Flexibility

Of the many lessons I have learned over the years in ministry, flexibility is one of the more important.

Every day there are new challenges and new things that come up. Surprise in schedules and unforeseen issues are common occurrences when dealing with people. As long as we realize that and are flexible, there are no problems with this.

I have heard it joked before that the ministry and church would be great if it weren’t for the people. What a sad view. People, or more specifically individuals are what the church and the ministry are about. Of course, God is our central focus, but our earthly mission is reaching and training and equipping and encouraging people.

With people, there will be the unexpected, the uncertain. To be inflexible and think that everything has to be just so and on a certain schedule will just cause frustration and, even worse, ineffectiveness. Every ministry group and missions team I have ever led, this word has been a major part of our language. On one trip we used the phrase, “everything is tentative until the day after.” Just for emphasis, I would sometimes add, “and even then it may change.”

As we look at the life of Christ, He was flexible. His day changed often based upon the needs of those He was ministering to. A servant is sick, He stopped to heal. A little girl has died, Jesus went to her and brought life. A woman at a well needs forgiveness, Jesus is there.

As the unexpected comes our way each day, may we be full of enough grace to do what Jesus would do and remain flexible.

Balance & Boundaries Pt.2

"I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received." Ephesians 4:1
In the previous post I dealt with balance and why I believe the idea of living life in balance is a myth. Let's talk boundaries.
Boundaries are crucial to an obedient and God pleasing life. They give us parameters and a guide where to go and where not to go.
We all have them. The question comes down to whether or not our boundaries are intentionally set based on God's Word or are they there by default based on our past experiences and upbringing. Our sense of right and wrong starts with our built in conscience but is built by our experiences and background and influences in our past. This sense in part sets our boundaries. We are far better off if we can make a serious and intentional effort to set and reset our boundaries according to the Word of God led by His Spirit.
I'm not just talking rules of conduct and accountability here, though that absolutely is a part of it. Yet, boundaries are much more than these.
Boundaries coincide with our core values and motivations that move and lead and guide us. Boundaries work to keep us focused and in tune with our purpose and calling. Boundaries dictate our relationships and where they go. Boundaries affect our schedule and our free time. Boundaries actually bring freedom and not restriction because they remove they bring clarity and understanding and remove the guessing.
In my life, boundaries mean that I do not find my identity in what others say or even in what I accomplish. A very wise pastor who was a mentor and hero of mine would often say, "If you don't get too high when they praise you, you won't fall too hard when they criticize you." Because both will and do happen. This helps me combat pride and depression. Both issues that have had too much control at differing times of my life.
In light of this past weekend's event with the public confession of a pastor, it would be very easy just to focus on moral boundaries. Truth is, we know those. So did and does he. His transgression happened because of a crossing or improperly set boundaries in other areas long before it got to the point of the moral issue at hand.
Boundaries help us live with proper priorities in every area of life. To be a healthy person spiritually we must look after the physical body and keep it disciplined, we must tend to our emotional needs, relationally we must keep all things appropriate, and it is imperative that we keep our personal walk with God tight through everything.
When the boundaries begin to break down or get crossed in the little areas is when we are on the path for the "big" problems. It always starts small and seemingly innocent. I know that those who hold tight to their boundaries can appear rigid and even legalistic, but for many that very thing keeps them on track. We must learn to keep all things in proper perspective and not force our boundaries on others. The standard is God's Word, not our thinking or opinions or ways. This doesn't mean we can't share with one another for the sake of growing together, but it does mean that we do so as equals moving forward together as not in judgment or self-righteous piety.
There is much more I could say on this, but I would love some feedback from you on boundaries and what you have found that works in your life.

What boundaries do you have with your time, family, work, etc. that are helping you move into a life pleasing to God?

(I'll resume the postings on follow-thru with my next post.)

Balance & Boundaries Pt.1

I know it is not usually good to start a series in the middle of another series, but I am going to do it here. Hey, it's my blog and I'll wander if I want to. :-)

"I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received." Ephesians 4:1

A few days ago I asked a question on Twitter and Facebook: "do you think Jesus was more concerned with a balanced life or an effective life of complete obedience to the Father?" I received some comments and feedback on this.

Then, this past weekend the social media sphere blew up with the news of a popular pastor stepping down due to an "emotional and physical affair." Many blog posts and articles and rants on all sides have been written since then. Yes, I am joining the cloud and commenting here also. However, I am going back to the question I asked last week about balance.

A lot of talk goes around about being balanced. You can hear sermons, read books, blogs, participate in discussions, and find tons of resources trying to help us live a balanced life. The idea is we become well rounded (figuratively, not physical shaped) and don't live in the extremes of life. It seems another way to get everyone on the same page of "normal."

In the church we talk about balance as a way to not be part of the weird and fringe elements of religion. I believe that often when someone talks about balance they are just trying to convince others they are right about something. It's one of those spiritual "ace" cards we like to pull. Kind of like, "I've been praying about this and..." "I feel led..." "God told me..." On and on it goes. People can be very good at spiritualizing their opinion in such a way that they bully others into agreeing with them. But, that's another subject and I digress.

The idea of balance is that everything is equal on all sides: equal time, attention, energy, etc. I love it when someone says that balance is Biblical. Not to be smart, but I'm still waiting for the scripture reference that backs that up.

I personally believe that balance in life is a myth. Worse yet, it may be a lie. If we get ourselves so focused on achieving balance we can become preoccupied with the wrong things. Chasing balance can cause us to miss out on what God really has for us. The truth is, we can not live a fully balanced life. It is not possible to spend the same amount of time on each area, family, God, work, and play. It is not possible to be in the balanced middle of all issues and all circumstances. We cannot live that way. I'm not sure we should.

Jesus told us the two greatest commandments were to love God with everything and to love our neighbors as ourselves. That seems out of balance to the human understanding. The human wisdom of balance would say to love God with the appropriate measure so that we can give equal attention to the natural. The idea of balance says we become a well-rounded individual equally good at everything. Impossible. And, not very productive. What is the old saying? "Jack of all trades, master of none."

As I work through scripture, or more accurately, let scriptures work through me, I find a call to an unbalanced life. A life of radical and complete surrender to God. Absolute devotion and commitment to Christ. Fanatical love for people. Life totally submitted to the Holy Spirit. Unwavering devotion. Unhesitant obedience. Leap of faith trust. These are Biblical directives and they are a life out of balance.

I maintain that boundaries are what so many are really defining or leading toward in the conversation about balance. With proper boundaries to guide us and keep life in check, I think we will find ourselves much closer to living a life worthy of the calling God has on each of us.

We'll explore boundaries more in the next post and then I'll resume the posts on follow-thru, though there is corelation between the two.