For What It’s Worth . . .

 “But my life is worth nothing to me unless I use it for finishing the work assigned me by the Lord Jesus—the work of telling others the Good News about the wonderful grace of God.” - Acts 20.24

What is the value of a life? 

Wow. 

In what feels like a short life of 39 years, I’ve seen lives born and lives lost. Some born into ideal situations while others were less than ideal. Some lives ended in tragedy and senseless pain while others softly drifted to death like a sweet homecoming. 

When life is created, it’s celebrated. Simultaneously, the change that new life brings causes grief. Losing independence, losing potential, losing dreams coupled with the inexpressible joy of new adventure is a strange thing to grieve. But it’s there. 

When life is lost, it’s grieved. Simultaneously, for those who belong to the Lord it is a celebration. This life based in the flesh was a shadow of the glory we will one day experience. We celebrate the end of chronic brokenness, the end of inevitable disappointment, and the end of sin-twisted life. But we grieve.

The value of a life is a sensitive topic for me. I have lost loved ones to tragic accidents and sickness. I have seen teenagers’ lives cut short by split-second decisions. I witnessed my mom gasp for her last breaths after being taken off a ventilator. I held my weeping wife stunned by the news of losing our unborn child. 

Each life I’ve encountered has been created, paid for, and pursued by the Lord. So I know the value of each life in my mind.

But how do I value each life?

Paul’s statement here is saying the most important use for his life is to complete the task given to him by His Creator. The task given him—and all of us—is to tell others of the love and grace of Jesus.

The most valuable expression of the most valuable creature is to share the unmerited love of the Creator available to all His creation.

But what of the lives who are no longer with us? How do we see the Gospel in the loss of life? It cannot be wasted? 

The power of death lingers. Until, of course, we celebrate the new life that causes grief of others.

Jesus Finishes What He Starts

The pieces of the jigsaw puzzle mock me simply by their existence. Sitting on the table with its siblings scattered across the felt covering that contrasts the table from their fragmented picture. 

At the beginning, I was so dedicated to completing it. Sorting, making a system to reconstruct, and piecing it together slowly over time. But things happen. Busyness gets in the way. Other things catch my attention and the idea of returning to the puzzle seems burdensome. 

Then it’s a matter of pride. “I shouldn’t HAVE to finish it if I don’t want to” I mutter under my breath every time I pass the office door. Eventually, my wife asks if she can move it and almost as though she’s putting me out of my misery, I lament the necessity of putting it away while inwardly I’m celebrating the excuse to shut up the judgmental stares of the 1000 pieces that I failed to assemble. 

Failing to realize my goals, no matter how inconsequential, haunts my existence. Unfortunately, I haven’t always been able to separate the concept incompleteness from true failure. In my mind, “incomplete” equals failure. 

But that’s simply not true. There is only One who finishes everything He starts.

Jesus finishes what He starts. He doesn’t leave me hanging. He hasn’t forgotten me or lost interest in me. He is as committed to His love for me today as the day He died on the cross. His love for me doesn’t waiver. He doesn’t regret making me, pursuing me, and knowing me. He has not thought twice about walking with me in this life.

So how do I walk in faith that He is using me, shaping me, and transforming me into His likeness? 

I take the next steps in front of me. The next thing that comes, I tend to in the wisdom and diligence that the Spirit gives. Each small step of faith in obedience is a step toward trust in Him and HIS work in this world. 

Love the Creeps

I got to see Bob Goff at National Youth Workers Convention in November of 2017. He said this:

"Love everybody, always . . . and start with the people who creep you out!"

Huh?

Who creeps me out? People with little social skills. People who don't like to smile or laugh. People who seem to not accept me.

I was pretty creeped out when I went into a high school cafeteria a couple of years back. As a youth pastor, I get to go to the school and have lunch with teenagers from time to time. It felt like I was back in my own high school days. There's something about a cafeteria that draws one’s insecurities to the surface.

All those eyes on me knowing I didn't belong. Also there were those who know me and those who don't. What if those who didn't know me judge me based on the character of those who did know me?!

Here's the issue: acceptance. If I reach out and accept those I see, they may reject me. What does that mean to me? For someone who wants to be accepted, that means a lot. I don't think I give them any reason to NOT like me. What if they don't like me because of a misunderstanding!?

Whose job is it to clear up misunderstanding? Whose job is it to name me? Whose identity do I have?

Another thing Goff said was "On your very worst day Jesus calls you 'Beloved' and if you don't hear that when you hear your name, it's not Jesus speaking."

You are beloved. You are. There's no doubt in my mind that the Father loves me and names me as one of His own. So who cares if others don't call me "Beloved"? I do. Why? Because I can see them and hear them.

Maybe I need to see Him and hear Him instead. How about you? Do you believe you’re loved by God or do you believe your fears?

How Was Your Trip?

A mission trip is a powerful experience. The best way to describe it is like a steroid shot to a muscle that’s going to be worked strenuously. There is an explosion of growth. 

Our team has experienced things they have never experienced before in an environment that is drenched in prayer and shrouded in worship. We spent hours working hard and hours discussing what God is doing in us. Growth happens exponentially this way. As a result, returning home to our daily routines back in a different culture with different struggles can be tumultuous.

How can you continue to help our team grow?

1. Continue to Pray

Your prayers carried our team. It prepared us before we left, covered us while we were there, and continues to carry us today. Your prayers coupled with God’s power made a difference in this trip and will continue to make a difference as we continue to live on mission.

2. Seek to Understand

We have several stories to share. Take some time out of your day to hear. Make that question “How was your trip?” more than a greeting or a passing comment. Sit down over coffee. Invite someone to a meal. Stop by for a visit. Sharing the stories and having someone experience that through our stories makes a difference.

3. Prepare Your Heart

As you have prayed and as you listen, God may be preparing you to have a meaningful role in the continued work of all the missionaries our church supports. We support Waterfront Church in Washington D.C., Students International in Santiago, Dominican Republic, and Church on the Rock in British Colombia, Canada. 

We are grateful for the generosity in word, prayer, resources, and time. Our church family doesn’t just SAY they support the efforts of spreading the Gospel around the world. Our church actually does something about it in a sacrificial way. God honors a people who are serious about the Gospel at home and around the world. 

P.S. The picture in this post was taken by Matthew Hartman. He came along and captured our experience through videography and photography. Take a look at his work online at https://www.instagram.com/thematthartman/.

Slowing Down

Slow has hardly been in my vocabulary. Slow waitresses. Slow traffic. Slow internet. Not something to aspire to. Then I experienced what slow can do to someone.

I spent thirteen days in the Dominican Republic immersed in a culture of slow. The first few days I spent pacing up and down the broken sidewalks wondering when we would get to the "real" work. Soon I realized that the "real" work wasn't what I thought.

The real work of ministry is slow. Results take time. Lasting results require enduring care. Endurance is a slow listen and a long talk.

That doesn't mean. We wait. The activity of a patient ministry is never wasted. 

What are you waiting on?

Passing the Torch

Recently my friend Brian Baldwin spoke to my church family about passing the torch to the next generation. He made a compelling case for how our younger generations desperately need our older

generations to invest in them. But how? How can our older generations reach out to the younger?

Know this: life-on-life ministry can be awkward. Neither side wishes to show disrespect nor does either side wish to belittle the other. Let's be honest; these two generations disagree about some things. However, no matter what we disagree about, we fully agree that we need Jesus and we want what is best for the future.

How do we pass the torch? Use your time, talents, and treasures to invest in the next generation. 

Time

1. Pray for children, teenagers, college students and the volunteers who lead them. There is nothing more powerful than an army of people raising their voices to God on behalf of a generation. Your prayers are the most important weapon against the true enemy.

2. Write a note of encouragement to a young person. In a world of digital messages, there is something beautiful about a tangible note. A handwritten note is kept. Young people tape them to their mirrors, put them on their walls, and carry them in their Bibles. The words are read repeatedly.

3. Visit a family or young person to encourage them and pray for them. You may think that visiting a young family might "interrupt" them or "annoy" them, but your presence means the world. It reminds us that people are more important than tasks or the momentary stress. It doesn't have to be a long visit. Step in, tell them that you love them, pray for them right there out loud, and be on your way. See what happens. 

Talents

1. Teach a skill to a young person. What you may think is a skill or ability that all people have may be a lost treasure. The number of young people who don't know how to change their own oil, bake a cake from scratch, shine a pair of shoes, or even tie a neck tie is alarming. These basic skills you have can save money, eliminate ignorance, and build relationships.

2. Give a young person something you made or created. A woman in my home church who cross-stitched framed a cross-stitched verse that was relevant to the decision. I still have on my wall the precious cross-stitching commemorating my licensing to ministry. What can you create? Give it as a gift. It will be treasured for a lifetime.

3. Ask the leaders of the children, youth, and university ministry how your skills can be used to enrich young people. Leaders of younger generations LOVE involving older generations! Sometimes we're just scared to ask. Your offer is not an imposition. It is an opportunity for our creativity. Give leaders of the next generation your ideas. See what they can do with them.

Treasures

1. Give to the church. If you're not already giving of your possessions to a local church, you should start now. The general gifts to the local church provide funds to equip young people. Salaries, supplies, and programming would not be possible without the faithful giving of God's people to the local church.

2. Take a young person out for ice cream or dinner. Who doesn't like food!? It is a wonderful opportunity to ask a younger person about themselves. Listen to them. Hear their stories. Feel their pain. I promise that you will have an opportunity to share your story. What a better way to pass the torch of faith to a younger person!

3. Loan a tool, give a ride, or give a lightly used piece of furniture. The resources you have accumulated through your life are a treasure trove of opportunity. Do you have that special socket that removes spark plugs? Most young people do not. Do you have that one tool that makes painting in corners easier? Most young people do not. Do you have things laying around that you don't use? All of these are opportunities for you to intersect with a younger person. Use them.

This is a VERY short list. Get creative. You can come up with many more. Comment below other ideas you have or things you have done or seen. Together we will pass the torch of our faith to the next generation and beyond.

Is the Struggle Worth it?

I have seen disaster areas before. After Hurricane Rita hit Texas, I took teenagers to help with clean up efforts. While the property damage to the Rockwall area is not as extensive, there is a familiar feeling. People have accepted the tragic circumstances, but fear lingers.

This type of event takes a toll on people. A tornado touched down and destroyed homes and

businesses. However, there are homes that have been demolished by the winds and rain standing like a beaten warrior next to homes that have no apparent damage. Entire businesses have been leveled. In a mere 50 feet stands another business open as if nothing happened. The randomness must be maddening.

However, this type of event electrifies people. God created us with a wealth of love and mercy that we never thought possible. Our bodies can be stretched to a depth we never knew reachable. The adversity we face slowly melts from an insurmountable foe to something we cannot even remember years later. The endurance must be maddening.

When those who are broken by arbitrary pain encounter people with a wealth of love, depth of strength, and unforgettable courage, a deep cry is answered.

It is a cry everyone utters at some point in their lives. Is it worth it? Is the struggle and the pain of life worth it? Deep within us a flickering light reveals the truth.

Yes. It is worth it. 

I am inspired by the people of Rockwall who consistently refuse to give up. God says the struggle is worth it.

What are you fighting today that makes you ask this question?