You can please some of the people some of the time...

For am I now seeking the approval of man, or of God? Or am I trying to please man? If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a servant of Christ.

 - Galations 1:10

In considering this verse it did not take long for me to draw parallels to my work life.  I have responsibility over a large number of employees who are in place for the purpose of meeting the mission of my organization.  You are hard pressed today to pick up a book on leadership and not see the importance of caring for and development of your employees.  Part of that thinking is that "a happy workforce is a productive workforce" (I put it in quotes because I am sure someone said it - if not, I just did).  This certainly makes sense and today we see this played out in ways no one would have dreamed about 50 years ago.  

Google is a great example of this philosophy in action and is one of the most sought after places of employment today.  An employee at Google has access to breakfast through dinner at no cost - right there in the workplace.  They not only serve you the food, but they pick you up from home in their own bus to get you to work.  And don't forget your dog Skippy, he can come along and join you for the day.  Need a few months off to climb Mount Everest?  That can be accommodated.  Don't worry, when you get back to work you'll have a massage waiting for you to soothe those tired muscles!

Of course, this is not just one big free ride.  It all is intended to ultimately achieve the company's mission to "organize the world's information and make it universally accessible and useful".  Oh, and I would be remiss to leave out the $16 Billion they made along the way in 2013. 

Meeting the mission is the primary driver for any organization.  While a productive work force is key to achieving that, organizations frequently need to make decisions which do not always please all of their employees.  I personally have experienced this in an organization which has had to make significant changes due, in great part, to forces outside of our control.  I have found that I cannot prioritize pleasing people ahead of meeting the mission.  

When we focus back on Paul's mission in Galations, the stakes are much higher than any organization - they are eternal and driven by the ultimate CEO, God himself.  There is no room for compromise of scripture in order to please people.  How would Paul respond to the condition of the church in America today?  How does your life reflect on these truths?  As a servant of Christ I must be unwavering in my commitment to the mission laid out before me in scripture.   While I need to demonstrate the love of Christ to a dying world, this cannot come at the expense of watered down truth; and ultimately means I will find myself alienated from much of the world around me.  There is one Gospel.  There is one truth. The least loving thing I can do is hold the full truth of scripture from my unbelieving neighbor or even the brother sitting in the chair next to me at church.

We need to embrace a sense of urgency in our own lives to abide in Christ and commit to striving toward obedience to the fullness of scripture.  It is then that the Holy Spirit will be our guide to do all of these things beyond the limitations of our own wisdom and strength.  Because I find myself this morning falling far short of righteousness, I embrace the encouragement of Paul....

Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own.  Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own.  But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.   - Phillipians 3:14-17

I pray we will press on today in Christ to further our mission to a world in need of Him.

Whatchoo talkin' bout??

When I began working in my field 20 plus years ago we would begin the day (Monday in particular) in our office gathered around the phone.  We would call up a number that opened up a voice message from our Region manager where he conveyed whatever direction or information he felt was important for us.  It often seemed to go on and on as we all sat and often made snarky comments - of course I would never do this today!  Most of us never met the region manager - but only knew his voice; if I mention Charlie's Angels here do I only date myself more?  The other primary communication tool was a multi-copy paper form called an "Econogram".  This was the 1990 version of an email.  You would write your message, tear off a copy to keep, and send the other copy to the recipient.  All of this taking place over a matter of days through the US mail.

It was shortly after this that we were introduced to email.  Today, a majority of my time is spent in writing or responding to emails.  While emails have streamlined the amount of time it takes to communicate to others it has created its own layer of work that I am not convinced really existed 25 years ago.  

Though this has become the primary tool for communication in today's business world, it is also widely recognized as often being a problematic form of communication. We are unable to see the speaker and read body language, facial expressions and intensity or lack of.  We cannot hear the tone of voice or relative emphasis on syllables or certain words or phrases.  Less than 10% of the meaning of communication is thought to be conveyed through our actual words.  Unfortunately, as the sender of an email you know what it is you are trying to convey and typically feel you have done so adequately.  And worse, as the recipient we often believe we are fairly good at decoding what the person who wrote the email really meant and felt.  Too often both miss the mark, resulting in unnecessary frustration and communication breakdown.  Writing something as simple as "ASAP" in an email can be interpreted many ways.

It is not uncommon to encounter similar issues when reading scripture.  This morning I read Matthew 11 which got me thinking of this issue.  Here is my very quick breakdown of the chapter...

• John sends a message to Jesus asking if he is in fact the Messiah.
• Jesus responds with sending back of encouragement to consider what he (Jesus) has done.
• Jesus talks about John being the greatest man that has ever lived.
• Jesus warns that those who have heard His message and seen his works without responding are doomed.
• Jesus says he is gentle and lowly in heart.

That's a lot to reconcile!  Does it mean I can question God?  Is God harsh and ready to punish me or is he "easy" and loving?  It is easy for me to find myself thinking how helpful it would have been to be there when Jesus said these things.  To have heard his tone of voice and read his body language.  Maybe even ask a clarifying question or two.  So, how do I ensure that I am understanding what has been written in his Word?  There are a number of elements to that answer, but the most critical one is found within chapter 11 itself...

Matthew 11:27 says, "...no one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal him".

Unlike with my email at work, the Spirit of God living within me is there to reveal the meaning of the Word of God.  God does not intend for us to struggle with understanding.  It is His desire to reveal himself to those who are in Christ Jesus.  He delights in this.

Turn your eyes to the Lord today and ask him to reveal himself through his Word to you.  See what happens.  He will not disappoint.

God is our goal

My goal is God Himself, no joy, nor peace,

Nor even blessing, but Himself, my God;

'Tis His to lead me there-no mine, but His-

At any cost, dear Lord, by any road.

It is not uncommon to find ourselves singing words like in the hymn above.  So often I will wonder to myself... Who wrote this,  What were they thinking, Is it truly an overflow of their heart or just nice words to put together for a song?

It is a challenging truth in life that I cannot truly call something a value in my life and not have it reflected in my actions.  We live in a society that is on a never ending journey to find joy and peace.  We are part of the church in America that too often seems to be chasing this goal as well, where God becomes a means to an end when He is supposed to be the end, the goal. And inside this society, sitting among others in the church, there is me - is my value in God Himself?  

Am I asking God into my life to walk with me and bless me?  This misses the mark.  He is the one who calls.  He is the one who leads.  My role is to respond and to follow.  And following comes at not just a great cost - it comes at the cost of everything else.

Jesus said, "Whoever does not bear his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple.  For which of you, desiring to build a tower, does not first sit down and count the cost, whether he has enough to complete it?" (Luke 14:27-28)

I do not want to be a person who is simply "dabbling" in Christianity.  This represents a lack of obedience to Christ which ultimately calls into question if I am truly following Him.  And there is an even deeper consequence when we start down this path and fail to follow Him with abandon to all else. Jesus goes on in Luke 14:29-30 to say, "Otherwise, when he has laid a foundation and in not able to finish, all who see it begin to mock him, saying, 'This man began to build and was not able to finish'."

The implication of "not finishing" is frightening in and of itself. But the one who ultimately is mocked is God.  What an unthinkable consequence to being a "casual Christian" is the mocking of the only true God.

God calls.  God leads.  God gives the power.  It is for us to choose. And if we choose to answer His call, to follow with all of our heart and not look back.

Lord God, in this society which is overwhelmed with depression and anxiety, let me not seek you for the purpose of gaining joy and peace.  I want to seek you for the purpose of finding you.  I want to find you to know you and be in your presence.  It is only through hearing your call and through the power of the Holy Spirit that I can even start this journey - and ultimately finish it.  Help me to be an example of your strength and not one more reason for people to choose not to follow you.  Give me the strength and will to not just say that I value you; but to demonstrate that value in what I do and say at all times.  At any cost.  Down any road.

 Amen