Restoring the Image

Driving blindfolded?

There's a really widely quoted scripture that is said in a way that I think we actually miss its powerful meaning.  The passage is Proverbs 29:18, most often quoted as "Where there is no vision, the people perish."  I can't tell you how many times I've seen that quoted in a book or by a leader in talking about corporate vision for a church or other organization.  It's not that it's terrible to use it that way - but that's actually not the best translation (or use, in my opinion) of that verse.  In fact, the only major translation that renders it like that is the KJV (trans. in 1611).  No other major translation puts it that way...because it's not a great translation.

Compare the KJV to these for instance:

TNIV: Where there is no revelation, people cast off restraint; but blessed are those who heed wisdom's instruction.

NAS: Where there is no vision, the people are unrestrained, But happy is he who keeps the law.

Kind of a different twist than the corporate "Where there is no vision, the people perish."  Here are some of the translations that put it in simplest terms:

NIrV: Where there is no message from God, the people don't control themselves. But blessed are those who obey the law.

NCV: Where there is no word from God, people are uncontrolled, but those who obey what they have been taught are happy.

Now simply apply this verse to our own lives.  When there is no message, word, or revelation from God, meaning, when we don't hear from God through His Word or through His Spirit, we don't care about God's ways.  We cast off restraint, don't control ourselves, or we do whatever we feel like doing.  But those who listen to and obey what God says (His law in the OT context) are blessed and find happiness.

Here's how I know this is true.  When I'm not in communion with God, when I'm not hearing from Him through His Word or by His Spirit regularly, it's not long until I stop thinking about His ways and His desires.  But when I hear from God regularly, there's a peace and a purpose in my heart that makes me respond to things differently. 

If God is life, and He knows everything, and His ways are THE best ways, then when we try to do life without listening to Him, it's no wonder our lives become almost out of control and often crash.  It's almost like ... driving blindfolded.

I understand the power of vision corporately, it's a must have to accomplish anything.  However, I'd like to suggest that Proverbs 29:18 has more to do with our daily relationship with Jesus Christ than building a building, or some other corporate achievement.  In fact, it's actually a powerful truth speaks right to where we are and what we're going through here, now, today.  It's a life-changer.

Ben was smart...

I've recently been reviewing some life mission stuff - that's part of the reason there's a Franklin Covey button on the top right of my blog page (check it out - it's pretty cool!).  I think it's important to review our mission and purpose regularly because it's so easy to get off track. 

As I was doing that I came across Benjamin Franklin's set of virtues that he chose to live by.  Beside being incredibly smart (the dude was a leading author and printer, satirist, politician, scientist, inventor, civic activist, statesman, soldier, and diplomat) it is said that he reviewed a list of 13 virtues regularly and tried to hold himself to them.  Here they are along with the definitions he included in his autobiography.  It's amazing how the same list could apply to us almost 250 years later.

1. "TEMPERANCE. Eat not to dullness; drink not to elevation."
2. "SILENCE. Speak not but what may benefit others or yourself; avoid trifling conversation."
3. "ORDER. Let all your things have their places; let each part of your business have its time."
4. "RESOLUTION. Resolve to perform what you ought; perform without fail what you resolve."
5. "FRUGALITY. Make no expense but to do good to others or yourself; i.e., waste nothing."
6. "INDUSTRY. Lose no time; be always employ'd in something useful; cut off all unnecessary actions."
7. "SINCERITY. Use no hurtful deceit; think innocently and justly, and, if you speak, speak accordingly."
8. "JUSTICE. Wrong none by doing injuries, or omitting the benefits that are your duty."
9. "MODERATION. Avoid extremes; forbear resenting injuries so much as you think they deserve."
10. "CLEANLINESS. Tolerate no uncleanliness in body, cloaths, or habitation."
11. "TRANQUILLITY. Be not disturbed at trifles, or at accidents common or unavoidable."
12. "CHASTITY. Rarely use venery [the practice or pursuit of sexual pleasure] but for health or offspring, never to dullness, weakness, or the injury of your own or another's peace or reputation."
13. "HUMILITY. Imitate Jesus and Socrates."

These 13 virtues are definitely worth thinking through. Like I said, Ben was smart.

Which of these strike you?  If you made a list of virtues you wanted to live by, what would be some of the virtues on your list?

What song is your prayer?

Reformation leader Martin Luther once said that "Next to the Word of God, the noble art of music is the greatest treasure in the world."  Combine music with a heart toward God and you get something incredible - almost as if something happens beyond our understanding.

Sometimes a song just encapsulates exactly how you feel.  This can be true of many songs in many contexts but sometimes a song perfectly expresses our hearts' prayer.  This song is my prayer today.

What song expresses your heart's prayer today?

You're a saint. Live up to it.

I'd like to make an (I believe) important distinction that has become somewhat of a pet peeve of mine that I encountered again today.  Christ-followers (and those that lead them) need to stop calling themselves sinners.  The whole "I'm just a sinner - saved by grace" deal is garbage, and, unbiblical. 

If you search the scriptures, you'll find that the preponderance of the evidence reveals that Jesus, the apostle Paul, and others did use the term 'sinners,' but in almost every instance it was referring to people who did not know God at all, or had turned away from Him.  They did not use it to refer to people who had come to know Christ and had decided to follow Him.  And neither should we.

In fact, the term used by Paul to address Christ-follwers in his letters (1,2 Corinthians; Ephesians; Philippians; Colossians, etc.) is actually 'saints' or 'holy people' - both translations of the same Greek word that's used every single time. It's almost as if Paul is trying to tell us something about who we are by using the same word every time he addresses people.

Don't get me wrong, it's not that I don't sin, I do (ask my wife!). So did the 'holy people' Paul was writing to. In fact in several of those letters he brings correction of sinful behavior, because the people he's writing to do sin - but - sin no longer defines who they are.  And that's the distinction.

It's true that I WAS a sinner, but then that whole 'new creation' (2 Corinthians 5:17) thing happened so I have been changed!  Now (according to scripture) I am (and you are) a 'holy person' a 'saint,' who still sometimes sins.  It's the difference between defining the action, and defining the person.  When my child lies, I never call him or her a 'liar' because 'liar' defines the person.  Addressing the fact that he or she lied defines the action.  There's a difference.

Maybe it seems like a trivial thing to some of us, but I find it very important.  Words define us.  When we use the whole 'I'm just a sinner...' deal we're selling ourselves short and low-balling the incredible work of Christ in our lives.  That's almost blasphemous!  We're not sinners, we're saints - holy people that sometimes still sin.

I think this is partly what Paul had in mind in Philippians when he writes this great phrase in chapter 3, "Only let us live up to what we have already attained." (verse 16)  Through Christ we are holy people - we're not sinners - only let us live up to what we have already attained!

You're a saint.  You're a holy person.  Now live up to what you've already attained!

Don't take the easy way...

There's a saying in the Army, "Do the hard right, not the easy wrong!"  Have you noticed that the wrong way is often a lot easier?  I mean, wouldn't it be easier if doughnuts were healthy and spinach was bad for you?  I would be incredibly healthy and it would be easy!

Wouldn't it be great if somehow you got in great shape watching a movie or TV?  That's not the way it is.  Ever wonder why?  It could be the result of the Fall [meaning the fall in the Garden of Eden] (maybe before the fall sugar and grease were good for us!), or, it could be that it's God's design because the easy way often does not fully engage the full potential of our humanity.  What do I mean?

Taking the easy way physically doesn't engage our bodies fully to the potential with which God created them.  Taking the easy way in a relationship (avoiding the tough conversations) often leads to problems and does not lead to honesty, trust, and love in the end.  Taking the easy way intellectually (filling our minds with mindless things - TV, etc.) does not fulfill the potential of the incredible minds God has given us.  Taking the easy way vocationally often leads to lower pay and less personal fulfillment.

A great marriage - takes hard work.  A great career - takes hard work.  A great family - takes hard work. 

So why do we choose the easy path so often?

Because it's easy. 

Could it be that one of the significant effects of the fall was that we would have a bent toward being less than fully human?  I think maybe...

Proverbs 14:23 says "All hard work brings a profit, but mere talk leads only to poverty." Here's my encouragement for you - today do the hard right, not the easy wrong - you'll fulfill your potential and in the end, your life will be better for it. 

He's going to clean house...

I like to read the Message paraphrase sometimes just to get me to engage differently with the Scriptures.  I think Eugene Peterson does a great job at making the words come alive with fresh meaning.  Here's a section I read today - it's when John the Baptist is going around preparing people for Jesus' ministry.  Check out the way John the Baptist describes what will happen when Jesus shows up on the scene:

"The real action comes next: The main character in this drama—compared to him I’m a mere stagehand—will ignite the kingdom life within you, a fire within you, the Holy Spirit within you, changing you from the inside out. He’s going to clean house—make a clean sweep of your lives. He’ll place everything true in its proper place before God; everything false he’ll put out with the trash to be burned.” - Matthew 3:11-12 (MSG).

Now maybe reread this passage and think about whether or not this is what you've experienced or are experiencing!  Has He ignited the kingdom life within you?  Is the Holy Spirit really changing you from the inside out? (if you're not sure, ask someone close to you - seriously). 

Has He cleaned house in your life, or are there a few things we've swept under the carpet hoping He wouldn't notice? 

And then there's the last two phrases - I love how he puts this - "He'll place everything true in it's proper place before God..."  What a great description of a life rightly ordered.  Everything is in it's proper place before God.  Our finances - proper place before God?  Our relationships - proper place before God?  Our dreams for our future - proper place before God?  How we see ourselves - our bodies - proper place before God?  That's part of what Jesus has come to do, to put everything TRUE in it's proper place before God.

Then finally, "everything false he'll put out with the trash to be burned."  Some of the things that mess us up are things that would be better off taken out of lives and put in the trash.  I hope we're not holding on to any garbage in our lives...garbage stinks after a while.

I love this passage.  I love even more that Jesus has come and done some work in my life.  I still mess it up sometimes, but He's still there, putting everything true in it's proper place and putting the false stuff in the trash.  I'm glad He's still in the house-cleaning business.

Are you operating on 'calling' or 'common sense?'

Oswald Chambers' was an incredible man of God, and you may not know, that he was a chaplain in World War 1.  He was incredibly intelligent and completely committed to Christ.  His My Utmost for His Highest is a well known classic.  Recently I came across this provocative passage:

"It is easier to serve God without a vision, easier to work for God without a call, because then you are not bothered by what God requires; common sense is your guide, veneered over with Christian sentiment.  You will be more prosperous and successful, more leisure-hearted, if you never realize the call of God.  But if once you receive a commission from Jesus Christ, the memory of what God wants will always come like a goad; you will no longer be able to work for Him on the common-sense basis."

Powerful stuff Oswald! (side note: I wonder if his friends called him Ozzy?!)  I think he's dead-on right.  It's not all that hard to be a common-sense Christian...you just live by our American common-sense and add salvation and blessing on top.  But when you live by a call...you begin to make decisions and do things that sometimes push against American common-sense.  People wonder why you're doing it, but there's this thing inside that never goes away and is constantly pushing you to take the next step of faith.  Just think about some of the biblical examples:

The apostle Paul - call or common-sense?

Peter - call or common-sense?

Joshua - call or common-sense?

Jesus...

If you don't feel like you have a call, I would encourage you to seek God about it.  Not just for a prayer or two, seek Him for a month.  Maybe six months.  It's not that He will be hesitant to speak to you or show you, it's often that it takes a while for us to quiet the noise of our American common-sense so that we can hear His call.  It's worth your time, and it will change your life.

I think Ozzy (Chambers that is) was right...it is easier to serve God without a vision, but it's no where near as exciting, challenging, or rewarding.