July 5 - Letting go of distractions

Scripture focus: Another day, a man stopped Jesus and asked, "Teacher, what good thing must I do to get eternal life?" Jesus said, "Why do you question me about what's good? God is the One who is good. If you want to enter the life of God, just do what he tells you." The man asked, "What in particular?" Jesus said, "Don't murder, don't commit adultery, don't steal, don't lie, honor your father and mother, and love your neighbor as you do yourself." The young man said, "I've done all that. What's left?" "If you want to give it all you've got," Jesus replied, "go sell your possessions; give everything to the poor. All your wealth will then be in heaven. Then come follow me." That was the last thing the young man expected to hear. And so, crest-fallen, he walked away. He was holding on tight to a lot of things, and he couldn't bear to let go. As he watched him go, Jesus told his disciples, "Do you have any idea how difficult it is for the rich to enter God's kingdom? Let me tell you, it's easier to gallop a camel through a needle's eye than for the rich to enter God's kingdom." Matthew 19:16-24 (The Message)

Learning how to listen, truly listen, requires letting go of things that distract.

I wonder if we took a few minutes and made a list of all the things that we simply cannot let go of -- what heretofore unnoticed addictions and dependencies might we uncover?

Why do we pick at God, asking for clarification about what is permissible and what is not?

What is our point?

Is it to mollify our sense of shame and self-condemnation? Are we trying to justify our actions?

I'm going to go make a list of the people, places and things that I believe I simply cannot live without and see what pops up.

I suspect this is going to result in some confession.

If you make your own list, let me know what you discover...

Recommended reading: Judges 7-9

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© Copyright 2009 NorthStar Community

July 4 - Identity Confusion

Scripture focus: Wives, understand and support your husbands by submitting to them in ways that honor the Master. Husbands, go all out in love for your wives. Don't take advantage of them. Children, do what your parents tell you. This delights the Master no end. Parents, don't come down too hard on your children or you'll crush their spirits. Servants, do what you're told by your earthly masters. And don't just do the minimum that will get you by. Do your best. Work from the heart for your real Master, for God, confident that you'll get paid in full when you come into your inheritance. Keep in mind always that the ultimate Master you're serving is Christ. The sullen servant who does shoddy work will be held responsible. Being a follower of Jesus doesn't cover up bad work. And masters, treat your servants considerately. Be fair with them. Don't forget for a minute that you, too, serve a Master--God in heaven. Colossians 3:18-4:1 (The Message)

At NorthStar Community, we understand the serious nature of addiction. We have first-hand experience with the cunning, crafty nature of the disease. For us, this is not a theoretical discussion involving "those people" -- we are those people. We have names. We live in families. We work at jobs and for companies that are also affected by this dreaded dependency.

AND we belong to and embrace our spiritual community, diverse as it is, where people show up because they believe, or are curious, maybe desperate, sometimes angry about the alleged existence of a "higher power."

This can be very confusing.

For those who believe in God and Jesus, the word of God is not taken lightly. So when it calls wives and husbands and parents and children and servants to a certain level of conduct, we take those words seriously. Even with all our sincerity, we find ourselves sometimes (in the words of the TrueFaced team) "saying the right things but living the wrong life." So what do we do with all this messiness? We confess (James 5:6). We tell ourselves the truth, and support each other in the process. Is confession a magic pill to all that ails us? No way! But it does provide an opportunity for the community to encourage each other in practicing the opposite of self-addiction.

We begin to practice the spiritual discipline of conscious contact with God. This is not a pie-in-the-sky, sounds-good-let's-try-it-so-that-we-can-feel-good-about-our-spirituality contest. It is in response to desperation. Desperate people take desperate measures. Addiction is a desperate condition. It robs us of our true, God-created self. It fills us with shame and sin, neither of which is the human form capable of handling or managing. This is the fight of our lives.

At NSC we're trying to break the age-old habit of ignoring God and growing forgetful of Him. This is totally unnatural. It requires the right environment to even attempt this other-worldly existence. But it is also the only path to freedom.

Recommended reading: Judges 4-6

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© Copyright 2009 NorthStar Community

July 3 - Listening

Scripture focus: So Jesus explained himself at length. "I'm telling you this straight. The Son can't independently do a thing, only what he sees the Father doing. What the Father does, the Son does. The Father loves the Son and includes him in everything he is doing. John 5:19-20 (The Message)

As I hurtled through the skies toward my next appointment, I came across the words of the very straight talking Son of God and was reminded anew of exactly what must happen in order to 'be ye transformed.'

Did Jesus say disgraced beauty queens needed to become truly gorgeous inside and out? How did Jesus say greedy people would transform into generous givers? When do the addicted find freedom? Did Jesus suggest we redouble our bible study, increase our prayer potential, attend church more faithfully, commit to better following, or do more outreach into our community? NO HE DID NOT SAY ANY OF THOSE THINGS!

Do you remember in the scriptures how Martha was busy doing a bunch of good things, and she got all tensed up because Mary was wasting time listening to Jesus? What did Jesus say? "Only one thing is necessary." Listen.

Listen to God.

My nephew spent a few days with us during our son's graduation weekend. I realized how much Robbie loves his family. Was it the long car ride that convinced me of his love? Did his patient attention during Michael's graduation ceremony seal the deal that this kid loves his cousin?

Those were good and kind acts. But I know he loves us because he listens when others in the family speak. He stays engaged in the conversation. He asks questions for clarification. He takes the time to give input, too. He adds thoughtful commentary, makes suggestions, and brings a youthful creativity of thought to the conversation.

People who love others listen to them without murky motivations. They aren't sizing up the crowd, trying to figure out how to get others to like them or do for them. They listen because they deeply care for what the other person is sharing.

Robbie loved well. And so must we. It is the one thing, that if we miss it, we miss everything. Trusting God, loving God, listening to God, and then, and only then, we will know what to do. I believe that this is that one thing that can save us from our addiction to self.

Recommended reading: Judges 1-3

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© Copyright 2009 NorthStar Community

July 2 - Addiction to Self

Scripture focus: The religious leaders asked Jesus' followers: "Why does he eat with tax collectors and 'sinners?'" Jesus said to them, "It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners."

In Gerald May's book, Addiction and Grace, he echoes the thought held by the founders of the Twelve-Step program; both agree that the core human disease is addiction to self. I observed this phenomenon recently while traveling across the country via air during a major storm surge. It is never good news to live on the East coast and have an appointment scheduled on the West coast on the very day that Mother Nature decides to blanket the mid-section of the nation with thunderstorms, tornadoes and other weather-related crises. The delays this causes in airports across the nation are extremely annoying. But the good news is that it provides extroverted types lots of opportunities to meet new people and enjoy interesting conversation. I was sitting in Dallas, waiting for the storms to ease off to the East so that we could take off, and found myself surrounded by conversationalists. Soon we were recounting where we were headed and why. I met a women's lacrosse coach and a college alum headed to his reunion. I listened to a disgraced beauty pageant contestant share her story with an older gentleman who blatantly admired her "attributes" while trying to evangelize her soul. I talked to a "Hot Shot" (that's their real name) firefighter (female) whose mother wants her to put down her ax, find a nice boy and settle in Poughkeepsie. Somewhere along the line we got to talking about recovery. Everyone had an opinion about the recovery process. Some felt like there was no such thing as addiction -- just people who took the concept of a good time too far. Others thought it was a character issue. No one was unclear or confused about their personal perspective -- until I brought up the issue of addiction to self. A guy who happened to have told us he was sitting in first class thought that was a ridiculous over-statement -- until I offered to take his seat in first class and trade him mine (row 31 -- back in the back and in the middle seat of three). The disgraced beauty queen thought that, perhaps, maybe, just possibly there might be something to this concept of self-addiction. The college alum was having none of it. He believed that we were supposed to take pride in ourselves and look out for number one. He thought we should all strive for excellence and peak performance. In the spirit of the moment, this caused the "Hot Shot" to suggest that this desk jockey would never really test his limits until he abandoned his soft life and joined the forestry service where he, too, could train to fight fires. All this good natured banter resulted in an elderly lady asking a simple question, "What is it that you personally believe you cannot live without?" Slowly, one after another began to confess, "I am addicted to myself." Then our flight got called and we all proved the point by rushing the gateway in a determined attempt to grab our seat and cargo space as soon as possible so as not to be further inconvenienced. Once seated, I thought to myself, "Every person in this discussion knows they were created for more than just the relentless pursuit of self-care, and this conversation has triggered our shame. But what must happen to be inspired 'to be ye transformed'"?

Recommended reading: 2 Corinthians 10-13

Copyright 2009 NorthStar Community

July 1 - Embracing my longing

Scripture focus: Jesus went to a party hosted by Matthew; the religious leaders thought this was shameful behavior...here's what happened next: The religious leaders asked Jesus' followers: "Why does he eat with tax collectors and 'sinners?'" Jesus said to them, "It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners."

I have heard the authors of the book TrueFaced make this comment: "So many believers say the right thing but live the wrong life." I love that statement. I love it because it so often applies to me. I love it because it so often applies to my friends, family and even a foe or two.

Clearly, I would prefer to both say the right thing AND live the right life.

I suspect my friends, family and foes would as well.

But we don't. We mess up.

That's why it is such good news to know that Jesus didn't come to save the sinless. He didn't come to hand out award pins and "most improved Christian" certificates. He came for us sinners.

It's important to remember why he came. He didn't come to shame us or whip us into shape. Jesus also wants us to say the right things and live the right life. (Remember what he said to the woman caught in adultery? "Go...and sin no more.")

But here's the thing that Jesus knows, and we need to learn -- we won't know what to say or what to do or how to do it -- unless we learn to listen to the Father's voice. And we won't strain with all our might to listen, speak about and do the will of the Father if we fear his wrath.

Oh how fortunate are we that we have a God who loves with great compassion. He came to help those in desperate need of a Savior.

People who think they're saying and doing the right thing most of the time aren't out looking for a Savior, they're standing around waiting for the awards ceremony!

I don't know where you are in your journey, but I straight up confess: I often say the right things and live a wrong life. I often say what I think is a right thing only to discover it was wrong! I sometimes try to say and do the right thing -- and usually mess that up. This is true of me. Oh how fortunate I am -- because in all this needing -- there is a Savior who has come for me.

How are you doing? Waiting for a good conduct pin? Or are you, like me, longing for a Savior?

Recommended reading: 2 Corinthians 6-9

© Copyright 2009 NorthStar Community

June 30 - Resting

Scripture focus: For as long, then, as that promise of resting in him pulls us on to God's goal for us, we need to be careful that we're not disqualified. We received the same promises as those people in the wilderness, but the promises didn't do them a bit of good because they didn't receive the promises with faith. If we believe, though, we'll experience that state of resting. But not if we don't have faith. Remember that God said, exasperated, I vowed, "They'll never get where they're going, never be able to sit down and rest." Hebrews 4:1-3 (The Message)

Sit down and rest.

Try it.

It's easier than running for an hour per day!

Take ten or twenty minutes per day, and simply rest into the loving arms of God.

At first this might seem uncomfortable. But just try it.

Let me know what you discover.

Recommended reading: 2 Corinthians 4-6

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Copyright 2009 NorthStar Community

June 29 - The easier, gentler path

Scripture focus: For who were the people who turned a deaf ear? Weren't they the very ones Moses led out of Egypt? And who was God provoked with for forty years? Wasn't it those who turned a deaf ear and ended up corpses in the wilderness? And when he swore that they'd never get where they were going, wasn't he talking to the ones who turned a deaf ear? They never got there because they never listened, never believed. Hebrews 3:15-19 (The Message)

How hard is it to try to be good, comply, do the right thing all the time?

It's pretty darn hard if you take it seriously. It means you need to exercise every day, eat right, get your fiber, save for retirement, build up the college fund for your kids, give generously to your community, serve the unfortunate, achieve at work, pursue higher education, give both quality and quantity time to your children, maintain an exciting, intimate relationship with your spouse, get on Facebook, vote, do home improvements, work on your golf game and improve your serve in tennis. The list is endless.

If you're sick and tired of being sick and tired, what harm would there be in making the decision to trust God, and then listen for his voice?

How in the world could that be harder than all these efforts to be good?

Recommended reading: 2 Corinthians 1-3

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Copyright 2009 NorthStar Community