The Complex Life of a Church Janitor.

My last post focused on the spiritual disciplines, but I feel the need to reiterate the entire basis of how I attempt to live out my faith.

When asked about the commandments:

Jesus replied, “The most important commandment is this: ‘Listen, O Israel! The Lord our God is the one and only Lord.And you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength.’The second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ No other commandment is greater than these.

Mark 12:29-31 (NLT)

I love the how Jesus intricately ties up all that a believer must strive for in life.  I am not only called to love God, but I am equally called to love others. When I think of this process, I am reminded of 1 John.  Most people quote this book for the phrase, “God is love,” but the words the John has for us are both inspiring and humbling.  He calls us to love one another because Jesus loved us through his life and sacrifice on the cross (see 1 John 4:9-11).  Adding on to this great synopsis of love, John adds that loving others is evidence of God’s Spirit in us and the full expression of it (see 1 John 4:12).  Finally, John concludes his discussion of love in chapter 5 by pointing to obeying God and his commandments.  John is circling back to Jesus’ call to love God by saying that loving God involves obedience and thanking him for his love.  

I am always convicted by these passages and I will summarize my thoughts with two ideas.  First, I see how the spiritual disciplines play a role in discovering how to obey God and love him.  The second is equally important (see what I did there): I sympathize with people that are critical of Christians who do not live out the call to love others.  I see in my life and in the course of history how Christians have twisted Jesus’ words from “the second is equally important,” into merely, “the second is.”  We are called to love, I think that a failure to do so is living as though Christ is dead.  Jesus rose and left us with the task of living as light in this world.  When we love, we reflect the Spirit that lives inside us and is saving us.

In essence, I see living a life of faith as me loving God and that love naturally expressing itself in how I treat other people.  From my love of God, I love other people.  In the process, my interactions with people often point back to Jesus and strengthen my love of God; thus, the second half of Jesus’ call is equally important.

Thanks to xoxosimplyraven for her thoughts on loving others.

I’ve been examining my schedule as of late.  My days change with the seasons, but I see recurring patterns in my life.  How I spend my time says a lot about who I am.  Although I profess my love for God and his Word, all too often my study occurs in the spare moments of my days.  The activity that should be built into my schedule is many times forgotten.  My prayers occur throughout the day, but do I remind myself to stop and pray during the day?  Prayer should be a constant activity, but I often see it as a broken up correspondence.  When I look at my days, can I honestly say that I dedicate time for God?  Beyond living for Christ in all my works, do I leave time for him?

I say these words because I find contrast between my life and what I know from Scripture.  The Psalmists praised God morning, noon, and night.  Jesus routinely followed a pattern of interaction with people and isolation for prayer.  Perhaps the most striking difference I see is found in the actions of Israelites.  In Deuteronomy, the people are instructed to place God’s Word in their hearts and tie them around their hands.  Everywhere people went, God wanted his followers to reminded of his commandments.  While I’m sure some people out there could make some fashionable Scriptural bracelets and the like, I think of the passage in relation to the personal routines spelled out above.  I should be carving out time to thank God and study the Bible.  I should be placing time with God as a priority in my day and leaving reminders of him throughout my day to day actions.  My schedule should reflect what I know is needed to keep me strong in faith and mind.  My routines need to have the impression of God upon them.

Dear Father,

I invite you into this space and time.  Speak to me.  Show me what is disdainful in my life.  Teach me what I must know to live in your ways.  Reveal to me the work of your grace in my life.  Above all, may your Word be a reminder of your love and may my heart be open to your voice.  Speak now, for I know you are always listening.

Amen.

Jesus can expound nothing until we get through all the noisy questions of the head and are alone with Him.

Oswald Chambers

I need solitude.  I need space to let God interrupt my endless stream of thoughts, questions, doubts, grievances, and dreams.  Surrendering a bit of my time may be the conduit through which God speaks into my life.  I try to be so knowledgeable, but what do I gain if I do not leave God any room to speak into my life and direct my thoughts?  I may read Scripture, but what’s the use if it’s just my eyes reading words and my mind connecting ideas?  The Bible is supposed to be means through which God speaks to us.  That’s why the Scriptures are characterized by phrases such as the “living word” and a “fire burning in my bones.” 

I need to make room for God to speak through his word, but I equally need to leave space to let him speak through my life.  Do I ever leave time to simply let God speak to me in prayer?  I think I limit prayer to be a one way conversation with God.  I let prayer become a monologue of me babbling on about everything in my life, instead of a chance to share my thoughts with God and let him respond.  Am I open to what he is saying in prayer?  I wonder if God ever is thinking to himself, “This is all very interesting, but if he would just shut up for a minute and listen to my voice he probably would not have half the problems he’s yammering on about right now.”

I need solitude and it’s clear that its something that God wants all of us to have.  Jesus even took time to get away from it all and simply pray.  If the Savior of the world needed space to listen to his Father, then I obviously need that time, too.

Consistency is what I long to have in my life.  I want to have a faith that is continually growing. I desire consistency in my walk with Christ, instead of the hills and valleys that seem to describe my spiritual history.  I aim for consistency, but I fall short.  When I look at my goal, it’s not a bad one.   I should want a faith that is taking root like a great tree (to use the words of Paul); however, I think I need to ask if my goal really relates to the core of Christianity.  While consistency is good, it does not compare to the goal of knowing Christ in more detail.  Because of seeking Christ, consistency will follow.  When I pray for consistency, I need to stop and ask for more of the knowledge of God.  In the end, my consistency should not be defined by Bible reading, prayer, worship, works, or anything else.  My consistency actually rests on one pivotal question: Am I constantly asking God to reveal himself to me?

There’s those moments in life where you see a glimmer of God.  His radiance is evident.  You can see a minuscule slice of his glory.  I saw it last week and I have been meaning to describe it, but I find myself at a loss for words.  Because of his brilliance, how can I attempt to describe that split second? The moment was not a flash of light or profound realization, but I do believe that it was meant as a reminder for me.  After a day of working and studying, I noticed the sunset as I was driving home.  I normally listen to the radio, but I chose to leave it off for some reason.  Seeing the changing light across those fields combined with the outline of clouds above, there was a split second where the beauty of the normal sunset revealed God’s majesty.  It was as if he were telling me, “I made this for you.  I am here and this place is where you’re supposed to be.”  After two years of questioning my circumstances, he affirmed my days in one moment.  God did not do it through a profound voice or victory; God spoke to me in the silence and shadows of a setting sun.  I’m not a sappy romantic or a poetic author, but I think I finally understood what it means to see God in my everyday life.

I tell you this story because I know you will have that split second, too.  You will have a validation of his presence and you will say, “God is here, but I was not aware of it.”  It might be in the midst of a word, an outcome, a reflection, a prayer, or even just seeing nature.  I believe that those split second glimpses of God are more numerous than we imagine, but we do not pay enough attention to those glimmers of the divine.  We become wrapped up in our minds, our to-do lists, our technology, and our day-to-day living.  That split second could make the difference in your life, if only you recognize it when it happens.  Don’t seek out, but be aware when God is sending a message that he is here and wants you to know his presence. 

His Spirit is here. Will you listen to it when it calls?

I’ve started reading this book called Mathematics Through the Eyes of Faith, by Russell Howell and James Bradley.  The first chapter provides some background about the history of mathematics.  Specifically, the subject had been filled with religious people until fairly recently.  One of the phrases that really caught my eye is what the authors say about Augustine of Hippo.  This priest was highly influential in shaping Catholic and Protestant ideas, but aside from his more Scripture based writings he wrote that mathematics can best be described as “ideas in the mind of God.”  I love that phrase.  Now one can debate what this quote actually implies about God or how he constructed the world, but I like to think of the quote in relation to learning math.  I major in math, but I am occasionally confused by it like any other person.  When I see this quote, it makes me wonder if the reason why math can be so difficult is because we are actually learning something that is of divine origin.  Even though men have proved theorems and laid out computational processes, the beauty of how it all works together seems to be of a heavenly nature.  Perhaps when we struggle with math, we are struggling to see something that originates from God.  So if you detest math, maybe think about God the next time you enter the classroom or sit down to study.  Invite him to speak to you as you compute.  Maybe you’ll discover the beauty of math and see how that points directly to the beauty of God.