I'm Not Insecure! Am I?

For those of you who might not get that, if you have to ask the question, you probably are. Insecure, that is. I believe that it is the incredibly well-adjusted person -- the exception to the rule even -- who is not at least a little insecure. Am I doing enough to keep my job? Do they like me? Does he love me? Are they laughing at me over there? Our insecurities evidence themselves in so many ways: ego-centric questions, anger, self-pity, worry, ulcers, high blood pressure, headaches, anxiety, bitterness, distrust, heart attacks, stomach disorders, etc. I could go on and on and on and on and on. Any improper behavior and almost any medical disorder could be traced back to our insecurity. Are you overweight? Chances are you eat too much in an attempt to compensate. Do you have problems sleeping? Chances are you cannot stop wondering if people really love you. Do you bite your fingernails? Chances are you are insecure in some way. I'm not a psychologist and I don't remember if I have ever stayed at a Holiday Inn Express, but I have had my share of opportunities to observe human behavior and come to some conclusions that I believe are correct: people everywhere are insecure.

Where does it come from? Childhood? Adolescence? Young adulthood? Yes to all of these. It could be you did not experience unconditional love as a child. It could be that you were never good enough in the eyes of parents, teachers, or friends. It could be that someone hurt you with unkind words or actions. It could be that one of the most important people in your life betrayed you or left you. It could be that you didn't get something you wanted in life. There are probably as many possible reasons as there are symptoms. Counselors everywhere are determined to make people talk about their life experiences in the hope that people will recognize the root cause and overcome whatever imagined deficiency has brought their clients to this time in life. Sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't. Sometimes it seems to work for a little while, and then we find ourselves right back where we started.

So what is the answer? If I wanted to be mean, I would say something like this: "If you deserved to know, I would tell you." But that would probably not help you out. So let me give you the answer: "For God so loved (your name here) that He gave His only begotten Son, that if (your name here) believes in Him would not perish but have everlasting life." Do you see it? The Creator of the universe loves you unconditionally. He loves you so much that He sent His Son to pay the price so that you could live forever with Him. Then, on top of that, Jesus says, "I come that (your name here) may have life and have it more abundantly." He says, "If no one else loves you, I do. If everyone else betrays you, I never will. If you cannot trust anyone else, you can trust Me." So stop worrying. Stop overeating. Stop biting your fingernails. Stop stressing out. Stop being insecure because you are good enough. You are worth loving. You are important to the Most Important One in the world.

Merry Christmas! Thank you, Jesus.

Exciting Days

I can't believe it's been two weeks since I posted. Time has surely flown by. Sonya and I were blessed to be in Memphis last week at Kirby Pines, a senior adult community, for their Crusade For Christ. I had the privilege of preaching on Thursday night. It was great fun, and the staff there was extremely nice. Thanks, Bro. Berry, for the invitation.

Next week, I am headed to Belize with our mission team. I am filled with anticipation and a little fear. Anticipation at the good things God is going to do in us and through us there. Fear in that I don't want to come back with scalp burrowing fly larva. I also don't want to embarrass myself by screaming like a little girl when the large tarantulas come out of the woodwork or by out-snoring Gorman. But most importantly, fear of missing the great opportunities that God will present to me while I am there. Opportunities to minister and to witness and to love unconditionally. It is going to be a great week, I know, because so many of you will be praying for our team. If circumstances allow, I will try to blog each evening to keep you updated on what is happening. And if I have any pictures of the scalp-burrowing fly larvae, I will post them for you to enjoy.

I Pick...You!

I long for the day that someone will come up to me before the worship service and say, "Pastor, you see that man that just came in the door? The one in the ragged clothes that looks like he hasn't bathed in weeks? Man, I have been working on him all week, and he finally came to Jesus." Please don't misunderstand. I am the pastor of a very loving, giving, ministering bunch of folks, but I have noticed that even in this context, Christians tend to be a little more selective as to whom they minister to. What I tend to hear most often is, "Pastor, have you made contact with John Doe this week? He would be a great asset to our church." Sadly, we want to focus on reaching those people who can do something for us. But Jesus said, "It isn't the healthy that needs a doctor. It's the sick" (Ben's paraphrase). My interpretation: Minister where the needs are. Don't ask what new members can do for your church; ask what you can do for people who are hurting. Isn't that what He meant by the parable of the Good Samaritan? Isn't that what He did during His days on the Earth? Sure, Jesus had wealthy friends that He ministered to -- but they were friends who came to the realization that they had just as big of a need as the lepers, the prostitutes, the poor, and the outcasts from Jewish society. The very people that we are so often fired-up about reaching are the ones Jesus spent very little time with. I'm just glad that in this game of life, God doesn't pick teams like we do: take the biggest, strongest, and fastest first, and then if there is room let the little guy play as long as he stays in deep right field. Instead, God looks at the world and says, "I pick...YOU!" Isn't that what John 3:16 says?

Passion for Purity

As I was driving to work today -- yes, Pastors work -- I was listening to a radio spot about an abstinence program at one of the local churches. The speaker made a statement that resonated with me: "It isn't about the sex," he said. I think that those on both sides of the abstinence argument miss that very important point. Those who preach and teach abstinence take the stand, "Just say no!" And while it is very important to teach our children and our youth the importance of that word, it isn't enough. We see it as we raise our children. Parents tell them not to do something -- they just say no -- and for the next several hours, the very thing that parents prohibit becomes the focus of their child's thoughts. For instance, telling a child (yes, Jennifer, I owe you $5) not to touch the fan simply causes them to be more intrigued with the oscillations and the wind. And no matter how many times you say it, and possibly because we keep repeating it, their mind focuses on the object of our negativity. While Nancy Reagan's "Just say no" campaign called America's attention to the drug problem, it did little to solve it. Why? Because human beings need more than a law, a rule, a regulation, a prohibition. The apostle Paul said it to the church in Galatia: the law points out our sin and constantly reminds us how sinful we are. We don't need more law. We need a passion for purity and a passion for holiness. We need to fall in love with our Heavenly Father like never before. That's why Jesus said that the greatest commandment is to love God with all our being. Only then will we understand the truth that it isn't about the sex. It is about filling an emptiness in our lives that only He can fill. How many times have I counseled men and women in the grips of pornography addiction or facing marital problems because of the allure of someone else that it isn't about the sex. Why do men and women remain faithful to their spouses for life? Because it isn't about the sex. It's about the passion, the love, the commitment we make to each other before a Holy God. Don't settle for just saying no. Say yes to loving God. Say yes to having a passion for purity. Say yes to the most important relationship you will ever have. As for those who stand against abstinence only programs, the message is the same. Say yes to the greatest Lover of all, and He will take care of the rest.

A New Day

It's over. The funeral, I mean. And the most I can say about it is that it was an adventure. A little bit of everything to entertain. There were, of course, the distant (and not so distant) relatives with their, "I remember when you were this big...." And the, "Oh, you look just like your dad." And, "You look just like your mom." And the really strange one, "You look like your dad from here up and your mom from here down." What? Then there were the stories that I just would rather not have heard -- and I won't ever put them in print! Tears flowed. Laughter echoed through the funeral home. There were lots of hugs and "I'm sorry for your loss." There were the ever-present, "She looks so good!" "It looks just like her." I know people mean well, but she didn't look good. She didn't look like herself. In fact, I'm already planning for the day that my body lies in that casket and someone comes up and says, "It looks just like him." I think I will sit up and smack them. God never intended for our lifeless bodies to look like us. It is just an empty shell. I personally believe that it is our soul that makes us who we are -- I think it even helps us look like us. Is that crazy? I don't think so. There is one more thought I would like to share with you concerning the funeral. At times like this, family is important. I have the greatest family in the world. They walked with me through these difficult days and made me laugh when I wanted to cry. And my church family -- they are the best. The cards, the food, the flowers they have sent were topped only by their prayers and their presence. Words cannot express how much I appreciated them. And so now it dawns, a new day full of the adventure called life. Don't you just love what God does for us everyday?

The Basic Element

What must God be thinking? I'll bet He laughs a lot. A few hundred years ago, scientists declared absolutely that the world was flat. I bet God laughed. A few decades ago, scientists declared that the atom was the smallest particle in nature. I bet God laughed. A few years ago, scientists declared that our solar system had nine planets. I bet God laughed. He laughed because He knew the world was round, that the atom itself was divisible, and that we can redefine the term to include or exclude heavenly bodies. But think about this: while the true laws of physics (God's laws) never change, our laws of physics are constantly changing as we make new discoveries every day. Could it be that in the future things will continue to change? Of course they will. How much? No one knows. But as they change, God will laugh more and more because eventually we will make the ultimate discovery that He alone never changes, that He is the basic element of all life. Don't misunderstand. I am not saying that God is in all of us or that God is in all of creation. I am saying that everything that was, that is, and that ever will be comes from Him. He created it all. He even created "change." So instead of resisting it, why not embrace it and look forward to making God laugh each time we make a new discovery.