Housekeeping

Early in our married life my wife and I were terrible slobs (thankfully that is no longer the case.) We didn't really have the discipline to keep a tidy house and allowed our schedules (and laziness) to keep us from cleanliness. Eventually we would reach a mutual point of disgust (and lack of clean dishes) that would force us to stop pretending things were clean. We could no longer hide piles of newspapers under the couch or dirty clothes behind a closed laundry room door. Things had to be dealt with or the situation was never going to get any better.

I think we can do the same thing with the spiritual health of our life. We don't have the proper habits to keep things in order so they slide into disarray. While we might be uneasy about the state of things, we also realize we can hide it for a while if we're careful. Eventually, the mess will become more noticeable in our relationships, our attitude, and our overall health and we'll be forced to do something about it.

I don't want to pretend that spiritual health is supposed to be neat and orderly. In fact, I think it's the exact opposite. An authentic spiritual journey has rough edges, is far from perfect, and doesn't always flow smoothly according to everybody's expectations. The key to keeping things moving forward is to be free to call it for what it is as we keep working on it. Pretending that things are neat and clean because we are hiding the truth doesn't benefit anyone. Be willing to admit we are all messy while pursuing God's best in our lives. That's the quality of a genuine life headed in the right direction.

Be Real

Yogi Berra, the Hall of Fame Yankees catcher, turned 90 years old yesterday. He is famous for his "Yogi-isms", his affable nature, and his incredible playing career. He is the owner of 10 World Series rings and was also named Most Valuable Player three different times in his career. Yogi is regarded as one of the best catchers to ever play the game and also had a solid managerial career. He is an individual that is loved by many people and is still respected today.

I have always been an admirer of Yogi and appreciate his contribution to the game, but that isn't the best part of who he is. I heard a sports journalist share yesterday that Yogi Berra is an American treasure because he is exactly who he appears to be. There is no pretense, falsehood, or self aggrandizement in his nature. He is genuinely kind, gentle, humorous, and personable.

I don't share this to overestimate him, but to point out how attractive the quality of authenticity is. I think that we struggle with that concept in our own lives, but also in seeing it in other people. We tend to believe that "he can't be for real" because we aren't used to seeing authenticity in others. It's attractive because we actually desire it and seek it even if we aren't used to it.

Being real is what we should aspire to in our own lives.

That's Mine

The picture above brings back fond memories of my athletic training days at Mainland High School and the great staff I worked with. What makes the picture exponentially special is the Olympic gold medal around my neck. This was a once-in-a-lifetime experience that allowed me to snag a picture for posterity's sake. It's a picture sitting prominently on my shelf in the middle of other important memorabilia.

While the picture might portray a different reality to the unknowing observer the gold medal doesn't belong to me. I did nothing to earn it and even though I wore it briefly, that didn't make me an Olympian. 

Genuine faith is the same way. We can call ourselves faithful because of our family heritage or our regular church attendance, but without personal experience it doesn't mean much. It's not genuine to say we have faith because our grandmother did or because we never missed a Sunday service. Faith only becomes our own when we put the effort in to battle through understanding and real life application. 

Without individual investment we're just wearing what someone else has earned.

Believe It

What do you believe? Can you clearly articulate it? The key to our belief isn't so much in our ability to define those values. I feel certain that we can all speak fairly intelligently about a number of different topics and align ourselves with specific viewpoints. Even our most eloquent language doesn't necessarily indicate our true beliefs though. That is truly only indicated in our actions.

How is this seen in our lives? Where are we professing one thing and yet living another? If you are unsure about your belief system then take a careful look at what you are doing and it will be made obvious. We reveal our true level of belief by what we apply to our lives.

There It Is

The story of three guys from the Bible who stood up to cultural pressure (Shadrach, Meschach, and Abednego) is fresh on my mind since I just preached on it yesterday. These three men have the opportunity to do what everybody else is doing, but resist the pressure of those around them and take a stand. This comes with consequences as they are thrown into a fire, but they are not consumed as God saves them. The king who vehemently opposed them calls out to them, "Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, servants of the Most High God, come out! Come here!" His tone changed from one of direct opposition to now recognizing the God that they served.

That brings up a tough personal question: can people see God working in us even if they don't share the same belief system? Can people say about us, "I don't believe in your God, but I can clearly see that you do!" This is the passionate authenticity the world is desperate for and will be curious about when they witness it in action.