Performance and ratings

This weekend, my son participated in the Lorain County Solo and Ensemble competition. Throughout the day, students performed vocally and instrumentally in groups and as soloists. After each performance, students receive a rating based on how well they performed.

It seems as though many people view Christianity the same way. Each day, God rates them based on their performance and how well they did. If they messed up a lot, God marks them down, and if they do well, God rewards them with a superior rating.

But the reality is that no one can do a enough to salvation from God. The apostle Paul writes, "There is no difference between Jew and Gentile, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God." (Romans 3:22-23 NIV)

No matter how well we perform, we will fall short. Our performance will never be documented so we can present it on the day of judgment as our ticket to eternity. Paul continues his thoughts... "and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus." (Romans 3:24 NIV)

We are saved by grace. Wild, outrageous grace. Grace that forgives things that you and I would find almost impossible to forgive.

Imagine that you met an ISIS terrorist who had killed some of your close friends and relatives. This man had brutally murdered people who you loved and cared for deeply. If you knew they had decided to give their life to Jesus, would you be able to forgive them for their unimaginable acts of terror?

Now picture the man who penned the words above. The apostle Paul had made it his goal to persecute as many followers of Jesus as possible. In the book of Acts, we read that Paul approved the killing of Stephen. But this murdered of Christians suddenly found himself forgiven, embraced by the God who could even forgive the worst of sins.

But are you and I really that different than Paul? I doubt that many of us have murdered someone, but how many of us have killed someone's spirit through our words and actions or caused serious damage to someone's life by what we have said or done?

If we start to compare our sins, we fall right back into the same performance trap. Except this time, we are measuring who is more unworthy for God's love and mercy. But again, it's not about who does the least amount wrong. We have all done enough wrong to be disqualified from receiving the prize of eternal life.

But God's grace takes away the need to perform. Our efforts are not what determines our citizenship in God's kingdom. Through grace, we are set free to pursue with reckless abandon the mission that God has placed before us. Our performance isn't about what we can do to earn anything; rather, it's an opportunity to share the blessings we have received.

As I watched my son perform, I was nervous for him. I wanted him to do well and receive a high rating. But the reality is that once he sang or played that last note, I loved him the same regardless of the rating he received. His performance made me proud, but it didn't change the fact that he is my son who I love dearly.

I often find myself still wanting to impress God with my performance. I struggle with the desire to earn my salvation and remind God that I am good enough. But then I mess up again and remember this journey is not about my being good enough. No. This journey is about a God who is good enough. A God whose goodness is so incredible that he was willing to humble himself, take the form of a human, and live among us, so that we might finally understand how amazing his grace truly is.

shine!

Jason

Ambassadors

This weekend, our family watched the movie Thirteen Days, which tells the story of the Cuban Missile Crisis. One of the movie's pivitol scenes is the showdown in the United Nations between U.S. ambassador Adlai Stevenson and Soviet ambassador Valerian Zorin about the missiles in Cuba. Stevenson was there to represent President John F. Kennedy and the United States government to the world.

In a similar way, followers of Jesus are called to be representatives to the world for God and his Kingdom.

After the resurrection, Jesus appeared to his followers on several occasions. Here is John's telling of one of these encounters...

On the evening of that first day of the week, when the disciples were together, with the doors locked for fear of the Jewish leaders, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you!” After he said this, he showed them his hands and side. The disciples were overjoyed when they saw the Lord. Again Jesus said, “Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.” And with that he breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit. (John 20:19-22 NIV)

The Father had sent Jesus into the world and for three and half years, he went from town to town teaching about the Kingdom of God through words and actions. Now, as he was preparing to return to the Father, he sent the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of the living God that we receive to empower us as ambassadors of the Kingdom.

We are sent to continue the work that Christ embodied. Jesus came to make all things new, but we will not see the complete fulfillment of that work until Christ returns. Until then, you and I are called to continue the mission of ushering in the Kingdom of God. The apostle Paul describes it this way...

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here! All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God. (2 Corinthians 5:17-20 NIV)

God has entrusted to us the continuing mission of Christ and empowered us with the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. We are called to be a part of something bigger than us, something that requires us to work together and trust in God.

We are in a battle significantly more important than any nuclear confrontation between two countries. This is a battle where we impact lives now and forever. Evil is alive and well in the world and only God's grace, mercy, and love can overcome.

And we can't forget what our Kingdom is all about. Grace. Mercy. Love.

God didn't come into the world and overcome through cohersion, violence, anger, or hate. He didn't pound people into submission or argue with them (unless they were religious leaders). Jesus loved his enemies, showed compassion to sinners, and gave everything he had, including his life.

There is much to learn from Jesus. We will not bring people to the Kingdom of God with cohersion, violence, anger, or hate. We cannot force people to our way of thinking. Rather, with an open heart and mind, we must listen people into freedom and extend to them the same grace and mercy that God has extended to us.

We aren't any better than those we encounter in the world around us; we are just more familiar with the Jesus who embodies and extends God's love. If we know him like we say we do, shouldn't we act like him as well?

shine!

Jason

You are what you eat

Have you ever heard the saying, "You are what you eat?" If that was true, as a child I would have turned into a giant pizza.

While you don't literally turn into the food you consume, what you eat does have an impact on your health and the way your body fuctions.

The same is true mentally and spiritually.

What we allow our mind to consume will likely have a significant impact on our emotions, our thoughts, and our actions. So here is a question to ponder:

What is your mind eating?

Let's go back to the idea of eating food for a minute. If someone wants to be in good physical health, they will mostly eat foods filled with nutrients and other things their body needs. Many of these people will allow themselves to enjoy desserts and junk food from time to time, but I highly doubt many of them eat something that is poisonous or might cause serious illness or death.

But when it comes to what we allow our minds to consume, how many of us "eat" things that could be poisonous or even deadly?

I am not advocating a legalistic approach that says we only watch "Christian" movies and listen to "Christian" music. I don't think we need to spend every day reading the Bible and nothing else. But, we need to be discerning about what we do watch, listen to, and read.

The apostle Paul had this to say...

Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will. (Romans 12:1-2 NIV)

We are what we think. Our mind is the engine that shape our values and actions. What we allow to shape our minds will determine who we become.

While there is nothing wrong with mental junk food from time to time (isn't that why YouTube exists?), we shouldn't consume things that poison us. We need to be intentional about what informs and transforms our mind.

Obviously, the Bible must be a part of our mental diet. It is a significant and essential way that God speaks to us and transforms us. But there are many areas of our life where we use our own judgment to determine what we consume.

As Paul rightly acknowledged in the passage above, our goal should be to understand God's will so we can offer ourselves as a living sacrifice. If we want to remain true to our calling, what is the benefit of filling our minds with images, words, and thoughts that contradict the very Kingdom we are called to embody?

So where do we start? Rather than looking for a legalistic list of things to watch and not watch, we should embrace the freedom we have in Christ, be honest withourselves, and make the choice that is best.

shine!

Jason