6 Lessons in Contentment (Ch 5)

All Christians are scholars in Christ’s school, per Jeremiah Burroughs, and we must learn these six lessons to be content:

1. Learn to deny yourself.
Burroughs breaks this into 8 smaller sub-lessons. Know these:

1. In yourself, you are nothing.
2. You deserve nothing (but Hell).
3. Without Christ, you can do nothing.
4. Of yourself, you can receive nothing good.
5. Without God, you can do nothing even with the gifts he’s given you.
6. With sin, you are worse than nothing.
7. If you perish, nothing is lost that God couldn’t replace.
8. A selfish man is only happy when he gets his own way; a contented man is happy when God gets His way.

(Whew—that list can make a person feel pretty small, huh? Um, maybe that’s the point? “A discontented heart is troubled because he has no more comfort, but a self-denying man rather wonders that he has as much as he has.”)

2. Don’t seek contentment in things of this world.
It’s like expecting the wind to satisfy your hunger. It’s not that you don’t have enough of it, but that it’s the wrong thing altogether.

3. Understand that only one thing is necessary.
Make your peace with God. Everything else is icing on the cake.

4. Remember you’re only passing through.
You’re on your way to another country, as a traveling soldier who’s already been assured of the victory.

5. Use every situation to draw nearer to God and enjoy him more in it.
When God moves you on, go gladly instead of staying stuck in a job that’s been completed.

6. Study your own heart.
Why?

1. So you can quickly root out any source of discontent there.
2. So you’ll better know what helps you. Take the medicine that will cure you, even if it tastes bad in your mouth.
3. So you’ll know what you can manage and what you cannot manage. You wouldn’t give a knife to a child; trust God and your heart to not cry over things he doesn’t give you.

Next week: Chapter 6, How Christ Teaches Contentment – continued -

More from Chapter 5
Rare Jewel of Christian Contentment

Wondrous Words Wednesday

These three new words (to me) come from Against the Machine. See more new words on Wondrous Words Wednesday.

1. cognoscente

(n) [kon-yuh-SHEN-tee]

Definition—a person with superior knowledge or highly refined taste; a connoisseur

Usage—“The notion that ideas could be compared to viruses was a concept that had already become fairly familiar to the Internet cognoscenti.”

2. miscegenation

(n) [miss-ij-in-NAY-shun]

Definition—the interbreeding of members of different races

Usage—“Elvis’s gyrations would have meant nothing without that deep miscegenational voice and that slowly welling emotion verging on parody.”

3. praxis

(n) [PRAK-sis]

Definition—1. practice as opposed to the theory. 2. accepted practice or custom

Usage—“It was, as the Marxists used to say, a “praxis” compared with Brooks’s more general transvaluations.”

Corner View: “The Unveiling”

It’s hard to capture the essence of yourself in a photo, but Jane of Spain Daily has encouraged us to try, in this week’s Corner View theme, “The Unveiling: Showing Your True Self.”

I realize not everybody includes binoculars as part of their home decor, but curiosity is a big part of who I am. For some reason (I usually blame my dad), I have an unquenchable thirst to learn more. So homeschooling has been a great fit. It’s been a big part of me for the past 15 years.

I love living things, which is why I can’t ditch a plant until I’m 99% positive there’s no chance of rejuvenation. So I have some plants like this, and others like that. 

My psyche is magnetized to structure and organization. When I have my boundaries in place, its frees me to imagine and create. My dresser reflects the mix. I don’t like it to look like this, but it does, more often than not. Hardees’ coupons, rechargeable batteries, World magazine, toenail polish, pen & paper & sticky notes, receipts, perfume, paper clips.

But going deeper inside me, you’ll find my family. I love these people. They are a huge part of who I am. The 2nd and 3rd thing that I want said of me is “She really loved her husband, and she really loved her kids.”

And in the deepest place of all is Jesus. I wish I had a picture. But no camera can absorb His quintessence. The 1st thing I want said of me is “She was a worshiper of Yahweh.”

Because of Him, I can unveil my most true self. It’s not always pretty, but thankfully, Whose I am is more important than who I am.

Book review: “Blue like Jazz”

I like authors who invite you in. Donald Miller is an open door.

Blue like Jazz started out slow for me because I was expecting fireworks. I’d heard so much hype over this book.

But the more Don rambled his way through, the more he sucked me in. I was intrigued with his self-labeled “non-religious thoughts on Christian spirituality.”

Now, count me in as one more pusher for this book.

Don lets you walk with him on his journey from burn-out to zealot. You amble here and there, back and forth. You’re never sure where you’re going or where you’ll end up.

You meet his friends along and the way, and learn what he learned from them.

…Andrew is the one who taught me that what I believe is not what I say I believe; what I believe is what I do.

…I think what Rick said is worth repeating that by accepting God’s love for us, we fall in love with Him, and only then do we have the fuel we need to obey.

…My friend Julie from Seattle told me that the main prayer she prays for her husband is that he will be able to receive love. And this is the prayer I pray for all my friends because it is the key to happiness. God’s love will never change us if we don’t accept it.

But the best thing about ambling along with Don is that you’re forced to consider your own place in this journey. What do I think about church? How would I treat the atheists that Don talked to? How do I love the unlovable people in my own life?

I relate when he says this:

I am the problem. ...I hate this more than anything. This is the hardest principle within Christian spirituality for me to deal with. The problem is not out there; the problem is the needy beast of a thing that lives in my chest.

And I hurt when he says this, because it’s true for me, too:

The most difficult lie I have ever contended with is this: Life is a story about me.

He has a knack for getting to the gut-wrenching bottom line like that. I especially like authors who do that. Don’t make me wade through fluff to get to the good stuff. And when it comes to Christianity, the bottom-line good stuff is Jesus.

Stop ten people on the street and ask them what they think of when they hear the word Christianity, and they will give you ten different answers. How can I defend a term that means ten different things to ten different people? I told the radio show host that I would rather talk about Jesus and how I came to believe that Jesus exists and that he likes me.

He ends the book in the last few pages with these words:

There is this lie floating around that says I am supposed to be able to do life alone, without any help, without stopping to worship something bigger than myself. But I actually believe there is something bigger than me, and I need for there to be something bigger than me. I need someone to put awe inside me; I need to come second to someone who has everything figured out.

Don writes so conversationally, that by the time you finish the book, you feel you know him. I’m now looking forward to his next book to be published in September: A Million Miles in a Thousand Years: What I Learned While Editing My Life. I read excerpts already and it promises to be good.

Can it be as good as Blue like Jazz? That’s asking for an awful lot. But I’m going to count on it.

Change your name

Do you remember my name? Do you know who I am?

In 5th grade Sunday Bible class yesterday, we filled out “Our History” sheets. The first question was: What’s your full name?

What did that mean? My first and last? (A common answer for the 5th graders.) My first, middle, last? My first, middle, maiden, last?

My name has changed a few times. 

As young girls do, I used to try on last names for size. When I had a crush on Mike, I imagined hearing Lisa Pepper. Later I tried out Lisa Ray. Lisa Gibbs. Lisa (boyfriend du jour). If the sound clunked, well, it was a bad sign for the relationship.

When Jeff proposed that I take on the Burgess name, I was honored. When he gave it to Morgan, I was honored again. Reminding our girls to behave when they’d leave the house, we’d say, “Remember you’re a Burgess.” They knew what that meant.

What’s in a name? A lot. It means something.

God used name-changes in the Bible to mean something, too. As decisive turning points.

• Abram “exalted father” to Abraham “father of many (Genesis 17:5)
  
• Sarai “my princess” to Sarah “mother of multitudes” (Genesis 17:15)
  
• Jacob “he grasps the heel” to Israel “he struggles with God” (Genesis 32:28)
  
• Loammi “not my people” to Ammi “my people” (Hosea 1:9; 2:23)
  
• Simon “hearing” to Peter “rock” (John 1:42)

To some, my name is “Mom” or one of the “Four Corners” or “Daughter.” When my husband leaves me a phone message, he starts with “Hey Beautiful”—and even though I don’t live up to that name, I know he’s talking to me.

Just so, when the Lord calls me his “beloved” (Rom 9:25) or “wife of the Lamb” (Rev 21:9) or his “child of God” (1 John 3:2), “Blessed; Holy; Priest” (Rev 20:6)—I don’t think I live up to those names either.

But he’s talking to me. 

Yesterday, I sang “I Will Change Your Name” with the church family. I was reminded that an encounter with God changes our name. And those names define us.

In my mind, I’m still growing into my God-given names. But in his eyes, I’m already there.

* * * * *

...you shall be called by a new name that the mouth of the LORD will give...

You shall no more be termed Forsaken, and your land shall no more be termed Desolate, but you shall be called My Delight Is in Her...

...as the bridegroom rejoices over the bride, so shall your God rejoice over you.
Isaiah 62:2, 4, 5

* * * * *

I Will Change Your Name
lyrics by D. J. Butler

I will change your name
You shall no longer be called
Wounded, outcast
Lonely or afraid

I will change your name
Your new name shall be
Confidence, Joyfulness
Overcoming one

I will change your name
You shall no longer be called
Wounded, outcast
Lonely or afraid

I will change your name
Your new name shall be
Faithfulness, Friend of God
One who seeks my face.

Book review: “Every Day Deserves a Chance”

In typical Max Lucado fashion, this book also delivers poignant messages within simple stories. (Hmm...reminds me of another Author/Storyteller we all know...)

But accepting this message is not simple. There are some days that we want to declare “rotten,” from the minute we roll out of bed until we close our eyes at night.

Yet Lucado encourages that even those days can be redeemed. With Jesus’ grace, with God’s oversight, and with a direction for tomorrow.

The concepts shared aren’t new. But that doesn’t mean we don’t need to hear them—again and often. This book is a pleasant way to be reminded.

* * * * *

Some excerpts:

Remember God’s goodness
Anxiety fades as our memory of God’s goodness doesn’t.

Take small steps
An accomplished ironman triathlete told me the secret of his success. “You last the long race by running shorts ones.” Don’t swim 2.4 miles; just swim to the next buoy. Rather than bike 112 miles, ride 10, take a break, and bike 10 more. Never tackle more than the challenge ahead.

Didn’t Jesus offer the same counsel? “So don’t ever worry about tomorrow. After all, tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own” (Matthew 6:34 God’s Word).

Face challenges in stages. You can’t control your temper forever, but you can control it for the next hour. ...You last the long race by running the short ones.

Deny self
Behold the missing ingredient of a great day: self-denial. Don’t we assume just the opposite? …When was the last time you read this ad copy: “Go ahead. Deny yourself and have the time of your life!”?

Gratitude
Gratitude is always an option. Matthew Henry: “Let me be thankful first, because I was never robbed before; second, because, although they took my purse, they did not take my life; third, although they took my all, it was not much; and, fourthly, because it was I who was robbed, not I who robbed.”

Don’t give me a band-aid

Soon afterward he went on through cities and villages, proclaiming and bringing the good news of the kingdom of God. And the twelve were with him, and also some women who had been healed of evil spirits and infirmities...
Luke 8:1-2

I sometimes skim over verses like these—narrative that seems to only move along the story. But when I slow down, this is what I see:

(1) Women were hanging out with Jesus and the disciples. Jesus valued women. Over and over we see that in his actions and his words. He values us as much as men. No partiality.

(2) These included some women he had healed. Those he heals want to follow him.

What has he healed me from?

He’s healed me from the long-term consequences of my sin. I won’t pay the death price that I owe.

But he also heals me every day. I need it. In my sick nature, I want to please me. Do it my way. And even come across as looking good while I do that.

I need healing. So he washes away the impurities and gives me a healthier way to live. By not looking at self. Looking at Perfection instead. When I focus on him and his wounds, mine disappear.

It’s a radical shift in perspective. I don’t always live there. But I want to. And the only way I can? By following him around. Not by keeping laws to try to keep myself healthy, but by living out of relationship with the doctor.

I don’t want a band-aid. I want the cure. I’ve found it in Jesus. Follow him.

INSPIRED: Friday’s Fave Five

God often inspires us in unexpected ways.

Here are five places I’ve been inspired this week from people I don’t even know.

And, get this: To bring it full circle, # 5 actually prompts *me* to return the favor by encouraging 5 people that *I* do know. (And I didn’t even plan for that to fit in here—how amazing is God’s wisdom and timing???)

Read more Fave Fives on Susanne’s site, and reflect on your own blessings the past 7 days.

* * * * *

1. Jakes’s Journey
I’ve become a fan of “Jake’s Journey” on Facebook.  Jake is the 18-yr-old nephew of my friend Lynn. Last month, weighing in at 395 pounds, he had surgery for a jump-start to a healthier life.

He’s now posting very honest videos about how hard it is, about how determined he is, and about how much weight he’s already lost.

If you’re a Facebooker, send Jake a word of encouragement yourself. Go, Jake!

2. Death is not dying
So much death in the media lately, but not with a lot of hope. Rachel Barkley’s story is different. This video is from March 4. She knew she would be dying soon. She died last Thursday, on July 2.

But this is not depressing. It’s incredible.

If you’ve not watched or listened to it yet, please do. Yes, it’s long, but it’s profound. Download it on your iPod and listen as you drive to work or go for a walk. [Or perhaps sacrifice one TV program this week to find time for it?] You’ll have no regrets.

3. Jim’s Bike Pump
This is a great reminder for me because sometimes it seems too inconvenient to “be otherly.” It’s short but powerful.

4. Musical instruments in worship 
This one may not be inspiring to the masses, but to anyone from my religious heritage, it’s a very meaningful and polite answer to a very heated issue. 

 

 

5. The Noticer Project
Today’s the day. I’ve wanted to do this for awhile, ever since I read The Noticer. I’ve put it on my schedule for this morning. The “Project” is to notice five people who have impacted your life. Then decide on a way to recognize them for it.

Reading the comments that others have made is definitely a boost for how good God is. Doesn’t He always put the right people in our lives at the right time?

I’m thankful for the people he’s put in MY life, even just this week!

4 more mysteries of contentment (Ch 4)

In chapter 4, Burroughs backtracks to elaborate on Mystery # 12 and # 13. Then adds two new Mysteries of Contentment, # 14 and # 15.

12. Enjoy God in all 
Simply put: God has all; I have God; so I have all.

Whatever lack that Christians may have is filled in the kingdom because “the kingdom of God is within you”  (Luke 17:21).

Burroughs explains it this way: Suppose a king goes abroad and faces trouble there. No problem—he remains content because he knows he has a kingdom of his own at home.

The same applies to us. Regardless of what may happen to us in the physical realm, we can be at peace because that kingdom is not our concern; we live in the Kingdom of God within our soul. 

Another analogy: A man has a nagging wife. She complains and moans so much that he finds any excuse he can for leaving the house.

But a man that has “a pleasant home, a good wife, and fine walks and gardens” does not care much for going out. So it is that while a carnal man is not quiet in his own spirit, a contented man “delights in looking into his own heart.” He has God within himself, and that is enough to make him happy.

13. Covenant and Promises 
Contentment comes from the covenant in general and from the promises in particular.

In general, even though life events may not go as we plan, we know that our salvation is sure, God is in control, and he pledges himself to make up all. “Sucking this sweetness from the Covenant” allows a man to endure his afflictions with contentment.

The particular promises come from the root of the great Covenant of grace in Christ. While each promise in the Bible does NOT apply specifically to our situations, we do inherit the intent and the results. We do not read the promises of God as merely stories, but with an eye toward their fulfillment (albeit not necessarily literal) in our own lives.

14. Kingdom now, Kingdom later
Even with afflictions here for a moment, we can delight that a fuller glory is ahead. “A carnal heart has no contentment but from what he sees before him in this world, but a godly heart has contentment from what he sees laid up for him in the highest heaven.”

15. Tell God about it
Those with carnal hearts have no way to relieve themselves when they are angered except through “abuse and bitter words.” But a godly man can open his heart to God, letting out his sorrows and fears with him, and walk away with a joyful countenance.

So Burroughs concludes his explanation of 15 mysteries of contentment so that we may “see fully what an art Christian contentment is.”

More from Chapter 4
Rare Jewel of Christian Contentment

Book review: “Falling in Love with Jesus”

There are a host of Christians who are busy with church activity, or just plain busy. They claim to love Jesus, but their time with Him, their aloneness with Him, their time to nurture their relationship with Him, has all but disappeared.

If you’re not used to thinking about Jesus in a personal way, you might be uncomfortable with this book.

It uses the language of intimacy to draw you into a deeper relationship with him. However, if you thirst to immerse yourself more in his love in this way, this book can guide you. [Disclaimer: It won’t fit everyone’s style; preview it before you spend money on it to see it if would speak to you or not.]

My sister approved it (she penned in her 5-star approval on the flyleaf, even after a re-read) and loaned it to me. I’m glad she did.

Falling in Love with Jesus: Abandoning Yourself to the Greatest Romance of Your Life is co-written from two perspectives: a married woman (writer Dee Brestin) and a single woman (singer-songwriter Kathy Troccoli). They share their individual successes and disappointments in how they love Jesus and are loved by him. 

They discuss a relationship with Jesus in three stages:
1. First Love: the euphoric courtship and honeymoon time
2. Wilderness Love: the painful time of questioning and doubts
3. Invincible Love: the deep abiding confidence that all is well

In each stage, they use stories from scripture and from their lives to walk us along the journey of our own romance with Jesus.

Some excerpts:
* “Happy” is not the goal. The goal is loving Jesus. Then, and only then, do you experience an inextinguishable joy.

* Both Martha and the disciples made the mistake of valuing good deeds over their love relationship with Jesus. It isn’t that Jesus doesn’t value good deeds. He knows that good deeds will naturally flow out of communion with Him. But communion will not necessarily flow out of good deeds.

* His main purpose for us is not to make us wealthy nor to make us healthy, though it pleases Him to do so, but to rescue us from sin. Why? Because he loves us.

* If I never get married,...when I stand before Jesus, will I have missed something? Will I have missed the greatest love? ... “My Bible says that the greatest love that a man could have is to lay down his life for his friends....You are loved.”

Wondrous Words Wednesdays

Most of today’s new-words-to-me are from the pen of Dallas Willard in The Divine Conspiracy.

He’s not only a prolific writer, but also a quite scholarly one at times, so I have to read and re-read his paragraphs. They’re dense but they’re spiritually meaty and well-worth the extra time.

* * * * *

1. periphrasis
(n) [puh-RIF-ruh-sis]

Definition—a circumlocution (which is, a roundabout way of expressing something—please note that I’m throwing in a “2-for-1 freebie word special” here!) 

Usage—“...the term ‘heaven’ being common in Jewish usage as a reverential periphrasis for the divine name.” from The Divine Conspiracy

2. theophany
(n) [thee-OF-uh-nee]

Definition—the appearance of a god to a human; a divine manifestion

Usage—“Similarly, God is, without special theophanies, seen everywhere by those who long have lived for him.” from The Divine Conspiracy

3. axiomatic
(adj) [ak-see-uh-MAT-ik]

Definition—self-evident; obvious

Usage—“Everything he taught presupposes this, and to be his students we must understand and accept it. It is in this sense “axiomatic.” from The Divine Conspiracy

4. imprimatur
(n) [imp-rim-AH-ter]

Definition—official approval; sanction

Usage—“The maps that passed through Sir John Franklin’s possessions bore the imprimatur of trust.” from Every Day Deserves a Chance

* * * * *

Check out even more new words at Bermudaonion’s blog.

John 21

Questions
21a. What is your favorite food on a campout?

21b. When was the last time Jesus got your attention through a bountiful blessing?

* * * * *

What's happening in John 21?
vv 1-14 Jesus and the miraculous catch of fish
vv 15-19 Jesus and Peter
vv 20-25 Jesus and the beloved disciple

Corner view: Place of reflection

I love this week’s theme from Spain Daily. Visit more places of reflection from the comfort of her blog.

My favorite places to reflect and pray are outside. You just can’t beat God’s original design of sights and smells and sounds to put life back into perspective. Simple spaces, lots of breathing room, open air.

This swing was the first thing we moved from our old house when we bought our lot. So even before the new house was built, we would come sit and imagine how things would eventually look. Now I sit here and pray and think and read and listen. 

When you don’t want to be found, you come to this swing under the deck. It’s usually the last place anyone will look for you. It’s quiet and shaded, but often already occupied (by spiders).

While good conversations among many may happen here on the front porch, it’s also a great place for a quiet afternoon alone, especially in the spring or fall. I stack up my books and Diet Dr. Pepper and enter other worlds.

There’s just something inviting about swings, huh? I think I like them an awful lot.

John 20

Questions
20a. Describe a time you mistook someone for the wrong person.

20b. What doubts or questions about God do you struggle with?

* * * * *

What's happening in John 20?
vv 1-10 The resurrection
vv 11-18 Jesus appears to Mary Magdalene
vv 19-23 Jesus appears to his disciples
vv 24-29 Jesus appears to Thomas
vv 30-31 The purpose of this book

Curios - 15

1. Confusion
Who do you blame? Read “The confusion” by Seth Godin on how we reframe our problems.

We don't say, "I have a very complex relationship with money because my parents spoiled me." Instead, we say, "Hey, the bank gave me a credit card so it's okay to buy things that I deserve."

---

2. See it to believe it
“Stats shows that most women who see their unborn baby won’t abort.” Abraham Piper connects us to Project Ultrasound.

---

3. I really need...
More boldness? More wisdom? More self-control? Wrong. Read this by Mark Batterson.

---

4. Rehearse the cost
In light of South Carolina Governor Mark Sanford’s affair, Randy Alcorn gives good advice on resisting temptation.

---

5. 5 mistakes in marriage
An insightful article by Gretchen Rubin: “5 Mistakes I Make in My Marriage”.

---

6. When do you laugh?
Have you heard “Laughing With” by Regina Spektor? I saw it first on Mike Cope’s blog. When do people laugh at God, and when do they NOT? This will make you think.

 

No one laughs at God in a hospital
No one laughs at God in a war
No one’s laughing at God
When they’re starving or freezing or so very poor

No one laughs at God
When the doctor calls after some routine tests
No one’s laughing at God
When it’s gotten real late
And their kid’s not back from the party yet

No one laughs at God
When their airplane start to uncontrollably shake
No one’s laughing at God
When they see the one they love, hand in hand with someone else
And they hope that they’re mistaken

No one laughs at God
When the cops knock on their door
And they say we got some bad news, sir
No one’s laughing at God
When there’s a famine or fire or flood

*Chorus*
But God can be funny
At a cocktail party when listening to a good God-themed joke, or
Or when the crazies say He hates us
And they get so red in the head you think they’re ‘bout to choke
God can be funny,
When told he’ll give you money if you just pray the right way
And when presented like a genie who does magic like Houdini
Or grants wishes like Jiminy Cricket and Santa Claus
God can be so hilarious
Ha ha
Ha ha

No one laughs at God in a hospital
No one laughs at God in a war
No one’s laughing at God
When they’ve lost all they’ve got
And they don’t know what for

No one laughs at God on the day they realize
That the last sight they’ll ever see is a pair of hateful eyes
No one’s laughing at God when they’re saying their goodbyes
But God can be funny
At a cocktail party when listening to a good God-themed joke, or
Or when the crazies say He hates us
And they get so red in the head you think they’re ‘bout to choke
God can be funny,
When told he’ll give you money if you just pray the right way
And when presented like a genie who does magic like Houdini
Or grants wishes like Jiminy Cricket and Santa Claus
God can be so hilarious

No one laughs at God in a hospital
No one laughs at God in a war
No one laughs at God in a hospital
No one laughs at God in a war
No one laughing at God in hospital
No one’s laughing at God in a war
No one’s laughing at God when they’re starving or freezing or so very
poor

No one’s laughing at God
No one’s laughing at God
No one’s laughing at God
We’re all laughing with God

John 19

Questions
19a. Have you thought about what kind of funeral you would like?

19b. How would you explain to someone the need for the crucifixion?

* * * * *

What's happening in John 19?
vv 1-16 Jesus sentenced to be crucified
vv 17-27 The crucifixion
vv 28-30 The death of Jesus
vv 31-37 Jesus' side is pierced
vv 38-42 The burial of Jesus

The same response, again

All the people were amazed [seized with fear; filled with awe] and began praising [glorifying] God, saying, “A great prophet has come to [appeared/arisen among] us! God has come to help [looked favorably on; visited] his people.”
Luke 7:16 (The Expanded Bible)

Just two chapters after 5:26, we see an almost identical response to Jesus. This time Jesus brought a widow’s son back to life, and the people were filled with awe.

Doesn’t Jesus bring us back to life every day? What is our response? Shouldn’t it be the same? “A great prophet is among us! God has visited us!”

Such an incredible gift—God is with us. He has come to help us. May we always give him praise for his kindness!

Friday’s Fave Five

I’m here at Summer Celebration on Lipscomb University’s campus, so I’m choosing to celebrate five favorite speakers/teachers that I’ve heard this week for my Friday’s Fave Five.

Check out more favorites from others at Living to Tell the Story.

In no particular order:

1. Chet McDoniel
Chet was born without any arms and with shortened legs. Yet he chooses joy. He keeps it secure in Jesus. I hope to spend some time at his website soon or read his latest book, I’m Not Broken: You Don’t Need Arms to Be Happy. (And his dad is quite an inspiration in his own right as well.)

2. Keith Lancaster
I’ve listened to his music and sung praises with him for decades. He still has great passion for Jesus, for singing, and for keeping 4-part harmony singing alive.

3. Buddy Bell
He’s a pulpit minister in Montgomery, Alabama.  He preached a powerful sermon last night about worshiping our holy, gracious God. “The truth is: I’m a whole lot worse than I thought I was, and God is a whole lot better than I thought he was.”

4. Jerome Williams
He led singing before Buddy Bell got up to preach last night. If you’ve ever been in a worship service with Jerome, you’ll know what I mean about this man having a special gift to make you aware you’re in the presence of the Lord.

5. Randy Lowry
I’ve been so impressed with this president of Lipscomb University and with his wife Rhonda. They both seem genuinely devoted to guiding a generation of young people towards serving others with the love of God. With intentionality, with courage, and with graciousness.

A little strength? Don’t settle

She stood on her tip-toes. Then she stood on the seat. She struggled and heaved and pushed, but she still couldn’t squeeze her heavy suitcase into the overhead bin on the airplane.

Finally, the gentleman sitting beside me stood up, and with a few gentle shoves, pushed the lady’s suitcase the rest of the way in.

There are some things you just can’t do on our own, no matter how hard you try, or what angle you approach it. 

You need help. Everybody does.

When it’s physical, you call on an extra set of muscles for help. But when it’s spiritual, and you call on the Lord for help, how does he answer you?

Sometimes he sends someone else to stand beside you to lift up the heavy suitcase and put it where it belongs.

Other times, not. So how is he helping you then?

In Chapter 3 of Rare Jewel of Christian Contentment, Jeremiah Burroughs addresses this very question. He says the carnal heart not only sees no answer, but finds even the question itself ridiculous.

His answer? Faith. When we have faith that there indeed IS one strong enough to handle our burden, we are then graced with that same strength ourselves.

And not only will we receive strength enough to endure, but to endure with joy. Because of faith. Because we believe that He can do this for us.

If the burden becomes doubled, Burroughs says, then the strength is tripled. The strength will always outweigh the burden, if you get your strength from Jesus.

So when you cry out, “I can’t bear this!”, do you think Christ could not bear it? If he could bear it, why do you not think he will help you bear it, too? Scripture testifies over and over that Christ’s strength is yours and that God himself is your strength.

Don’t settle for a little strength. That is what the carnal man can do—by reason and nature alone. Instead, draw upon the great strength that comes directly from Jesus. Together you’ll lift the suitcase. And do it with joy.

May you be strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy.
Colossians 1:11

More on Chapter 3
Rare Jewel of Christian Contentment

Book review: “Surrender All”

Surrendering isn’t something that comes naturally to us. We’re taught to never give up; to fight to the end; to not be a quitter.

But in God’s kingdom, victory comes to those who give up their will, to those who quit fighting against their Maker, and to those who quit self-centeredness. And relinquish all to Someone higher and more powerful.

“Surrendering to God is not an act of weakness. God uses your submission to bring great power into your life.”

Joni Lamb, host of daily talk shows on Daystar Television Network, writes about giving up everything in her book Surrender All: Your Answer to Living with Peace, Power and Purpose. 

She begins with herself. Chronicling her own life, she shares how difficult and lonely the path of surrender can be. But also of the incredible joys that accompany it, sometimes even in the midst of it.

She writes, “Surrender to God doesn’t mean you will have to do something you are afraid of doing. He puts the dreams and desires in your heart so that you know whatever comes is right.”

After sharing her own timeline, Joni works through chapter by chapter of things we’re called to surrender: marriage, children, career, health, friendships, daily life, loss, and even failure. She gives concrete examples of each.

“If we were to stop and listen to the stories of those around us, we would come back with a thankful heart.”

You stop and listen to the stories in this book. Because of Joni’s career in broadcasting, she has interviewed numerous people who have also surrendered much in each of these areas. She fills her chapters with story after story of real life adventures that others have had with God and with surrendering.

But surrendering isn’t just for our own good. When we surrender to God (or not), it ripples out sometimes farther than we can imagine. “Surrendering to God is important for you to remain connected to God, but it also affects others. When you don’t surrender, it impacts countless other people around you.”

“Every day there are opportunities for ordinary people to be used by an extraordinary God. ...If every believer would take the time to stop and listen to the Lord each and every day, the world we live in would be radically changed for the good.”

Joni Lamb is trying to do her part to encourage the rest of us to do just that. Listen to the Lord, and make the choice to choose surrender. She ends her book with this simple prayer to invite others to begin the journey:

“Lord, I surrender my life to You. Take my life and use it as You have designed. I may not understand everything, but I trust You to lead and guide me into all truth. I surrender everything to You right now. Amen.”