Tuesday, August 2, 2011

Beatitude Check

Be-Attitude Check

Matthew 5: 1-12

There is something about summer and hot weather that promotes relaxation. We love to indulge in activities like sitting around the pool, going on vacation, or just sitting in the AC because the average summer temperature in Arkansas is somewhere around 400 degrees. Relaxing and trying to rest is not a bad thing, in fact it is a necessity in many of our lives. However this summer trend of relaxation in our physical life often causes a relaxation in our spiritual life.

Just recently I started to notice that I was relaxing a bit spiritually and I needed a boost. I dove into the scriptures and God lead me to Matthew 5, the Sermon on the Mount. In the first section of this sermon Jesus talks about what your life should look like as a Christian. We know them today as the Beatitudes. When reading the Beatitudes we must see through the lens of a first century Jew. Their spiritual role models are the Pharisees and Jesus shows up and talks about these characteristics which are exactly opposite of the Pharisees.

One Commentary said this about the relation between the beatitudes and the Pharisees. “These qualities [the Beatitudes] contrast sharply with Pharisaic “Righteousness.” The Pharisees were not “poor in spirit”; did not “mourn” in recognition of their needs; were proud and harsh, not humble and gentle, they felt they had attained righteousness and therefore had no appetite for it; they were more concerned with “legalities” of God’s and their own law than with showing mercy; were pure ceremonially but not inwardly created rifts, not peace in Judaism, and certainly did not possess true righteousness.”

These are the Pharisees, the bad guys of the Bible. I am not surprised that they were not in line with the Beatitudes. However, if this passage was modernized, it becomes more impactful to us. What if it read this way; “These qualities [the Beatitudes] contrast sharply with the modern day church goers view of righteousness. The average churchgoer is not “poor in spirit”; does not “mourn” for their needs because they figure they can do a better job handling it on their own. They are proud and harsh; they are often the opposite of humble and gentle. They are contently bragging on their own success. They feel like their life is pretty good and God is just a bonus therefore they do not hunger and thirst for righteousness. They are more concerned with the “legalities” of making an appearance at church on Sunday than showing mercy. If they want to do something that interferes with church like, kids sports, sleep or relaxing from a busy week it is ok to put God in the back burner, as long as they are happy. They constantly create rifts, not peace at their local church, and certainly did not possess true righteousness.”

Have we adopted the same attitude toward God as the Pharisees? Jesus gave us the Beatitudes not as something to be glanced over. This is the way we should be living. Do a beatitude check in your life and see where you line up with Jesus.

Wednesday, March 23, 2011

Unity in Tragedy

Last month the world experienced another epic tragedy. Those who saw the videos of the tsunami in Japan stood in stunned silence as the water washed over houses, businesses, and entire towns destroying everything in its path. Watching houses turn into driftwood, it is easy to look at these tragedies and think what good could come from this. How can we not lose hope after seeing this devastation? If the old saying “There is always a silver lining” is true, what is the silver lining of this disaster that has claimed so many lives. What is the good that can come out of this? Although it is often hard to see there is something good that comes out of these types of tragedies. After a great tragedy there will inevitability be a sense of unity among people. When tragedy strikes people set aside their differences and unite to help out. This is just human nature.

The more that I though about this the more it lead me to wonder, why do we only unite to help out when there is a tragedy. Why don’t we act like this all the time? When you look at this conundrum with the world in mind it is one thing but this is a problem within the church as well. To often the church is a place of disunity. Everyone has their own agenda, ideas, plan and they are not plans of unity but of own self promotion. As the body of Christ we should be the most unified organization on the face of the earth. We should not only unite in the wake of tragedy but we should live in perfect unity. The Bible says this in Philippians 2: 1-4

Therefore if you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any common sharing in the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind. Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.”

Lets not be like the rest of the world, only uniting in the midst of tragedy but let us always be of one mind and one heart.

Sunday, February 20, 2011

Set Your mind on things above

Well Church, I am proud to report that we have made it through the most unbelievably snowy season Siloam Springs has seen in a while. I like to refer to the last few weeks as Snowpocalypse 2011 because it really wrecked our lives for a few weeks. Our routines were scattered, our jobs and schools were shut down, and we were forced to stay in our homes. The snow totally changed the way that we live. What I found to be even more amazing than the amount of snow is that when there is snow on the ground it seems like that is all people think about. No matter what you are doing on your snow day everything you think about or do centers around the snow, because it has changed the way you do everything. We almost become obsessed with this earthly phenomenon.

Obviously arranging your life around the snow is really not a terrible thing, it is a necessity, but it got me thinking about how much time we spend focused on things that are of this world and less time thinking about heavenly things. In Colossians 3: 2 it says this “Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.“ The snow is a perfect example of this. Like when it snows we are often consumed by what is going on around us on earth that we forget that our true calling as Christians is to put these distractions behind us and focus on God. Maybe the snow (things of this world) in your life is your is your job, your pursuit of earthly comfort, your children’s sports teams, your status in the community, whatever it is if there is snow that is consuming your life it is keeping you from your only purpose in life, which is to keep you mind focused on heavenly things.

If we are not prepared to clear these things from our lives, like real snow they are just going to continue to build up until our lives are being crushed under their tremendous weight paralyzing us from truly living. Don’t become crushed under the weight of the snow in your life get out there and shovel your way back to God’s plan for your life. Set your heart on the things of God not on things of this world.

Those who do the greatest things in this life are most concerned with the next

-C.S. Lewis