You should all go see this movie on April 13. Don Miller calls it a “game changer” in the world of Christian entertainment. And no. Kirk Cameron is not in this film.
“ Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. ”
Philippians 4:4-7
“Be encouraged by this today. Paul gave up everything to know Christ more fully. Are you and I willing to do the same?
“But whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ - the righteousness that comes from God and is by faith. I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead.”
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Philippians 3:7-11
I worry way too much about what people think of me.
I’m know I’m not the first person to feel this way, but I think we can all agree that an unhealthy concern of the opinions of others can be paralyzing. Not just to your self-esteem, but, more importantly, to your relationship with God.
Lately, I’ve come to realize that there are two ways you can live. Two underlying perspectives that shape everything we do.
1) We live with a fear of men. A fear of what they think of us and if we’re measuring up to who we think people expect us to be. I’m speaking from experience when I say that this route is anything but fulfilling. We’ll never be able to be “good enough” or “pretty enough” or “athletic enough” or “cool enough” based on the world’s standards. We’re like dogs chasing our tails. The ever illusive prize lies in plain view, but just out of reach. And it always will be.
2) We live with a fear of God. Growing up in a Christian home, this is one of those concepts that I never really wrestled with because I was satisfied with a shallow, surface level understanding of what it meant. So let’s look at a pretty important verse that will shed some light on the issue.
“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; all those who follow his precepts have good understanding. To him belongs eternal praise.” (Psalm 111:10)
In 21st century America, the word “fear” has a negative connotation. When we think of fear, we think of scary movies or disturbing stories or frightening thoughts. But in the context of Psalm 111, fear is a healthy thing. It’s closer to the word “reverence”. So if the fear of the Lord is the place where we are able to start to fully know God, why do so many of us, myself included, continue to care more about what others think of us than we do about what God thinks of us?
Because we think our lives our about us. Our excessive concern of the opinions of others is rooted in selfishness. We’re basically saying it’s more important to us to feel accepted and loved by worldly standards than it is to please God with our lives. Obviously, we aren’t doing this on purpose, but it happens nonetheless. At the end of the day, no matter who you are or what you’re doing, God is about God. And every gift or blessing or opportunity he gives us is all so that we can glorify his name. Now this might make it sound like God is selfish. As far as I’m concerned, though, he’s the only one who truly deserves all honor and glory and praise.
So be encouraged. Know that you don’t have to keep trying to be “enough”. Here’s the good news: Christ was perfect so that we don’t have to be. What a liberating truth. It frees us up to let go of who we want to be and embrace who we’ve been created to be.
“ A car is made to run on gasoline, and it would not run properly on anything else. Now God designed the human machine to run on himself. He himself is the fuel our spirits were designed to burn, or the food our spirits were designed to feed on. There is no other. ”
C.S. Lewis
“ Our devotion time is not to be an end in itself; it is to be a spiraling process of ever-expanding openness and movement into God. It is in these moments of devotion we foster a conviction about the kind of life we are to live, clarity about our role in the world, and a sense of corporate mission and ministry. ”
Ed Gungor
“ Change is not only about admitting wrong, it is about progressively growing in self-knowledge. ”
Paul David Tripp
For anyone wondering about my ability to spell, watch the movie “The Princess Bride” and you’ll understand the reference behind the title. For now, I’ll translate:
Marriage is what brings us together.
As someone who got married a little over 3 weeks ago, I can attest to the truth in that statement. Marriage, as God intended it, is designed to weave two people together so that they are inseparable, bound by a lifelong commitment to love one another as Christ loves His Church. It is an unfolding drama written by the wise control of a loving and sovereign God.
I wanted to wait a few weeks after my wedding before I wrote anything about my experience as a married man because I knew there would be a stark contrast in life during and after the honeymoon. And God is quickly showing me just how much I need him in the midst of this new journey. I am a sinner. Married to a sinner. This is a reality. And as I’ve processed and reflected, it’s becoming more and more apparent that in order for my wife and I to experience any amount of contentment and peace in our marriage, we must first learn how to worship God daily. A book someone gave us as a gift says it like this:
“A marriage of love, unity, and understanding is not rooted in romance; it is rooted in worship.”
Don’t get me wrong. I love my wife deeply and I am incredibly attracted to her in a million different ways. But when tempers wear thin and patience wanes, it will be God’s presence and direction in our lives, not romantic emotion, that sees us through the storms. It is only when I live in a celebratory and restful worship of God that I am able not to take myself too seriously and I am free to serve and celebrate another.
If I’m being honest, this new season of my life is scary at times. I just entered into a covenant relationship with my wife that will last a LIFETIME. This is the real deal. But the same thing that frightens me also gives me immense joy. It is a daily opportunity to reflect the love God has shown us in our relationship with each other.
So for anyone out there on the cusp of marriage or engagement, or even if you’re just curious, know this: there is no amount of book reading and heart preparation that you can do that will fully ready you for marriage. This is how it’s supposed to be. God wants us to press into him when we are confronted with circumstances we don’t know how to face on our own. My faith has already been tested in so many ways as a result of being married. And as much as a long to control every facet of my life, I’m learning that entrusting them to God is infinitely more comforting.
“In his heart a man plans his course, but the Lord directs his steps.” Proverbs 16:9
