Wild at Heart is just the beginning, the first steps of a journey. This, The Way of the Wild Heart, is the next step. Wild at Heart gives us permission to follow the map that is The Way of the Wild Heart. "Home is now behind you. The world is ahead." And we are on the road less traveled, but we are not the first to journey this way. This book begins with the story of a trail, "'It's a marked trail,' he said. A path created by the footprints of the bears. 'This one is probably centuries old. For as long as the bears have been on this island, they've taken this path. The cubs follow their elders, putting their feet exactly where the older bears walk. That's how they learn to cross this place.'"
The young and inexperienced follow the elders, they walk in their footsteps and that is how they learn. And once they know the way, they show it to others. The knowledge is passed down from generation to generation, and we find ourselves needing something similar. John said that, "It awakened some deep, ancient yearning in me." This guidance is something we all long for as men, and so at the end of Wild at Heart, where we have recovered our strong, masculine heart, we continue with the journey.
"This is a book about what it looks like to become a man, and - far more to our need - how to become a man. There is no more hazardous undertaking, this business of 'becoming a man,' full of dangers, counterfeits, and disasters. It is the Great Trial of every man's life, played out over time, and every male young and old finds himself in this journey. Though there are few who find their way through. Out perilous journey has been made all the more difficult because we live in a time with very little direction. A time with very few fathers to show us the way. As men, we desperately need something like that marked trail of Chichagof Island. Not more rules, not another list of principles, not formulas. A sure path, marked by men for centuries before us... What you are holding in your hands is, as the cover indicates, a map. It chronicles the stages of the masculine journey from boyhood to old age. This is not a book of clinical psychology, nor a manual of child development."
This doesn't have all the answers; this doesn't tell us everything we will encounter along the way. "The pleasure of a map is that it gives you the lay of the land, and yet you still have to make choices about how you will cover the terrain before you. A map is a guide, not a formula. It offers freedom... It does not tell you why the mountain is there, or how old the forest is. It tells you how to get where you are going... A map cannot answer all the questions a person might have. It is offered only to the traveler, who wants to know the path. Those who would take the masculine journey will gain a great deal by following the map. Those who want to analyze it will no doubt find cause to, and remain at home."
But we must pull out the map; we must climb the mountain, venture through the forest, and ford the stream. We must be willing to set out into the unknown with simply the guide to where we are going. Wild at Heart is a great start, but it is not the end. It begins the healing and points us in the right direction, but it is not the final destination. This map we now have is going to help us write the next chapter, and it is crucial that we do. "Furthermore, many men make the mistake of thinking that clarity equals healing, that understanding equals restoration. They do not. Reading about a country doesn't mean you've been there."
From reading the last book I have come to a deeper understanding of things in my life, but there are still some things I'm working through, and in many ways the things contained in this book will help with further healing and restoration. If you haven't read it before let me say that this book is going to focus on seeing God as your Father (this book was re-published under the title Fathered by God), for many of us, probably the Father we wish we would have had. This is how we are meant to see God, "the God of the Bible is portrayed as a great Father... It opens a new horizon for us."
We are in the situation we are because we are living in "a time without a father." "First, that most men and most boys have no real father able to guide them through the jungles of the masculine journey, and they are - most of us are - unfinished and unfathered men. Or boys. Or boys in men's bodies." Many of our fathers can't lead us down the path because they haven't been led down it themselves. And so we must look to God so that we break the chains that hold masculinity captive. God is the Father we can always turn to, and He will lead us into masculinity. "And that is actually an occasion for hope. Because the life you've known as a man is not all there is. There is another way. A path laid down for centuries by men who have gone before us. A marked trail. And there is a Father ready to show us that path and help us follow it."
God is moving ahead of us, let's follow in His footsteps as we go The Way of the Wild Heart.
"Iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another."
To God alone be the Glory!
Strength and Honor
Thursday, June 20, 2013
Tuesday, June 18, 2013
Courageous
Before we dive into the next book I feel like I need to share this. In 2011 a church in Georgia made a movie about men and fathers becoming who they were called to be. For the movie the group Casting Crowns wrote a song with the same title.
We were made to be courageous
We were made to lead the way
We could be the generation
That finally breaks the chains
We were made to be courageous
We were made to be courageous
We were warriors on the front lines
Standing unafraid
But now we're watchers on the sidelines
While our families slip away
Where are you, men of courage?
You were made for so much more
Let the pounding of our hearts cry
We will serve the Lord
We were made to be courageous
And we're taking back the fight
We were made to be courageous
And it starts with us tonight
The only way we'll ever stand
Is on our knees with lifted hands
Make us courageous
Lord, make us courageous
This is our resolution
Our answer to the call
We will love our wives and children
We refuse to let them fall
We will reignite the passion
That we buried deep inside
May the watchers become warriors
Let the men of God arise
We were made to be courageous
And we're taking back the fight
We were made to be courageous
And it starts with us tonight
The only way we'll ever stand
Is on our knees with lifted hands
Make us courageous
Lord, make us courageous
Seek justice
Love mercy
Walk humbly with your God
In the war of the mind
I will make my stand
In the battle of the heart
And the battle of the hand
In the war of the mind
I will make my stand
In the battle of the heart
And the battle of the hand
We were made to be courageous
And we're taking back the fight
We were made to be courageous
And it starts with us tonight
The only way we'll ever stand
Is on our knees with lifted hands
Make us courageous
Lord, make us courageous
We were made to be courageous
Lord, make us courageous
(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pkM-gDcmJeM)
We were made to courageously lead. We could be the generation that finally does break the chains. We can take our place on the front lines again, and be Men of God who stand firmly. And as it says, the only way we ever stand is on our knees with lifted hands. Look at the strength and honor pictures to the left.
We were made to be courageous, it starts with us right now. We must be men of courage who refuse to let our families slip away and our world fall farther from God. We have been given strong, passionate hearts that we are to live from. So may God empower us to be courageous as we take our place and act like men.
"Iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another."
To God alone be the Glory!
Strength and Honor
We were made to be courageous
We were made to lead the way
We could be the generation
That finally breaks the chains
We were made to be courageous
We were made to be courageous
We were warriors on the front lines
Standing unafraid
But now we're watchers on the sidelines
While our families slip away
Where are you, men of courage?
You were made for so much more
Let the pounding of our hearts cry
We will serve the Lord
We were made to be courageous
And we're taking back the fight
We were made to be courageous
And it starts with us tonight
The only way we'll ever stand
Is on our knees with lifted hands
Make us courageous
Lord, make us courageous
This is our resolution
Our answer to the call
We will love our wives and children
We refuse to let them fall
We will reignite the passion
That we buried deep inside
May the watchers become warriors
Let the men of God arise
We were made to be courageous
And we're taking back the fight
We were made to be courageous
And it starts with us tonight
The only way we'll ever stand
Is on our knees with lifted hands
Make us courageous
Lord, make us courageous
Seek justice
Love mercy
Walk humbly with your God
In the war of the mind
I will make my stand
In the battle of the heart
And the battle of the hand
In the war of the mind
I will make my stand
In the battle of the heart
And the battle of the hand
We were made to be courageous
And we're taking back the fight
We were made to be courageous
And it starts with us tonight
The only way we'll ever stand
Is on our knees with lifted hands
Make us courageous
Lord, make us courageous
We were made to be courageous
Lord, make us courageous
(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pkM-gDcmJeM)
We were made to courageously lead. We could be the generation that finally does break the chains. We can take our place on the front lines again, and be Men of God who stand firmly. And as it says, the only way we ever stand is on our knees with lifted hands. Look at the strength and honor pictures to the left.
We were made to be courageous, it starts with us right now. We must be men of courage who refuse to let our families slip away and our world fall farther from God. We have been given strong, passionate hearts that we are to live from. So may God empower us to be courageous as we take our place and act like men.
"Iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another."
To God alone be the Glory!
Strength and Honor
Monday, June 17, 2013
Wild at Heart, Epiloge: What Now?
Yes, I actually read this part of the book. In college I had a professor who would give reading quizzes. We were able to take notes on them and use them for the quiz. Quiz day came, and there on the quiz was a question from the preface of the book. Who asks a question from the preface? Do people actually read them? Since that day I have read the preface, forward, and epilogue of every book I've read, and there has been some good stuff I've found in them. This book is no different.
"The journey has begun. The battle has been joined." But it's crucial to remember that this is just the beginning. Through these last few months, I have gained so much, but there is still a long way to go. But as we move forward there are some important things to keep in mind. John gives a few pieces of advice as the reader concludes this book.
"First, do not rush to the next thing. The church is full of fads, the world a circus of distraction... Your masculine journey is the central mission of your life; everything else depends on your success here. So stay with this!" I'm not a big fan of the current public education system. I feel that too much of it is focused on memorizing facts to put down on a test, and then it is all forgotten to make room for the next set of facts. How much is actually retained? We make people that are good test takers and short term memorizers, but how many learners are formed?
This is not a lesson to be learned to pass a test, this is life, and yours is not the only one impacted by your journey. Go back over things you don't recall or are still working through. Part of the point of writing this is so it is out there when you need it. The life that we were made for is there for us and "there is nothing to compare with the freedom and life that can be had. But you must choose it. You must be intentional. Or the world, your flesh, and the devil will have you for lunch." Don't treat this as a school lesson, this is too crucial to be memorized and forgotten.
Second, John suggests the Daily Prayer that can be found and downloaded at his website (http://store.ransomedheart.com/daily-prayer.html). I have listened to it, but haven't done much with it. But it is a very inclusive prayer, inviting God into every aspect of life. Listen to it; modify it to your life. In addition to this he recommends using the Field Manual he wrote for the book. I tried to work through it years ago but didn't get very far. I'm hoping at some point to actually be able to do a study like this with a group of men and at that point really dive into the Manual.
The next recommendation is where the blog is headed next, "Read Fathered by God next. I wrote that book as the sequel to this one; it lays out the six stages of the masculine journey and how to find the initiation we all need to become men in full, whole, and holy men. Wild at Heart is masculinity 101, Fathered by God takes you a whole lot farther down the field." Fathered by God is actually a reprinting of The Way of the Wild Heart, and it has a few chapters removed. I'll be working with the original text, and I recommend reading that one. And again, this is where I am headed next, so let's continue the journey together.
"Get some guys together. You need brothers. Allies... a band of very dangerous men." That goes without saying. My wife and I are beginning the next stage of life as Life Group leaders at church. Right now it is us and two other couples beginning to do life together. I don't know either of these guys that well, one of them at all, yet, but God has brought us together in order to become Men of God and spiritual leaders for our families.
We are also told to "Go after other men." This blog started as a burden on my heart. A burden to reach out to men, doing what I can to help them on this journey. We have the responsibility to help boys become men, and to help men become Men of God. The next book shows us a little how to do this. But it is a crucial part of the journey, and it is one of the most fulfilling aspects of masculinity.
"Now, if you are married, two things: Give your wife Captivating to read (it's the feminine version of this book)... Then the two of you should read Love and War, which Stasi (his wife) and I wrote together about marriage from this point of view." I have given my wife Captivating, and we do have Love and War, but it is packed in a storage unit at the moment, but as soon as possible I want to read it with her. I have wasted too much time not doing that.
"Pursue your further healing. Learn how to fight. Develop a conversational intimacy with God... This is only the beginning. There is an entire kingdom waiting through this door."
It has begun, keep pressing on with me my brothers.
"Iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another."
To God alone be the Glory!
Strength and Honor
"The journey has begun. The battle has been joined." But it's crucial to remember that this is just the beginning. Through these last few months, I have gained so much, but there is still a long way to go. But as we move forward there are some important things to keep in mind. John gives a few pieces of advice as the reader concludes this book.
"First, do not rush to the next thing. The church is full of fads, the world a circus of distraction... Your masculine journey is the central mission of your life; everything else depends on your success here. So stay with this!" I'm not a big fan of the current public education system. I feel that too much of it is focused on memorizing facts to put down on a test, and then it is all forgotten to make room for the next set of facts. How much is actually retained? We make people that are good test takers and short term memorizers, but how many learners are formed?
This is not a lesson to be learned to pass a test, this is life, and yours is not the only one impacted by your journey. Go back over things you don't recall or are still working through. Part of the point of writing this is so it is out there when you need it. The life that we were made for is there for us and "there is nothing to compare with the freedom and life that can be had. But you must choose it. You must be intentional. Or the world, your flesh, and the devil will have you for lunch." Don't treat this as a school lesson, this is too crucial to be memorized and forgotten.
Second, John suggests the Daily Prayer that can be found and downloaded at his website (http://store.ransomedheart.com/daily-prayer.html). I have listened to it, but haven't done much with it. But it is a very inclusive prayer, inviting God into every aspect of life. Listen to it; modify it to your life. In addition to this he recommends using the Field Manual he wrote for the book. I tried to work through it years ago but didn't get very far. I'm hoping at some point to actually be able to do a study like this with a group of men and at that point really dive into the Manual.
The next recommendation is where the blog is headed next, "Read Fathered by God next. I wrote that book as the sequel to this one; it lays out the six stages of the masculine journey and how to find the initiation we all need to become men in full, whole, and holy men. Wild at Heart is masculinity 101, Fathered by God takes you a whole lot farther down the field." Fathered by God is actually a reprinting of The Way of the Wild Heart, and it has a few chapters removed. I'll be working with the original text, and I recommend reading that one. And again, this is where I am headed next, so let's continue the journey together.
"Get some guys together. You need brothers. Allies... a band of very dangerous men." That goes without saying. My wife and I are beginning the next stage of life as Life Group leaders at church. Right now it is us and two other couples beginning to do life together. I don't know either of these guys that well, one of them at all, yet, but God has brought us together in order to become Men of God and spiritual leaders for our families.
We are also told to "Go after other men." This blog started as a burden on my heart. A burden to reach out to men, doing what I can to help them on this journey. We have the responsibility to help boys become men, and to help men become Men of God. The next book shows us a little how to do this. But it is a crucial part of the journey, and it is one of the most fulfilling aspects of masculinity.
"Now, if you are married, two things: Give your wife Captivating to read (it's the feminine version of this book)... Then the two of you should read Love and War, which Stasi (his wife) and I wrote together about marriage from this point of view." I have given my wife Captivating, and we do have Love and War, but it is packed in a storage unit at the moment, but as soon as possible I want to read it with her. I have wasted too much time not doing that.
"Pursue your further healing. Learn how to fight. Develop a conversational intimacy with God... This is only the beginning. There is an entire kingdom waiting through this door."
It has begun, keep pressing on with me my brothers.
"Iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another."
To God alone be the Glory!
Strength and Honor
Thursday, June 13, 2013
Wild at Heart, Chapter 12: Writing the Next Chapter
"Freedom is useless if we don't exercise it as characters making choices... Few things are as encouraging as the realization that things can be different and that we have a role in making them so." We were made to live free. In the beginning God created man and gave him freedom to live and explore the world. "Then God said, 'Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; and let them rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over the cattle and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.' God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. God blessed them; and God said to them, 'Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth, and subdue it; and rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over every living thing that moves on the earth.' Then God said, 'Behold, I have given you every plant yielding seed that is on the surface of all the earth, and every tree which has fruit yielding seed; it shall be food for you;'" (Genesis 1.26-29).
That was what we were created for, live, work, explore, and enjoy all of creation. It sounds perfect because it was. But then the enemy launched his assault. He saw an opportunity and took advantage of it, and at that moment everything changed. There was now a curse on everything. Our strength had been sabotaged, the beauty had been imprisoned, and everything was now set against us. But God, the creator, is also the redeemer. He began preparing for D-Day, and began to work to bring His creation back to what He created it to be.
Jesus came, and He died on the cross so that we could be free. "It was for freedom that Christ set us free; therefore keep standing firm and do not be subject again to a yoke of slavery" (Galatians 5.1). We have been granted freedom from sin so that we can reclaim our masculine heart of strength. And if we do not embark upon this journey then our freedom is wasted. But this journey is simply the beginning. It is one we all must take, but it is not the end. We have freedom, and as we reclaim our hearts we take upon ourselves a God given role to join Him in His restorative work.
That is what we were made to do, Men of God is who we were create to be. But until we have gotten there we are stuck. "God will never reveal more truth about himself until you have obeyed what you know already." You know that you were made for more than existence. You know that you were made for life; a life of battle, adventure, and a rescued beauty. But none of this is possible until our strength has been recovered. And once it has been we begin to see life as it was meant to lived. And once we taste it, we will settle for nothing less than what we were made for.
At the very beginning of the book we read these words, "I know. I almost want to apologize. Dear Lord - do we really need another book for men? Nope. We need something else. We need permission. Permission to be what we are - men made in God's image." And here at the end of the final chapter we are given just that.
"Now, reader, it is your turn to write - venture forth with God. Remember, don't ask yourself what the world needs... What is the life you want to live? What is God calling you to through the deep desires of your heart and the move of his Spirit in you? The next chapter is yours to write."
Go on with God to the life He created you to live. Take risks and worship deeply. Embrace the role that is yours to play, and live fully alive. You, Man of God, fight the good fight of faith, finish the course, receive the crown, and glorify God.
"Iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another."
To God alone be the Glory!
Strength and Honor
That was what we were created for, live, work, explore, and enjoy all of creation. It sounds perfect because it was. But then the enemy launched his assault. He saw an opportunity and took advantage of it, and at that moment everything changed. There was now a curse on everything. Our strength had been sabotaged, the beauty had been imprisoned, and everything was now set against us. But God, the creator, is also the redeemer. He began preparing for D-Day, and began to work to bring His creation back to what He created it to be.
Jesus came, and He died on the cross so that we could be free. "It was for freedom that Christ set us free; therefore keep standing firm and do not be subject again to a yoke of slavery" (Galatians 5.1). We have been granted freedom from sin so that we can reclaim our masculine heart of strength. And if we do not embark upon this journey then our freedom is wasted. But this journey is simply the beginning. It is one we all must take, but it is not the end. We have freedom, and as we reclaim our hearts we take upon ourselves a God given role to join Him in His restorative work.
That is what we were made to do, Men of God is who we were create to be. But until we have gotten there we are stuck. "God will never reveal more truth about himself until you have obeyed what you know already." You know that you were made for more than existence. You know that you were made for life; a life of battle, adventure, and a rescued beauty. But none of this is possible until our strength has been recovered. And once it has been we begin to see life as it was meant to lived. And once we taste it, we will settle for nothing less than what we were made for.
At the very beginning of the book we read these words, "I know. I almost want to apologize. Dear Lord - do we really need another book for men? Nope. We need something else. We need permission. Permission to be what we are - men made in God's image." And here at the end of the final chapter we are given just that.
"Now, reader, it is your turn to write - venture forth with God. Remember, don't ask yourself what the world needs... What is the life you want to live? What is God calling you to through the deep desires of your heart and the move of his Spirit in you? The next chapter is yours to write."
Go on with God to the life He created you to live. Take risks and worship deeply. Embrace the role that is yours to play, and live fully alive. You, Man of God, fight the good fight of faith, finish the course, receive the crown, and glorify God.
"Iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another."
To God alone be the Glory!
Strength and Honor
Monday, June 10, 2013
Wild at Heart, Chapter 11: An Adventure to Live, part 5
Initially I was only going to do four posts on this chapter, but as I got to the end of yesterday's this just didn't seem to fit. I'm about to share a bit of my heart, something that those closest to me know about. But here is perhaps the deepest desire on my heart that will never be fulfilled.
I want to be a Navy SEAL. Everything I've ever done in life my goal has been to be the best, and the SEALs are the most elite commandos in the world. When I was younger I was terrified of joining the military because I didn't like pain and the idea of death scared me. It's not that either of those has changed, but I'm a lot tougher now than I was then, and I'm motivated now by something greater than self-preservation. But at this point in my life I'm too old, and too out of shape to attempt anything like that.
It's been difficult these last few years hearing about the different things they have accomplished, knowing that if I had gone for it and made it, I could have been on those missions. It isn't about the attention or the glory. It isn't about having some great stories to tell the grandkids, SEALs don't tell war stories. It's about being the best, doing something that very few can do, because you can. It's about serving others, and doing whatever is necessary so that others can be free and safe.
On May 25, 2013 I had an incredible moment; I met a SEAL, and not just a SEAL, but one of the original SEALs. I was at work and he was walking towards me with a Navy hat on. I thanked him for serving and asked if I could help him. He said he was fine, but as he walked past me I noticed something on his chest, a pin of the triton and eagle, the symbol of the SEALs. I stopped turned and asked him, and he then talked to me for about fifteen minutes. And as he talked I was glad that God had spared me from that life. Don't get me wrong, part of me still wishes I had tried; part of me still wishes I could do it, but I am so grateful that I have never had to experience war.
"We have desires in our hearts that are core to who and what we are; they are almost mythic in their meaning, waking in us something transcendent and eternal. But we can be mistaken about how those desires will be lived out. The way in which God fulfills a desire may be different from what first awakened it."
So how does God fulfill this desire to be the most elite commando in the world in my life? It's only possible when I see life as the war it really is. As a Christ follower I've enlisted in God's military, all of us have. Each of us plays a different role, we all have different callings and roles, and all of them are essential. It's not that pastors are any more holy, righteous, or important than any other Christian, we are just people who are striving to become more like Christ, but we have the added responsibility of leading and instructing people in spiritual matters. The Bible says in James 3.1, "Let not many of you become teachers, my brethren, knowing that as such we will incur a stricter judgment." Pastors are held to a higher standard according to the Bible.
In the first letter to Timothy, Paul warns that Church leaders are not to be put in place quickly and without prayer and careful consideration (1 Timothy 3). This is not a calling for everyone; it is not a life for everyone. Aside from the higher standard of God, we are also targeted by the enemy, and sadly, by people. When a pastor falls into sin everything he has worked for is undone, and so the enemy works hard to make him fall. People work to take down pastors when they do things that they don't like, even if it is Biblically sound and working to build the Kingdom.
Pastors deal with a lot, things that most Christians don't. We dedicate our lives to the ministry of the Gospel; our livelihood is dependent upon it. And while it brings incredible blessings, it is not in any way without its hardships. And in some ways, I feel like God's SEAL. He has placed a high calling on my life; I've been through training and battle, and have scars to show for it. But there is still work to do, there are still people that need to become like Christ, there are future leaders that need to be mentored and trained. No matter how hard the battle gets I can't quit. I must rely on my source of strength and the training He has provided me. And on top of that, there are the other members of SEAL Team Pastor. We have to stand together, along with all of God's military. We are at war, and all of us play a crucial role in the battle. Will you play yours?
We all have desires, and they may not be fulfilled in the way we first thought. I will never be a sailor in the US Navy, and without that I can never be a Navy SEAL, but God has called me to serve Him in a great capacity. What is your heart’s desire? How is God fulfilling it? How is your life the great adventure that your heart longs for?
"Iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another."
To God alone be the Glory!
Strength and Honor
I want to be a Navy SEAL. Everything I've ever done in life my goal has been to be the best, and the SEALs are the most elite commandos in the world. When I was younger I was terrified of joining the military because I didn't like pain and the idea of death scared me. It's not that either of those has changed, but I'm a lot tougher now than I was then, and I'm motivated now by something greater than self-preservation. But at this point in my life I'm too old, and too out of shape to attempt anything like that.
It's been difficult these last few years hearing about the different things they have accomplished, knowing that if I had gone for it and made it, I could have been on those missions. It isn't about the attention or the glory. It isn't about having some great stories to tell the grandkids, SEALs don't tell war stories. It's about being the best, doing something that very few can do, because you can. It's about serving others, and doing whatever is necessary so that others can be free and safe.
On May 25, 2013 I had an incredible moment; I met a SEAL, and not just a SEAL, but one of the original SEALs. I was at work and he was walking towards me with a Navy hat on. I thanked him for serving and asked if I could help him. He said he was fine, but as he walked past me I noticed something on his chest, a pin of the triton and eagle, the symbol of the SEALs. I stopped turned and asked him, and he then talked to me for about fifteen minutes. And as he talked I was glad that God had spared me from that life. Don't get me wrong, part of me still wishes I had tried; part of me still wishes I could do it, but I am so grateful that I have never had to experience war.
"We have desires in our hearts that are core to who and what we are; they are almost mythic in their meaning, waking in us something transcendent and eternal. But we can be mistaken about how those desires will be lived out. The way in which God fulfills a desire may be different from what first awakened it."
So how does God fulfill this desire to be the most elite commando in the world in my life? It's only possible when I see life as the war it really is. As a Christ follower I've enlisted in God's military, all of us have. Each of us plays a different role, we all have different callings and roles, and all of them are essential. It's not that pastors are any more holy, righteous, or important than any other Christian, we are just people who are striving to become more like Christ, but we have the added responsibility of leading and instructing people in spiritual matters. The Bible says in James 3.1, "Let not many of you become teachers, my brethren, knowing that as such we will incur a stricter judgment." Pastors are held to a higher standard according to the Bible.
In the first letter to Timothy, Paul warns that Church leaders are not to be put in place quickly and without prayer and careful consideration (1 Timothy 3). This is not a calling for everyone; it is not a life for everyone. Aside from the higher standard of God, we are also targeted by the enemy, and sadly, by people. When a pastor falls into sin everything he has worked for is undone, and so the enemy works hard to make him fall. People work to take down pastors when they do things that they don't like, even if it is Biblically sound and working to build the Kingdom.
Pastors deal with a lot, things that most Christians don't. We dedicate our lives to the ministry of the Gospel; our livelihood is dependent upon it. And while it brings incredible blessings, it is not in any way without its hardships. And in some ways, I feel like God's SEAL. He has placed a high calling on my life; I've been through training and battle, and have scars to show for it. But there is still work to do, there are still people that need to become like Christ, there are future leaders that need to be mentored and trained. No matter how hard the battle gets I can't quit. I must rely on my source of strength and the training He has provided me. And on top of that, there are the other members of SEAL Team Pastor. We have to stand together, along with all of God's military. We are at war, and all of us play a crucial role in the battle. Will you play yours?
We all have desires, and they may not be fulfilled in the way we first thought. I will never be a sailor in the US Navy, and without that I can never be a Navy SEAL, but God has called me to serve Him in a great capacity. What is your heart’s desire? How is God fulfilling it? How is your life the great adventure that your heart longs for?
"Iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another."
To God alone be the Glory!
Strength and Honor
Sunday, June 9, 2013
Wild at Heart, Chapter 11: An Adventure to Live, part 4
"I'm not suggesting that the Christian life is chaotic or that a real man is flagrantly irresponsible. The poser who squanders his paycheck at the racetrack or the slot machines is not a man; he's a fool. The sluggard who quits his job and makes his wife go to work so he can stay home to practice his golf sing, thinking he'll make the pro tour, is 'worse than an unbeliever' (1 Tim. 5:8). What I am saying is that our false self demands a formula before he'll engage; he wants a guarantee of success, and mister, you aren't going to get one. So there comes a time in a man's life when he's got to break away from all that and head off into the unknown with God. This is a vital part of our journey and if we balk here, the journey ends."
Adventure is not an excuse for irresponsibility. Saying you're on the journey to become the man you were created to be does not permit you to abandon the responsibilities of providing for the family God has given you. But what it does mean is that we must step out in faith and trust God. If we are to become men it is only by His grace and guidance, and so we must step out blindly in faith, not irresponsibility, and let God take us where He is leading.
This doesn't mean I dig myself into a hole and then ask God to pull me out of it. It means I am going to work as hard as I can; I'm going to give everything I have, and trust God to fulfill where I fall short. It means I'm not going to worry about my daily needs, but trust God to provide for them. It means I'm going to take a shot, my best shot, and watch what He does with it. But this is adventure, and it will require effort from me. It will require me to do my part.
And if this is something we refuse to do, the journey cannot continue. God cannot lead men who refuse to follow Him. God cannot show Himself to be trust worthy to men who refuse to trust Him. God cannot fulfill the short comings of a man who refuses to try at all. God cannot make a man out of a boy who refuses to act like one. We are called to and were made for adventure, and everything that entails, but we must be willing to take the first step and follow God down the road less traveled by.
"The only way to live in this adventure - with all its danger and unpredictability and immensely high stakes - is in an ongoing, intimate relationship with God. The control we so desperately crave is an illusion. Far better to give it up in exchange for God's offer of companionship, set aside stale formulas so that we might enter into an informal friendship."
Think back to the Great Commission. "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age" (Matthew 28.19-20). Jesus says "Go and do this... in this way..." and that's all the instructions He gives. He leaves so much open, but the last recorded words we have Him saying before returning to Heaven are, "I am with you always, even to the end of the age." There isn't the promise of answers or formula; there is certainly no control, simply the promise of His presence.
I think of what Paul said in Philippians 4.11-13, "Not that I speak from want, for I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am. I know how to get along with humble means, and I also know how to live in prosperity; in any and every circumstance I have learned the secret of being filled and going hungry, both of having abundance and suffering need. I can do all things through Him who strengthens me." Verse 13 is one of, if not thee, most misquoted verse in the Bible. What it means is that I can endure anything life throws at me, because no matter what, I have Christ.
"God calls you his friend. He wants to talk to you - personally, frequently." Think about that, God calls you His friend. There was a song we used to sing in chapel when I was in high school, "Friend of God". The lady who led the singing that year had us sing it pretty much every week, and like most things that aren't understood, people didn't see the significance of it, and in typical high schooler fashion, made fun of it. Until just a few minutes ago I didn't grasp what I think she was trying to do. I think she was trying to help us all understand that God, who created the universe, who spoke everything into existence, He calls me His friend.
God knows my name. God knows everything about me. And God wants to talk to me. He wants to speak to me in ways I will understand and relate to. He wants to talk to me all the time. God wants to spend every minute of the day with me, just by my side. I think there is a reason that "dog", is God spelled backwards; dogs mirror the relationship God wants with us, and offers to us. Right now my dog, Rosie, is laying at my side. If I get up she will follow me out of the room. If someone were to run into the room and try to hurt me, she would at the very least start barking. If I talk to her, she listens intently. The dog is man's best friend. And that is what God wants with us; He already calls us, and treats us like we are, His. It's time we returned it.
"Our whole journey into authentic masculinity centers around those cool-of-the-day talks with God. Simple questions change hassles to adventures; the events of our lives become opportunities for initiation." Do you see now how impossible it is to become a man without God? Do you see how dependent our masculinity is upon Him? Without deep and constant intimacy with God, we will never be the men we were created to be.
"Iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another."
To God alone be the Glory!
Strength and Honor
Adventure is not an excuse for irresponsibility. Saying you're on the journey to become the man you were created to be does not permit you to abandon the responsibilities of providing for the family God has given you. But what it does mean is that we must step out in faith and trust God. If we are to become men it is only by His grace and guidance, and so we must step out blindly in faith, not irresponsibility, and let God take us where He is leading.
This doesn't mean I dig myself into a hole and then ask God to pull me out of it. It means I am going to work as hard as I can; I'm going to give everything I have, and trust God to fulfill where I fall short. It means I'm not going to worry about my daily needs, but trust God to provide for them. It means I'm going to take a shot, my best shot, and watch what He does with it. But this is adventure, and it will require effort from me. It will require me to do my part.
And if this is something we refuse to do, the journey cannot continue. God cannot lead men who refuse to follow Him. God cannot show Himself to be trust worthy to men who refuse to trust Him. God cannot fulfill the short comings of a man who refuses to try at all. God cannot make a man out of a boy who refuses to act like one. We are called to and were made for adventure, and everything that entails, but we must be willing to take the first step and follow God down the road less traveled by.
"The only way to live in this adventure - with all its danger and unpredictability and immensely high stakes - is in an ongoing, intimate relationship with God. The control we so desperately crave is an illusion. Far better to give it up in exchange for God's offer of companionship, set aside stale formulas so that we might enter into an informal friendship."
Think back to the Great Commission. "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age" (Matthew 28.19-20). Jesus says "Go and do this... in this way..." and that's all the instructions He gives. He leaves so much open, but the last recorded words we have Him saying before returning to Heaven are, "I am with you always, even to the end of the age." There isn't the promise of answers or formula; there is certainly no control, simply the promise of His presence.
I think of what Paul said in Philippians 4.11-13, "Not that I speak from want, for I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am. I know how to get along with humble means, and I also know how to live in prosperity; in any and every circumstance I have learned the secret of being filled and going hungry, both of having abundance and suffering need. I can do all things through Him who strengthens me." Verse 13 is one of, if not thee, most misquoted verse in the Bible. What it means is that I can endure anything life throws at me, because no matter what, I have Christ.
"God calls you his friend. He wants to talk to you - personally, frequently." Think about that, God calls you His friend. There was a song we used to sing in chapel when I was in high school, "Friend of God". The lady who led the singing that year had us sing it pretty much every week, and like most things that aren't understood, people didn't see the significance of it, and in typical high schooler fashion, made fun of it. Until just a few minutes ago I didn't grasp what I think she was trying to do. I think she was trying to help us all understand that God, who created the universe, who spoke everything into existence, He calls me His friend.
God knows my name. God knows everything about me. And God wants to talk to me. He wants to speak to me in ways I will understand and relate to. He wants to talk to me all the time. God wants to spend every minute of the day with me, just by my side. I think there is a reason that "dog", is God spelled backwards; dogs mirror the relationship God wants with us, and offers to us. Right now my dog, Rosie, is laying at my side. If I get up she will follow me out of the room. If someone were to run into the room and try to hurt me, she would at the very least start barking. If I talk to her, she listens intently. The dog is man's best friend. And that is what God wants with us; He already calls us, and treats us like we are, His. It's time we returned it.
"Our whole journey into authentic masculinity centers around those cool-of-the-day talks with God. Simple questions change hassles to adventures; the events of our lives become opportunities for initiation." Do you see now how impossible it is to become a man without God? Do you see how dependent our masculinity is upon Him? Without deep and constant intimacy with God, we will never be the men we were created to be.
"Iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another."
To God alone be the Glory!
Strength and Honor
Saturday, June 8, 2013
Wild at Heart, Chapter 11: An Adventure to Live, part 3
"The spiritual life cannot be made suburban. It is always frontier and we who live in it must accept and even rejoice that it remains untamed." It's unknown and uncertain. We hear in the Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey "Home is now behind you. The World is ahead." Bilbo says in the The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, "It's a dangerous business, Frodo, going out your door. You step onto the road, and if you don't keep your feet, there's no knowing where you might be swept off to." But such is the way of adventure. There in the mystery and uncertainty, and that is what our true hearts long for.
"The greatest obstacle to realizing our dreams is the false self's hatred of mystery. That's a problem, you see, because mystery is essential to adventure. More than that, mystery is the heart of the universe and the God who made it." Proverbs 25.2 says, "It is the glory of God to conceal a matter, but the glory of kings is to search out a matter." We'll see in The Way of the Wild Heart, that every one of us is to be a king, its part of the masculine journey. But if we are ever to get there we must embrace adventure. We must seek out the mysteries of God if we are to reclaim our real heart of strength.
And all of this is unique to each individual. "There are no formulas with God. Period. So there are no formulas for the man who follows him. God is a Person, not a doctrine." I think this is one of the biggest things the Church has missed, we have reduced God to a statement of beliefs and we hold more tightly to doctrine than faith. One Sunday I was speaking at a church on some passage out of Philippians. I think it was on the Savior or Lord form Philippians 1.27-2.11. Afterwards a lady came up to me and said, "That was really good. And it's Nazarene." I didn't say anything because it would have caused more headaches than it was worth, but I was thinking, "No it's the Bible. It's God, and it's the Person of Jesus."
We cannot reduce God a five step set of instructions, a "do this and everything will work out." "The problem with modern Christianity's obsession with principles is that it removes any real conversation with God. Find the principle, apply the principle - what do you need God for? So Oswald Chambers warns us, 'Never make a principle out of your experience; let God be as original with other people as he is with you."
I can tell you have God has spoken to me. I can tell you what I have done to connect with Him. I can share with you things He's shown me to be a better man and a more Christlike disciple. But I think it needs to be more a story of God's faithfulness and blessings instead of spiritual check list. Just because God has worked and spoken to me in some way doesn't mean He will do it in the same way with you. He is personal, and He has invited you into a relationship with Him that allows the two of you to be deeply personal. God wants you to share your heart with Him, and He wants to share His heart with you in a way that is unique to you.
"Originality and creativity are essential to personhood and to masculine strength. The adventure begins and our real strength is released when we no longer rely on formulas. God is an immensely creative Person and he wants his sons to live that way too." Last Sunday in Church I was a bit overwhelmed, not in a bad way, almost with excitement about future possibilities. I don't know how exactly to describe how I was feeling but I knew that I needed to get away with God. And so I headed back to The Ledges, a place in the Cuyahoga Valley National Park where I've gone before to try and escape. It isn't exactly wilderness, but it's about close as you can get in North East Ohio.
My plan was to sit and read Proverbs 3, it's been on my heart and mind a lot recently and I wanted to really sit an meditate on it. In the past during times like this God has spoken to me through Scripture. But that wasn't how God wanted to speak today. I had hiked about a mile and a half to get there, and as I sat in the shade on a rock ledge I pulled out my phone and pulled up a couple of worship songs on YouTube. There in the woods I worshiped and connected with God. My heart had peace about the decisions that had to be made; all thanks to time alone with God, hearing Him speak as He chose.
That decision is one that requires faith and trust. It's the sort of thing that if it's God's will I can only fulfill it with Him guiding me every step of the way. That's how adventure works, and this is just that, adventure. "When it comes to living and loving, what's required is a willingness to jump in with both feet and be creative as you go." There is only so much we can plan and prepare for; a lot of it ends up being reaction and a refusal to give up. And that's why adventure is so satisfying. It tests you and shows you who you are as a man.
"This is where we are now - in the midst of battle without the training we really need, and there are few men around to show us how to do it. We are going to have to figure a lot of this out for ourselves... We know how to be nice. But we don't really know how to fight, and we're going to have to learn as we go. That is where our strength will be crystallized, deepened, and revealed. A man is never more a man than when he embraces an adventure beyond his control, or when he walks into a battle he isn’t sure of winning." That type of life demands total reliance upon God, deeper faith in Him than we've ever known. And that is how we are called to live. Who’s ready for an adventure?
"Iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another."
To God alone be the Glory!
Strength and Honor
"The greatest obstacle to realizing our dreams is the false self's hatred of mystery. That's a problem, you see, because mystery is essential to adventure. More than that, mystery is the heart of the universe and the God who made it." Proverbs 25.2 says, "It is the glory of God to conceal a matter, but the glory of kings is to search out a matter." We'll see in The Way of the Wild Heart, that every one of us is to be a king, its part of the masculine journey. But if we are ever to get there we must embrace adventure. We must seek out the mysteries of God if we are to reclaim our real heart of strength.
And all of this is unique to each individual. "There are no formulas with God. Period. So there are no formulas for the man who follows him. God is a Person, not a doctrine." I think this is one of the biggest things the Church has missed, we have reduced God to a statement of beliefs and we hold more tightly to doctrine than faith. One Sunday I was speaking at a church on some passage out of Philippians. I think it was on the Savior or Lord form Philippians 1.27-2.11. Afterwards a lady came up to me and said, "That was really good. And it's Nazarene." I didn't say anything because it would have caused more headaches than it was worth, but I was thinking, "No it's the Bible. It's God, and it's the Person of Jesus."
We cannot reduce God a five step set of instructions, a "do this and everything will work out." "The problem with modern Christianity's obsession with principles is that it removes any real conversation with God. Find the principle, apply the principle - what do you need God for? So Oswald Chambers warns us, 'Never make a principle out of your experience; let God be as original with other people as he is with you."
I can tell you have God has spoken to me. I can tell you what I have done to connect with Him. I can share with you things He's shown me to be a better man and a more Christlike disciple. But I think it needs to be more a story of God's faithfulness and blessings instead of spiritual check list. Just because God has worked and spoken to me in some way doesn't mean He will do it in the same way with you. He is personal, and He has invited you into a relationship with Him that allows the two of you to be deeply personal. God wants you to share your heart with Him, and He wants to share His heart with you in a way that is unique to you.
"Originality and creativity are essential to personhood and to masculine strength. The adventure begins and our real strength is released when we no longer rely on formulas. God is an immensely creative Person and he wants his sons to live that way too." Last Sunday in Church I was a bit overwhelmed, not in a bad way, almost with excitement about future possibilities. I don't know how exactly to describe how I was feeling but I knew that I needed to get away with God. And so I headed back to The Ledges, a place in the Cuyahoga Valley National Park where I've gone before to try and escape. It isn't exactly wilderness, but it's about close as you can get in North East Ohio.
My plan was to sit and read Proverbs 3, it's been on my heart and mind a lot recently and I wanted to really sit an meditate on it. In the past during times like this God has spoken to me through Scripture. But that wasn't how God wanted to speak today. I had hiked about a mile and a half to get there, and as I sat in the shade on a rock ledge I pulled out my phone and pulled up a couple of worship songs on YouTube. There in the woods I worshiped and connected with God. My heart had peace about the decisions that had to be made; all thanks to time alone with God, hearing Him speak as He chose.
That decision is one that requires faith and trust. It's the sort of thing that if it's God's will I can only fulfill it with Him guiding me every step of the way. That's how adventure works, and this is just that, adventure. "When it comes to living and loving, what's required is a willingness to jump in with both feet and be creative as you go." There is only so much we can plan and prepare for; a lot of it ends up being reaction and a refusal to give up. And that's why adventure is so satisfying. It tests you and shows you who you are as a man.
"This is where we are now - in the midst of battle without the training we really need, and there are few men around to show us how to do it. We are going to have to figure a lot of this out for ourselves... We know how to be nice. But we don't really know how to fight, and we're going to have to learn as we go. That is where our strength will be crystallized, deepened, and revealed. A man is never more a man than when he embraces an adventure beyond his control, or when he walks into a battle he isn’t sure of winning." That type of life demands total reliance upon God, deeper faith in Him than we've ever known. And that is how we are called to live. Who’s ready for an adventure?
"Iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another."
To God alone be the Glory!
Strength and Honor
Friday, June 7, 2013
Wild at Heart, Chapter 11: An Adventure to Live, part 2
"Two roads diverged in a wood and I, I took the one less traveled by, and that has made all the difference."
I've heard that line from Robert Frost's The Road Not Taken so many times, but until now I don't know that it ever really made sense to me. The road that is well traveled is safe, and easy to follow. At one point or another all of us have taken that path, and while life does not allow us to go back, it does constantly present us with forks in the road. But the longer we choose the easy path, the harder it gets to leave it. But leave it we must for the road less traveled by, and that will make all the difference.
Something that just came to my mind is from my first backpacking trip with Jeremy. Our initial plans had been scrapped, and so we were sort of making up our own route as we went. We were hiking along the shore of Lake Michigan so there really wasn't any way to get lost, but we simply had a map and were figuring it out as we went. We had just gotten to a small town on the shore, one of those summer retreat places that rich people have, and we had taken off our packs to rest. We pulled out the map and were planning our route back to the truck and we started a conversation with one of the locals. He looked at our map and told us about another path, one that would be a bit of challenge, but was a more direct route to where we needed to get.
I'm not even sure if it was really a hiking path. It wasn't on our map at all. But we decided to follow his directions and go for it. It took us about an hour to hike to the "secret" path, and when we did there was a truck pulling off of it. He stopped and we asked if it lead to where we were going. His reply, "Yeah. You've got a [heck] of a hill to climb." He wasn't kidding. We were passed by two or three other vehicles, one of them was a park ranger who was amazed we were hiking this path with 40 pound packs, but no other hikers. This was definitely the road less traveled by. The regular path followed the shore line and was pretty level, and we passed a ton of people on the beach. But this one really tested us, and there is still a sense of satisfaction I have today because we took that path.
In life our way is similar. While the travelers of this path are few, we are in good company. We walk in the footsteps of the heroes of the faith. Abraham, Moses, Joshua, David, Daniel, Paul, Jesus, they have blazed this trail, we must choose to follow, and because they have gone ahead of us, we are able to.
"Where would we be if Jesus was not fierce and wild and romantic to the core? Come to think of it, we wouldn't be at all if God hadn't taken that enormous risk of creating us in the first place. Most men spend the energy of their lives trying to eliminate risk, or squeezing it down to a more manageable size... If it works, if a man succeeds in securing his life against all risk, he'll wind up in a cocoon of self-protection and wonder all the while why he's suffocating. If it doesn't work, he curses God and redoubles his efforts and his blood pressure. When you look at the structure of the false self men tend to create, it always revolves around two themes: seizing upon some sort of competence and rejecting anything that cannot be controlled."
Where would we be if Jesus was not fierce, wild and romantic? Stuck as slaves to sin, trying desperately, and failing miserably, to fulfill the law. If God hadn't created us we simply wouldn’t be. If He hadn't taken the risk of love and therefore free will, we wouldn't have any choice in what we did or what our lives looked like. We are made in the image of God who risks everything for us, and so we are made for risk.
But many spend their lives working to reduce it. They sacrifice their strength for security and end up miserable and bored. The more we try to control life the more life we lose. "You literally sacrifice your soul and your true power when you insist on controlling things." What excitement is there when everything is under control and predictable?
Yesterday as I was writing there was some commercial on that had something to do with some tropical beach vacation. I think this is a perfect example of all of this. Most people that I've heard talk about their ideal dream vacation involves something like that, but I have to ask why? What excitement is there sitting on a beach or a boat? Why do people enjoy going somewhere to sit in hotel? I'd be bored to death in that setting. "How do you beat boredom... Adventure?"
Take the beach, give me the mountains with my backpack. Give me a river with my canoe and some camping gear. Let me explore the wild with just my knife, fire starter, and some essential equipment. Put me somewhere that things aren't planned out and controlled. Let me be somewhere where anything can happen. As Jeremy and I hiked that first day we kept looking at the sky behind us, it was getting dark and looked like it might storm. As we got our campsite for the night, one of the rangers warned us of a bear that was occasionally seen in the area. I was sad we only had two days up there.
Life does happen. There are things we can't avoid and have to take care of. But let me ask you a question, "If you had permission to do what you really want to do, what would you do?" Anything at all what would it be? "Don't ask how; that will cut your desire off at the knees. How is never the fight question; how is a faithless question... How is God's department. His is asking you what. What is written in your heart? What makes you come alive?... You see, a man's calling is written on his true heart, and he discovers it when he enters the frontier of his deep desires."
John points out that this is not permission to engage in sin. This is not permission to leave your wife or abandon your kids. "There is a design God has woven into the fabric of this world, and if we violate it we cannot hope to find life." Permission is not given to us to engage in sin, God does not give us sinful desires of our heart. Galatians 5.1 says, "It was for freedom that Christ set us free; therefore keep standing firm and do not be subject again to a yoke of slavery." That same chapter contains the Fruit of the Spirit. We recover our hearts of strength in order to live righteous lives serving God. And at that point our desire is for God and His will, and our hearts are free to receive all of His blessings. But this cannot be done when we insist on being in control. Adventure is not controlled.
"To recover his heart's desire a man need to get away from the noise and distraction of his daily life for time with his own soul. He needs to head into the wilderness, to silence and solitude. Alone with himself, he allows whatever is there to come to the surface. Sometimes it is grief for so much lost time. There, beneath the grief, are desires long forsaken." And there we find out calling, we find the will of God that will challenge us, but also satisfy us in a way nothing else ever could.
Strength demands risk. Two roads diverged in a wood, which one are you taking?
"Iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another."
To God alone be the Glory!
Strength and Honor
I've heard that line from Robert Frost's The Road Not Taken so many times, but until now I don't know that it ever really made sense to me. The road that is well traveled is safe, and easy to follow. At one point or another all of us have taken that path, and while life does not allow us to go back, it does constantly present us with forks in the road. But the longer we choose the easy path, the harder it gets to leave it. But leave it we must for the road less traveled by, and that will make all the difference.
Something that just came to my mind is from my first backpacking trip with Jeremy. Our initial plans had been scrapped, and so we were sort of making up our own route as we went. We were hiking along the shore of Lake Michigan so there really wasn't any way to get lost, but we simply had a map and were figuring it out as we went. We had just gotten to a small town on the shore, one of those summer retreat places that rich people have, and we had taken off our packs to rest. We pulled out the map and were planning our route back to the truck and we started a conversation with one of the locals. He looked at our map and told us about another path, one that would be a bit of challenge, but was a more direct route to where we needed to get.
I'm not even sure if it was really a hiking path. It wasn't on our map at all. But we decided to follow his directions and go for it. It took us about an hour to hike to the "secret" path, and when we did there was a truck pulling off of it. He stopped and we asked if it lead to where we were going. His reply, "Yeah. You've got a [heck] of a hill to climb." He wasn't kidding. We were passed by two or three other vehicles, one of them was a park ranger who was amazed we were hiking this path with 40 pound packs, but no other hikers. This was definitely the road less traveled by. The regular path followed the shore line and was pretty level, and we passed a ton of people on the beach. But this one really tested us, and there is still a sense of satisfaction I have today because we took that path.
In life our way is similar. While the travelers of this path are few, we are in good company. We walk in the footsteps of the heroes of the faith. Abraham, Moses, Joshua, David, Daniel, Paul, Jesus, they have blazed this trail, we must choose to follow, and because they have gone ahead of us, we are able to.
"Where would we be if Jesus was not fierce and wild and romantic to the core? Come to think of it, we wouldn't be at all if God hadn't taken that enormous risk of creating us in the first place. Most men spend the energy of their lives trying to eliminate risk, or squeezing it down to a more manageable size... If it works, if a man succeeds in securing his life against all risk, he'll wind up in a cocoon of self-protection and wonder all the while why he's suffocating. If it doesn't work, he curses God and redoubles his efforts and his blood pressure. When you look at the structure of the false self men tend to create, it always revolves around two themes: seizing upon some sort of competence and rejecting anything that cannot be controlled."
Where would we be if Jesus was not fierce, wild and romantic? Stuck as slaves to sin, trying desperately, and failing miserably, to fulfill the law. If God hadn't created us we simply wouldn’t be. If He hadn't taken the risk of love and therefore free will, we wouldn't have any choice in what we did or what our lives looked like. We are made in the image of God who risks everything for us, and so we are made for risk.
But many spend their lives working to reduce it. They sacrifice their strength for security and end up miserable and bored. The more we try to control life the more life we lose. "You literally sacrifice your soul and your true power when you insist on controlling things." What excitement is there when everything is under control and predictable?
Yesterday as I was writing there was some commercial on that had something to do with some tropical beach vacation. I think this is a perfect example of all of this. Most people that I've heard talk about their ideal dream vacation involves something like that, but I have to ask why? What excitement is there sitting on a beach or a boat? Why do people enjoy going somewhere to sit in hotel? I'd be bored to death in that setting. "How do you beat boredom... Adventure?"
Take the beach, give me the mountains with my backpack. Give me a river with my canoe and some camping gear. Let me explore the wild with just my knife, fire starter, and some essential equipment. Put me somewhere that things aren't planned out and controlled. Let me be somewhere where anything can happen. As Jeremy and I hiked that first day we kept looking at the sky behind us, it was getting dark and looked like it might storm. As we got our campsite for the night, one of the rangers warned us of a bear that was occasionally seen in the area. I was sad we only had two days up there.
Life does happen. There are things we can't avoid and have to take care of. But let me ask you a question, "If you had permission to do what you really want to do, what would you do?" Anything at all what would it be? "Don't ask how; that will cut your desire off at the knees. How is never the fight question; how is a faithless question... How is God's department. His is asking you what. What is written in your heart? What makes you come alive?... You see, a man's calling is written on his true heart, and he discovers it when he enters the frontier of his deep desires."
John points out that this is not permission to engage in sin. This is not permission to leave your wife or abandon your kids. "There is a design God has woven into the fabric of this world, and if we violate it we cannot hope to find life." Permission is not given to us to engage in sin, God does not give us sinful desires of our heart. Galatians 5.1 says, "It was for freedom that Christ set us free; therefore keep standing firm and do not be subject again to a yoke of slavery." That same chapter contains the Fruit of the Spirit. We recover our hearts of strength in order to live righteous lives serving God. And at that point our desire is for God and His will, and our hearts are free to receive all of His blessings. But this cannot be done when we insist on being in control. Adventure is not controlled.
"To recover his heart's desire a man need to get away from the noise and distraction of his daily life for time with his own soul. He needs to head into the wilderness, to silence and solitude. Alone with himself, he allows whatever is there to come to the surface. Sometimes it is grief for so much lost time. There, beneath the grief, are desires long forsaken." And there we find out calling, we find the will of God that will challenge us, but also satisfy us in a way nothing else ever could.
Strength demands risk. Two roads diverged in a wood, which one are you taking?
"Iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another."
To God alone be the Glory!
Strength and Honor
Thursday, June 6, 2013
Wild at Heart, Chapter 11: An Adventure to Live, part 1
As I begin the work with this chapter so much of it is speaking to me. I'm at a point where the words written on these pages are the ones my heart needs to hear right now.
Adventure is written onto the heart of every man. It is a desire that God has given us, and because of that it is ok to live them out. Adventure, the thing your heart craves, is part of your calling from God. "The place where God calls you is the place where your deep gladness and the world's deep hunger meet." As I read that my mind went to Psalm 37.4-5, "Delight yourself in the Lord; and He will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the Lord, trust also in Him, and He will do it."
These verses tell us something incredible, each of us is individually created. Each one of us have different passions, different desires, and different callings. God wants us to live out our passions. "Life is not a problem to be solved; it is an adventure to be lived." We were created to live fully delighting in and trusting God. "He [God] rigged the world in such a way that it only works when we embrace risk as the theme of our lives, which is to say, only when we live by faith. A man just won't be happy until he's got adventure in his work, in his love, and in his spiritual life."
We each have deisres that are written into our hearts. God want's us to live them out because as St. Irenaeus said, "The glory of God is man fully alive." God is glorified when we we live out the deisres He has given us. We live in a world where this is only possible if we take risks. None of our true desries can ever be acheived without risk. We can't play it safe and live adventurously.
"God is intimately personal with us and he speaks in ways that are peculiar to our own quirky hearts." Each of our hearts are unique, each of our life callings is individual. The desires you have on your heart are things God wants to give you. He wants to do the things you yern to do. But they can only be accomplished by trusting and delighting in Him. He is glorified when we live our the desires He has given us because when we do that we are doing what He created us to do.
This book contains a quote I heard years ago, and it fits pefrectly in this chapter. "Don't ask yourself what the world needs. Ask yourself what makes you come alive, and go do that, because what the world needs is people who have come alive." The world needs men who are men. Men who live from their strong hearts. Men who delight in and trust God. When we are alive we take risks and even if we fail we know that we attempted something that challenged us.
As John writes he tells part of the story of how he got where he is. Here are his words, "God was thickening the plot, testing my resolve. Down one road was my dream and desire, which I had no means to pay for, and an absolutely uncertain future after that; down the other was a comfortable step up the ladder of success, a very obvious next career move and the total loss of my soul."
Right now this is where I find myself. At work they offered me a full time position if I moved from garden to electrical. I had a heads up that something like this was coming, and it's something I was not looking forward to. I got this job for something temporary to help out financially until the right ministry position opens up. It worked out that I was able to get something where I could learn about an area that I was interested in. But now I've come to a difficult position, move into something with security, and better pay, or trust what God has been leading me to.
It's one of those situations where the human side of you says "You're nuts if you don't take this", but your heart is saying, "You know this will suck the life out of you if you do this". Before writing this I told two people about this offer, my wife, and one of my brothers. If my parents found out I'd never hear the end of it. They don't really understand the whole living from your heart and going for your dream, they are responsible people. But like I said, this position would suck the life out of me. And just as John said, God is thickening the plot.
Almost two weeks ago I got an email from churchstaffing.com that had a posting for my dream job. A young adult pastor position at a church that is the Church. The staff is a team that works together and is building the Kingdom all around the world. I read the job description and at first I was overwhelmed and scared. At first glance I was like "I haven't done most of this before, and it doesn't matter because I don't have the large church experiance they are looking for." But then I read it agian, and then again, and then again.
I started to work on my resume, updating it and making it more attractive. And as I did that I realized how much of what this church is looking for that I have actually done. Yes this would be a larger scale than before, but I have done it to some extent. As I read the job description over and over I noticed something, the aspects of the job that I didn't have the most confidence with are stated as being done with others. It isn't something that I'd be thrown out there on my own to figure out, but I'd be working as part of a team.
Over about a week and a half I worked on my resume, cover letter, and short account of my spiritual journey. Through the whole time I heard everything I've been told over the years, "You won't make it in ministry." "The age of the professional minister is over." "You come highly reccommended but we really want someone with experiance." "Thanks for applying, but unfortunatley we have decided to pursue other candidates."
But then I had this thought, "Maybe every door has closed so I'd be available for this moment." I thought about Ephesians 3.20-21, "Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us, to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations forever and ever. Amen." This job would be just that, far more abundantly beyond all that I could ask or think.
Yesterday I sent in everything to the church. It's a risk, but it's one that is well worth it. If this is God's plan then I'll be in an envirionment where I will be able to help build the Kingdom in ways I never thought I would. Yes it will stretch me and challenge me. It will pull me out of my comfort zone but it will cause me to grow. It will be adventure that I have craved.
"Two roades diverged in a wood and I, I took the one less traveled by, and that has made all the difference."
"Iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another."
To God alone be the Glory!
Strength and Honor
Adventure is written onto the heart of every man. It is a desire that God has given us, and because of that it is ok to live them out. Adventure, the thing your heart craves, is part of your calling from God. "The place where God calls you is the place where your deep gladness and the world's deep hunger meet." As I read that my mind went to Psalm 37.4-5, "Delight yourself in the Lord; and He will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the Lord, trust also in Him, and He will do it."
These verses tell us something incredible, each of us is individually created. Each one of us have different passions, different desires, and different callings. God wants us to live out our passions. "Life is not a problem to be solved; it is an adventure to be lived." We were created to live fully delighting in and trusting God. "He [God] rigged the world in such a way that it only works when we embrace risk as the theme of our lives, which is to say, only when we live by faith. A man just won't be happy until he's got adventure in his work, in his love, and in his spiritual life."
We each have deisres that are written into our hearts. God want's us to live them out because as St. Irenaeus said, "The glory of God is man fully alive." God is glorified when we we live out the deisres He has given us. We live in a world where this is only possible if we take risks. None of our true desries can ever be acheived without risk. We can't play it safe and live adventurously.
"God is intimately personal with us and he speaks in ways that are peculiar to our own quirky hearts." Each of our hearts are unique, each of our life callings is individual. The desires you have on your heart are things God wants to give you. He wants to do the things you yern to do. But they can only be accomplished by trusting and delighting in Him. He is glorified when we live our the desires He has given us because when we do that we are doing what He created us to do.
This book contains a quote I heard years ago, and it fits pefrectly in this chapter. "Don't ask yourself what the world needs. Ask yourself what makes you come alive, and go do that, because what the world needs is people who have come alive." The world needs men who are men. Men who live from their strong hearts. Men who delight in and trust God. When we are alive we take risks and even if we fail we know that we attempted something that challenged us.
As John writes he tells part of the story of how he got where he is. Here are his words, "God was thickening the plot, testing my resolve. Down one road was my dream and desire, which I had no means to pay for, and an absolutely uncertain future after that; down the other was a comfortable step up the ladder of success, a very obvious next career move and the total loss of my soul."
Right now this is where I find myself. At work they offered me a full time position if I moved from garden to electrical. I had a heads up that something like this was coming, and it's something I was not looking forward to. I got this job for something temporary to help out financially until the right ministry position opens up. It worked out that I was able to get something where I could learn about an area that I was interested in. But now I've come to a difficult position, move into something with security, and better pay, or trust what God has been leading me to.
It's one of those situations where the human side of you says "You're nuts if you don't take this", but your heart is saying, "You know this will suck the life out of you if you do this". Before writing this I told two people about this offer, my wife, and one of my brothers. If my parents found out I'd never hear the end of it. They don't really understand the whole living from your heart and going for your dream, they are responsible people. But like I said, this position would suck the life out of me. And just as John said, God is thickening the plot.
Almost two weeks ago I got an email from churchstaffing.com that had a posting for my dream job. A young adult pastor position at a church that is the Church. The staff is a team that works together and is building the Kingdom all around the world. I read the job description and at first I was overwhelmed and scared. At first glance I was like "I haven't done most of this before, and it doesn't matter because I don't have the large church experiance they are looking for." But then I read it agian, and then again, and then again.
I started to work on my resume, updating it and making it more attractive. And as I did that I realized how much of what this church is looking for that I have actually done. Yes this would be a larger scale than before, but I have done it to some extent. As I read the job description over and over I noticed something, the aspects of the job that I didn't have the most confidence with are stated as being done with others. It isn't something that I'd be thrown out there on my own to figure out, but I'd be working as part of a team.
Over about a week and a half I worked on my resume, cover letter, and short account of my spiritual journey. Through the whole time I heard everything I've been told over the years, "You won't make it in ministry." "The age of the professional minister is over." "You come highly reccommended but we really want someone with experiance." "Thanks for applying, but unfortunatley we have decided to pursue other candidates."
But then I had this thought, "Maybe every door has closed so I'd be available for this moment." I thought about Ephesians 3.20-21, "Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us, to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations forever and ever. Amen." This job would be just that, far more abundantly beyond all that I could ask or think.
Yesterday I sent in everything to the church. It's a risk, but it's one that is well worth it. If this is God's plan then I'll be in an envirionment where I will be able to help build the Kingdom in ways I never thought I would. Yes it will stretch me and challenge me. It will pull me out of my comfort zone but it will cause me to grow. It will be adventure that I have craved.
"Two roades diverged in a wood and I, I took the one less traveled by, and that has made all the difference."
"Iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another."
To God alone be the Glory!
Strength and Honor
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