down. But if we are wise and value patience, we have a great opportunity for a different life, for a different perspective, and for a different journey.

My daughter and I enjoy the rides themselves, but that time in line together, trip after trip is where the memories are made together. And the time that we spend together with others while waiting — and with our God while waiting — builds memories, strengthens our bond in the relationship, and teaches us to trust each other. Choosing patience and relationship in those moments of waiting also helps us focus on our blessings, on what we can do in those moments, and to treasure the opportunity of the moment instead of wasting it by focusing on an “illusion of lack” instead of seeing the “reality of abundance”.

One of the enemy’s favorite traps is to trick people into focusing on their perceived “lack” — something where they are so laser focused on their own “unmet expectations” that they can’t see all of the blessings and opportunity that surround them. Imagine Eve with her eyes on the one deadly fruit that was in the middle of an orchard full of life giving fruit. Imagine the prodigal son who set his eyes on “greener pastures” out there in the world rather than appreciating the blessings he had right there at home. There are so many stories and scales that are written, but I’m sure we also know times where we have personally focused on “perceived lack” instead of looking around at so much abundance.

Lord, help us to bear that fruit of your spirit that is patience. Let the world see us walking in that peace that passes all understanding so that they know that you are there with us in those moments. Help us to find our rest in you and to know how abundantly blessed we are — especially when we don’t think that we are getting “our way”. Help us to understand and trust you in The Way that is best. Amen.

‭Psalms‬ ‭130:5‬ ‭AMP‬
[5] I wait [patiently] for the Lord, my soul [expectantly] waits, And in His word do I hope.

https://bible.com/bible/1588/psa.130.5.AMP