On Humility

Have you ever known someone that you thought of as truly humble? What was it about their character that made you draw such a conclusion? I remember years ago coming to a conclusion that I was not a very humble man. Seeing that God values humility, I decided to confess to God that I didn't have any. I prayed for humility. And let me tell you, that's not a prayer I recommend praying!

It seems that when I got on my knees and confessed to God that I lacked humility, a discussion ensued. It was mostly God leading me in a dialogue to assess my lack of humility. We had to visit things like pride, arrogance, selfishness, envy and several other unsavory aspects of my being. You see, God was in total agreement with my conclusion that I lacked humility. And it was definitely something He wanted me to have. But it wasn't a prayer He could just answer over night. Rather it was a journey that He had to lead me on.

I'm on that journey - to humility - today. And I'm not foolish enough to think that the journey is anywhere near complete either. The Bible promises that He who began a good work in me will be faithful to complete it. (Philippians 1:6) So at some point, in the hopefully not-too-distant-future, I expect to be fully humble. Oh what a day that will be!

There's a joke I've heard that says as soon as you think you're humble ... then you're not. I laughed when I first heard it. But on closer examination I don't think that's right. It seems that our worldly definition of humility is not a very good thing. We describe something as humbling, and its in the context of feeling lowly, feeling stupid, feeling like a fool, a loser, etc. That doesn't sound like a virtue that God would call us to.

I've always been intrigued by the story in the Bible where Jesus strips to his underwear and washes the feet of His disciples. (John 13:1-17) If you think about it, Jesus knew He was God. He knew He was the Messiah, the Savior of the world. And yet, He stripped to His underwear and washed the feet of the disciples. What was He showing us here? When the disciple Peter protested, Jesus insisted. Why do you think it was so important that Jesus wash the feet of the disciples? Would eternity have turned out differently if Peter had prevailed and not let Jesus wash his feet?

Jesus taught about humility. (Luke 14:7-11). But that was a teaching. I think the foot washing ordeal was more about a showing. He was showing us humility. Of course, He loved the disciples and wanted to show His love for them by doing this loving gesture for them. Why didn't He keep His clothes on? I think if my pastor asked me to stand in my boxers at the front door of the church and wash the feet of the people coming in, I'd probably be looking for a new church! But seriously, I think we need to examine what Jesus did, compare it to what He taught, and learn some key lessons here.

I've tried to humble myself by comparing myself to other people. I've looked at good, righteous, virtuous people and considered how much of a schmuck I am compared to them. But I have to say that felt really bad. I wondered why. Surely I was doing it wrong. Then I noticed that the Bible says we are to humble ourselves before the Lord (James 4:10) and not before each other. I wondered if there was a difference. Jesus said humble people will put others first. He never said humble people will compare themselves to those other people.

It seems that the key to being humble is not to make yourself lesser than others around you - so much as it is to simply compare yourself to Christ. In fact, a truly humble person will only compare themselves to Christ ... and no one else. The humble person will realize and own their own sinfulness. They'll have an acute understanding of why it is that they need a Savior in Christ Jesus. And they'll know their own limitations, realizing that they could never save themselves. (Romans 7)

But just as Jesus knew His strengths, the truly humble person will also acknowledge their own gifts and strengths. They'll know how God has equipped them. And they'll be willing to use those gifts and strengths to serve as God directs them. So it seems that humility can then be defined as a realistic self-assessment coupled with a strong commitment to serve. And that is precisely what Jesus modeled for us when He stripped to His underwear and washed the disciples' feet!

Jesus' Purpose

Why did Jesus come to earth?

What was His reason for being or stated purpose of His life?

I know, I know ... you're probably thinking to yourself something like, "Duh!" Everyone knows that Jesus came to save us from sin and death. Right? Well, that is true. But sometimes we need to look beyond the truth. Occasionally there is a higher truth. I definitely believe that is the case here.

So why did Jesus come to earth? If He was living a "purpose-driven life," what exactly was His purpose?

You might find a variety of answers depending on whom you ask and where you look. Some might be quick to point out that the purpose of Jesus' life was to die for our sins; even Jesus said He came to "give his life as a ransom for many." (Mark 10:45).

Others might say that Jesus came to "seek and to save what was lost." (Luke 19:10) Still others might point to Jesus as the miracle worker (John 10:25 or John 14:11), or explain that Jesus came to "do the will of the Father." (John 6:38 or Hebrews 10:7)

None of these answers would be wrong. but I believe the reason that stands out as uniting them all would be that Jesus came to do the will of the Father. So the next question is naturally going to be, "What is the will of the Father?"

Has Jesus said anything else that might give us an explanation of why He came that would also unite these various reasons into a more concise statement of purpose that defines the Father's will? "I must preach the good news of the kingdom of God to the other towns also, because that is why I was sent." (Luke 4:43) Could this be the Father's will for Jesus? Is the primary reason Jesus came to make known the good news of the kingdom of God?

The best news is that God's kingdom has come. It's already here. the announcement of this message is more important than doing miracles - miracles are just evidence of the facts. Jesus seeks the lost that they might be included in God's kingdom - which has already come. His death on the cross made it possible for us to be accepted into His kingdom - where we belong.

Everything Jesus said and did seems to revolve around the announcement of the good news about God's kingdom. If this was Jesus' purpose, then as His followers could we have any lesser purpose?

Here's the thing - we so often talk about what Jesus did for us. But we need to consider what He did for the Father. (He obeyed Him.) And if we are true Christ-followers, then we need to order our lives so that our purpose aligns with His.

Yes, Jesus died for our sins. But even before He made it about us, He made it about His Father. And that is precisely where we need to take it. My purpose isn't about anything but the will of the Father.

Pastor's Tenure

Depending on which reports you read, it is said that the average tenure for a pastor in America is about three (3) years. It's a widely discussed statistic in church and ministry circles. Even denominations wring their hands over it.

Another alarming pattern is the number of pastors who leave the ministry. In fact, the statistics here seem a bit horrifying. Let's take a look:

80% of seminary and Bible school graduates who enter full time ministry will leave the ministry (as a profession) within their first five (5) years.

About 1,600 ministers are fired or forced to resign from their posts every month in the U.S. More often than not, they've not done anything specifically wrong.

Only 1 out of 10 ministers today will actually retire from that profession. The rest will be one of the above statistics - and never finish the race they started.

Now lest you think that I'm taking pot shots at ministers, I'll just go ahead and confess that I'm in the above statistic. I belong to the ranks of people who felt called by God to be a full-time pastor ... and then flamed-out after serving on staff for a few years at a couple of churches. I wasn't fired or forced to resign. I left of my own free will - but nonetheless felt like a failure. I was devastated.

Several months later I consulted a trusted elder in our church (who is also a dear friend) and sincerely asked what I had done wrong or what I could have done more right. His answer? "Nothing. You did nothing wrong." Of course, that offered little solace at the time. But in time it has begun to make more sense.

My own experience, plus much observation, has taught me that a pastor doesn't have to do anything wrong to see his ministry go down in flames. It isn't necessarily a mark on his ability or his faithfulness to his calling from God. It also doesn't have to be a judgment on the people he was trying to pastor. Despite how it feels or how it looks, the whole phenomenon should not be a surprise to us.

So here's the deal. Jesus said that a prophet is never accepted in his home town. Basically the people tend not to respect a prophet that they know. So it seems that it takes about three years for the people to know the pastor - including his faults and flaws and weaknesses. If it is a growing and healthy church, the people will demand a turnover. Unfortunately the pastor gets caught in that dynamic.

But what of the pastors who are the exceptions. I think there are one of two things going on. First, if the pastor has long tenure with the same church, he or she has been able to reinvent themselves over and over again (like maybe every three years). Of course, the other option is that the church is dying. (And that is another alarming statistic in America.) Dying churches usually don't kick out their pastor.

So here's the deal for the new pastor in the church.

1. Reinvent yourself every three years or so.
2. Get kicked out of the church in about three years, on average.
3. Pastor a dying church.

Now when you are considering ministry as a profession, for yourself or someone else, do you know these dynamics are facing you or someone you care about? If you're already in ministry, have you become aware of these truths? Are you prepared to face them?

America is gasping for effective church leadership. We need church leaders who will go the distance, stay in the race, and of course stay in the ministry. Churches are dying all around us. People are dying all around us.

So let those of us who feel God's call count the cost and enter the race with eyes wide open. Let us be sold out enough to stick with it when the going gets difficult. And most importantly, let us not be deceived by the circumstances. If God called you to ministry, His call on your life is not revocable.

The only question is, when one assignment comes to a close, "Where will God send me next?"

Moral Debt?

When I was a kid my mother used to refer to something outrageous or enormous by comparing it "the national debt." At the time I didn't know how much the national debt was. I doubt that my mother knew the amount of the national debt. But we could tell by the tone of her voice that it was a nasty number. Surely no one would approve of such a debt. But that was then.

In the 1980's I voted for Ronald Reagan. I thought he was a decent president. But I was in banking and paid more attention to the national debt. While I supported Reagan's presidency, I was alarmed to see that the national debt was ballooning under his leadership. In fact, despite the economic prosperity that much of the nation enjoyed during his presidency, we ran up a staggering amount of debt compared to the presidencies before him.

Through the years since then, we've watched the national debt grow at a staggering pace. At something like $11 trillion now, I doubt my mother could even comprehend such a number. She would surely roll over in her grave if she knew it now! I have to confess, I see the number and am utterly overwhelmed.

Just a few years ago, I did a spreadsheet and tracked the national debt during the term of each president since George Washington. It was an interesting exercise. I learned then that we hadn't reduced the principal on the national debt in more than 40 years. (Now it's more than 50 years!) But you know, I could comprehend it. I could see how a percentage of our national budget was going to cover interest on the national debt. Under President Clinton, we finally achieved an operating surplus, and it looked like we would finally start to reduce the principal on the national debt. I comprehended that (and felt good about it).

Today, in the Dallas Morning News, there are a number of distinguished writers giving opinion about the moral dilemma that our national debt poses. They argue in both directions and I think they make some pretty good points. You might want to scroll through what they have to say at http://religionblog.dallasnews.com/archives/2009/03/texas-faith-is-it-moral-to-pas.html.

So here's the thing: the national debt seems destined to keep growing at a staggering pace. Our current president doesn't seem to be terribly concerned. He just keeps telling us to be prepared because it will grow and grow at a staggering pace. But I am fully overwhelmed by the number now. I don't understand how we can keep spending so much money. I don't understand why the world keeps lending us so much money.

I don't understand how we could ever pay back so much money. Moreover, I am quite certain that I don't comprehend the amount of sacrifice and change in national lifestyle America might have to make in order to be able to pay back the national debt. When it balloons to more than $1 million per American family (as they say it will in my lifetime), I am no longer able to grasp that number. You can't get enough taxes out of me to retire such a debt. So who will you get it out of? How many generations would it take, living an austere life of fiscal sacrifice, would it take to retire the national debt of the U.S.?

I think any one of us could preach about the moral dilemma. But I honestly suspect we have probably crossed the moral threshold on this topic. It is really too late to be talking about whether being such a debtor nation is right or wrong. It just doesn't matter any more. We are so far over the waterfall on this one that there could never be any turning back. It seems that we are destined to find out what consequences await us --- with little ability to change course and avert those consequences.

In my simple mind, it seems that the only way the U.S. national debt might be resolved is if Christ returns. I wonder what the number will be when He does. I wonder what Jesus will say about that number. Stay tuned, because it appears we will get to find out!

On Communion

Have you ever really given much thought to the Christian tradition or sacrament of communion? I suspect that many of us have not.

I've participated in communion at several different churches through the years. Most often I found it to be rather unremarkable. In other words, the way in which it was offered seemed to treat it as rather routine. This seems to miss the mark in several ways.

Jesus said, "Do this in remembrance of me." What exactly do you suppose He wants us to remember? Our sinfulness? His sacrifice? The new covenant He ushered in? God's faithfulness? Grace? His coming return? It merits more consideration that most people who identify themselves as Christians are used to giving it.

Do what in remembrance of Him? Gulp down a swig of juice and wolf down a tiny biscuit as part of your busy routine? I can spend more time taking my morning vitamins than a typical communion in church! Is that how we're supposed to do it? I suspect not.

Then there is the remembrance part. Remember what, exactly? How should we remember it? Remembrance of Jesus suggests - even demands - more than just a fleeting thought of Him. "Oh yeah, this is about Jesus, you know; and all that." Don't you imagine that we shoudl really be going much deeper than that?

Remembering Jesus is important. It's huge, really. How can anyone truly do it justice? Quite honestly, I'm not sure that my sin nature is capable of fully remembering Jesus. There are just too many competing thoughts and memories in me. At the same time, Jesus is so much bigger than my conscious thinking seems to be able to handle. Yet it is what He said. Remember me.

I'm sobered by the reality of remembering Jesus. He gave us a call to unity ... with Himself. How can we respond to that call in our human brokenness? And yet, if He called me to it, then I'm sure I can do it. So where do I start. Well, I think there are a few key things we could do a better job of.

1. Revere the communion ceremony as sacred and holy. Indeed, it is a call to holiness and righteousness. Let's give this more than a slot on our schedule. Shouldn't it be the pinnacle of our worship experience?

2. Let's instill a sense of awe in the Lord's Supper. Imagine if you were one of the few, in the Upper Room that night. He's led you. He's taught you. He's washed your feet. He's announced His plans to die for you. And now He calls you to celebrate your unity with Him. What could be more amazing?

3. Take time for self-examination. Of course none of us is qualified to participate in the Lord's Supper. (After all, we are sinners in desperate need of a Savior!). But we should examine ourselves to determine whether or not we have unconfessed sins - and confess them. We should examine ourselves to see whether or not we have unreconciled relationships - and reconcile them. In these ways, we can render ourselves holy and righteous before Him. Quite frankly, such acts are an enormous part of remembering Jesus!

4. We need to stop seeing communion in the same filter that we see tithing or worship. It is not even close to being on par with such traditions. Jesus stepped into history and re-wrote the story of mankind. If He hadn't, there would be little reason for hope in this world. Doing this in remembrance of Him could quite possibly be the most important thing any Christian can do.

Communion, the Lord's Supper or whatever you want to call it is a solemn occasion, a righteous celebration and a great privilege. Let us learn what doing it means. Let us learn how big this is and how big remembering Him really is!