You Are Called To Belong

Do you ever feel left out?

Do you feel like you just don't belong, like you haven't found your niche, your place, your calling? Are you hanging out on the fringes of some group simply because they'll let you, even though you know they'll never truly let you in, if that was even what you wanted? Ever feel lonely? Lost? Hopeless?

Are you a Christian?

If not, Jesus wants you to belong with Him.

You also are among those who are called to belong to Jesus Christ. (Romans 1:6)

That's the truth.

In Romans 1:16 Paul goes on to say, "I am not ashamed of the Gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes" (emphasis mine). In 2:11 he says, "For God does not show favoritism."

Romans 3:22-24 declares, "This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Jesus Christ."

Do you see it? Everyone. All. There is no difference. God does not show favoritism.

That means He wants you.

What I am saying is this . . .

You are called to belong to the most important group ever: The family of God. He does not want you to be left out. There is no reason to feel lonely, lost, or hopeless. A little later in Romans, in chapter 8, Paul says, "If God is for us, who can be against us?" He ends that chapter with two of the most powerful verses in the Bible. Look them up. Romans 8:38, 39.

Powerful stuff.

Written for, and about, you.

How do I know? Because Romans 10:9 promises, "If you confess with your mouth, 'Jesus is Lord,' and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved."

That passage is about you and your. 

God has called you.

Will you answer? 

I Protest

That's it. I've had it.

I've had it with having to do things I don't want to do. I've had it with going places I don't want to go. I don't care if it makes me a better person. I don't care if it's good for the people around me. I don't care. I don't care. I don't care.

I get to make my own choices.

I'm an adult.

Oh really?

Guess what?

Adults get to do things they don't want to do. Adults get to go places they don't want to go. Adults get to endure unpleasant situations that ultimately result in betterment. Adults get to care. Adults are supposed to care. Adults have to care.

If we don't, who will?

There's always a choice.

That's one benefit of being an adult. No one can make you do anything. You are your own person, and you get to decide what you do or don't do, whether you go or stay home. It's up to you.

The downside? 

Consequences.

Oh, piddly! Consequences, smonsequences. I'm an adult! No one can tell me what to do!

If you believe that, don't pay your mortgage, taxes, electric, water, or phone bill and see what happens.  Don't invest time in your marriage, your kids, your faith. Ignore those things you treasure in life, and let them take care of themselves.

Think that'll go over well?

Here's a hint: Lead balloons. 

I protest.

Yea, I do that a lot. I grumble. I growl. I mope and drag, pout and nag, stall and lag. It's not pretty. It's not helpful. I don't feel any better for having done it because, in the end, I know what I'll do.

I'll be the adult.

Even if I don't want to.

Good Advice

Who is a prudent man?

Someone who is prudent is wise, careful in his actions. He exercises good judgment and common sense. In this verse, a prudent man is someone who recognizes danger and acts accordingly.

What is danger?

Danger is anything that places us in peril. It may be a risk to our health, our finances, our marriages, our relationship with God, or anything else. Danger is not to be played with. Danger is to be avoided, and sometimes the only way to avoid it is to take refuge.

What is refuge?

Refuge is shelter, a place of safety. Take refuge means getting out of harm's way.

Who is simple?

Here, someone who is simple is contrasted to a prudent man. Thus, we can say a simpleton is unwise, careless in his actions. He exercises poor judgment and lacks common sense. This is not to say he is stupid. He recognizes danger, but instead of seeking refuge, he keeps going.

What does it mean to keep going?

Just what it says. Despite the warning signs of impending danger, the simple stay on the same course. Instead of getting out of harm's way, they just keep on keeping on. The path they refuse to leave leads ultimately to suffering.

What is suffering?

It is the consequence of ignoring danger. It may be health consequences, financial difficulty, divorce, spiritual bankruptcy, or any number of unfavorable outcomes, depending on what danger is ignored. In this context, suffering is the opposite of the safety offered by taking refuge.

A prudent mans sees danger and takes refuge, but the simple keep going and suffer for it.

We could put this verse in the context of a thousand what ifs and how abouts, trying to disprove the validity of what the writer is saying. Ultimately, that's going to get us exactly nowhere. We would be better served to simply take it for what it is: Good advice.

Who Would've Thunk?

It's Friday. 

We're all half brain dead by this point in the week anyway, right? So here's some brain candy (tastes good, but too much will give you a belly ache). Enjoy.

The label says it all.

We've all heard about the warning on McDonald's coffee, right? If not, beware--it might be hot!  

Here are some other examples of priceless advice you might not be able to live without.

On mouse poison package:  Has been proven to cause cancer in some laboratory mice.
Really? I was hoping for something quicker-acting.


On clothes-iron warning label:  Warning--do not iron clothes on body.
Good advice, that. Especially the pants.


On the side of a Wal-Mart fish aquarium:  Further purchase ideas: rocks; aquatic plant life; fish.
So that's what you do with a clear glass box!

On a mattress warning label:  Do not attempt to swallow.
 Why? Is it poisonous?

On package of pepperoni:  Do not eat package.
But, I'm hungry!

On a road sign in Oregon:  Do not pass snowplow on the right.
I bet that's good advice in Illinois, too!

On my computer: Keyboard not detected. Press F1 to continue.
Here's something they didn't tell me: Computers cannot fly!

On side of lawnmower: Do not attempt to remove blade while lawnmower is running.
Yea, because those suckers are fast! 

On a matchbook (remember what those are?): Contents may catch fire.
Usually not, in my experience.

On a child's super-hero costume: Wearing this garment does not enable you to fly.
Sadly, my son learned this. The hard way!

On canister of self-defense pepper spray:  Never aim spray at your own eyes.
What if I want to make sure it works, first?

On a 500-piece puzzle box: Some assembly required.
So that's the difference between a puzzle and a picture!

On OUTDOOR Christmas decorations: For indoor use only.
Wait . . . What?

On frozen pizza: While cooking, be sure to place crust-side down.
Oh, that's tricky! How do I tell which side is the crust side?

And while not a warning label, my all time favorite . . .

Braille on drive-up ATM keyboards!

God help us all if we really need any of these!
 

My Proclamation

I believe.

I believe in the one true God who created all things. Who created us male and female for a reason. Who gives order and reason to life, even though I don't always understand it. Who is in control. Who knows. Judges. Wins.

I believe in Jesus Christ. He is God. He became man to live, die, and rise again so that I may have eternal life. He is my Savior. His shed blood washed away my sins. My forgiveness and salvation are free gifts given by the grace of God the Father, through His Son.

I have died to myself. I have been risen to live again.

I am a new man.

I am not ashamed.

Many seem to think I should be. They gather in rallies and protests against me. They pass laws to restrict me. They threaten my home, my family. They deride. They defile. They mock. They hate.

They try to shame me.

They cannot.

I will not go quietly.

I will not be shoved in a corner, a closet, a hole. I will not back down, give in, acquiesce.

I will stand. I will fight.

Though it may cost all that I have, even my life, I will proclaim.

I am a Christian.

Why Does It Have To Be So Hard?

Some days I feel as dense as a block of wood.

I look at the pieces of this puzzle that is life, and it makes absolutely no sense at all. I can't figure out if that piece goes here and this one there, or if they even belong at all. Upside-down, flipped around, backward, forward, or sideways? Got me, brother. I'm stumped.

I'm not a genius, but I'm not stupid, either. Even though I may not be the World's Most Interesting Man, I haven't exactly been living under a rock these past 40-some years. I've been there and done that enough to know the basics of how life works.

But sometimes, it just doesn't make sense why it has to be so hard.

I'm not talking about brain surgery or global financial algorithms.

I'm talking about the every day ordinary stuff. When the mundane becomes monumental. Smack you in the face, first thing in the morning realities. I did it yesterday, why can't I do it today quandaries. Those things which seem simple enough, except that nothing and nobody wants to cooperate.

Like marriage. How is it possible that getting ready to go to a party with someone I've shared a bed with for 18 years could lead to a squabble? I mean, we're raising three kids together, but we're going to argue over where the party is, when we're supposed to be there, and if we're bringing chips or drinks? Sometimes I wonder if we even speak the same language.

And what about those kids? I thought molding them into perfect examples of obedience, courtesy, and respect would be easy. It's not. I saw them take their first breath, but I swear sometimes I think their next one just might be their last if they keep pushing my buttons. Good grief; don't they know we pay the bills around here? My wife said she got them to this point, now it's on me. She's done. Thanks, Dear.

Then there's work, money, relationships, obligations . . . Not to mention the Rhodes Scholar candidate at the cash register who can't make change for a twenty dollar bill when I buy a cup of coffee to clear my head.

Really?

Sorry. That wasn't nice. What I meant to say was . . . Really?

Yep, sometimes life is hard.

It's usually not the big ticket items that get me down. It's the death by a thousand cuts, Chinese water-torture days that wear on me. I've got one nerve left, and be danged if someone isn't stabbing at it with a toothpick. That's when everything stops making sense.

Until I step back, take a deep breath . . . and scream.

Just kidding.

 What we have to remember is Romans chapter 5 and James chapter 1. Life's about that journey from suffering, to perseverance, to character, to hope. It's about testing bringing about maturity. It's about trials making us complete.

Pressure and heat transforms simple carbon into diamonds. Omelets come from broken eggs. You have to tear down to rebuild. Pick your metaphor; the reality is, if life wasn't hard, we wouldn't get any stronger or any better.

Life is our spiritual gymnasium. Sometimes God piles on the weights to prepare us for what's ahead.

Remember that the next time He gives you a challenge.

It's all about making you who He wants you to be!

Fall Forward

You're going to get hit. Hard.

They are going to come at you from the front, the side, and even from behind. Some you will see, others you won't. It doesn't matter. All you need to know is they are going to hit you. Hard.

They'll hit low to knock your feet out from under you. They'll wrap you up from behind to slow you down. They'll lower their heads and bury them right in your breadbasket to knock the very breath from your lungs.

They're mean. They're vicious. They're relentless.

They are the world.

They are going to knock you down.

To gain ground, you have to fall forward.

Yes, you are going to hit the ground. No one makes a touchdown every time they carry the ball. The great ones, those who gain yardage in the triple digits, make the most of every opportunity. They keep their eyes forward, their legs churning, and protect the ball. When the hits are just too hard, and they know they're going down, they give one last mighty effort.

They fall forward.

That's two more yards. 20% of a first down. If they fell backward, they'd lose two yards. That's a 4 yard difference. 40% of a first down.

It all depends on which way they fall.

We are all ball carriers.

No, we're not all football players. We're not all sports fanatics, fans, or even casual observers. Some couldn't care less about sports, and some actually despise them. That's fine. No analogy works for everyone.

But for those of you who are following me here, you get it. We're all in a contest of will, a battle of giants. Strategy matters, because inches matter. Big plays are great, but the grind-it-out ground game, the short passes out in the flat, the yards gained after contact are what make the difference. If you try the Hail Mary every down, you'll be 3 and out more times than not. Or worse, intercepted.

Sometimes you have to put your head down and run the ball up the gut, through the seams, into the maw of the monster. You have to go toe-to-toe with the big guys, in the swamp where anything can happen. It's dirty play, here. It's anything goes, survival of the fittest, hit or be hit mentality time.

You've got the ball. It's time to move the chains.

Don't count on breaking free every time.

These guys are good. The opposing linemen are like towering oaks, with branches for arms that seem to reach from one side of the field to the other. The linebackers are strong as lions, fast as cheetahs, and cagey as hyenas. The corners are smart, and read every play. When they come in, they come in hard and hot. They're not as big, but when they build up a head of steam, they pack a punch.

And the safety? He's an assassin, a sniper. He shows up when you least expect it, and strips the ball. You won't see him coming, but I guarantee you'll know when he gets there.

All this to say, they're going to get you more times than not. You might out-run, out-smart, or over-power any one of them, but they don't play like that. They gang tackle. They mob. They swarm. They converge.

On you.

That's when you have to fall forward.

Sure, football is just a game. But life isn't.

The ball you carry? Maybe that's your marriage, your kids, your faith. Whatever it is, we're all trying to move something forward in our lives.

The defense you face? It could be temptation, struggles, or persecution.

Whatever. Here's the point.

When life wraps you up and you know you're going to go
down . . .

Fall forward.

Then get up, get back in position, and do it again.

Keep pushing ahead, and sooner or later you're going to score.