Owning Ordinary

When the teachers of the law who were Pharisees saw Jesus eating with the tax collectors and "sinners," they asked his followers, "Why does he eat with tax collectors and sinners?"

Jesus heard this and said to them, "It is not the healthy people who need a doctor, but the sick. I did not come to invite good people but to invite sinners." -Mark 2:16, 17

Children in America are taught from birth to become "anything you want to be."  We are given this idea that the world is at our fingertips and we must simply reach for what we desire.  But how realistic is that?  Often preference in America is given to those of a certain racial, socioeconomical, and educational status.  And even with those things, this is a competitive country, and positions are often granted based on who you know.  I have several close friends who are still holding out and waiting for nothing less than their utopian dream jobs.  While I of all people would absolutely encourage trying for those things, at some point you have to move out of your parents' basement.  No one prepared me for an office job.  I was prepared to go to outer space and fly airplanes and go to the Olympics and be rich and famous. Those images are so stuck in brain that as I sit at my cushy, airconditioned desk at a job I love surrounded by great co-workers who are passionate about what they do I still stop and question- is this ok?  Is it ok for me to just work here?

Which brings me to what I really want to talk about.  In a similar way, no one taught me how to be an ordinary Christian.  I heard a great deal about "discovering God's calling for your life."  It sounded so important I thought surely He was sending me somewhere fabulously exotic.  I watched my peers commit to being pastors, youth leaders, worship leaders, and missionaries.  I thought surely God was "calling" me to become a missionary, since that seemed to be the thing to do.  Yet here I sit at the age of 26, with a desk job and a husband who loves Jesus as much as I do.  Did I miss God's "calling?"

I find it fascinating that Jesus ministered to so many ordinary people.  I am still amazed when I consider the story of the woman at the well (John 4).  Who was this woman?  Why did Jesus spend His precious time on her?  There was nothing great or special about her.  But Jesus went out of his way to pour His love out on her.  There is no record of her becoming a great missionary or a pastor.  She simply told her friends what God had done for her.

So is it ok for me go to work, go home, have dinner with my spouse, and go to bed?  Is it ok for me to just join a Bible study, and try to set a good example for others whether they ask me about Jesus or not?  Micah 6:8 tells us "The Lord has told you, human, what is good;  he has told you what he wants from you: to do what is right to other people, love being kind to others, and live humbly, obeying your God." To my best understanding, Scripture teaches us that God desires a relationship with us.  He desires us to be fulfilled and happy in Him.  He wants us to know we are loved and to glorify Him because of his mercy.  Our life goal should be simply to know God.  If God called me to be an "ordinary" child of His, I could not be happier to be Ordinary.

*disclaimer* I have been friends and loved ones who are in the ministry and want to be sure to express how much respect I have for those in full-time positions.  My goal is not to at all belittle that calling.  I simply want to address the fact that my personal experiences did not teach me that God could bless a life that was not devoted to full-time ministry as a profession.  That was a lack of knowledge on my part that I am owning up to.

To the Last and Highest Degree

I struggle with understanding God's love.  Always have.  The fact that I am a sinner and that my sin has brought me under a perfect God's judgment makes complete sense to me.  But I cannot understand why God chooses to display His mercy to me when I don't deserve it.  I'm mad thankful for it, don't get me wrong, but it defies my reasoning capabilities.  Let me share with you something that blew my mind yesterday.

John 13:1(AMP) - " [NOW] BEFORE the Passover Feast began, Jesus knew (was fully aware) that the time had come for Him to leave this world and return to the Father. And as He had loved those who were His own in the world, He loved them to the last and to the highest degree." (emphasis added by me).

Now when God said He loved somebody to the "highest degree" that's not just puppy love.  That's the kind of love that only a God can obtain.  And when the passage mentions "those who were His own in the world" I get the distinct impression that he's not just talking about the 11 disciples.  He's talking about ALL the people in the world over all time that are His - meaning those who want him and choose to follow him.  Why, that includes ME!  Could it really be possible that at the last supper feast, when Jesus knew he was about to face the cross, when Jesus was "troubled in spirit" (v. 21), that he thought about me?  That he was reminding himself about all of his adopted children?  And how could he have loved us "to the highest degree" if he were not to give his life for us?

It's a topic I need to meditate on for at least the next couple of years. :)

Part Dos

Part 2 of my article "Carried Away" has been posted at http://www.risingvoice.com/format/thoughts/carried-away-part-2/.  Thank you to all who have read and left comments!  The more buzz the more likely I am to be invited to write again!  It is truly appreciated!

Rising Voice

It's here!  Part 1 of my article "Carried Away" was posted today on Rising Voice, a webzine brought to you by Citizenlink, an offiliate of Focus on the Family.  Part 2 will be posted tomorrow at risingvoice.com.  Check it out!!!

http://www.risingvoice.com/format/thoughts/carried-away/

Friendship Woes

Have you ever had to stand by while you watched a close friend make a decision that you feel is the wrong one?  Maybe it's not the wrong decision, but to you it just doesn't feel right.  Maybe you told this person your concerns and they blew you off.  Or maybe, like me, you haven't talked in a while and you wonder how can I start a 4 year gap in communication with "you are making a horrible life choice"?  It's a tough spot to be in, a painful one.  Any stories or thoughts?

Nicodemus, Myself

While reading through the book of John in the Amplified Bible, I was struck by the story of Nicodemus coming to Jesus in a way I never have been before.  You probably know the story from chapter 3 well.  Nicodemus, a Pharisee and member of the Sanhedrin, sneaks away to meet Jesus in the night.  He questions Christ about salvation, and Jesus tells him he must be born again of the spirit.  With just a little more research you will find out that the Pharisees were the religious leaders of the day.  They were, unfortunately, obsessed with works and legalism and were, to use a crass term, holier-than-thou.  They hated Jesus, because he claimed the authority from God that they desperately wanted, and he told them their hearts were corrupted.  But Nicodemus was different.  He saw the miracles of Jesus and started to let himself believe that maybe he was the Christ prophesied about.  But he was too ashamed to let his fellow Pharisees know this, so he snuck away like a criminal to see Jesus.

I've read the story a dozen times, but never before have I identified with the man.  Of course I would have a better understanding of the heart of the Old Testament.  I would never have been like a Pharisee!  (Not to mention that as a woman I would have been forbidden to pray out loud).  And yet, in 2011, after years of following Jesus, I find myself looking into Nicodemus' shrinking eyes and seeing myself in the reflection.

How am I like Nicodemus?  Is there a day that goes by that I do not deny Christ in some way?  The desire for acceptance often leads me away from my forgiving Father into a crowd of my peers.  I find myself wanting to fit in so much, I act is if I have to keep my Christianity hidden in a closet.  I'll let the conversation go just shy of too far, speak with answers I know others want to hear, and nod in agreement of activities I know I don't participate in.  I'll keep my Christianity a secret from people I just meet, only mentioning my faith when absolutely necessary.  It's like living a double life.  And the truth is, to be "successful" by the world's standards as a Christian, that is what you have to do.  But why, when I examine the consequences, would I choose to love the world when the Light of the world is beconning me to eternity with Him?  Oh that I could instead be like John the Baptist, whom we see later in the same chapter of John.  There was a man that lived a life without shame.  A man who spoke the Word of the Lord even when he was silent.  Oh that I could live my life like John, who was later beheaded for his faith, and entered eternity as a man who gave his all for love of the Lord.  Much more is such a life than the life led in cowardice.



(disclaimer:  I know that in a way it was brave for Nicodemus to risk his position for Christ.  But in the scope of eternity how much better is it to say "I don't even care about my position; I'm going to Jesus publicly."  I understand there is exception for people today in other parts of the world who must keep silent in persecution and share the Gospel in secrecy.  Take my comments with a grain of salt) :)

Success!

I recently posted a little teaser about a nibble I got from a publisher.  I am proud to announce that that organization is Focus on the Family and they have accepted my article for publication on their webzine, Rising Voice!  I'll be sure to post the link to the article here once it is uploaded!