Scripture Passage: Jeremiah 1:1-10
Key Verse: "Before you were born I set you apart" (Jer. 1:5, NIV).
I tried acting a few times in high school. Let's just say I was no Harrison Ford, but I did learn a few things. First, acting takes a great imagination. Second, I'm not, nor have I ever been, a bird.
My first leading role was playing a baby bird. Feathers, beak, flap-your-arms-and-try-to fly, the whole nine yards. I did the best I could, but sadly, I'm afraid my best baby bird imitation was more comical than serious, kind of like casting Dumbo as Romeo. Later in the play, I got to play a real human being (a little boy who wanted to be a dancer, but, hey, it's better than being a bird), and it was a whole lot easier than trying to fly.
As strange as it may sound, learning that I was not a bird taught me a lot about being a Christian. How many people do you know who step out of their nests every morning and fly to work just by flapping their arms? Not many, right? Well, how many birds do you know that come home from work, kick back on the couch, and read the evening paper? Let's be honest—less than one, right?
That's because birds and people are different creatures. We see things differently. We think things differently. We do things differently. Perhaps that was why it was so hard for me to act like a bird. But in the same way, as creatures of God's light, we are a different species than the creatures of the world's darkness. We also see, think, and do things differently. Not because we consciously think about it, but because of what we are. But too often (much like my baby bird experience), we waste our time pretending to be something we are not.
That is the point that God is making to Jeremiah in these verses. "Before you were born I created you for something special," He says. Jeremiah tries to explain to God that he can't do the actions God wants him to, but God corrects him: "This is what I made you for; don't be afraid. Don't pretend to be a bird when I made you a human being."
Before we get ready to act, we must remember this truth: Our actions always grow out of who and what we are.
So, before you try to fly, who and what are you?
© 1997 Sean Taylor
How do you know when you become spiritually mature? When you do the rights things? When you think the right thoughts? When you feel the right feelings? When you're able to say deeply spiritual things like "Hallelujah!" and "Praise the Lord!" at odd hours of the day?
I hope not. But, to be honest, I'm not really sure.
As much as I hate to admit it, I just don't know. Maybe that's because I'm not spiritually mature enough to realize it. Or maybe it's just that spiritual maturity is one of those things that can't be measured by numbers and then filed away in a metal cabinet. Maybe the first step toward spiritual maturity is recognizing just how immature we are.
God has quite a bit to say about spiritual maturity in Psalm 15. Who can live with God in His house? The God-inspired songwriter asks. Those who have grown up in their faith-the spiritually mature-he might answer. Then he gives us a short list to describe the spiritually mature.
... those who are innocent and who do what is right
... do not tell lies about others
... do no wrong to their neighbors and do not gossip
... do not respect hateful people but honor those who honor the Lord
... keep their promises
... even when it hurts ...
(Psalm 15: 2-4, New Century Version)
Check that list again. It scares me when I read it, because I can see that I still have a long way to go. And then it hits me. Maybe that's what God's trying to say with the list of humanly impossible deeds-that I can't do it. Not by myself anyway. That to become spiritually mature, I'll need to trust Him to get me there.
Maybe that's it after all. I'm hoping so. It's the only shot I've got.
Scripture Passage: Joshua 7:1-22
Key Verse: "Joshua said, 'Why have you brought this trouble on us? The Lord will bring trouble on you today'" (Josh. 7:25, NIV).
Leading isn't always easy, is it? Sure, everything's just fine as long as your friends aren't getting into anything really bad. But what about when one of them crosses that invisible line (or invites you to cross it), and you know—really know—that you have to confront the sin out of love for the sinner?
One of love's greatest paradoxes is this: In its highest form, love cares so much for its recipient that it is willing to risk conflict rather than let that person be any less than the best he or she can be.
Just ask Joshua. Leading the Jews into the Promised Land, especially after having to live up to the example given by Moses (the leader of leaders as far as Jewish history is concerned), must have felt to him like being asked to step in for Billy Graham might feel to you. To top it all off, his army had just been creamed in battle by the tiny city of Ai, and that coming just after defeating the powerful city of Jericho.
As any sensible man would, Joshua fell on his face before God, desperate to know what had gone wrong and why God had brought them so far only to let them be humiliated (v. 7). God's answer was simple: Your hearts aren't right; there is sin in the camp. God led Joshua to find Achan, whose greed had brought the entire nation to a standstill. Then Joshua faced a crucial management decision: How could he demonstrate to his people how seriously God hates sin (by giving the order to have Achan stoned) when he knew the lesson would be a painful one (especially for Achan)? But he knew that when loyalty to God and human love for His people seem to contradict, loyalty to God must be our goal.
Fortunately, our laws aren't as strict as the Old Testament laws. Even so, we must still be strong and firm in confronting the wrongdoing and wrong attitudes of our friends (especially our Christian friends). But always let our strength and firmness be out of love for the other person's improvement, not out of retaliation or anger. In the short term, tough love can hurt both the lover and the loved, but in the long term, it is necessary if our relationships are to be the kind God wants us to have.
© 1997 Sean Taylor
Scripture Passage: Deuteronomy 3:21-29
Key Verse: "Do not speak to me anymore about this matter. . . . But commission Joshua, and encourage and strengthen him, for he will lead this people across and will cause them to inherit the land that you will see" (Deut. 3:26, 28, NIV).
Anybody remember the Rolling Stones? You ought to. They're still around, currently on their geriatric world tour, I believe. Anyway, a few decades ago they wrote a song called "You Can't Always Get What You Want."
That song pretty much sums up what Moses must have felt as the Jews were preparing to finally enter the Promised Land after their 40-year detour. I can just hear him complaining to God: "Didn't I sacrifice my retirement for this? Didn't I lead them all the way here? Didn't I put up with their belly-aching about manna and birds for the last 40 years? This is what You told me to do, and now You won't let me do it! All because I had one little problem with my temper!?" Then, to add insult to injury, God basically tells Moses to button his yap, and to start training Joshua to do the job that he wanted to do himself.
On top of all that, God tells Moses not only to prepare Joshua for the task, but also to encourage him. Can't you just hear Moses start fuming again? "Encourage him!? Why would I want to do that? He's got my dream job. I'd rather talk him out it, or at least convince him that he'll need my help to get it done."
But God's response doesn't change. "You heard me the first time, Moses."
According to Merriam Webster's 10th edition, to encourage means to inspire, to spur on, or to give help. Trust me—not one of those definitions is easy to live up to when the person you're supposed to encourage has what you want. It goes beyond just petty jealousy. In some ways, it gets down to God giving what you thought was your calling or task to someone else. Just ask the many parents who have watched their dreams of becoming missionaries get sidelined by the all-consuming task of raising a family (and if you ask, they'll tell you that they would do it all over again).
In spite of this, their job, and Moses' job, remains the same: Encourage those who are selected to go and do what you want to go and do. Inspire them. Spur them on. Help them.
The Rolling Stones offered a great truth of the gospel, even if they didn't realize it. Although we can't get the things we want, Mick Jagger and company tell us, we do get the things we need. Although Moses didn't get to enter the Promised Land, he was allowed to see it, and in the end, that was enough.
© 1997 Sean Taylor
As strange as it may sound, learning that I was not a bird taught me a lot about being a Christian. How many people do you know who step out of their nests every morning and fly to work just by flapping their arms? Not many, right? Well, how many birds do you know that come home from work, kick back on the couch, and read the evening paper? Let's be honest—less than one, right?
