Reflecting on our Pastor’s message last week on "Abrahamic Faith", I have thought a lot about Abraham's willingness to follow God no matter what; his willingness to go on a wild adventure with God all the while clinging to the covenant God had made with him. The last point on Pastor John’s message and challenge to us as a congregation was that in order for us to have a faith like Abraham, we must be willing to trust God.
He posed the question, “Do you trust God?”
“Well sure I do. I trust God” I thought to myself.
Then pastor probed the congregation a bit deeper. “Do you really believe that God wants to give us an "enlarged life", a blessed life and one that bears fruit and impacts others?”
I heard one "amen", but for the most part was stunned by the deafening silence of the congregation's response--or non-response--to this question.
He posed the question, “Do you trust God?”
“Well sure I do. I trust God” I thought to myself.
Then pastor probed the congregation a bit deeper. “Do you really believe that God wants to give us an "enlarged life", a blessed life and one that bears fruit and impacts others?”
I heard one "amen", but for the most part was stunned by the deafening silence of the congregation's response--or non-response--to this question.
Again, the question was reworded and posed to the congregation. This time a few more mutterings of agreement...but for the most part silence. I found myself unable to speak, or even mutter a half-hearted acknowledgement convicted that at times, I don’t know that I wholeheartedly believe this. I know I should believe it. I want it to be true, but do I really believe God wants to enlarge my life? Can my life impact others? Hmmm.
When I think of God first approaching Abraham and making the covenant with him, had I been in Abraham's place, I would have had the urge to give God a "correct" view of things.
As Pastor posed his question, I was confronted with that closet that resides inside of me. From observing the congregation last week, it seems that others have this same closet inside of them.
This internal closet is self-focused on what I’m not able to do--my ordinary self, the average me; the ‘blends-in-with-the-crowd’ me; the ‘I’m-the-Jill-of-all-trades-but-master-of-none’ me. I suspect there are a lot of others with internal doubt closets filled with boxed up insecurities, past mistakes, failures, or shame bundled neatly in the corner. This closet is dimly lit by a 40 watt bulb, giving just enough light to rummage around in it once in a while. For the most part the closet just sits untouched, only visited when there is a heightened sense of fear and I am needing an excuse or reason to not trust God or do the seemingly impossible.
But there is another kind of internal closet---the walk-in. This closet is self-focused as well…focused on what one is capable of doing without God’s aide. This closet is lined with the best and most up-to-date storage receptacles filled with every accomplishment, every talent, everything anything a person is capable of doing, the master of the craft, the truly gifted, one-of-a-kind, “Mensa”-worthy. The containers all have a “puffed up” appearance to them. These containers are filled with awards of recognition, accolades and accomplishments. This closet is illuminated with neon signs that say, “I’m your woman (or man)! I can do it! Aren’t you lucky you picked such a talented person!” This closet is often visited when feeling particularly low or needing a “boost” from others; sorting through the piles of abilities and talents, ready to pull one out and use it at any given moment whether or not God is asking.
Whether dimly lit or neon, these closets keep us self-focused and our attention diverted so that we aren’t focused on what God is ready, willing, and able to do in our lives. Our lives become only about us and not about God at all.
Perhaps the first step of really trusting God is to clean out our closets and get a right view of who we are in Christ. We need to fill our closets with Christ’s light, asking Him to sort through each item, discarding it, surrendering it to him to take care of, or perhaps taking it out, dusting it off and using it. Obedience in dealing with the issues in our closets draws us closer to him. As we trust him with the smallest of closet contents and see Him gently and masterfully free us from the weight of these items, or experience the joy of using these items for Him, we will increasingly trust him with bigger things and increasingly become God-focused, not self-focused, God- secure and not insecure or self-secure.
Cleaning out closets is a community event as well. In this body of believers we are to be speaking truth into each other’s lives, exhorting one another, giving words of encouragement, identifying talents and gifts in others, giving opportunity for service to those not regularly sought out…these are all ways we can urge one another to live a life of Abrahamic faith, one that is willing to trust God, sure of who He is and what He wants to do in us so that we can in turn be a blessing to others.
When I think of God first approaching Abraham and making the covenant with him, had I been in Abraham's place, I would have had the urge to give God a "correct" view of things.
"Um, God, one little detail....I can't have descendants if I can't have children. Are you aware of the obstacles and parameters of my life? Let's be reasonable. And besides, I'm just a very average person, pretty ordinary...don't you want to pick someone a little more dynamic or someone already "known" and in the public view. Perhaps someone that is already involved in leadership or has had leadership training? Well, come to think of it, there are some real talents and abilities I DO have that you should capitalize on instead…by the way, you do know that I’m middle aged don’t you?"
As Pastor posed his question, I was confronted with that closet that resides inside of me. From observing the congregation last week, it seems that others have this same closet inside of them.
This internal closet is self-focused on what I’m not able to do--my ordinary self, the average me; the ‘blends-in-with-the-crowd’ me; the ‘I’m-the-Jill-of-all-trades-but-master-of-none’ me. I suspect there are a lot of others with internal doubt closets filled with boxed up insecurities, past mistakes, failures, or shame bundled neatly in the corner. This closet is dimly lit by a 40 watt bulb, giving just enough light to rummage around in it once in a while. For the most part the closet just sits untouched, only visited when there is a heightened sense of fear and I am needing an excuse or reason to not trust God or do the seemingly impossible.
But there is another kind of internal closet---the walk-in. This closet is self-focused as well…focused on what one is capable of doing without God’s aide. This closet is lined with the best and most up-to-date storage receptacles filled with every accomplishment, every talent, everything anything a person is capable of doing, the master of the craft, the truly gifted, one-of-a-kind, “Mensa”-worthy. The containers all have a “puffed up” appearance to them. These containers are filled with awards of recognition, accolades and accomplishments. This closet is illuminated with neon signs that say, “I’m your woman (or man)! I can do it! Aren’t you lucky you picked such a talented person!” This closet is often visited when feeling particularly low or needing a “boost” from others; sorting through the piles of abilities and talents, ready to pull one out and use it at any given moment whether or not God is asking.
Whether dimly lit or neon, these closets keep us self-focused and our attention diverted so that we aren’t focused on what God is ready, willing, and able to do in our lives. Our lives become only about us and not about God at all.
Perhaps the first step of really trusting God is to clean out our closets and get a right view of who we are in Christ. We need to fill our closets with Christ’s light, asking Him to sort through each item, discarding it, surrendering it to him to take care of, or perhaps taking it out, dusting it off and using it. Obedience in dealing with the issues in our closets draws us closer to him. As we trust him with the smallest of closet contents and see Him gently and masterfully free us from the weight of these items, or experience the joy of using these items for Him, we will increasingly trust him with bigger things and increasingly become God-focused, not self-focused, God- secure and not insecure or self-secure.
Cleaning out closets is a community event as well. In this body of believers we are to be speaking truth into each other’s lives, exhorting one another, giving words of encouragement, identifying talents and gifts in others, giving opportunity for service to those not regularly sought out…these are all ways we can urge one another to live a life of Abrahamic faith, one that is willing to trust God, sure of who He is and what He wants to do in us so that we can in turn be a blessing to others.
Wow, Cheryl! I can relate to this post! Especially the dimly lit closet. I tend to not get into that internal closet and really take the time and effort to clean it out, or rather let God clean it out.
ReplyDeleteI also liked the community exercise we did this weekend of writing on a piece of paper what needs to be left at the altar. Then many of us took that paper up to a stone altar on the stage. What we wrote down was an individual thing as we folded our papers up. But it was encouraging to do this as a body of believers, seeing that others struggle too. Yet we took a step together in laying down an area of our lives that we want Him to take.
I am really looking forward to next weekend and you leading us in worship!