All I Have...

Tonight we sang:

Jesus all I have is You
You're the hope I'm holding to
I might weep but still my faith
rests in You
As the heavens hold the skies
It's Your hand that holds my life
And Your love will lead me on
When all else is gone


I don't know what it was about these words tonight, as opposed to the many other times they have been sung, but something in the midst of this confession made my heart feel secure.  We all have to deal with life every now and then, and it never seems to get any easier.  It never seems to come at you with any less aggression or hatred.  And sometimes we're not always ready for it.  It's an incredible feeling to know that it's okay to get knocked down, and it's okay to cry out in desperation...because on the other end of those cries there is a God anxiously waiting to prove His strength.  I've never been able to really deal with life on my own.  It's much more common for me to sweep it under the rug and be done with it. God has time after time lifted the corner of the rug, and made sure that I knew that wasn't good enough.  It wasn't good enough until I recognized that I don't have what it takes to make it through this life by myself.  I'm so thankful that I know even during the most intense trials of my life, I can cry out and my faith will only intensify.

Heh, I'm a die hard Cowboys fan...even if they're 1-5 this season and just lost their quarterback.  I can always hope that they'll pull it out in the next game.  Sure, they let me down from time to time, but I can still hope....right?
I'm glad that my hope in Christ doesn't work that way. That would be rather depressing, and the worst emotional roller coaster ever.  My hope in Christ is something that I hold on to because I know that every week, every day, every second.....the victory is His, the power and the glory are His.  He can't lose.  I'm so thankful that despite the severity of any situation I'll ever face, I'll always have Him as my hope I can hold on to.

I've recently had an opportunity to be there for one of my students in a serious time of need.  I think we all take our minds for granted.  They're so unique, so creative, so imaginative, so intricate.  Unfortunately, they can also be destructive, aggressive, and hostile.  This student of mine is an incredible young man.  He's been through the trenches of the teenager milieu.  His heart is for hurting people.  He genuinely desires to take care of people.  Unfortunately, his passion for compassion has been detrimental at times, consuming so much of his own mind and energy that there's not enough left for sanity.  It's a scary feeling, a scary thought, to imagine your own mind turning on you.  I can't fathom the level of vulnerability he must be feeling.  It hurts my heart just to know that he has to deal with this.  I know there's an answer, and I'm going to do everything I can to lower him through the roof, and hopefully right at the feet of Him.  Any and all prayers would be much appreciated in this process.  I pray that we will all remember, that when our friends are gone, our families are gone, our money is gone, all our securities are gone, even our own minds.....that His love will lead us on, and that all we have...is Jesus.

Discipleship...

Soooooooo, this whole thing called discipleship.  It's got me thinking.  How does it work?  What's the importance?  Is this a job for the professionals?   And so on and so on.  Of course I would get to thinking while reading.  This is kinda wierd, and dangerous.  I never really used to read anything in my "spare time".  I'm a terribly slow reader, so I get frustrated easily when reading longer (or what appear to be longer) books.  However, lately I've found a slew of reading material that has really peaked my interest.   I have no doubt that there has been some divine intervention in the discovering of said books, but I'm okay with that.  Most recently, I picked up a book I was encouraged to read by my buddy Jeff.  It's called "Radical", by David Platt.  I would only encourage you to read this book if you're serious about your faith and want to dial in the focus on your walk with Christ.  In Chapter 5, there is a wonderful subtitle, which says "Discipling or Disinfecting".  I find this section especially appealing because it hit home pretty hard.  Being that I lead people in ministry in the body of Christ, I was a little convicted to analyze my approach against the writing in this section of Platt's book.

I grew up in a conservative, Bible-believin', southern Baptist church.  Everything was structured so well, from children's ministry (Shoutout to my mom!), to students, and up on through the gray-haired folks.  Sunday mornings were very informative and to the point: I needed to live my life in a manner that is pleasing to Jesus.  I guess I always understood this as "don't do bad stuff" and "don't be a sinner".  Well, I've come to recognize that I'll always be a sinner here on earth, and I'll probably make some mistakes from time to time......sooo......bummer.  David Platt points out that there is so much more than that.  Despite that it is what most churched people feel they are taking home from "church", that's really not what Christ had in mind when it comes to changing the world.  Instead of taking all our time to make sure we're little angels, we should be mobilizing our hearts and minds, and infiltrating a world so desperately in need of Jesus.  There are too many people dying without the understanding of what it means to have a relationship with Christ.  

I guess my point is that it's time to analyze the way we do "church" as individuals.  Are we going to take the wisdom and knowledge we learn on Sundays and apply it to our everyday lives? Are we going to impart this wisdom with people around us, to offer hope, encouragement, and strength?  Are we going to  encourage others to take the wisdom we share with them, and share it with others?  Are we truly discipling others, or are we just pumping the hand sanitizer, only to go home and wait for next Sunday morning to come?

"Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit" -Jesus