Merge Worship

Am I doing “it”? Did I make “it”? Is “it” what I'm supposed to be doing? Did I miss “it”? In the oft' ambiguous business of trying to follow the will of God, these are big questions. I've been doing a lot of thinking lately about whether I've missed “it” in my life, or if I still haven't found “it” or better yet; if I'm already doing “it”. John Mayer talks about a “still verdict-less life” in his song “Why Georgia?”. I can identify with those lyrics in a real way.

I guess the biggest problem with “it” is that “it” is hard to define. How do you know when you are doing the perfect will of God? Sometimes I feel like my life is meant for bigger impact, but bigger impact by whose standard? Is God more pleased with the record deal, or the confession and grace shown over pizza across the street? Is He more impressed with a song heard 'round the world, or with a ride given to a stranger that no one knows about? Paradoxically, is He more frustrated by public failure, or by nagging private sin? What's the “it” that He cherishes and what is “it” that He shuns?

My opinion is that He is most pleased when we're doing the “it” He's given/assigned us to do. With that sort of floating criteria, “it” becomes this unidentifiable thing floating around for most of us. I know a few people who know they are doing “it”, but I've met more that wouldn't know “it” if “it” slapped them in the face. (If you're not from the South, that means they wouldn't know it. The extra bit is just good old southern emphasis.) I've also met some folks who I thought were surely doing “it” only to find that they weren't exactly feelin' “it” the way I thought they would.

I think I find myself more in the 2nd camp. I have a great idea of what I think “it” might be, but I stink at following through on “it” and sometimes suppress what I think “it” could be because I define “it” by my limitations. And frankly, “it” seems to change around from time to time. As I think now about guys who feel like they are doing “it”; at least the ones that I admire; mostly have this very real connection to God. Not that some of these folks are perfect, but they seem to carry themselves with a confidence that could be considered arrogance if not rooted in the humility of Christ. As a side note, if you find yourself in that serene place of doing “it”, knowing that this is the “it” you were made for and being successful at “it”, how do you not come across as an egotist to a world full of aimless people? That question is crucial as God “resists the proud”. How terrible would it be to find yourself achieving “it” only to be resisted by the very One you were trying to please, because you got caught up in your own hype?

Maybe one day I'll wake up and “it” will just happen, or I'll find myself caught up in “it”, but my best guess is that “it” is more a journey than a destination. So maybe the best thing I can do is to keep my eyes on Him and just let “it” happen.

Here's a great pic of my family for Easter. I hope you found a great place to celebrate the resurrection of our Lord.

I've been thinking recently that our culture is trying to out-think God. We are a people full of knowledge, but lacking intuition. Our knowledge has caused us to prize self sufficiency above all else and thereby negating the "eternity in our hearts" that God has placed in us as just a romantic notion. I read in more than one place this weekend that Christians, specifically young Christians, will eventually "wise up" and "grow out" of their belief in a higher power. My prayer, and belief, is that the resurrected Christ will become as real to this generation as the air we breathe and that His presence will become undeniable in the counter-cultural way that we live. I'm writing this fairly late, so hopefully it makes some sort of sense. I hope you experience His life-changing presence and power today. Peace...adam

I was praying this morning and thinking about the value of truth in friendships. We are told to “Speak the truth in love...” (Ephesians 4:15) I would rather have five friends who always tell me the truth as they see it than a hundred friends who only want to tell me how great I am all the time. Those type of friends who are always willing to be honest are the kind of friends that value my growth as a person over my perception of them.

One of the great detriments I've witnessed is our tendency to surround ourselves with only people who agree with us. In ministry situations, specifically in the charismatic community, there is a propensity to elevate people to a status above reproach. I've seen ministers with only “yes” people around them there to confirm that every decision they make is “right on” and any word they say can be “taken to the bank”.

I feel like having no one around you willing to challenge you dilutes your discernment and distorts your vision of yourself. It is a sobering thought that we could surround ourselves with the praises of man and in the end miss out on the only standard that ever really mattered. A life unchallenged is often a life unchanged.

The hardest part of this, of course, is being this kind of friend. How do you tell your friend that they blew it with their attitude? How do you tell them they're in a relationship that is not beneficial to them and they need to cut ties? How do you let them know that the job just isn't getting done?

I certainly don't have the answers, but I think you'd have to start by being the person willing to hear the truth. We all know of people who love to speak the truth, but are not really interested when it comes time for others to reciprocate. Secondly, I think it takes a great deal of courage. You have to free yourself from the fear of what others might think about you. There is a sense of putting yourself out there for the other person to utterly reject that is nerve wracking to say the least. Lastly, and most importantly in my opinion, is you have to have the “love”. Truth without love most often comes across as criticism.

Let me know how you're learning to "speak the truth in love" to those in your world. If you find something wrong with this post, by all means, let me know. But make sure it's covered, smothered, scattered and splattered with "love". (Let all those who have stomachs for Waffle House hear what I'm sayin' :-)