A Desperate Plight for Validation and Acceptance

“For the Lord sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart.” (1 Samuel 16:7 ESV)

This week started off with a lot of commotion regarding the VMAs in NYC! Mostly, I don’t pay much attention to the secular music scene. Admittedly, I have a far different opinion about music then I did when I was in High School, or even when I first started as a youth pastor 10 years ago. I use to think I needed to know the latest, coolest and hippest music to relate to teenagers. After all, my early spiritual mentors all did…actually they did not.

I came to the realization that even if I did know the hippest songs, I wasn’t hip. It wasn’t how cool and trendy I was that helped me relate to students, but a genuine love for Jesus and for them. So I gradually began drifting from the mainline, popular music scene. I began to listen less and less to secular radio. Christian music is on the rise with better musicians and songwriters. Every type of music I wanted to listen to I could find Christians who sang it. Soon I developed my own personal preferences to lend itself to 90% Christian music and 10% shared with talk radio and secular music.

Not only that, but I don’t watch TV. I don’t have cable or even the digital converter so I can get local channels. I just don’t watch normal TV, including news and sports. Occasionally I will meet friends for sports, but only when invited. I do have Netflix which allows me to be selective on what I watch.

I tell you all this so you know that I am, well, out of the loop on pop culture. I read articles online and try to be relevant. However, most of the trendy and popular music contains lyrics that are just offensive to me. I wouldn’t have even known the VMAs were last week had I not heard that a couple of my students were going to it.

I heard a lot of the hype about Lady GaGa and, of course, Miley Cyrus. Mostly it was just headlines on Yahoo News or reactions from my blogger friends. It wasn’t until this morning, while I was at the gym, that a segment of the video played on the News. I had my headphones on listening to Skillets new “Rise” album and not really paying attention. Then, looking up, I see this very offensive clip, pretty much pornographic material, being displayed on the local news. Have you ever seen something that makes you physically sick? That’s what happened to me. I just couldn’t believe my eyes.

Now you probably expect me to jump on the “let’s bash Miley” band wagon. No, I that’s not what I want to do. My heart breaks for her. What must have been going on in her mind and heart to drive her to perform in such an obscene way? I don’t know her and I certainly don’t want to judge her. However, I know she was looking for validation, for worth, for love. She may not realize it, but what she really wants is the genuine love, meaning and purpose that can only be found in Jesus Christ.

The world she lives in, pop culture and the music scene push the performers to go further and further into the obscene to receive notice and accolades. It’s a constant battle for artists to stay in the lime light and some will do anything to receive attention.

Jesus came to show us the way to the Father, the only one we should be seeking attention from. Jesus lived a perfect life because we cannot. He paid our debt on the tree, because we cannot. He rose from the dead to secure a way for us to find ultimate satisfaction, meaning and purpose in Christ.

We may look at Miley and shake our heads, but her performance should remind us that we too are looking for affirmation, for validation and love. We often pursue it in the wrong places and find ourselves far from where we intended. It is there that we look to Christ and find forgiveness and hope. You see, God doesn’t look at us the way the world does, He looks at our heart. We can fool the world, but we cannot fool Him.

In this desperate plight we find ourselves in, will you consider the words of Jesus? “ 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 ESV)

Stop Worshiping Yourself

“Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth! Serve the Lord with gladness! Come into his presence with singing!” (Psalm 100:1-2)

You are wired to worship! Did you know this? Deep down inside, you have a longing and desire to worship that works itself to the very forefront of your life on a daily basis. Mostly you worship yourself. Oh, so now I have your attention. You didn’t like it when I said you worship yourself, did you? That would make you a hedonist, right? Well, its true. The sooner you understand this point the better. You worship yourself daily it is a constant battle to overcome.

Think about it. You spend an exorbitant amount of money each year on yourself every year. Now I not talking about the basic needs, but the superfluous spending. You treat yourself to delights all the time, because its fun. You enjoy yourself all the time, because “dog gone it I deserve it!” You stand in lines to be entertained, to be pampered, to be loved, or so you think.

In our culture we have given self-worship a new and acceptable term, we call it self-esteem. We tell people to love themselves, to develop a positive self-image and life will be good. You may as well tell them to go bow down to Dagon (the god of the Philistines) so they will feel better about themselves. It just will not work!

You see, Solomon tells us that God has “set eternity in our heart!” It is the sense the we “were made for something more!” It is the longing for something bigger, that there is more to life then meets the eye. This is the longing we have to worship our Creator!

Only when we slow down, take our eyes off of ourselves and look to Jesus do we begin to find true enjoyment of God. When we realize that the Creator wrapped Himself in human flesh and lived amongst us, lived a perfect life and paid the ultimate price for us, we will want to shout for joy! He promises to be with us! He doesn’t promise us a life of ease and comfort, but He says no matter what He will be with us. He will never leave or forsake us (Hebrews 13:5). This should cause us to long to worship Him!

When we see that He will forgive us and make us right with Him we will enjoy His presence all the more. When we realize that when we believe in Jesus Christ, we are adopted into His forever family and we can stand in His presence with confidence.

When we focus on the words of the songs and see that God is who He says He is and that He will do what He promised He will do, then we sing praises to His great Name! This is what we are made to do! This is what brings true joy and satisfaction! So stop worshiping yourself today, look to Jesus and praise His name!

The Way Up is Down

Have you ever heard that phrase? “The way up is down?” Doesn’t make any sense does it? We live in a world that constantly strives for self-improvement, self-help, self-betterment, self-motivation, self-initiative, etc. (I think my point was made.) We are caught in an endless cycle of striving for the top, exalting ourselves over others. It’s tiring to constantly compare yourself to others and try to out do them on all fronts so you will be recognized.

What word would you use to identify the problem with this ambition? Pride! At the root it is self-pride that drives these desires and this philosophy. “I want.” “I deserve.” “My rights.” Etc. It all stems from our own self-concept that we are good and deserve to be treated a certain way.

However, the Bible helps us see ourselves clearly. God reveals to us that we are not good and at the core desperately wicked (Romans 3:23). We cannot improve our situation or ourselves because our sins deserve separation from God (Romans 6:23). Yet God loved us so much that He sent a hero to pay for our sins (Romans 5:8). That if we humbly believe on Him and accept what He has done for us we will be forgiven and reconciled with God (Romans 10:9-10).

True fulfillment in life doesn’t come from finding yourself; it comes from finding Jesus! Purpose and meaning will only be lost when you look within yourself, but in Christ we find abundant life (John 10:10). The key is learning to put off pride and embrace humility. Humility is not thinking less of yourself, but thinking of your self less.

Some think humility is to belittle yourself, to consider yourself worthless and look depressed. However that is really pride working in reverse. You want people to see how humble you are so that they will praise you and therefore build your self-esteem. The Bible wants you to learn to get your eyes off of yourself and look at Jesus (Hebrews 12:1-2). When you learn to love Jesus with all your heart, you will stop thinking of yourself and begin thinking more about Him. You will see the value of others and seek their good over your own.

The Gospel transforms our self-concept. We begin to care less about our self-esteem and begin to develop a Christ-esteem. Your value doesn’t come from within, or from what you do, but from what Christ has done for you. Stop living in pride and see how true humility leads to a full life of blessings and connectiveness with God and His people.

"Humble yourself before the Lord and He will lift you up." James 4:10

Spirit Dependence

Summer activities have been amazing! The Slovakia trip was amazing and full of great lessons for each of us on the team, which you can read about in previous posts. We had a couple of weeks between arriving home and then heading to Mid West Camp at FaHoLo Christian Camp and Conference Center in Grass Lake, MI. Mid West Camp is a Family Camp for all ages and this was our first year at FaHoLo (Faith Hope Love).

Mid West Camp is a great environment for all ages. I love being at a camp where the teens get to interact with older generations and play with the little kids. Camp was great this year as the new location seemed to aid in a more intimate setting. Our theme was Every Day Disciple Making, learning to live out the Gospel in day to day life.

Our morning classes were on Gospel Fluency, God's Story/Your Story, Gospel Listening and More Than Ordinary (how the Christian life should be full and abundant). At the heart of the week was how Jesus didn't redeem us so we could just have a "Get Out of Hell Free" card, no He wants you to have a life that is marked by His love and grace. Getting to gain a new perspective and love for Jesus in every area is hard but rewarding.

My biggest lesson came as I was assigned to preach on Friday night a sermon entitled "Spirit Dependent." I should have been prepared considering the topic, but I was a little surprised at the way this sermon came about. I have known and prepared for months about this sermon, but coming into that Friday I was under spiritual attack. An anxious spirit was upon me and I couldn't focus my thoughts. I found myself being short with my teenagers and feeling smothered. It was awful. I just wanted to get a lone and pray, but the day was packed. I pleaded with God to help me correct my attitude. A few hours later it finally subsided and I began to focus my thoughts on the sermon. As I was reading the Word I was convicted that I had to go apologize for my short responses to those I talked to earlier. I am grateful for their quick forgiveness and understanding.

It was with a great sense of my need to depend on the Spirit that I stepped into the pulpit that night. I was so amazed at God's faithfulness and how the Holy Spirit brought to remembrance everything I needed. I truly felt sustained by the Spirit and guided as I delivered the message. I was humbled again that God would use me to share His Word with people at camp.

God is waiting to use you. He has a plan and a purpose for you, but often a spirit of fear, intimation, anxiety, control, pride, etc. comes over you and I. Sometimes we are aware of it, others time we are not. When we learn to cry out to God to reveal our heart, and submit to His Spirit, He sets us free to be used in powerful ways. What is holding you back from experiencing God's best for you?