i am what i am

This past Sunday I was part of a church service. As happens sometimes, the person teaching read a scripture and a phrase from that scripture caught my attention. It was really a rather obscure phrase yet it arrested my attention. It comes from Paul's first letter to the church at Corinth and can be found in 1 Corinthians 15:10 - "But by the grace of God I am what I am..."
What a powerful statement!

Paul had come to grips with who God had created Him to be - I am what I am. He was no longer "kicking against the goads". (See Acts 9:5) His statement reveals the depth of his harmony with God and with God's purposes for him. It demonstrates a settled-ness with his past, a contentedness in his present, and a security in his future. There is a great deal of power in the person who has settled these issues of identity.

My observation from my own life as well as the life of others is that until we come to grips with who we are, we will never truly reach our God-given potential. One of the reasons we grasp for significance, for position, and for power is that we have not settled who we are by the grace of God. Instead of allowing God to define our existence, we create an image of who or what we would desire to be. It causes us to clutch at that which would make us feel more important.

Jesus, at the last supper, was able to wash the disciples feet because He was fully aware of the who of His being. Notice the words from John - Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into His hands, and that He had come from God and was going to God rose from supper and laid aside His garments, took a towel and girded Himself. After that, He poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples’ feet, and to wipe them with the towel with which He was girded.

Coming to the realization of "I am what I am" allows for a great deal of freedom. Freedom to serve in unnoticed mundane ways. Freedom to lay down our life for others. Freedom from the fear of man. Freedom from the fear of failure.

Next to giving His Son, the greatest work that God did for me occurred in what I called the dark night of my soul. He attacked everything with which I identified myself. Every strength evaporated, every ability seemed to disappear. It felt as if every self-created definition of myself completely unraveled into a pile of rubbish. During that time I learned about God, about myself, but most of all I was able to hear what He said about me. His words to me were all I had at the time.

His words of identity to me became the doorway to life. I am beginning to understand "I am what I am". As I said earlier, coming to the realization of "I am what I am" brings a great deal of freedom. My prayer is that you experience the freedom that comes from harmony with God's purposes for you!

the work of God

This morning I read from the wisdom of Solomon in the book of Ecclesiastes. The following words caught my attention - Notice the way God does things; then fall into line. Don’t fight the ways of God, for who can straighten out what he has made crooked? (Ecclesiastes 7:13, New Living Translation)

The older I get, the more acutely aware I am of the need to be conscious of and responsive to the ongoing, current work of God. How can we walk in harmony with God if we have no idea of His way of doing things?

The work of God and His way of doing things falls into two realms. God has set principles and laws into place that govern the universe. There are financial parameters, relational parameters, parameters in the realm of physics and in the realm of the production of food. If we do not understand the laws He set into place that govern the universe, we are doomed to failure. For instance, if we ignore the law of gravity we can be assured of a great deal of pain. While these principles may not appear to be spiritual from our perspective, they are the God ordained framework on which creation operates. This realm is the governmental work of God; it does not change from generation to generation.

Then there is the ongoing work of God; the current things that God seeks to accomplish today. This work is frequently on a more personal level although it also occurs on the governmental level, both in the church and in nations, as well. It frequently has to do with redemption, healing, and correcting the mess we as humans create.

In both realms, the work of God is tangible and very real. It frequently appears much less spiritual than we might think it would or should. While creation and the principles that govern it is orderly, the ongoing work of God commonly appears chaotic.

If we are going to succeed in life, then we must fall into line with God’s way of doing things. If we no clue of His work, at best we can only hope to intermittently stumble into his blessing and at worst we will oppose His hand. The words of the song “Open the Eyes of My Heart” are so true – Open the eyes of my heart Lord, I want to see You.

the offensiveness of God

Throughout the scriptures, we find people who on the brink of receiving God's promises become offended by the God-ordained pathway A wealthy young man is offended by Jesus words. Naaman is offended by Elisha's solution for his healing. Abram waited for years for the promised son to arrive. At times it seems like God intentionally offends people to see how they will respond. For some, like a Gentile woman who wanted deliverance for her daughter, the offence drove her to pursue Jesus even more desperately. For others, like the wealthy young man, the offence caused him to turn away from eternal life.

Just like thousands of years ago, God frequently still offends people as they get close to achieving their dreams and desires. I have seen people miss out because of a lack of patience with God. Like Abram, they attempt to "help God" because they can no longer wait on His timing. In doing so, they create something other than what God intended. For some, the personal cost becomes too great and so they turn away from the promise. And yet for those who choose to trust that God knows best, that His ways are beyond our intellectual reasoning, for those who embrace the offence, the promise becomes reality.

I believe God offends our natural mind to see if we will trust Him. Will we choose Him over out natural inclinations? If we choose to be offended, we will never fully discover the goodness of God and His promises. However, if we submit ourselves to His hand, we can expect to receive the promise.

team

The older I get, the more I am impressed by the value of teamwork. As a young man, I had the attitude of “I can do it myself”. My personal orphan issues frequently caused me to hold people at a distance, especially those who could have helped me. As a result, at times I struggled to accomplish what I had set out to do.

I am keenly aware that in every current endeavor in which I am involved, I will fall short of potential success if I choose to ignore those who can play a vital role in the unfolding of the endeavor. I am continually watchful for those whom God brings across my path that have the same interests and God-given dreams that I have. I watch for those with whom I can have the gifts, wisdom, and experiences that I lack.

I want to differentiate between true teamwork and the practice of using people to accomplish goals. I have seen people manipulate others for the purpose of selfish gain. In these situations, the project is more important than the relationship; people are used and then discarded. True teamwork involves mutual benefit for all involved in the relationships.

The God-pattern for teamwork can be seen within the nature of God. The Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit work together, not dominating each other but in mutual submission to each other. When the church functions as God intended, we discover the same type of relationships that propel us farther and faster than we could have gone alone. The writer of Hebrews challenges us to get together for the purpose of mutual exhortation.

The principles of relational teamwork apply to all areas of life. I encourage you to invite people to walk with you in the unfolding of your God-given dreams and responsibilities.

Identify with Christ

Part of our Christmas celebration this year occurred at the cabin. There is something about the North Country that seems to stir my thoughts even in the midst of work. On Sunday late afternoon, I spent a bit of time outside. I began to ponder what it meant to fully identify with Christ. There is a Biblical principle of the believer’s identification with Jesus. We can expect to experience many same things that Jesus experienced; both the suffering and the glory.

I believer that there is no greater privilege than having our lives mirror the life of Jesus as revealed in the scriptures. We rejoice when attacked by the religious establishment of our day. We are blessed when people say all sorts of falsehoods about us because we are following Christ. I am convinced that there is no death more honorable than dying for the cause of Christ.

While following Christ frequently seems to bring us to the point of death, death is not the end for those that identify with Jesus. Scripture clearly outlines that if we identify with Christ in His suffering, we will also experience His glory.

Bev and I have experienced the truth of the words of scripture, especially during the past several years. At no time in our lives have we been as blessed as recently. God has restored many of the dreams of the past all the while fulfilling the present dreams as well. Conversely, at no time in our lives have we been attacked on a personal level like the past years.

I do not think that our experience is out of the ordinary for followers of Jesus. As I posted earlier this month, Simeon spoke prophetically that Jesus would be a sign that would be spoken against. Jesus told His disciples that they (we) would experience the things He experienced. Followers of Jesus can expect that they too will become a sign that will be attacked.

I want to encourage you – Do not be fearful of the attacks. Do not be diverted by the falsehoods. Lose your life for the sake of Christ. If you do, you will be sure to find it!

the revealer of hearts

I was reading the account of Simeon blessing the baby Jesus. A line in the blessing grabbed my attention - Behold, this Child is destined for the fall and rising of many in Israel, and for a sign which will be spoken against (yes, a sword will pierce through your own soul also), that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed." (I added the emphasis). Jesus' life would be a sign that would be spoken against that the hearts of many may be revealed.

What an interesting statement! Who would speak against the Son of God? Why would someone speak against the Son of God? Interestingly, the immediate context of these words indicates that they apply to Israel. But why would God's chosen people speak against God's revelation of Himself? Perhaps we could understand that the Gentiles, the sinners, would reject the revelation of God. Yet earlier in Simeon's prophecy we find that Jesus would be a light to bring revelation to the Gentiles.

As I reflect further on this, it makes more sense. Even today, those who consider themselves as "God's chosen" frequently speak against the life of Jesus. When one follows Jesus in a practical way, when one patterns their life after Jesus life, it does not take long until the verbal attacks begin. Something about the untamed and unpredictable pattern of Jesus threatens those whose security is found in the confines of a religious, self-centered mindset. Jesus and His followers threaten the status quo.

Interestingly, Simeon's prophetic word indicates that the attacks on Jesus would reveal the heart of those doing the attacking. Jesus was not killed by sinners, rather it was those who purported to be doing the work of God who clamored for His death. Their actions revealed that their pious facade hid an unregenerate heart. Even today, Jesus and His life lived through us still reveals the thoughts of the heart.

the message of Christmas

This Christmas season I have been thinking about the message of Jesus coming to earth. Now I realize that it is highly unlikely that Jesus was born on December 25. I am also fully aware that the celebration of Jesus' birth on December 25 was the replacement of a pagan holiday with a Christian holiday. However, that does not change the value of celebrating the fact of "God with us".


In a nutshell, the message of Christmas is about God with us. God chose to identify fully with us by the birth, life, and death of Jesus. What incredibly good news - God coming to us to reconcile us to all that is Him! Interestingly, as I read the gospel accounts, the coming of Jesus was not good news for everyone. Those with self-centered agendas in both the religious and political worlds were threatened by the presence of God. However, for the "little people" the coming of Jesus offered hope in an otherwise hopeless existence.


For the untouchables, the lepers and sinners, God with us signified a new way of life. During the ministry of Jesus, He repeatedly stopped to associate with the little people. He ate with the sinners. He touched the lepers. He offered forgiveness to those needing forgiveness. The little people got it; they understood the transformational power of God with us. As a result they were healed, forgiven, and restored.

I have noticed that some things don't change. The little people still get the meaning of Christmas. They are fully aware of their shortcomings, their need for a Savior. Since they have been largely brushed aside by the religious community, they are not encumbered by the religious bondage that binds those who grasp for power and position in the religious community. The simplicity of Jesus is not lost on them.

For the sinners, for those marginalized by the societal and religious elite, the message of Christmas is exceedingly good news!