Authenticity

Readings for today: 2 Corinthians 5-9

I recently received a great compliment. A person in my church family shared with me that one of the things they appreciated most about my leadership was my authenticity. I don’t hide my flaws. I don’t pretend I don’t struggle. I talk openly and honestly about my pain and heartbreaks. I allow myself to be known not just as a pastor but as a person. An ordinary guy trying to follow Jesus to the best of my ability. Interestingly enough, I was taught the opposite in my seminary training. I was taught to maintain professional distance. I was taught to keep the people I serve at arm’s length. I was taught to not let them in lest I lose my ability to be their pastor. Thankfully, I knew even then that it was terrible advice. Well-meaning to be sure. I understood the point my professors were trying to make. They had my best in mind. But the model they were following simply isn’t biblical. It’s certainly not how Jesus led or the Apostle Paul. Listen again to Paul’s heart as he shares with the Christians in Corinth…

“Instead, as God’s ministers, we commend ourselves in everything: by great endurance, by afflictions, by hardships, by difficulties, by beatings, by imprisonments, by riots, by labors, by sleepless nights, by times of hunger, by purity, by knowledge, by patience, by kindness, by the Holy Spirit, by sincere love, by the word of truth, by the power of God; through weapons of righteousness for the right hand and the left, through glory and dishonor, through slander and good report; regarded as deceivers, yet true; as unknown, yet recognized; as dying, yet see we live; as being disciplined, yet not killed; as grieving, yet always rejoicing; as poor, yet enriching many; as having nothing, yet possessing everything.” (2 Corinthians‬ ‭6‬:‭4‬-‭10‬ ‭CSB‬‬) Clearly, Paul had done life with these people. He had experienced a lot of ups and downs alongside them and didn’t pretend otherwise. He didn’t keep them at arm’s length and didn’t seem concerned about professional distance. He understood his life was a demonstration of the gospel in action and he wanted them to witness it up close and personal.

What gave Paul the strength to be so vulnerable? It was his confidence in God. He walked by faith and not by sight. This world had nothing for him. The esteem of the world was not attractive to him. He longed to be with the Lord so whatever happened to him this side of heaven simply didn’t matter all that much. He could be rich or poor. He could be strong or weak. He could be successful or a failure. he could be honored or dishonored. He could be understood or misunderstood. He could endure all kinds of hardships and sufferings. All that mattered was that Christ was glorified by his life, by his death, and everything in between. What about you? Do you feel the freedom to be truly known? To be truly yourself, warts and all? Do you feel the pressure to perform? Put on a mask? Never let those around you see you sweat? Let go of the need to be perfect. Let go of the need to be perceived as something or someone. Let go of the need for recognition or affirmation or influence. Place your hope in God alone.

Readings for tomorrow: 2 Corinthians 10-13

Humanity

Readings for today: Psalms 6, 9, 10, 14, 16, 21

The good news of the gospel is that God became a human being. He took on human flesh. He took on human nature. He experienced everything you and I experience. He knows hunger and thirst. He knows hardship and poverty. He knows pain and suffering. He knows what it’s like to feel tired and overwhelmed. He knows what it’s like to be abandoned, betrayed, and denied. He has suffered injustice. He has been falsely accused and falsely tried and falsely convicted and falsely condemned. He knows what death feels like. He knows what it’s like to be laid to rest in on a cold slab in a tomb.

I try to read the Psalms backwards. In fact, I try to read the entire Old Testament backwards. What do I mean by that? What I mean is I try to read it through the lens of Jesus Christ. With Jesus as my “hermeneutical key” - as my professors in seminary might have said - it all makes sense. A whole new world of meaning opens up. My understanding deepens. My connection to the people of the Old Testament becomes stronger. Take King David. Imagine all he must be experiencing as he expresses himself through prayer set to music. “Be gracious to me, Lord, for I am weak; heal me, Lord, for my bones are shaking; my whole being is shaken with terror. And you, Lord, how long?” (Psalms‬ ‭6‬:‭2‬-‭3‬ ‭CSB‬‬) Is he suffering from disease? Depression? Adverse life circumstances? Is he fearful of the future? Afraid of his enemies? Is he having a hard time being patient for God’s will to come about? Or the flip side, what happened that caused David to write, “When my enemies retreat, they stumble and perish before you. For you have upheld my just cause; you are seated on your throne as a righteous judge. You have rebuked the nations: You have destroyed the wicked; you have erased their name forever and ever. The enemy has come to eternal ruin; you have uprooted the cities, and the very memory of them has perished.” (Psalms‬ ‭9‬:‭3‬-‭6‬ ‭CSB‬‬) Had he just won another victory? Had he just put his enemies to flight? Is he referring here to the Philistines or to the people who were still following the house of Saul in Israel? Can he sense the fulfillment of God’s promises are near? And as always, I love David’s honesty and transparency...“Lord, why do you stand so far away? Why do you hide in times of trouble?” (Psalms‬ ‭10‬:‭1‬ ‭CSB‬‬) He’s not afraid to cry out to God from the depths of his heart. 

Throughout history, the people of God have returned over and over again to the Psalms to learn how to pray. They have used them as a guide for prayer. They have prayed these words back to God. Made them their own. Prayer can be difficult. It’s challenging to move beyond the rote prayers we learned in our youth. It’s challenging to be honest and real with God. Frequently it can feel like our words are inadequate. Self-centered. Foolish. Like they bounce off the ceiling back into our laps. So many Christians I know and love struggle with prayer. Often when they ask me how they should pray, I will point them to the Psalms. Not just to repeat the words but to reflect on them and make them their own. Reflect on the feelings and emotions. Reflect on the heart of what David is saying. Let his heart’s cry resonate with your heart’s cry and lead you to express your deepest thoughts to God. And most of all, remember God has felt every feeling you feel as well.

Our God is safe. He is a refuge. A stronghold. Our deliverer. We are the apple of His eye and He hides us in the shadow of His wings. He is our protector. Our comforter. Our friend. We can tell Him anything. The deepest desires of our hearts are not hidden from Him. Nor are the wounds. The hurts. The disappointments. The fears. The failures. God rejoices with us when we experience success. When the victories come in our lives. God weeps with us when we struggle. When we grieve. God fights our battles for us. We may not always understand His ways. We may not always agree with His timing. His answer can be “No” just as easily as it can be “Yes.” It can even be “Not Yet.” Through it all, God is God and we are not and prayer reminds us the best place to be is at His feet. 

Readings for tomorrow: 1 Chronicles 1-2, Psalms 43-44