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Characteristics of Christ | LOVE

A 40 Day Journey to Becoming Like the One We Follow

Day 3: Love (John 13:34-35)

The first Fruit of the Spirit in the life of a believer is Love. If we don’t love, then we’re nothing, says Paul. But love as a concept has gotten so watered down over the centuries. Everyone desires to love and be loved, but we can hardly define it. The literal dictionary definition of love is, “an intense feeling of deep affection.” But that hardly suffices to describe the connection between a husband and a wife or a parent and a child. Love is definitely “more than a feeling” – thank you, Boston.

Paul describes aspects of love – it’s patient, kind, not rude, not self-seeking, etc. John takes it a step further and flat out says, “God is love.” The reverse of that statement is not true, however. Love is not God. But God’s very nature is summed up in the word “Love.”

“The Lord–the Lord is a compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger and abounding in faithful love and truth, maintaining love to a thousand generations…” (Exodus 34:6-7).

God’s ultimate demonstration of his own love is Jesus. It was love that lead Jesus to touch the leper, to defend the adulteress, to bless the children, to wash feet. It was love that lead him to the cross and held him there.

Our standard of love is no longer “whatever feels right in the moment.” Jesus is our standard for love. We are called to love one another as Christ has loved us. There is no greater love than laying down one’s life for one’s friends–Jesus even laid down his life for his enemies.

May we be so filled with the love of God through Christ that we can’t help but let it overflow to others. Because without that love, nothing else matters.

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Characteristics of Christ | HUMILITY

A 40 Day Journey to Becoming Like the One We Follow

Day 2: Humility (Mark 10:31)

One verse in the Bible that I find hilarious is Numbers 12:3. It says, “Moses was a very humble man, more so than anyone on the face of the earth.” I doubt Moses was the original author of that line, but it’s still ironic to brag about someone’s humility. It’s like when Drax (Guardians of the Galaxy, vol 2) says, “I, too, and extraordinarily humble.”

In all seriousness, though, humility is something I find incredibly lacking in much of today’s world. We live in what we call an attention economy, where everyone is vying for your eyeballs, your ears, your clicks and likes and reposts, your wallet. Anyone with a smartphone can become an “influencer.” Politicians are no better than pro athletes and rappers in trying to hype up their own brand.

To quote a Kat Stratford clap-back (10 Things I Hate About You) it’s like these people are born on planet “Look at Me, Look at Me.” From the time we’re born we’ve been told how amazing and smart and beautiful and funny and talented and athletic we are. Some of us even begin to believe it. Humility is not a revered virtue, and now all we’re left with are entitled people trying to get “internet famous” for a hot minute.

C.S. Lewis reminds us, “Humility is not thinking less of yourself, it’s thinking of yourself less.” We don’t need to swing the pendulum the other way and become depressed with self-loathing. Confidence is not the opposite of humility. Arrogance is. Entitlement is. Self-esteem is not wrong. Self-aggrandizement is.

Jesus never had a “woe is me” attitude about anything. He never lost confidence in who he was or what he was meant to accomplish. Jesus rested securely in his identity as God’s Son. He never tried to make much of himself, and he even told people not to tell others about him. Fame and fortune were not on his radar. He never did anything for the likes, the views, or the cred.

As we follow Christ we are called to deny ourselves. Let’s stop fixating on the world of hype and self-promotion. Rather, let’s humbly rest assuredly in our place in God’s family, as his sons and daughters.

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Characteristics of Christ | OBEDIENCE

A 40 Day Journey to Becoming Like the One We Follow

Day 1: Obedience (John 5:19)

Growing up, we were all taught to obey our parents. What a drag, am I right? Why should I listen to them? Why do I have to clean my room? Why do I need to do all these chores? Why do I have to wear these uncomfortable shoes to my cousin’s wedding? Why do I have to be home by eleven when all my friends get to stay out until midnight?

But at some point there comes a turn. The guidelines and boundaries begin to make sense. We find ourselves becoming more like our own parents because we have picked up on their mannerisms, attitudes, and values. Obedience takes time to learn. Eventually we find that if we stop fighting back out of our own stubbornness we can begin to see how the rules do make sense.

Jesus was obedient to his Father. Even when he went missing as a young boy, his parents found him in the Temple because he “must be about [his] Father’s business.” He would obey his heavenly Father above even his earthly parents. His entire mission was predicated on what the Father was already up to. Jesus went where the Father sent him, did what the Father showed him, and spoke what the Father told him.

He became obedient even to the point of death on a cross. Jesus never tried to go rogue or do things on his own accord. Every step was in keeping with the Father’s will. Did he do things he didn’t want to do out of obedience to God? Yes! But Hebrews reminds us that Jesus learned obedience through the things he suffered.

There is a sense in which obedience brings us into oneness with God. “If you love me,” Jesus says, “you will keep my commands.” We show we love Christ not just by doing all the things he tells us to do as some rules-based religion. His command is to love God and love others as he has loved us.

May you walk in obedience to God the Father and Christ the Son and keep in step with the Spirit to experience oneness in relationship with God and others.

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Knowing vs. Doing: You know what to do. So do it!

The great Yogi Berra once said, “In theory, there is no difference between theory and practice – in practice, there is.”

The great Jesus Christ once said, “Why do you call me ‘Lord, Lord’ and not do what I say?”

James, the brother of Jesus, would put it this way: “Be doers of the word, not just hearers.”

I think deep down we all know the things we SHOULD be doing.

If we follow Christ we are called to love God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength, and to love our neighbors as ourselves. Practice humility. Give to the poor. Study God’s word. Pray without ceasing. Turn the other cheek. All that stuff.

Continue reading → Knowing vs. Doing: You know what to do. So do it!
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Struggle: Embrace the Suck

Working out sucks.

Eating healthy is no fun.

Keeping a good sleep schedule is just too difficult.

Getting to church every Sunday is just not gonna happen.

I’m sore. I’m tired. I just want to eat cookies and watch Netflix in bed.

Sound familiar? Like I’ve said, humans – like water and electricity – will always take the path of least resistance. Couple that with our inability to delay gratification at all (exercise will help me feel good later, but that donut will make me feel good now), and it’s no wonder the average American is more sedentary and overweight than ever.

Continue reading → Struggle: Embrace the Suck
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Consistency: Are you in it for the long haul?

There’s a lot of talk going around about habits, goals, and bettering ourselves.

I’ve heard a lot of buzz about the concept of getting 1% better. If you get just 1% better every day, then but the end of the year you’ll have perfected whatever it is you’re trying to do.

The book Atomic Habits by James Clear (which is on my to-read list) encourages us to develop habits instead of setting goals. By doing so, we subtly change our own identity – how we see ourselves and present ourselves to others. You aren’t just going for runs every so often. You are a runner.

What it all comes down to is consistency. Nothing will become a habit if you aren’t consistent. You won’t reach your goals without putting in the work day in and day out. You aren’t in it for the short-term results (which you probably won’t see on a day to day basis). You’re in it for the month over month, year over year progress toward becoming the person you truly want to be.

Continue reading → Consistency: Are you in it for the long haul?
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Jumpstart Your Goals: Find Your WHY

Two big components of my life are my FAITH and my FITNESS. I’ve been on both journeys long enough to realize there is a lot of overlap between the two. At the start of this new year many of us have goals pertaining to one or the other or both. I want to share some thoughts that are definitely helpful to me and will hopefully encourage you, too.

FIND YOUR “WHY”

Let’s start with this. Why are we doing the things we do? Why are we setting certain goals and seeking to improve or make progress in these areas of our lives? For me, and probably for you, a lot of our common behaviors are engrained, unconscious habits either learned or passed on from other people.

We do *this* because *this* is what we do.

It’s the generational equivalent of “Because I said so.”

But in order to make changes, I think we first need to have a good reason. We need a motivating factor. We need to find our WHY.

Continue reading → Jumpstart Your Goals: Find Your WHY
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God of Hosts

He says, “Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.”

Psalm 46:10

Imagine two neighboring nations. One feels slighted or insulted by the other. Retaliation. Revenge. Shows of strength. Gathering of forces. Threats escalating. Battle lines drawn up. Battle drums. War cries. Impassioned calls to arms. The two armies—with most soldiers not even knowing why they are fighting—charge each other. But before any strike is laid, God Almighty and his heavenly army swoops down from the heavens. Suddenly spears explode. Shields erupt into flame. Bows break in the archers’ hands. As both armies stop dead in their tracks with confusion and bewilderment, a voice like thunder rings out:

BE STILL! AND KNOW THAT I AM GOD. I WILL BE EXALTED AMONG THE NATIONS. I WILL BE EXALTED IN THE EARTH.

Continue reading → God of Hosts
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Almost Famous

Fear of man will prove to be a snare,

but whoever trusts in the Lord is kept safe.

Proverbs 29:25

Deep down we all want to be accepted. We all want to belong. It’s in our nature. We are the most social creatures on the planet. Humans literally die in isolation. And because of this we all end up doing stupid stuff through junior high, high school, even into college and beyond in order to fit in. Socialization is part of self-preservation.

Continue reading → Almost Famous
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Explain Like I’m Five

Now these three remain: faith, hope, and love. But the greatest of these is love.

1 Corinthians 13:13

What does it mean to be a Christian? Don’t we all wonder about that sometimes? The world gives so many mixed messages out there about religion, life, politics, worldview, etc. If we only relied on what others told us about being a Christian, especially through the media, we would get utterly confused and completely lost.

Continue reading → Explain Like I’m Five