Guarding Base

Recently, I met  with a group of awesome young parents for the beginning of a new bible study group.  The idea for this group is that we all want to raise our children to follow Jesus and glorify God and we can better do that by encouraging each other and spurring each other on.  In this first meeting we mostly talked about the various topics we hope to cover and shared some of our concerns, fears, and anxieties about raising children in our context.  Frankly, the list of issues is overwhelming and I, for one, feel completely under-qualified to be a good parent.  I also know from experience that I fail in countless ways.  So, as I am beginning to think through how this group of parents can help each other along this common path, here is my first thought... we have to start from "base."

Many good, active kids games include the concept of "base."  A place of beginnings,  of safety, of return, of rest, and a place around which the rules and boundaries for the game revolve.  Take for instance everyone's favorite, hide and seek.  If you played the game the way I did as a child, the goal upon being discovered was always to run with as much speed and agility as possible to get back to base without being tagged by whomever was "it.".  I truly believe we as Christ-following parents need a firm sense of "base" in our lives.  Sure it would be awesome to approach life like a childhood game, but that's not me so I'm not taking this metaphor in that direction.   Rather, what I mean is that there is a core or a center of the parent's life that not only informs but shapes the quality of that parent.  We must understand that "base" of our parenting and nurture and grow it if we want to be truly effective, godly parents.

I am completely convinced that that core, that base, is a personal and vibrant walk with God through faith in Jesus Christ.  I know... you've heard that all before.  You've checked that box.  You recognize that truth must be included as an obligatory part of any bible-oriented discussion of parenting but now you're ready for the real answer.  

I am fully convinced that this is the real answer to the beginning of great parenting.  If we don't start with a desire to know God deeply and personally through Jesus, we will never succeed as parents.  Furthermore, if we don't invest foremost in our pursuit of God and our understanding of him, we will not grow to be increasingly better parents.  The relationship that I am talking about is a life-long passion that moves and motivates the heart of a person to walk with God consistently and to seek in Him the satisfaction of all our wants, our hopes, our dreams, and our desires.  

God is not a means to an end, He is the end!  He does not provide what we want, He is what we want.  He doesn't get us closer to our goal, He is our goal!

Here are two important truths about this type of relationship with God: it is not easy to maintain and yet it is essential.  In Jeremiah 9:23-24, God says, "Let not the wise man boast in his wisdom, or the rich man boast in his riches, or the strong man boast in his strength.   But let he who boasts boast about this, that he knows and understands me, that i am the Lord."  Can we add "let the good parent not boast in her parenting"?  i think so!  The point is that God wants us to care about and pursue what is most important...Him!  It's not easy and many things distract us (wisdom, wealth, strength, raising kids, etc.).   But this relationship is essential.  Our relationship with God is our "base."  It is on this that we center our lives.  It is what most informs our parenting.  It is what sets our boundaries and our rules (by which we shape our context).  It is what makes everything else, the good and the bad, make sense.  It is what motivates and strengthens us.  And it is by this that we define and judge our success.  All of this rests on the "base" of our relationship with God.

Do you want to be a good and godly parent?  Guard your base.  I know, in the the games of childhood, guarding base was cheating.  But not in this game.  We need to protect our base with ferocity.  Love and walk with God every day and invest in that relationship above all others.  The result will be that you become a godly person whom God will use to shape and mold young lives to glorify him.

The Practical Bits:
How do we love God, walk with him daily, and invest in that relationship?

1. Believe with all your being that Jesus is the Savior who died and rose again to purchase you from your sins for God.  This kind of belief is a life-changing belief (repenting of sin and walking with Jesus for the rest of your life).  Some days are harder than others.  Some days we totally mess up.  Some days we sin.  Some days we think we have it all together.  Every day, successful or miserable,  we need to stand on the grace of God brought to us through Jesus! Preach the good news of Jesus to yourself every day and believe it!

2. Pursue God with the hunger and intensity that shows he is your greatest desire.  Read the Bible, a lot.  Talk to God, a lot.  Think about God's character and truth and glory, a lot.  Talk to others about God, a lot.  

3.  Shape your life around what you know about God and how he wants you to live.  There are tons of practical bits to the Bible that accompany the historical and inspirational and theological bits.  Don't leave out the practical parts about how to treat people, how to get rid of sin, and how to live holy a life.

4. Lean on others who are also on this journey of pursuing God through Jesus. There is strength, encouragement, insight, and wisdom to be found in the hearts and minds of God's people.  Share your heart and listen to theirs.

5. Press on!  It's called "perseverance" and it's all about going another step when you feel like giving up.  Walking with God is hard and sometimes painful.  But the reward of His presence is worth it!

I am so looking forward to growing with these awesome parents!

Sincerely,

JasonPS

What Do You Like to Talk About?

What do you like to talk about?  I am normally a pretty quiet guy.  (I can hear my wife stifle a chuckle at this understatement.)  However, there are times when I do more than my share of talking.  Some people can (and do) talk about anything.  They never seem to run out of things to say.  I am not one of those people.  There are moments when I wish I could think of something to say, but I can't.  Have you ever experienced those long pauses in conversation that stretch into uncomfortable silence?  Those happen to me all the time!  I am trying to work on embracing the silence by reminding myself, "Do not be afraid of silence."  God speaks in quiet moments.

Back to the point, today I am thinking about talking.  Our family had dinner with two good friends last night.  After we ate, Melissa and Jennie sat in the living room and chatted away freely, undaunted by the continual interruptions of three rambunctious boys.  Mark and I sat at the table and had to work at getting conversation going.  We talked half-heartedly about this and that for a while.  Then the topic moved to spiritual matters concerning the gospel and genuine faith and evidences of God's having regenerated one's heart.  On these topics the conversation flowed between us fluidly and with intensity.  I love to talk about God and the things of God! In fact, those who attend our worship gatherings at First Baptist Church of Martha Lake know from my preaching that I can talk for long periods of time about God's message. (This brings up another topic which I hope to explore soon: Do I Preach Too Long? or Is There A Limit to How Long a Sermon Should Be?)

Luke 6:45 records Jesus saying, "The good person out of the good treasure of his heart produces good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure produces evil, for out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks." (ESV)

I guess I don't have to feel pressure to have something to say on every subject or at every moment, as long as my heart is focused on Jesus and on the things of God and as long as my mouth speaks from such a heart at the appropriate times. 

What do you like to talk about?

He Must Increase, I Must Decrease! (John 3:30)

JasonPS

Paralyzed by Perfectionism

I am praying that God will empower me to slay a formidable giant in my life...the giant of perfectionism.  I feel like I am learning so much about myself lately in regards to my personality, my weaknesses, my deficiencies, and my need for growth.  Here are some of my reflections on my perfectionism:

1. You don't have to be perfect to be a perfectionist.  I am far from perfect and I know it!  In fact, I think this is at the heart of my perfectionism.  I have a strong sense of my imperfections and this leads to deep insecurity which motivates me to want to fix all my problems, project an impeccable image, have all my ducks in a row, etc.

2. My desire to do things with superior quality and effectiveness leads me to actually accomplish very little.  I fail to start projects, tasks, relationships, conversations, and more because I cannot think of the best way to begin.  I give up on the items I do start because I feel frustrated by my lack of skill or my insecurity about the best way to proceed.  I essentially get paralyzed by my perfectionism.

3. To put a finger on the root cause of perfectionism in my heart I can identify two issues: insecurity and pride.  On one hand, I am insecure in myself and in my abilities.  On the other hand, I think about myself too much.  I feel like people are always looking at me and judging my choices, my actions, my inaction, my technique, my appearance, my mannerisms, my speech, the way I carry myself, and on and on.  Who do I think I am?!  Why do I think that everyone is concerned with me?  Why am I so full of myself?

4. At the heart, my perfectionism is sinful.  From one side I am looking to myself for security (and not finding it) instead of trusting in the One, True God and depending on Him for my security.  From the other side I am allowing my heart and mind to focus on myself and seek recognition, approval, glory for myself instead of living for the glory of God.

5. The answer to my perfectionism problem is repentance and trusting God.  I am praying regularly that God will crucify my pride and my self-centered sin and my insecurity and put within me deep love for, complete dependence on, and steadfast confidence in Him alone!


Sometimes I wonder what it is like to not care what others think about me.  I know some people who are  like that.  They seem to be so free.  I will seek my freedom in God through Jesus my Savior the One who makes the broken whole and makes the lame to walk again and raises the dead to life.  Through Jesus, I will be paralyzed no more.

He must increase, I must decrease!  (John 3:30)

JasonPS

Connecting With God

I should not be surprised when my prayers are answered.  In fact, I am quite ashamed at my astonishment when God does move mightily in some circumstance about which I have petitioned Him.

In recent days, I have begun praying with increased earnest that God will fill me with His Spirit and that He will meet with me that I may enjoy Him and grow in Him.  Not too many days after I had taken up this prayer in renewed intensity, God gave me the blessing of a true sense of connection with Him.  Over my short life to this point, I can recall specific moments when God has made His love and grace and very presence known to me in moments of great significance.

My faith does not lean on those special moments of subjective experience for assurance or solid footing.  No, my faith rests in the finished work of Jesus Christ my redeemer and Lord.  Rather, these moments of connections with the sovereign God serve as great impulses of joy and reminders that I serve a personal and near God.

I find that when I am faithful and intently pursue God, then God is eager to meet with me and make Himself known to me!  This is a wonderful truth!  Who am I that God would care to reveal Himself to me?!  Yet He does!  How wonderfully merciful and gracious is my God!

Supernatural

Last night I started reading a short devotional e-book for pastors called Brothers, We Are Still Not Professionals by John Piper.  This is a sequel to Piper's earlier and longer work, Brothers, We Are Not Professionals.  Intended to encourage pastors as they serve God by serving His people, both of these books combat the dangerous trend of approaching ministry from the aspect of professionalism.  Or  defining, pursuing, and celebrating ministry "success" in worldly, professionalistic terms.

This most recent edition dovetails with the theme of the 2013 Desiring God Conference for Pastors: "Reclaiming the Centrality of the Supernatural in Ministry."  I can't express how much this resonates with me. I want neither a life, nor a family, nor a Christian ministry which can be explained in terms of human effort,  human wisdom, and human abilities.  I very much want to be in the middle of God's achieving His perfect purpose by His own mighty working by the means of His infinite strength and according to His limitless wisdom.  If such would be the case, then there would be very little chance that anyone would mistake the one to whom the true credit would be due.  God alone would be glorified by such a life and ministry.

But, oh, the task is great and I am unequal to meet it!  Piper writes on page 11 of the e-book,

"Pastors say, 'Who is sufficient for these things!' And then they look to God. Professionals say, 'Education and training and savvy are sufficient.' And then they look to experts."  

My Great God, prevent me from looking elsewhere for strength, guidance, opinions, affirmation, or standards!

This is the sentiment behind the discussion of pursuing God and seeking Him to work in beyond our human efforts and to accomplish results far greater than man can in his strength.  In other words, to seek God and depend on Him to work SUPERNATURALLY.

It takes a great deal of faith to operate this way.  But I believe that there is tremendous freedom and reward in living such a life and investing in such a ministry.  It does not excuse us from hard work, long hours, burdened hearts, or painful situations.  But it places the responsibility for results where they belong, with the Lord ("I will build my church."  Matthew 16:18).  We are called to faithfully and obediently follow Jesus (no simple or easy task in itself) and he will do His work.

In a podcast sermon two weeks ago, I heard a pastor put it this way (I regret that I do not recall who I was listening to):

"In Christ-following, measure faithful obedience rather than results."

In reflection upon these things I pray,

"Lord, I desire You to be greatly glorified and pleased by my life, my family, and my ministry.  Therefore, create in me a faithful heart and grant me diligent and joyful obedience as I follow You and I will depend on You for the mighty works You desire to accomplish.  Whether they are revealed in this life or the next, You will receive all the credit, praise, honor, and worship!"



If you would like to read the free e-book for yourself, you can download it by following this link:
Free E-Book: Brothers, We Are Still Not Professionals

Also, if you want to listen to the messages from the 2013 Conference for Pastors, follow this link:
2013 Conference for Pastors Messages

Following Jesus,
JasonPS

Bring on the New Year!

Starting a new year is always exciting for me. So much potential ahead. A clean slate. Anticipation for what God will do over the next twelve months. And so on.

Last night Melissa and I were at a party with some of our friends from Brownsville Baptist Church. To close out the night, Barry Phillips read to us from Charles Spurgeon's Morning and Evening devotion. It was such a powerful perspective on looking behind for encouragement and surging forward as we follow Jesus. Here is the devotion entry. I hope it blesses you as you begin 2013.

1 Samuel 7:12

Hitherto hath the Lord helped us.

The word "hitherto" seems like a hand pointing in the direction of the past. Twenty years or seventy, and yet, "hitherto the Lord hath helped!" Through poverty, through wealth, through sickness, through health, at home, abroad, on the land, on the sea, in honour, in dishonour, in perplexity, in joy, in trial, in triumph, in prayer, in temptation, "hitherto hath the Lord helped us!" We delight to look down a long avenue of trees. It is delightful to gaze from end to end of the long vista, a sort of verdant temple, with its branching pillars and its arches of leaves; even so look down the long aisles of your years, at the green boughs of mercy overhead, and the strong pillars of lovingkindness and faithfulness which bear up your joys. Are there no birds in yonder branches singing? Surely there must be many, and they all sing of mercy received "hitherto." But the word also points forward. For when a man gets up to a certain mark and writes "hitherto," he is not yet at the end, there is still a distance to be traversed. More trials, more joys; more temptations, more triumphs; more prayers, more answers; more toils, more strength; more fights, more victories; and then come sickness, old age, disease, death. Is it over now? No! there is more yet-awakening in Jesus' likeness, thrones, harps, songs, psalms, white raiment, the face of Jesus, the society of saints, the glory of God, the fullness of eternity, the infinity of bliss. O be of good courage, believer, and with grateful confidence raise thy "Ebenezer," for-

He who hath helped thee hitherto

Will help thee all thy journey through.

When read in heaven's light how glorious and marvellous a prospect will thy "hitherto" unfold to thy grateful eye!

Amen! Lord, lead us on into 2013 and give us faithful hearts to love you above all and follow you with eagerness and boldness!

JasonPS

(You can read this devotion and others here: http://www.crosswalk.com/devotionals/morningandevening/morning-and-evening-12-or-29-am-550594.html )

The Truth Will Set You Free

We are studying John 8:31-47 on Sunday. In this passage Jesus tells us that the truth about him and the salvation he offers will set us free from the bondage of sin. Here is a provoking video about slavery and human trafficking in the world today.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9EJY_nq7Ujo

What light does this video shed on our own bondage to sin?

What is the role of Christ-followers concerning issues like human trafficking? (Ephesians 2:8-10)

How can the truth of Jesus sent these women and girls free?

What are you / we going to do about it?

These are the probing questions that came to mind when I watched this video.

Let me know what you think.

JasonPS