Spiritual Growth

So I'm teaching this course on character at my church the other night, and one of the guys in the class asks me to define spiritual maturity or spiritual growth. Wow! What a difficult question! Of course, I wanted to have a snappy answer.

I wanted to confidently just jump right up there and explain it all to him. The truth of the matter though is that it wasn't that easy. As I stood there trying to think of an intelligent response to his great question, I found myself more than stumped.

Finally, I began to explain to him (and the rest of the group) that when I had first become a Christ-follower, I gained a new awareness of a level of ignorance I never thought I had. In fact, my own ignorance seemed to lie before me like a vast, unfolding sea or ocean. And it looked that endless. The more focused I got on God and His agenda, the more aware I became of this sea of ignorance that seemed to surround me.

As I have grown in Christ, however, I find that the ignorance begins to dissipate. Slowly - but surely, I get grounded in God's truth. I learn God's truth and hide it in my heart ... with regards to relationships, life, who I am, who God is, how the world works, and other such matters. To be sure, there's a lot of learning there to be had.

The coolest thing I've discovered about God's truth is that it defeats ignorance. Every time. God's truth, revealed in God's people, overpowers ignorance - just like it overpowers evil. In fact, I've come to equate ignorance with evil. They both seem to have the same effects. And the fact that both are defeated with God's truth, from God's Word, revealed in God's people - quite frankly excites and invigorates me.

So the question was to define spiritual growth. I finally defined it as a fading away of my ignorance. And someone else (a pastor on staff at our church) added that it would include a growing awareness of God. Of course I agreed with that. When evil and ignorance are overpowered and defeated, God Himself is revealed.

We often talk about people as being spiritually mature, having a level of spiritual maturity, or growing in spiritual maturity. But you know, I don't think I've ever heard anyone really define what that means. Without a succinct definition, maybe it's just a religious platitude that should be disregarded. But I think I'd rather wrestle with the definition.

It's still true ... that I've never been more aware of my own ignorance than I am today. But it's equally true that ignorance isn't a place God will ever allow His people to live in. No, He leads us from that vast sea of ignorance - and into His truth. And God Himself is revealed. Lord, help me grow and be more spiritually mature than ever then!

Silican Valley: Pornless?

I remember a few years, when I was working for a Fortune 500 technology firm. One of our clients asked about a "fool-proof" tool that he might find to block all access to pornography. After researching the issue, we had to advise the client that - based on the way the Internet is structured and the technologies used to access it - there would never be such a porn blocking device.

Basically any filtration that you could build to block porn could be cleverly infiltrated by the porn industry. Even then, there were web sites with innocuous sounding names which offered pornography. There were even porn sites masquerading as religious sites. It was an insidious evil. Worse yet, one did not even have to go to porn sites to get porn. All sorts of basic pornography were cached in the popular web browsers like Yahoo! and Google (in their images searches).

Now Google has long had a mantra from its founders. It simply said, "Don't be evil." We've always thought that to mean Google would have to be Switzerland, remaining neutral on any issue, never taking a stand. It seemed reasonable enough to define "not being evil" as not taking the side of evil. Until now that it. Enter Steve Jobs.

Mr. Jobs is the luminary CEO of Apple Computer. He's quite a legend, actually. The industry watches what he has to say. He's a visionary. He's usually right. He calls the plays that work. He's not nearly as rich as Bill Gates (who took over the world with Microsoft applications). But Mr. Jobs is much cooler than Mr. Gates. In fact, he is probably the undisputed author of cool in the technology industry.

So it was rather surprising when, amid all the hoopla over its latest release, that Mr. Jobs was found taking a stand against the pornography industry. Simply put, he decreed that his company would make sure that its technology did not accommodate pornography. Said different, Mr. Jobs said his company's technology would not accommodate evil.

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703559004575256401269013236.html?mod=WSJ_Opinion_LEFTTopOpinion

The pornography industry was of course incensed. It fired back, hijacking ads, web sites, attacking networks and doing other things to humble Steve Jobs. Thus far it hasn't worked. He's still taking a stand. He's not backing down. His company's new technologies are being made to specifically not accommodate pornography.

To add insult to the porn industries injury, Jobs has welcomed pornography-fighting filters, which are unabashedly faith-based, such as XXXChurch.com and CovenantEyes.com, to the applications that it offers for its technologies. Imagine that ... a Silicon Valley tech giant selling faith-based applications to help its customers fight evil!

In this day and age of anything goes, where corporate executives seem to display the most shocking and outrageous of behaviors, it is refreshing to see one take a stand for doing the right thing. It's even more refreshing when we realize that this position is a somewhat expensive one for Steve Jobs to take. But he takes it anyway. There will be some who cry that he's violating free speech and America's right to smut and filth. There will be others who applaud him.

Mr. Jobs' strong stand is already having an impact industry-wide. Microsoft has stepped up and said they too will begin making some of their technologies so that they are not open to pornography. Now some analysts say that Steve Jobs can't actually deliver on his promise. They argue that as long as one of the apps downloaded to an iPhone, for example, is a browser - porn will be accessible on that device. That may be, but you have to admire Steve Jobs stand. And we must pray that he can actually find a way to prevail in it too.

I've never met Steve Jobs. And to be honest, I've never really regarded him one way or the other. He was, in all candor, rather irrelevant to me. Today though, that has changed. I think I may have found myself a new corporate hero!

Darkness & Light

Did you ever have someone come into your life who actually changed you --- or at least changed your thinking? Maybe it was a school teacher or college professor. Perhaps it was a boss or a colleague. For some of us it might be a neighbor. For some it might be a pastor, a coach, or maybe a client.

Whoever they turn out to be, I'm becoming more and more convinced that these people exist. I never know where they'll turn up. And of course they aren't all people. I meet lots of people through business and social endeavors. I'm sure they're all wonderful people. But some of those meetings turn out to be a little more profound than others. The interesting thing is that I usually don't even know that until later, when I look back and realize that meeting was profound!

I met a guy last fall in a CR Step Study that I'm leading. (He's a pastor.) Quite a remarkable fellow, actually - there have been several things about him that have impressed me. The first was his leadership. This guy is unabashedly leading. I think I might be drawn to those people who lead boldly. They know who is in charge and aren't afraid to take command. I don't know, maybe it's a character defect that drives them (control issues or something). Nevertheless, I find myself drawn to that.

He has other qualities that seem to stand out. I can't say I admire them or wish them for myself. I really don't think it's like that. But I notice them. His faith and his passion for his God are remarkable. I've known a lot of pastors, and pretty well too. Few have exhibited this passion for the Lord. I get the sense that this guy would really walk through fire, go to his death or do whatever else it might take to serve his God. Call yourself a Christian, or a Jew, or a Catholic - but really, how many of us serve a God like that?

As you might have it, my new acquaintance and I are becoming good friends. Occasional coffee's with no particular agenda help us learn more about each other's hearts and minds. It may be that we're finding things in each other that we like --- for those meetings tend to happen more often and last longer than I expect. Somehow I suspect that despite the proximity we may have or not have in each other's lives, the impact he'll have in my life will be enduring.

One of the things he's said recently that really got me to thinking has been about light and dark, good and evil. The Bible is clear that darkness cannot stand in the face of light. It's equally clear about the fact that evil will never prevail in the face of righteousness and holiness (which come from God). But my friend pointed out that most people who believe in God tend to act as if the darkness were more powerful than the light. He's observed (and rightly so, I think) that people of faith tend to behave as if they're afraid of evil.

It makes me wonder. Could it be that even believers in the Most High God of creation still fear evil more than they fear Him? Is it possible that we lose conscious sight of the facts about darkness and its nature? And if so, what would cause such a phenomenon?

I certainly agree with my friend. Like I began this blog, it seems God is using him to shift some of my personal paradigms. (I'm still figuring out which ones those are too!) It is painfully obvious that even the most spiritually mature people can become rattled by their circumstances. A solid man of faith gets nervous when there are layoffs at his work. A godly mother falls apart when her child is seriously ill. A Christian business owner acts like a frightened sheep being pursued by wolves when there is a business downtown or a client sues him. What's up with these things?

Have we lost sight of the power of light? Do we forget that righteousness and holiness are the ultimate victors in this game of life? Or can we become deceived about the power of darkness? Can darkness somehow convince us that it is invincible? Does evil mock us and make fun of us, beating us into the submission like the playground bully when we were kids?

Light a candle in the darkness and see what happens. The darkness retreats. But try to bring darkness into the light of day and see if the daylight retreats. (It doesn't!) Isn't this how we are supposed to live our lives ... based on these two simple truths?

Evil doesn't win, good triumphs, holiness prevails, and righteousness endures. Darkness fades, despite its intimidating and menacing nature. And those things of the world that make us nervous, that cause us to worry or fret or even be scared? They aren't so powerful really. In fact, their ability to control us is really a farce. It's just not there!

On one of my trips to Africa a couple years ago, I heard a woman say she was not going to tell God about her problems, but instead would tell the problems about her God. It seemed like a simple statement, and yet profound. I'd like to introduce her to my new pastor friend here in Texas. I suspect God is using both of them to speak truth into me!

23rd Psalm

Have you ever read the 23rd Psalm? You know, it's the one they always print on the flyer handed out at funerals. Let's take a look.

Psalm 23 says, "The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not be in want. He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, he restores my soul. He guides me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake. Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. Surely goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever."

You know, in these turbulent times, it would be wise for us to consider this Psalm of King David. For you see, it was not written for the dead, but for the living. Let's dissect this Scripture and see what it has in store for us right now.

The Lord is my shepherd ...
He is watching out for me. He cares for me. I follow Him. He keeps me safe.

I shall not be in want ...
He has promised to provide for all of my true needs, and I know that He will.

He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside still waters, he restores my soul.
God has good plans for me. They include rest and peace. In fact, His perfect will for me is that my life not be ruled by the tyranny of the urgent. Rather He asks me to rest in pleasant places. His path for me is one through peace and not tribulation. And when I am buffeted by life's storms, He restores my soul and renews me. He is my strength.

He guides me in paths of righteousness for His name's sake.
God calls me away from the evil ways of the world. He calls me to do godly things and to righteous living. And as I become more righteous ... He is glorified.

Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death ...
The valley of the shadow of death. Yes, that is where I live. It is where I work. It is where I shop. It is where my kids go to school. Bad things happen there. People get hurt. It's where IBM lays off 5,000 people and moves their jobs to India - while making a stellar profit. It's where GM goes bankrupt and the stock market tanks our retirement funds. It's where kids tease my child mercilessly at school, and drunk drivers threaten our innocent lives with their carelessness. It's where drug lords traffic substances that enslave and ruin lives. Yes, this valley of the shadow of death - it is one busy place. But nothing good ever happens there.

I will fear no evil, for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.
Despite my days in this shadowy valley, stalked by evil on every side and at every turn - I have nothing to fear. The evil cannot harm me, even though it is menacing and intimidating. I can take comfort in the fact that God is with me, and in the knowledge that Christ has already defeated the evil in this valley. God's ways of guiding and correcting me lead me through the valley of the shadow of death successfully. I will be comfortable on the other side. I will look back and see that it was silly to have been worried or frightened. I will be comforted. So I will fear no evil. I will fear no layoffs. I will fear no foreclosures. I will fear no housing slumps. I will fear no tax increases. I will fear no wars. I will fear no loss of retirement savings. I will fear no stock losses. I will not fear old age, poor health or the lack of decent health insurance. For Thou art with me.

You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies.
Jesus has gone on ahead, leaving the Holy Spirit to guide, correct and comfort me. Why did Jesus go on ahead of me? To prepare a place in the heavens for me. It is a table of feast, and not famine. It is a table of victory and not defeat. My enemies will walk with me right up to the table - but they will never be seated at that table with me. It is my Father's table. There is no place there for my enemies - even if they think there is. No, the place at that table is reserved just for me.

You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.
God has chosen me specifically to be His own. I am ordained, anointed, sacred and holy. He makes it so. The oil is His special blessing, reserved for His people. It calls me out of the ordinary and into the extraordinary. My cup is full of blessings. My life is more blessed than I ever imagined. Certainly I am more blessed than I can comprehend, and more blessed than I really ever could deserve. I am rich.

Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.
God has told us that God knew me even before I was formed in the womb. Even then, He already had a plan for my life. It was a plan for good, and not bad. It was a plan for joy and not sorrow. No, God has chosen me to be His, to be His special blessing. His goodness and His mercy stalk me more relentlessly than the merciless evil that stalks me. They are what overtakes me each day. And my plans are to live with God forever. They are His plans as well.

So you see, it seems rather odd that we find Psalm 23 at funerals. It seems a more appropriate verse for births and baptisms, as it is the psalm for the living. As you walk through your own "valley of the shadow of death" (and we all have them), be mindful of Psalm 23. These intimidating circumstances have a bark that is far worse than their bite. No matter what happens you will be fine if you belong to the Lord. It is His promise. And His promises are true no matter what the state of the economy is or what the politicians and news are wringing their hands over.