romans

Hope is a Habit

January 6, 2021 — Leave a comment

Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we boast in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance, perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.

Romans 5:1-5

First forget inspiration. Habit is more dependable. Habit will sustain you whether you’re inspired or not. Habit will help you finish and polish your stories. Inspiration won’t. Habit is persistence in practice.

Octavia Butler

Before ALL else, we have to come back to our justification in Christ — that through the death and life of Jesus, we all have access to God. There is nothing we need to do besides believing that there is a God that loves us beyond our minds can comprehend. God loves us so much that he displayed a tangible example for our humans minds to comprehend. Because we are justified, we have faith and we have grace. Because we are justified, we have hope and we are marked by the last word of God, which is that good triumphs evil and love triumphs all. Out of this wholeness and faith, THEN, can we also boast in our suffering because we know in this context suffering builds us up. Suffering gives us habits and structures to get through every-changing circumstances with integrity and character. Suffering creates a moral road map for our ever straying hearts. When we endure and come back to the glory and justification of God in the midst of suffering, we are building incremental changes in ourselves that make hope more visible in this world. We do not suffer or persevere for its own sake; we do it all in and for hope. There will be moments when you don’t feel like going on. There will be times when you don’t feel led to persevere. Come back to the promises and days when you felt wrapped up in God’s hope and glory. Can you remember how you felt in those moments? Can you see how where you are not is so different than where you used to be? Can you see that even when you don’t feel it, God is at work? If in the valley, we can come back to our first truth of justification and find seeds of past & future promises, hope will eventually break through! Just look at Georgia!

Warriors of Hope

October 15, 2020 — Leave a comment

Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we boast in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.

Romans 5:1-5

Suffering creates perseverance. Perseverance builds character. Character leads to hope. Hope is a byproduct of work, experience, and self-understanding. Hope is the thing that comes pouring out after all the striving, pushing through, climbing up, getting free. Hope is for warriors and survivors.

So for those of you out there, that continue to hope, you are brave. For those of you out there who dare to hope, you know how risky it is to keep your heart open and expectant. For the hopeful, you are an inspiration in this world that wants us to dream small and stay in our lane.

It takes a lot of courage to have hope because it’s scary to keep your heart open still.
It takes pain to still stand in hope because disappointment might be on the other side.
It takes character to be hopeful because it means choosing faith over circumstances.

I pray that even as your shoulders hunch over and you lie fetal position in your bed, you dare to ask for hope. I pray that even when your heart is broken, you dare to hope again. I pray that even when it feels like an uphill battle, you dare to hope out of the trenches, up the mountain to see what awaits. Those that hope in this dark world are the lights we need; we need you and your hope.

The Gospel

September 29, 2020 — Leave a comment

For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes: first to the Jew, then to the Gentile. For in the gospel the righteousness of God is revealed — a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: ‘The righteous will live by faith.’

Romans 1:16-17

Now more than ever, I find it so hard to answer the question, are you a Christian? There is so much baggage and preconceived notions wrapped up in the identification. There’s also a kind of flexing that might result from identifying as such. How often do you see people who identify as Christians spew the most hate, live the most selfishly and taint the beauty of God? They claim a holy Biblical standard that they don’t adhere to or doesn’t allow to penetrate into any relevance or impact on this side of heaven.

Then I used to say, well…yeah…I love Jesus, this more heart-centered way to express how and for who I live my life. But then it gets kind of wooo wooo and I feel myself throwing out disclaimers and trying to fluff up what I mean by that.

That is why I’m so moved by the simplicity in this passage. I believe in the gospel. I am not ashamed of the gospel. I am built up and led by the gospel. I believe that God loves the world, loves us so much and wants our wholeness and holiness felt fully. God demonstrates his love and hope through Jesus Christ, who lived a life full of purpose, forgiveness, radical love and miracles. We get to believe this dude was for real because if he was that means we too can have access to lives of deep purpose, forgiveness, radical love and miracles. And I believe the gospel because I believe God is ALWAYS with me. The Holy Spirit lives in me and reminds me of my worth & sense of home. So I believe in the gospel. I believe that hope has the final say and that transformation is inevitable. This is what I believe and I am not ashamed of it.

CBG: Reciprocity

May 16, 2020 — Leave a comment

Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good. Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor. Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord. Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer. Contribute to the needs of the saints and seek to show hospitality. Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them. Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep. Live in harmony with one another. Do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly. Never be wise in your own sight. Repay no one evil for evil, but give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all. If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peacefully with all. Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.” To the contrary, if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.” Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

Romans 12:9-21

Here are the guidelines for living. You don’t need to do everything at once, and you probably should not and cannot. What part of this passage makes you angry because it feels too hard and too unfair? Never avenge yourselves? Be patient in tribulation? Overcome evil with good? A lot of this passage goes against my body when I’m gripping hard to my ego and my comforts. These encouragements are uncomfortable, are unfair. They require you to give up your status and ego. This is not giving up your power. It’s giving up your need to prove your power.

If there is a part of this passage that really irks — right now for me it’s live in harmony with one another – acknowledge the feelings. They are valid. What is that feeling trying to protect? What is this feeling afraid of losing if you actually abide by this verse? Do you need to hold onto this thing that you might lose? If you lose this thing, what do you need God to do to fill in the gap? What feeling emerges in the surrender?

Prayer: God I pray to love more, care more, rejoice and weep more, than I am resistant. God I pray for a greater capacity to surrender and give up present status for the sake of long-term health. God I pray for grace and patience with people who irk me to my core.

Character: Where am I gripping more than making room and loosening up?

Grace: What helps you take a breath and a moment before reacting?

CBG: Rejoicing

May 6, 2020 — Leave a comment

Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God. Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.

Romans 5:1-5

Tell someone who is suffering to rejoice and when they punch you in the face, I wouldn’t be surprised. Tell someone that their suffering produces character so that they get perspective also merits a punch in the face. Tell someone in the throes of their suffering that it will eventually culminate in hope isn’t salve. It can feel like lemon juice on a paper cut.

Rejoicing is an internal reminder between you and God. It should not be an unrequested reminder from someone on the outside looking at someone’s pain. It can be a prayer for you to have for another, that they will experience relief and purpose and hope in the midst of suffering. Pray so that they will know their suffering is not in vain. Pray that for yourself.

When I am in pain, I am not celebrating with tambourines or animal balloons. When I am in pain, it is not helpful to put on a smile and have some perspective. That will lead to untimely blow ups and deep rooted resentment. When I am in pain, in Christ and in patient small steps, I have access to former moments of peace and to future promises of healing. Will these recollections remove my pain? Not necessarily. However it might pull your mind and body out of circumstances and into a greater reality untouched by circumstances, like God’s character and presence. It might for a brief moment transport you to a quiet and still moment where you can hear God’s whisper that he’s right there with you. It might for a moment remind you, you are not your circumstances or your pain; you are the character and the worth strong enough to still exist in the pain and circumstances. Rejoicing isn’t a party. It’s the act of separating what’s real and what’s forever truer. It’s glimpses of clarity between the unchangeable goodness and the current details. It’s the ability to breathe, hold space and not react, just be. We can rejoice if we have once experienced wholeness. In Christ, that will always be available for us.

Prayer: God I pray for a sensitivity and a courage to face suffering, in myself, in others and in the world. God I pray that I would not cease praying for relief and hope for those in pain. God I pray that if there are actions not due to my own discomfort but resulting from generosity and justice, I will execute them.

Character: Where do you less need plot and more character building?

Grace: Recall the last time you were in heartbreak and pain. Even if you are in a different one today, you are not in the former one and that is victory. What does that mean for you?

CBG COVID Challenge: #6

March 26, 2020 — Leave a comment

I appeal to you therefore, brothers by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.

Romans 12:1-2

For most of us (I’m hoping), we are staying put and doing what’s necessary to flatten the curve, not overwhelm our healthcare system and protect the most vulnerable (and ourselves) by doing less. It was an abrupt stop to the natural American rhythms of doing too much, staying busy and being everywhere at once. It was difficult. It was a sharp nose dive into a different pace and culture. We were forced into a kind of sabbath, maybe at first physically then if lucky, emotionally, mentally. Questions of life priorities, of what matters most, of what we truly need as human beings emerged. Maybe stillness popped in. Maybe a new normal or, an openness to a new way is starting to set in.

Then BAM. The challenges arrived. Post this. Inspire us! Make a video. Tag 5 friends. Post a picture. Tag 8 friends. Virtual FOMO anyone? Why didn’t I get that challenge invite? Everyone’s doing it. The need to make “quality content” seeps in. I spent 2 hours yesterday afternoon trying to tape a 1.5 minute monologue. Silly, silly, F.

The intentions of these challenges are probably well-meaning. However as more of these pop up and fill our minds and schedules, are they sneaky ways for the old way of life to wreck our new normal? Are we trying to fit in the former ways of doing too much and competition into this potentially new way of simplicity and enough-ness? Are we adapting to a new way or allowing old ways to dictate how to experience the now? How do we stay motivated without participating in another form of frenzy? What renewals and revelations did you initially experience that are fighting the conformity of the world?

Prayer: God remind me what a YOLO spirit-led life feels and looks like. Show me what I can let go and not participate in. Show me what discomforts I can grow in. Renew me. Refresh me.

Creative: Do something you loved when you were a kid.

Brave: Draw a boundary with something, somewhere or someone.

Generous: Who needs your patience today?

CBG COVID Challenge: #2

March 22, 2020 — 1 Comment

Being quarantined in a house with a family has brought up a lot of resentment in me. One, the family is together, planning dinners and game nights, while I am separated from my family and my friends. Two, they can sit back and receive my rent, while I struggle financially and scramble to apply for any employment during this #stayhome season. Three, they seem so happy and it only fuels my own bitterness. What do all these lead to in me? Victimhood. “I have it so much worse.” “No one gets where I’m at.” “Why do I always have to figure things out on my own?” “If this was the end of the world, I don’t want to die with these housemates…” I am a victim.

And a natural step is to continue the cycle of comparison and say, well there are people who have it A LOT worse than me. There are single parents struggling to feed their kids and pay rent. There are families with relatives who have died or are dying. Businesses are closing. Lay offs for people who have worked at a job for over a decade are happening everywhere. So if I want to play the victim card, and then see the state of others in a even grimmer state, I am left with GUILT. While it is helpful, when it gives you perspective to remember those less fortunate, comparison is not the way to get out of a state of victimhood.

What do my resentments reveal? Underneath my “woe is me,” what am I thinking? What is my “victimhood” preserving and protecting? My desires. My hurt. My unmet expectations. Because under the irritation and bitterness are my desires to be with people I love, to have a sense of financial security and to be in joy. All these desires are unmet. And I am scared; and I am hurt. I am sad I don’t have a partner that I’d like to be quarantined with. I am sad that my career after all these years still feels uncertain and stagnant. I realize that my joy is very much wrapped up in circumstances. When I am in this state of thought and meditation, God can work. God can work in our honesty and rawness. He can’t break in fully in our lens of comparison. So what’s the remedy to victimhood? Vulnerability.

Owe no one anything, except to love each other, for the one who loves one another has fulfilled the law.

Romans 13:8

Prayer: Lay before God your desires, your expectations and your hurt.

Creative: Write a haiku. (5-7-5)

Brave: Let someone know where you’re at, and tell them, you don’t need advice, just a listening ear.

Generous: Venmo $1 to someone to let them know you’re thinking of them, you’re with them!