Take and take and take

I feel like I am getting a lot done especially with my Do It Scared goal setting, but a number of recent speed bumps to our regular schedule have caused us to play catch-up.

One pleasant speed bump was our NW Baptist Church Planter Retreat in Cannon Beach. There were some great breakout sessions, fellowship, worship, and ministry grounding opportunities. (I don’t even know what that last thing means except maybe a fancy way of saying “etcetera.”). The main speaker was talking about soul care which got my attention quickly. Using Matthew 3:16-17, he emphasized that even though Jesus had not started His ministry yet, God was there establishing Jesus’ worth saying that this was His Son, His Beloved of whom He was well pleased. This brought us into what our speaker describes as the “The Sacred Cycle.” Being part of God’s people, we have acceptance from the get-go. The Spirit gives us sustenance for each day and that is grown with time in the Word and prayer. Significance comes from who we are in the Father–nothing we can do ourselves. This will catapult us in what His will calls us to do even through successes and failures. Achievement that doesn’t come from puffed up human accolades and empty compliments but through reliance in God will keep us going even when the journey hasn’t been very pretty.

It’s really all about Him. We are the workers that are grounded in His foundation, so that we don’t crumble to bits at the first sign of failure. Most of this world tries to complete this cycle in reverse–we first have to gain achievement which shows we have significance. We then claw for sustenance after being worn thin, and we’re finally accepted for the fragile shell we have become. Congratulations, you’ve made it!

The amazing thing is that specifically the first three steps in the first cycle take and take and take from God. No human new-age after-school club, hippie commune, well-intentioned community group, political action organization, or even picket-fenced nuclear family that is not thirsty for God could ever prop itself up in this way. We tend to feel easily overwhelmed, question whether others are “pulling their weight,” or even feel abused when others take and take and take. It is not sustainable or healthy for mortals to be the source of acceptance, sustenance, and significance. It’s like always ordering that five-option fried batter upon batter appetizer that’s going to make you run to the bathroom…and you never make it to the main course. You think you just need to try a different restaurant, and the same happens again after you peruse the appetizers list and choose what your body will surely reject. (What a waste of a babysitter!)

Sure, there are some great people out there that push us to clean up the earth, bring in better profits quarter after quarter, or provide well-balanced, unprocessed meals for their families, but the last time I checked all of these people eventually retire, get burned out, find new interests, go on a hiatus (planned or unplanned) or…wait for it…die.

God gives and we take. That’s what happens. Fighting this will always look silly and will lead to very, very long detours. (Sometimes we need those long detours to get the heart change in motion.) It’s all about surrender which I feel is the current theme I am experiencing in my life and through the people around us. No one likes surrender.

Let me say that again…

No one likes surrender….but we willingly surrender to addiction, what others think about us, money, power, lust, revenge, snarkiness, gossip, the appearance of “busy-ness” and so on. And if we are really honest, these bind us in slavery in a myriad of ways and leave impressions that haunt us concerning how disgustingly weak and fragile we really are.

BUT, I know my surrender, my fragility, my allegiance is reciprocated as freedom, strength, and “belovedness” only in God the Father. He’s done it before and will continue to do it again. A million amens!

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Say to my soul, “I am your salvation!”
Psalm 35:3b

Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”
Matthew 11:28-30

I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.
Romans 12:1-2

But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.
2 Corinthians 2:9-10