The Secret to Streak-free

From time to time, I attempt to look out a window. And from time to time (Read: every dog-gone day!) I cannot see out of said windows. Reason being, we have a boy and a dog. If it's not fingerprints, it's nose prints. So, I get out the cleaner and go to work. There is a technique, of course; because, if I clean the inside of the window first, then move to the outside, as I am standing in the great outdoors, the occupants inside are watching and, for some inexplicable reason, if you have four legs or are under the age of twenty-seven, you must put your nose and/or your fingers on the glass as you watch. The technique, however, provides at least a modicum of satisfaction the job has been completed. According to the technique, I leave the inside occupants right where they are, move to the outside and clean that side of the glass, then return to the inside and clean that side. The theory is, once the show is over, the crowd disperses, and the windows --both sides --remain clean for longer than it takes me to clean them. Or, at least, that's what I tell myself.

As I was religiously following the tenets of the technique the other day, I began to think about God "wiping our slate clean." Scripture assures us, His people, those who come to Him through the blood of Jesus, He remembers our sins no more. To Him, the slate remains streak-free. Now, that's not to say we can't muck it up with our sin and rebellion. Of course we can! But how does He, the Master of accounts, reckon it when we do? Still streak-free! As far as He is concerned, we are righteous because Jesus Christ is our Advocate and Substitute; He took the condemnation we deserved, and we are no longer condemned. 

How are things on our side of the glass, though? Oh, the dirt is there! We see it. Our Adversary seeks to remind us of it. The lies, the gossip, the infidelity, the avoidance, the meanness we display toward that person who just grates on our last nerve. They're all there; the streaks and prints on our side of the glass. They obstruct our vision and distort our perspective of the One who truly loves us beyond measure. We can't see what God can see --not in Him, not in others, and not in ourselves. The dirt and smudges become so thick, we may even abandon the idea of trying to look. The fingerprints on our side of the glass are our own, and we can't seem to reconcile the fact that from the other side, from the side of the God who loves us so much He gave His only Son to die in our place, securing for us forgiveness, eternal life, a relationship --from His side, the glass is pristine, our slate is wiped clean. Not that we might sin again, mind you, but that we might stay free, that we might go forth with the joy of having all things made new. That we might see the possibilities and the future our Heavenly Father sees. That we might peer through the glass to the truth as He has made it known to those who seek His face. That we might sit with our faces toward the Light as it streams unimpeded through the crystal-clear windows of our hearts. That we might look with hope and certainty to the vision God has for each of those He has called.

The promises of God are sure. His word is trustworthy and unchanging. Walk in obedience. Rest in forgiveness. And see His glory!

Midweek: What Does a Resurrection Life Look Like?

We pulled into the parking lot on a beautiful Sunday morning. Sadly, there were plenty of spaces from which to choose. Not only has the world lost interest in the things of God, but it almost seems as though folks who call themselves Christians have as well. Plenty of things to distract on a beautiful Sunday morning, apparently. (But that's for another day.) Anyway, Vulnerability was standing out front. Vulnerability is the man whose personal life is far from perfect. He has his demons, as do even those who deny it. Nevertheless, he is sticking close. When he doesn't know how to stay close to Jesus, he stays close to the church or our pastor. Vulnerability places himself at the mercy of those who know Jesus personally because he wants to know Jesus, too, and he is brutally honest about his shortcomings.

As I entered the building, Struggle with Joy was seated just inside the door. Struggle with Joy has some pretty serious health issues, but I've never seen it get the best of him. He grieves when those with whom he shares twice-weekly treatments do not survive. He cares for those who care for him and is a champion of anyone he calls "Friend". His innocence and infectious smile belie his challenges.

Courtesy greeted me with a smile and stepped to the side of the narrow hall, giving me preference. I have to admit, there have been times I've wondered why Courtesy is there. He doesn't always need; he doesn't always give. Sometimes he engages in polite conversation during our time of greeting; other times he's fast asleep. But he is indeed a part of our church family, and it is our privilege to count him as such.  

Just past Courtesy was Care and Sacrifice. What a wonderful couple they make! The one so eager and inquisitive; the other silent and selfless. They were cooking in the kitchen that morning, serving pancakes to anyone who needed to eat and sharing the Bread of Life with anyone likely to hunger again. Care left her post to retrieve a pair of socks for Self-Aware. (Self-Aware has no home. Our church is a place he can eat, wash up a bit, and share some normalcy before heading back to a difficult life.) Sacrifice continued to move slowly around the kitchen, his body sore and tired.

As I ascended the stairs to the sanctuary, Change met me excitedly. "Wasn't Friday night great? I love that I'm hanging out with my family and the leaders in the church! And those two," he said with a nod toward Care and Sacrifice, "are just great! They put so much work into everything they do." I couldn't help but notice his eyes; not red, not glassy; his speech was clear and strong. Change.

At the top of the stairs was Steadfastness. Steadfastness does whatever he can do. Church wasn't starting for another thirty minutes, but Steadfastness was in place, ready to do his assigned task. I spoke, and he replied in his easy, carefree way, never raising his eyes from all he was doing. 

This is our church. There are other members as well: Affection, Exuberance, Service, Kindness, Faith --just to name a few. And I was thinking as I entered that day, there's the reflection of Jesus in every face there. Although there is no central goal or theme except loyalty to Him, we are all at various stages of our walk and we are all used in the way our Master designs. Our message is, above all others, the Gospel. We're not the Successful Church in that everyone gathered represents all we aspire to be. We're not the Political Church, waving the American flag and expecting like-mindedness in all things governmental. We're not even the Religious Church, with piety and discipline perfectly desired and perfectly executed. We are Resurrection Life Church, a work in progress, a daily grind, and a joy to behold!  

Sure, It's a Stretch. But It's Worth It!

WHY ARE YOU DOING THIS TO ME????

Has that ever been your question? Have you ever been in a season where nothing seems to go right for days, weeks, months on end? Without chasing down too many rabbits, we've been on one of those adventures for about a year now; the fear and frustration I've experienced have caused problems in other areas. As I attempted to take care of the things I can control, I discovered a book by Mark E. Shaw called Addiction-Proof Parenting. (I'm not in love with the title --I almost expected some money-back guarantee, but many strategies and explanations were helpful.) In one chapter, Shaw talks about "The Cycle of the Victim Mentality". He rightly points out that it's important to challenge children, to stretch their capabilities and our expectations of them -- in a godly manner --as it is pretty much human nature to take responsibility for only the bare minimum of what is expected of us. When a parent fails to set high standards, to encourage their child to do the hard things, the results are tragic. 

And in that place is where I discovered yet another assurance of the love and mercy of God for His children!

Shaw writes: 

As the child takes less responsibility and a parent takes more of those responsibilities, the child develops an angry and depressed attitude. Why? The answer is that he knows he is failing in this area but is not willing to change. This internal conflict breeds his anger toward his parents.

When someone sins by omission, or by failing to do what is rightly required by the Lord, there are consequences for those sins because mankind is under the curse of the sin resulting from the fall of Adam and Eve in Genesis 3. Just as we are under the law of gravity, we are also under the law of sin and its consequences, which always result in separation from God, sinful emotional responses, and eternal death. When Adam and Eve sinned in Genesis 3, the emotions of fear and shame appeared for the first time in human history. The sinful failures of a person in addiction to be responsible are compounded by their wrong thinking-the victim mentality.

Here is a typical cycle:

• an addict fails to be responsible,
• a parent picks up the responsibility for the addict,
• the addict feels guilty about the sinful failure,  
• the sin causes consequential emotions (depression), 
• the addict mistakenly begins to believe that he is not responsible and that the parent is responsible, and finally, 
• the addict becomes angry at the parent, sometimes unknowingly.

It is incredible to see how many addicts are bitter and hateful toward their parents who are simply trying to do the right thing by filling the void left by the addict's irresponsibility. Parents are often shocked at the angry attitude of a child whom they are "enabling" to be irresponsible. The parent thinks, "I am only trying to help my child-why doesn't he see it?" While it may look like victimization to the child who desires to be in control of his own life, the parent does not see it. The parent simply believes he is doing the right thing by taking care of the responsibilities, but the consequences of the sin are designed by the Lord to point the person back to Christ for confession, repentance, forgiveness, and power to do the will of God. The dynamics of a "rescuing" or "enabling" parent who takes the responsibility from a child is acting sinfully, which will provoke that child to anger.

Though the child may not be able to verbalize it, he knows that he is failing to be responsible to his God-given responsibilities. ... By God's design, all sin produces consequences including emotions like guilt, anger, and depression. These consequences manifest in order to lead a sinning person to confession and repentance. Even though the parents mistakenly believe they are helping the child, they are actually sinning and contributing to the child's sinful failures to be responsible. Unfortunately, it's a double whammy of sin: the child's and the parent's!

Our Heavenly Father does not, of course, sin. He stretches us and challenges us, but He is with us all along. We are not without His grace and His law. He lavishes His love on us that we might serve Him and bring Him glory to the extent we were created to do so! In the seasons where we are tested and pressed, His divine mercy is operating to make us better servants and image bearers for His glory and our good!