It's not weak to be weak

We’ve spent the last two blog posts thinking about self-reliance and what God says happens to us when we trust our own strength instead of relying on God.  If you missed either of them, check out Week 1 here and Week 2 here.

But why do we do it?  Why do we put so much trust in ourselves, what we can build, or things we can acquire?

Self-reliance is ultimately a power issue.  We’re trying to answer the question of identity we all must wrestle with:
Who has control and authority over my life?

When I choose me as the one who is in control, what I’m really doing I’m trying to make everyone subject to me.  I’m moving through life with the attitude: You don’t have control over me…if you want to interact with me (and you should want to), then you’ll have to do so on my terms.  Because I’m self-reliant.  I’m strong without you or anyone else.

However, truth be told…I’m much weaker than I realize.  And the parts that I realize where I’m weak, I’m unwilling to admit out loud.  And I can get away with it mainly because of modern conveniences.

For example: I wear contacts.  In fact, I wear multi-focal contacts.  Without them, I can’t see anything beyond about 2 inches from my face (I’m not exaggerating, either).  If I had been born 100 years earlier, I wouldn’t have been able to afford basic glasses.  Which means that everything in my life would have been different if I couldn’t see.  I wouldn’t have been educated.  I couldn’t work.  I certainly wouldn’t have been married or had kids.  To be blunt, I would have been worthless as a blind person.

Many other modern conveniences cover additional weakness: Food is readily available in our society; we don’t have to hunt and gather for it.  We use makeup and selfie filters to hide our imperfections.  We work hard to project in real life and online that “everything’s not just good, but it’s great”. 

But our obsession (it really is an obsession, when we’re honest with ourselves) with being strong and self-sufficient prevents us from entering into our weaknesses.  But why…WHY…would we want to do that?  Because that’s where we’ll meet Jesus.

Paul didn’t like being weak.  Can you blame him?  God gave him an important mission – to bring the good news about Jesus to the entire known world!  You would think that if God gave such an important task, He would outfit Paul with the best skills, abilities, and finances to pull off such an assignment.  But what did Paul get, along with the honor of being God’s messenger? He received a wound…he was weakened.

2 Corinthians 12:7-8
Therefore, so that I would not exalt myself, a thorn in the flesh was given to me, a messenger of Satan to torment me so that I would not exalt myself.  Concerning this, I pleaded with the Lord three times that it would leave me.

God allowed Paul – His chosen messenger – to be wounded, for his own good.  Paul admitted that he would have exalted himself if that thorn in the flesh had not been there.  He didn’t like it.  He wanted it gone.  And after persistently asking God to take the pain away, look at God’s reply:

2 Corinthians 12:9
But He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is perfected in weakness.”

If I were Paul, and God said that to me – those words would hurt more than the thorn.  And maybe they did for Paul, too.  But however long it took him to process, Paul changed his mind:

2 Corinthians 12:9-10
Therefore, I will most gladly boast all the more about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may reside in me.  So I take pleasure in weakness, insults, hardships, persecutions, and in difficulties, for the sake of Christ.  For when I am weak, then I am strong.

What a powerful perspective.  It’s in our weaknesses that Jesus’ strength is shown in our lives.  Not in how strong and self-reliant we are.  Jesus’ power doesn’t show up when we’re puffed up and full of ourselves. 

Don’t miss the part where Paul will gladly admit, even boast, about his weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may reside in [him].  Makes me think that all our posing and flexing is what keeps Christ’s power from NOT residing in us.  No wonder we feel so fragile behind our façade of self-reliance.

Embrace your weakness, for the sake of Christ.  Allow His resurrection power to empower you.  Don’t fuel yourself with your own grit and stubbornness.

It’s not weak to be weak before God.  For when I am weak, then I am strong.

Keep Pressing,
Ken

A contrast of trees

Tell me if any of these phrases sound familiar:

If you want it done right, do it yourself.
Always better to go it alone.
Take matters into your own hands.
Get your act together.

There are many ways we express our self-sufficiency.  We act and think (or at least project to others) like we are self-made men and women.  We flex our strengths in our possessions, our words, and our online profiles.  In last week’s post, we found out what God says happens to us when we puff ourselves up with self-reliance:

Jeremiah 17:5-6
This is what the Lord says:
Cursed is the person who trusts in mankind.
He makes human flesh his strength and his heart turns from the Lord.

He will be like a juniper in the Arabah;
he cannot see when good comes
but dwells in the parched places in the wilderness,
in a salt land where no one lives.

Jeremiah’s audience understood that the juniper in the Arabah was an isolated tree, living a depressing life in a barren, scorched-desert wasteland.  God says that is where we end up when we find our strength in our own efforts and abilities.

Thankfully, God also offers a contrasting option.  And His example is in the life of another tree:

Jeremiah 17:7-8
The person who trusts in the Lord,
whose confidence indeed is the Lord, is blessed.
He will be like a tree planted by water:
it sends its roots out toward a stream,
it doesn’t fear when heat comes,
and its foliage remains green.
It will not worry in a year of drought
or cease producing fruit.

A juniper in the Arabah sends its roots out in a wide, shallow radius in the hopes of collecting whatever moisture it can.  In contrast, the tree planted by water knows exactly where its life-source is and taps into the flowing waters with confidence.  This tree doesn’t fear when the day’s weather changes and heat comes, nor does it worry in a year of drought, when difficult circumstances linger long-term.

The comparison begs the question: Which tree do you want to be?

Trusting in your own strength, like a juniper in the Arabah?
OR
Placing your confidence in the Lord, like the tree planted by water?

Choose wisely.

Keep Pressing,
Ken

That’s not as reliable as you think it is

We’re always on the lookout for reliability.  For example, reliability is the number one factor when buying a car or hiring someone to work on our vehicles.  We want to know that our vehicle will be low maintenance, but when it does need repair, the person working on it will do so at a fair price and in a reasonable amount of time.

However, our search for safety found in “reliability” often goes too far.  We get burned in a relationship and we decide that we can only rely on ourselves.  We fear the future and hoard as much money as possible.  We want to buy top-of-the-line items, both for comfort and status.  We climb the corporate ladder or out-hustle everyone to get authority… because I can’t trust anyone else to lead.  We convey our “reliability” to others in our status and achievements.  And we’re in constant competition with everyone else trying to prove the same thing.

Humanity’s quest for self-sufficiency or self-superiority isn’t just a modern problem.  Certainly our modern technologies and social media platforms hype up this self-focused pursuit…but they did not create the problem.  In fact, God warned the Israelites about it hundreds of years before Jesus was born:

Jeremiah 17:5
This is what the Lord says:
Cursed is the person who trusts in mankind.
He makes human flesh his strength and his heart turns from the Lord.

It might seem like odd phrasing that someone would make human flesh his strength, but think about the human attributes or achievements we use to gain status over each other:

Money, authority, beauty, self-sufficiency, owning luxury items…God says that if we choose any of these things as our value indicators, our strength, or reliability… it naturally moves us to a heart turned from the Lord.  There is no other path.  And here’s what happens to the one who focuses on them:

Jeremiah 17:6
He will be like a juniper in the Arabah;
he cannot see when good comes
but dwells in the parched places in the wilderness,
in a salt land where no one lives.

A juniper tree will tend to grow in isolated or scattered patterns.  This behavior is due to the conditions of the Arabah, the parched Jordan Valley west of the Dead Sea, where little rain falls and salt flats dominate.

The comparison made between the person who trusts in mankind and a juniper in the Arabah would have been crystal-clear to Jeremiah’s audience.  If they continued to seek reliability and find their value in what human flesh can bring about, they would find themselves living an isolated and depressing life…just like the juniper in the Arabah.

We also recognize this, right?  We see this happening in culture and in the news and on social media all the time.  We hear about those who have the biggest fame, the most money, and all the luxury items being the ones who are most lonely and most depressed.

But, for some reason, we think that we won’t be like that.  Deep down, we think “Somehow, I’ll be the exception” and we convince ourselves to keep pursuing self-reliance.

Probably time to check our attitude towards all the things we are relying on…let’s ask God to review our hearts and reveal any place we’re relying on ourselves or what human strength can provide.

Keep Pressing,
Ken

Don’t just "enjoy" your youth

As the years have gone by and my number of birthdays has increased, I’m learning a few hard lessons about being middle-aged.  Do any of these sound familiar?

·       I’m not as young as I used to be
·       I don’t bounce back as quickly as I used to
·       I didn’t realize how good my younger body actually was

When I was in my teens and twenties, I often took solace in a verse from one of Paul’s letters to his protégé, Timothy.  After traveling and ministering under Paul for many years and a number of mission trips, Paul gave Timothy a specific, and certainly challenging, assignment – to stay put and lead the Christian church in the city of Ephesus.

Ephesus was a true melting pot of cultures because it was a major port city on the western edge of modern-day Turkey.  Commerce from all over the world passed through Ephesus, and the people who brought the goods also brought their cultures, beliefs, and religious practices with them.

Although Paul believed Timothy was ready for this role, after some time, Paul wrote two letters of encouragement – we refer to these as 1 Timothy and 2 Timothy.  Now Timothy was on the younger side, likely late 20s to early 30s when Paul wrote to him.  Not quite as young as when I grabbed ahold of this verse, but Timothy was still pretty young to be THE GUY leading the church in the crazy town of Ephesus.  Here’s the verse I used to build up my self-esteem in those early years (in the NIV84 translation I had at that time):

1 Tmothy 4:12
Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young

I mean, doesn’t this phrase just drip with encouragement for any young person in the church?  After remembering this verse, I’d mentally puff out my chest and think, “Yeah, I can do important stuff for God, too!  Don’t look down on me and write me off because of my age!”

But what I didn’t recognize at the time…I wasn’t quoting the whole verse, because what you read above is just a snippet of what Paul was communicating.  Here’s the whole idea, with the snippet in context:

1 Timothy 4:12-16
Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in life, in love, in faith, and in purity.  Until I come, devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture, to preaching and to teaching.  Do not neglect your gift, which was given you through a prophetic message when the body of elders laid their hands on you.

Be diligent in these matters; give yourself wholly to them, so that everyone may see your progress.  Watch your life and doctrine closely.  Persevere in them, because if you do, you will save both yourself and your hearers.

Paul’s advice isn’t just about not getting down on yourself because “everybody thinks I’m too young to do anything”.  People may have that opinion of you as a youngster, but he’s not advocating that we overcome with a self-indulgent pep-talk. 

Instead, Paul says we have work to do.  We are to set an example – and not one of just being a nice person.  Our example shows up in our speech, how we conduct our life, our faith, and our purity.  Paul doesn’t say just be “good” at one of these things and be “working on” the rest.  No, he says we should be at an example-level for all to see.

These qualities will only develop as we devote ourselves to Scripture, preaching, and teaching.  Timothy should not neglect his gift…he can’t expect to skate by on what God has naturally gifted him to do (and neither should we!).  Diligence is necessary for godly development; we have to let people see our progress.  Our perseverance will not only save us from trouble and being unproductive – our efforts will also rescue those under our care from those same things!

If I were to boil down Paul’s advice to Timothy, it would be this:
Don’t just enjoy your youth, leverage it.  Make eternal investments, don’t waste the time we have.

Oh, and one last thing – Don’t read this, shrug your shoulders, and think this passage doesn’t apply to you.  Don’t tell me that you’re “not a youth”, but you know someone who needs to hear this.  That’s a cop-out.  That’s lazy thinking.  If you ask someone who’s 100 years old, you are still young.  So, what are you going to do with the time you have?

Keep Pressing,
Ken

Long-term ROI

Ever wish you could have gone back in time and invested in a then little-known stock that was oddly called “Amazon”?  Back in 1997, Amazon was an online bookstore that was trying its hardest to prove you don’t need brick-and-mortar locations to sell books.  If you had grabbed on to that early vision and bought $500 of its $18/share stock and simply held on to that investment, here’s how you would have fared:

·       The stock has split four times, meaning your initial investment price is now $0.075/share.
·       Due to these splits, every one of your initial shares has become 240 shares.
·       On December 29, 2025, the share price closed at $232.07, which means the current value of your shares is now $1,508,535.
·       You have received an ROI (return on investment) of 301,607% !

Back in 1997, you never would have guessed that your modest investment into an online bookstore would end up with the world-wide reach and global impact that Amazon has scaled to now…but you would have still reaped the profits, even though you didn’t see them coming when you invested.

There’s a guy in the Bible who also made an investment that may have seemed a little risky, but also reasonable at the time, and yet his investment later became staggeringly profitable in ways that I’m certain he never saw coming.

When you read the leading verses to the New Testament books of Luke and Acts, you find the same person mentioned – Theophilus.  Most scholars believe he was the patron of Luke, the one who financed and supported the writing of these two books.  Writing a book of this length was quite expensive in the ancient world, because of the time and resources needed.  It was also common to dedicate the commissioned work back to the patron who supported it.  Take a look at the beginnings of both books:

Luke 1:1-4
Many have undertaken to compile a narrative about the events that have been fulfilled among us, just as the original eyewitnesses and servants of the word handed them down to us.  So it also seemed good to me, since I have carefully investigated everything from the very first, to write to you in an orderly sequence, most honorable Theophilus, so that you may know the certainty of the things about which you have been instructed.

Acts 1:1-2
I wrote the first narrative, Theophilus, about all that Jesus began to do and teach until the day He was taken up, after He had given instructions through the Holy Spirit to the apostles He had chosen.

Luke’s aim was so that Theophilus would know the certainty of the things about which [he had] been instructed.  It’s quite likely that Theophilus was a new believer and he wanted to know everything he could about Jesus’ earthly ministry.  Putting yourself in that position, it would make sense to commission a trusted, educated man like Luke to carefully investigate the stories about Jesus.  Having a historical record on hand would also provide the opportunity to commission copies of the books to be distributed out to a wider audience.

However, I’m pretty certain that Theophilus did not expect these two books to be included in the New Testament cannon.  However, God knew the full impact of the commissioned works.  Just think about the larger impact the Gospel of Luke and the Book of Acts has had:

·       They have been cherished, read, and studied by believers for nearly 2000 years
·       Every Christmas season features Luke 2 as the central passage describing the birth of Jesus.
·       The historical details which Luke included in both books have provided significant evidence supporting the accuracy of Scripture as a whole.

Those are just a small portion of the books’ history-making impact, created by Theophilus’ funding of a project that he likely expected to be for him and for perhaps a few others in his time.  There’s no way he would have predicted the global, historical influence of his investment.

My thoughts from this example come back to us… What are we investing in now for God that He could use to make a generational-level, even historical-level impact?  Are we intentionally funding those who create content that tells others about who Jesus is, what He did, and what He taught? 

I don’t have any idea what else Theophilus did with his money, but I am thankful that he spent some of what God entrusted him with on an investment into God’s people.  It wouldn’t have been a small sum of money, either.  I’m sure there were other things he could have bought, too.  But by choosing to invest in God’s Kingdom, Theophilus’ ROI is greater than he could have ever imagined… and his investment is still going!

So, again, I have to ask: Where in the Kingdom of God are we investing?

Trust God with your investment, and let’s see Him expand the reach greater than we can imagine!

Keep Pressing,
Ken

Jumper cable generosity

There’s a gas station I always stop at on my way home from church.  They have the lowest price per gallon in the area, so this is one of those times in life where convenience and need match up nicely.  On the Sunday before Christmas, I was filling my truck and minding my own business when the voice of a woman I did not know called out to me:

“Excuse me, sir, could you give us a jump?”

They were at the next pump over and had apparently just filled up their tank, only to have their car fail to start when they turned the key.  Without hesitation, I agreed to help.  After filling my tank, I pulled up so our cars were nose-to-nose.  We connected the cables and while we waited for their battery to charge, I noticed their daughter reading in the back seat.  I empathized with them because I understand the parental frustration of being in a situation like this. 

I mentioned we were coming back from church, and we talked about that a little.  We talked about the trouble the car had been giving them, and when they said they didn’t know a reliable mechanic, I was able to recommend ours.  After a couple of tries, their car started up, we wished each other Merry Christmas, and both families went on their way.

As we drove off, I was hit with a couple of thoughts… I should have invited them to our church!  A Christmas Service would have been such an easy invite.  I didn’t even think of it (to my shame, for which I kicked myself).  I was more focused on meeting their immediate need and wasn’t thinking eternal-big-picture in that moment.  So, I accepted that our interaction was positive and something God can use as a steppingstone for someone else to make that invite in the future.

The second thought that hit me was that giving them a jump didn’t really cost me anything, except 10-15 minutes of my time.  After we passed a charge from our battery to their battery, our truck’s alternator did its job of making up the difference.  Our battery was recharged back to where it was before the jump in the remaining 20 minutes it took us to drive home.

Helping them really didn’t cost me anything…but to those who received the jump, the help meant everything – the ability to get unstuck, keep moving, and take care of their own family.

Once I realized this, God brought these two verses to mind:

Galatians 6:10
Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us work for the good of all, especially for those who belong to the household of faith.

Proverbs 11:25
A generous person will be enriched,
and the one who gives a drink of water will receive water.

Being generous towards others typically costs less than we think it will.  Often, it costs us nothing but a little bit of our time.  We can change the direction of a person’s day…even their life…when we provide the little “jump” they need to get out of their stuck situation. 

God says we should be working for the good of all, giving what they need…even if it’s a simple as a drink of water.  God also says we’ll be enriched for doing it, so don’t worry about what the cost will be to step into another’s life.  Look for the opportunity to do so, and then “jump” in.

Keep Pressing,
Ken

When you don’t know what to do, read this chapter

If you want to be more consistent about reading your Bible but don’t know where to start, I have long-advocated reading through the Proverbs on a daily basis.  The book of Proverbs contains rich wisdom thoughts, mainly from the wisest person the world has ever seen – King Solomon.  He spends the first several chapters telling you all the benefits of gaining God’s wisdom and also gives several warnings of the pitfalls that naturally come if you reject God’s insight.

There are 31 chapters in Proverbs, so the reading plan is quite simple: you match up the day of the month with the chapter.  On the first, you read chapter 1.  On the fifteenth, you read chapter 15.  For months that don’t have 31 days, read chapters 30 and 31 on the 30th.  (I’ll let you decide how to handle February…)

This approach also works if you’re just not sure what to read next.  If you want to read God’s Word, but don’t know where to start, then jump to today’s chapter in Proverbs.

I’ve done this often enough over the years that I can say I have a “favorite” chapter.  The topics addressed in it cover a wide range of life, and there is always something applicable to what I have going on in the moment.  I even made a bit of a rhyme out of it, and I said it to my boys many times while they were growing up:

If you don’t know what to do, go read Proverbs 22.

Here are a few examples of the insight you’ll find there:

Proverbs 22:1
A good name is to be chosen over great wealth;
favor is better than silver and gold.

Especially early in my career, I needed to hear this.  When money is tight, we’re tempted to “do what we must” to keep things moving.  But long-term, a good name is greater currency that provides better opportunities than silver and gold

Proverbs 22:7
The rich rule over the poor,
and the borrower is a slave to the lender.

Debt is one of the biggest unseen weights we carry.  Borrowing might fill a need or desire in the moment, but the bill always comes due.  This proverb reminds us to help our future selves and our families by living within our means.

Proverbs 22:14
The mouth of the forbidden woman is a deep pit;
a man cursed by the Lord will fall into it.

“Don’t screw around on your spouse” is in God’s Top Ten Commandments for a reason.  I don’t care how pretty she is or how he makes you feel – God will not bless your actions.  In fact, He curses them.  We’ve all seen or experienced the fallout from someone’s adulterous actions.  Do not bring that into your own life.

Proverbs 22:24-25
Don’t make friends with an angry person,
and don’t be a companion of a hot-tempered one,
or you will learn his ways and entangle yourself in a snare.

You become the average of the people you hang around.  What type of character do you want to develop?  Find friends who already do that.

Proverbs 22:29
Do you see a person skilled in his work?
He will stand in the presence of kings.
He will not stand in the presence of the unknown.

The last proverb in the chapter is a companion to the first one above.  Great work does not go unnoticed.  Giving your time and energy to be the best at your craft will open doors that would never have been possible otherwise. 

These are just a few of the absolute wisdom bangers you’ll find in Proverbs 22.  I encourage you to check out the other proverbs there but also read the rest of the book.  One chapter a day is totally doable – and you’ll probably find that you, too, will have a go-to favorite place to land when you need practical life advice from God.

Keep Pressing,
Ken

Christmas = GAME ON

Earlier this year, our youngest son proposed to his girlfriend.  We knew it was coming ahead of time.  For months prior, he had made plans for the ring’s design, as well as how and when he would ask her.  We talked with him through this important step, because once this moment happens, there are no take backs.  As big of an event the proposal is, the real significance of him asking is because the proposal sets in motion the events that lead to the ultimate goal – marriage.

When he had picked the day, the time, and the place for his proposal, he let us and her immediate family know.  The proposal itself was to be a moment between the two of them, but he also knew that they would want to celebrate afterward with both families.  He made reservations at a little Italian restaurant where we were to meet up and celebrate the new couple.

In some ways, the dinner was an ending, because it signified the end of the dating portion of their relationship.  But the bigger reality was that we all knew this was officially the start of something new and that something greater was just on the horizon.  The ring on her finger and gathering those closest to them was the public announcement that their relationship to each other and to the world was going to change soon.  It was GAME ON, and all of us at that dinner were so excited about what that moment meant to them and for us.

In a lot of ways…that’s what Christmas is, too.

God had promised a Messiah, a Rescuer, to the people of Israel for centuries.  The Messiah would be the one to rescue the people, bringing justice, hope, and reconciliation to a world that would never be able to have those things by their own efforts.  God foretold, through the prophets, where the Messiah would be born…but He didn’t tell them exactly when it would happen. 

Then one night, the announcement came:

Luke 2:8-14
In the same region, shepherds were staying out in the fields and keeping watch at night over their flock.  Then an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified.

But the angel said to them, “Don’t be afraid, for look, I proclaim to you good news of great joy that will be for all the people: Today in the city of David a Savior was born for you, who is the Messiah, the Lord.  This will be the sign for you: You will find a baby wrapped tightly in cloth and lying in a manger.”

Suddenly there was a multitude of the heavenly host with the angel, praising God and saying:

Glory to God in the highest heaven, and peace on earth to people He favors!

In some ways, the angel’s announcement was an ending, because it signified the end of the prophets being the primary way God communicated with mankind.  But the bigger reality was that this moment was officially the start of something new, and that something greater was just on the horizon.  This multitude of heavenly host, this mass of a heavenly army, cheered and shouted praises to publicly announce the birth of Jesus.  But instead of simply gathering those closest to God, the public announcement was made to people on the lowest rungs of ancient society.  Everyone was to know that their relationship to God and God’s relationship to the world was going to change soon.  It was GAME ON, and the shepherds were so excited about what that moment meant to them and for all of us.

The greatness of Christmas is because our Messiah has finally arrived… telling us that our hope of rescue has been fulfilled, our relationship with God has changed, and something greater is coming soon.

Glory to God in the highest heaven, and peace on earth to people He favors!

Keep Pressing,
Ken

Flashback Favorite: The mystery of the Messiah

I’ve been sick over the last week, so thank you for being patient with me as we revisit these Flashback Favorites. I’m on the mend now, so new posts will resume next week.

The mystery of the Messiah
Originally posted on December 25, 2015

When Paul wrote his letter to the believers in Colossae, he was in prison for preaching the gospel.  He wasn’t living the good life…at best, he was spending his days chained to a Roman guard.  Quite possibly, he was chained to a dungeon wall.  And at the end of his letter, Paul understandably asks for prayer.

If you were Paul, what would you ask them to pray? 

Honestly, if I were in that situation, I’d be asking for people to be praying that I’d get out of there.  By my reasoning, prison would be limiting to the ministry that God gave Paul on the road to Damascus so many years prior.  He could reach so many more people with the Good News of Jesus’ birth, death, and resurrection if he were free to move about the world.  Instead, Paul’s on lockdown.  But Paul doesn’t ask for prayer about that.  Take a look at what he asks instead:

Colossians 4:3-4
At the same time, pray also for us that God may open a door to us for the message, to speak the mystery of the Messiah – for which I am in prison – so that I may reveal it as I am required to speak.

Paul’s focus isn’t on where he is at the moment.  His location isn’t his primary concern.  Instead, Paul is watching for God to provide opportunities for the message, to speak the mystery of the Messiah.

Jesus – the Messiah – coming to earth as humanity’s only option for rescue is a mystery to everyone outside of God’s family.  Why would the King of the Universe choose to be born a helpless baby, whose primary goal in life was to die for something that wasn’t His fault?  Why would someone so limitless choose to be so limited?

Those are legitimate questions, and there are many more that people will honestly ask about the mystery of the Messiah.  We need to be watching for opportunities to share the message that gives Eternal Life and hope for the here and now.  Paul knew that he had to lift his eyes above his circumstances…he didn’t need to focus on his current difficulties or limitations, instead he needed to watch for opportunities to reveal the Good News to others around him.

We Christians have a unique opportunity every year at this time to share the mystery of the Messiah.  For the weeks leading up to Christmas and for a short time after, everyone seems to be a little more open to thinking about spiritual questions and how God interacts with their lives.  I pray that you’ll be looking for these opportunities instead of looking at your current limitations.  Be ready and willing to share Jesus with those who so desperately need Him.

Keep Pressing,
Ken

Flashback Favorite: My spammed identity crisis

My spammed identity crisis
Originally posted on October 27, 2022

I hate SPAM.  I really do.  And as much as I despise that nasty concoction sealed in tin cans and sold in the grocery store…I’m not talking about that today.  The SPAM that I really hate is the one that shows up in my email inbox. 

Although I use the SPAM-filters on all my personal and work email accounts, there is always some junk emails that get through.  “Buy my stuff”, “Click this link” – makes me just roll my eyes.  Sometimes, the topic of the email is relative to something I’ve searched for or shopped for recently.  I bought some cordless power tools this past summer, and ever since I keep getting emails that I’m the “lucky winner” of a new tool set.  Other times, I can tell that my email address was sold to some list of random ads, clickbait, and phishing scams…often profiled to whatever demographic they believe I fit in: “Your Paypal account is locked”, “Life insurance – cheap quotes”, “Free phone – please respond”, “Find singles in your area” and on and on and on…

Looking at my SPAM file now…if my identity was defined by how these entities view me…here’s who I would be, based on just the SPAM I’ve received today:

The lucky winner of gift cards to both Kohl’s and Delta Airlines, a Milwaulkee Power Drill set, a Yeti backpack, as well as sweet deals for Canvas Prints, Gutter Guards, and a compression knee sleeve. 

Going back a couple more days, the SPAM companies’ picture of my identity includes:

Someone who is in need life insurance, a sloth Christmas t-shirt (twice), a sexy message from “Sofia”, a pizza oven, another power drill set, an American Airlines gift card, dementia information, and a warning that my McAfee account will be removed today!

It would be absurd for me to look at these junk emails and believe that they define what I should buy, where my interests are focused, or who I am as a person.  These strangers and their algorithms use scraps of data about me to construct a common-denominator profile, firing off anything a guy my age(ish) might be interested in.

But how often do we allow others to define our spending habits, our interests, or our value as a person?  It is very easy to allow the opinions of coworkers, fellow students, or celebrities to change our focus.  How much of our inner dialogue is shaped by what we see in commercials or on what the algorithms show us on social media?  How many of our wants, fears, and racing thoughts are driven by others and their view of what our identity should be?

We look for external affirmation because we know our internal thoughts can be biased.  The good news is that we can choose who is (and who isn’t) allowed to speak into our lives about who we are. 

Ever wonder what God says about our identity?

Once we believe in Jesus for eternal life (John 3:16), we automatically become children of God (John 1:12).  Here are a few more characteristics that God declares about His kids:

·       We’re rescued out of our old life and have a new home – one of love:

Colossians 1:13
He has rescued us from the domain of darkness and transferred us into the kingdom of the Son He loves.

·       We find forgiveness:

Colossians 1:14
In Him we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.

·       We have been brought near into God’s family.  God is no longer relationally distant from us:

Ephesians 2:13
But now in Christ Jesus, you who were far away have been brought near by the blood of Christ.

·     We have a home, a place where we belong:

Philippians 3:20
Our citizenship is in heaven, and we eagerly wait for a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ.

These verses are a small sampling of what God has to say about our identity.  We can find many more identity descriptions throughout the New Testament books.  I suggest reading the letters I quoted above – Colossians, Ephesians, and Philippians – as these books talk a great deal about who we are in God’s family.  They are quick reads that will have great insight into who God says we are.

So don’t allow SPAM emails, social media algorithms, or other imperfect humans to determine your identity.  Instead, look to the one who gave you eternal life and made you a “new creation” (2 Corinthians 5:17).  If we trust Him with our eternal destiny, then we should be able to trust Him with our identity.

Keep Pressing,
Ken