David: letting God handle it

David amazes me. I admire that a young man would take on a lion and a bear without anyone's help.  I admire that he would take that same courage and confidence into a battle against a skilled warrior. I am amazed that he could move back and forth from the king's household to the sheepfold. Yet I am particularly impressed by his restraint.

When David was offended by Nabal, he almost lost it. He marched against Nabal but then listened to the advice of Abigail. In the end, he thanked God for restraining him from avenging himself. Twice he could have killed Saul but refrained; he explained to his friend that the Lord would strike him but "the Lord forbid that I should lay a hand on the Lord's annointed".

It seems to me that I often start out with great intentions into service, ministries or missions. Somewhere along the line, I become frustrated with those who are less committed to the cause. In those moments, to simply take care of my heart and let the Lord deal with the rest is not easy. Jesus, in his last conversation with Peter on the beach, called him to do the same - take care of his own life while letting the Father deal with others.

For some, that is probably not a hard challenge. For those of us who feel a deep sense of justice, who were raised on "The Pursuit of Excellence" principle and who tend to live in leadership, it can be a great challenge. One which David seemed to handle well; one in which I will try to grow.

Genesis: Determinism and free will Abraham style

I am fascinated by the interplay of God's will and human will. The extremes pit one against the other. Is God sovereign so that what he determines is done and human free will is really non-existent? Or do humans have free will to make decisions and the poem Invictus is correct when it states "I am the master of my fate; I am the captain of my soul?"

Abraham seemed to live somewhere in between; his stories reveal the interplay of divine and human will. When Abraham sent for a wife for Isaac, we actually get to hear him explain his belief. His servant feared that finding a wife might not be so easy. Abraham explained, "[God] will send his angel before you so that you can get a wife for my son from there. If the woman is unwilling to come back with you, then you will be released from this oath of mine." In a nutshell, Abraham believed that God would orchestrate some encounter between his servant and a good wife for Isaac. Then the lady would exercise her free will by accepting or not. Both God's will and human will were involved.

So what does this mean? For one thing, it means "thy kingdom come, they will be done" in the Lord's Prayer makes more sense. Rather than tell a sovereign God to "zap the world with his will" - which would be automatic if he is sovereign and humans have no free will - the line has more to do with my acceptance of his will. It is the counterpart to Jesus's prayer in the garden - "not my will but yours." It was the same prayer at the beginning and ending of his ministry and should be the same at the beginning and ending of mine.

It also makes today a little more exciting. Rebekah became a part of God's story, living out God's will by simply being open to the needs of the people around her. That re-frames what it means to stand in line at the store, meet a new student on campus or sit by a stranger at a game. Who knows what story I might step into? Who knows what plan God has set in motion around me? Who knows what saying "yes" might lead to next?

Lord's Prayer: Who's will?

"Your kingdom come, your will be done."

Really? I’m not so sure I always like this portion. As my mouth utters “your will be done” my heart sticks an asterisk on it.  Scroll down to the footnote in my subconscious and you find something like this.

“What I really mean, God, is that I like to think you are in charge; it helps my self esteem to think that I’m submitting to you. And it is great to do your will when it fits into my schedule and dovetails with what I have planned anyway. So please take my plans and bless them so that they can be called yours. After all, frustrating the plans that I have already made while thinking that I was doing your will probably won’t go well for me. It would result in me having to spend a lot of time and energy to change; as an American, time and energy are always in short supply. In fact, my time and energy could be better spent if you bless my plans rather than make me shift to yours. So, since I’ve already made plans while deceiving myself that I know what is best, let’s just avoid the frustration altogether and let’s call my will yours. Amen.”

For me, living out “your will be done” is not the hard part. What trips me up is honestly desiring “your will be done” in the first place.

Acts 19; Submission

A few days ago I played in a soccer game where a young man kept covering his mistakes by shouting jokingly to the others, "I can do what I want!" Soon others took up his chant and shouted it back to him; it was all in fun. In a team sport, doing what we want as individuals is usually not beneficial to the team. The same can probably be said for life in general.

Paul wanted to enter the theater to speak to the crowd. He was great with crowds, no doubt. This was a chance to speak to a multitude (the theater held 25000 people). It was a chance to enter into a major city-wide discussion that could have huge implications for the future of the city. Yet, he never even entered. He submitted to the wisdom of the disciples around him and the provincial officials who knew him. Even the great Paul did not live by the phrase, "I can do what I want!"

Submission is a very difficult concept. In fact, it is one of the most irritating and non-North American concepts ever developed. Its like giving a sixteen year old a revved up red Ferrari convertible and then telling him to never drive over 30 mph. We spend all of life trying to grow and develop only to hit a point where we are told to do the opposite of what we think is best. Seriously annoying. When I submit myself to comply with what I think is a stupid decision by my elders, it is annoying. When I give up my individual rights in order to comply with a group decision at work, it is irritating.

It does, however, have a second effect in addition to just rubbing me wrong; it causes me to remember that life is a team sport. I am part of a community; my actions greatly affect others. To submit is to hold up a mirror in which I see that I am not alone. He who is not part of community can do as he wishes while those who are engaged in relationships must learn to submit for the good of others. Put that way, submission sounds a little more like love. Maybe its not so bad after all.

Luke 23:26-43; Cross Perspectives

Luke presents very little of the actual passion of Jesus. He does not focus on Jesus on the cross but rather on the reactions around. The women are in tears feeling sorry for Jesus while the rest of the crowd just watches. The rulers, soldiers and even a criminal all mock and insult him.

Yet Luke always shows us both sides. The women are taught by Jesus that this is not the worst that is to come; they need better vision. The crowd, soldiers and rulers get no response from Jesus; that will come with his resurrection. One criminal is rebuttaled by the other. The second is approved of Jesus and blessed.

Luke seems as concerned with perceptions as with the event. How the event is interpretted is critical. So how do I interpret the life and sacrifice of Jesus? Do I have spiritual myopia like the women and do not really understand? Do I stand with the crowd in silence, not taking action either way? Do I call myself educated or powerful and mock him in disdain? Am I a fool, outcast in one life and condemning myself for the next? Or do I really see who this man is and submit to him?