What makes for a “good day”? For me it starts with prayer.
This morning I awoke early. My thoughts started down the path of planning all I had to do and I started to feel anxious… How easy it is for me at that point to get out of bed and go to work!
Instead, as CS Lewis described so aptly, I shoved back all those “wild animals” and began to pray! I laid in bed. I grabbed an ancient little prayer and held on for dear life!
“Lord Jesus Christ have mercy on me!”
“Have mercy on me, O Lord” is how Psalm 51 begins, my Psalm for the morning. This is s a favorite Centering Prayer of mine.
As I laid in bed I slowly breathed in and out the words: “Lord Jesus Christ have mercy on me.” I confessed my sins. I submitted each aspect of my day to God. I interceded for people I’ll be interacting with today.
And I’m shooting up little “arrow prayers” today: “Lord Jesus Christ have mercy on me!”
A simple prayer of the heart in the morning is a small doorway to a good day. It’s like the door to the Basilica of the Nativity in Bethlehem that leads to the sacred site of the birth of Christ. I’ll never forget stooping down so low to get into this ancient church that shelters the holy ground where Jesus first touched the earth.
The same little prayer can “rebuild” a day that’s not going well. The prophet Zechariah teaches that small beginnings are crucial to great successes. It was his encouragement along these lines that helped the Israelites to complete the rebuilding of their temple after they returned from captivity in Babylon (Zechariah 4:10).
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Monday, November 30, 2009
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
Trying to get more done in less time?
I was talking with a friend who likes to drive in the fast lane. He thrives on trying to get more done in less time in order to be successful. He’s very productive… and stressed.
He doesn’t realize that he’s continually recruiting adrenaline to give him the boost of energy and confidence that he feels he needs to handle all of his responsibilities. His body’s production of adrenaline is like his own drug manufacturing plant! He has adrenaline dependence.
Other people get their adrenaline hits through extreme sports, risky behavior, or loud music.
Adrenaline is God’s gift to us. It’s meant to help us respond to emergencies and urgent needs. Used sparingly it’s a good thing. Used continually it wears down your body and diminishes your life. (Doctors have called this “hurry sickness.”) You get to the point where it’s hard to slow down and enjoy the little blessings in each day – birds singing, children playing, relaxing with a friend, prayer.
It’s difficult for people like my friend to get off of adrenaline. It feels so good! It helps them to get more done. And when they slow down (and aren’t stimulating themselves with adrenaline) they feel tired, empty, and depressed.
I myself have overcome adrenaline dependence. And I’ve helped pastors and other leaders get off the destructive habit of relying on the body’s “speed.”
Freedom comes with learning to set boundaries on work and “urgent” demands and slow down your pace of life. It can be helpful to practice slowing down your pace of life by driving in the slow lane on the road in order to enjoy music (that’s not too loud!) or to pray. Best of all is to learn the value of spending large blocks of time in silence and solitude in order to “be still” with Jesus. (Start with 30 minutes and build from there.)
Slowing down can’t be learned in a “self-help” program. You might have adrenaline withdrawals. You’ll probably feel bored, restless, or insignificant. You need to “process” your emotions with someone and to get coaching on learning new ways of coping with stress.
He doesn’t realize that he’s continually recruiting adrenaline to give him the boost of energy and confidence that he feels he needs to handle all of his responsibilities. His body’s production of adrenaline is like his own drug manufacturing plant! He has adrenaline dependence.
Other people get their adrenaline hits through extreme sports, risky behavior, or loud music.
Adrenaline is God’s gift to us. It’s meant to help us respond to emergencies and urgent needs. Used sparingly it’s a good thing. Used continually it wears down your body and diminishes your life. (Doctors have called this “hurry sickness.”) You get to the point where it’s hard to slow down and enjoy the little blessings in each day – birds singing, children playing, relaxing with a friend, prayer.
It’s difficult for people like my friend to get off of adrenaline. It feels so good! It helps them to get more done. And when they slow down (and aren’t stimulating themselves with adrenaline) they feel tired, empty, and depressed.
I myself have overcome adrenaline dependence. And I’ve helped pastors and other leaders get off the destructive habit of relying on the body’s “speed.”
Freedom comes with learning to set boundaries on work and “urgent” demands and slow down your pace of life. It can be helpful to practice slowing down your pace of life by driving in the slow lane on the road in order to enjoy music (that’s not too loud!) or to pray. Best of all is to learn the value of spending large blocks of time in silence and solitude in order to “be still” with Jesus. (Start with 30 minutes and build from there.)
Slowing down can’t be learned in a “self-help” program. You might have adrenaline withdrawals. You’ll probably feel bored, restless, or insignificant. You need to “process” your emotions with someone and to get coaching on learning new ways of coping with stress.
Monday, October 26, 2009
Rejoicing on a Mundane Monday
Much of our lives includes ordinary work and chores. We all have to do things that don't excite us at work or around the house or in running errands. It's easy to lapse into feeling bored, empty, or like we are trivial. Or to complain (in our thoughts if not out loud) about what we have to do.
This was my temptation beginning my Monday.
To keep from grumping along today I picked up a special prayer rock. It's piece of the outdoor stone theatre in Sephoris Israel. Jesus may have helped to build this marvelous theatre where the "play actors" (same word as "hypocrite" in the Bible) performed.
As I've held my rock today I've thought about Jesus working hour after hour as a carpenter or a stone cutter. I've thought about my "Blue Collar Savior" smiling as he serves hard to please customers and blesses them when they complain. I've imagined him meditating on Scripture and praying while he worked.
For most of his life on earth Jesus worked an ordinary job in an obscure village, loving God and people, praying and playing with his Father, day after day.
Today, Jesus is helping me to appreciate his presence in my midst. In the words of the Apostle John: "I am the disciple Jesus loves!"
Could there be any greater cause for rejoicing than that? Even on a mundane Monday!
This was my temptation beginning my Monday.
To keep from grumping along today I picked up a special prayer rock. It's piece of the outdoor stone theatre in Sephoris Israel. Jesus may have helped to build this marvelous theatre where the "play actors" (same word as "hypocrite" in the Bible) performed.
As I've held my rock today I've thought about Jesus working hour after hour as a carpenter or a stone cutter. I've thought about my "Blue Collar Savior" smiling as he serves hard to please customers and blesses them when they complain. I've imagined him meditating on Scripture and praying while he worked.
For most of his life on earth Jesus worked an ordinary job in an obscure village, loving God and people, praying and playing with his Father, day after day.
Today, Jesus is helping me to appreciate his presence in my midst. In the words of the Apostle John: "I am the disciple Jesus loves!"
Could there be any greater cause for rejoicing than that? Even on a mundane Monday!
Monday, October 12, 2009
Why did Paul rarely quote Jesus?
Recently I read an article that pointed out that the Apostle Paul only quoted Jesus three times (Acts 20:35, 1 Corinthians 11:23-25, and 2 Corinthians 12:9).
How could this be? The man who was the most like Jesus and who wrote half of the New Testament only quoted Jesus three times?
Like Jesus, Paul spoke and wrote with the authority of the Holy Spirit. He didn't "proof text" his teachings with quotes. He simply oozed Jesus!
For Paul the life and teaching of his Lord and Savior was so interwoven in his character and in all that he said and did that you couldn't separate Paul from Jesus. When people saw Paul they saw Jesus. Even today, 2,000 years later, when we think of Paul we immediately think of his Master Jesus.
Paul was "in Christ." His identity - his every breath - was about Jesus Christ: loving him and encouraging other people to love him. What a great example of being a disciple of Jesus!
May you and I be like Paul, living confidently "in Christ" and oozing the Spirit of Christ out from our pores onto people all around us!
How could this be? The man who was the most like Jesus and who wrote half of the New Testament only quoted Jesus three times?
Like Jesus, Paul spoke and wrote with the authority of the Holy Spirit. He didn't "proof text" his teachings with quotes. He simply oozed Jesus!
For Paul the life and teaching of his Lord and Savior was so interwoven in his character and in all that he said and did that you couldn't separate Paul from Jesus. When people saw Paul they saw Jesus. Even today, 2,000 years later, when we think of Paul we immediately think of his Master Jesus.
Paul was "in Christ." His identity - his every breath - was about Jesus Christ: loving him and encouraging other people to love him. What a great example of being a disciple of Jesus!
May you and I be like Paul, living confidently "in Christ" and oozing the Spirit of Christ out from our pores onto people all around us!
Monday, October 5, 2009
In Jesus' Name
Probably you offer many prayers "in Jesus' name." What does this mean?
To pray in Jesus' name is to pray by and for him, with his strength and for his purposes.
Names in the Bible always refer to the character behind the name. So to pray in Jesus' name is to pray with and for his character, to pray in the way that he prayed and for the purposes that he prayed.
Imagine how it would change our lives to do that!
Have you ever studied the way Jesus prayed? He often went away by himself to seek the Father alone. He used the Psalms. He was quiet. He waited to make decisions and he listened. He acted on what he discerned from the Father. He learned how to do whatever he did as an expression of prayer.
Today there are a lot of "experts" giving us advice to solve all sorts of problems (many of them are psychologists like myself). We wouldn't need most of these "solutions" to improve our lives if we simply learned this one thing: how to pray in Jesus' name.
To pray in Jesus' name is to pray by and for him, with his strength and for his purposes.
Names in the Bible always refer to the character behind the name. So to pray in Jesus' name is to pray with and for his character, to pray in the way that he prayed and for the purposes that he prayed.
Imagine how it would change our lives to do that!
Have you ever studied the way Jesus prayed? He often went away by himself to seek the Father alone. He used the Psalms. He was quiet. He waited to make decisions and he listened. He acted on what he discerned from the Father. He learned how to do whatever he did as an expression of prayer.
Today there are a lot of "experts" giving us advice to solve all sorts of problems (many of them are psychologists like myself). We wouldn't need most of these "solutions" to improve our lives if we simply learned this one thing: how to pray in Jesus' name.
Friday, September 25, 2009
Learning to React to Stress with Trust in God
Few of us can reliably react to stress with trust in God. How do you react when you're well-being is threatened?
When someone gets angry at you are you prone to get angry back (or internalize your anger as depression)?
When you're hit with a big problem in your health or finances do you become scared (or shut down all emotion and get busy)?
When you're anxious, bored, or lonely do you overeat, use alcohol, or engage in another compulsive behavior?
How can you and I learn to become the kind of person who responds to distress by trusting and being secure in God's loving care and offering blessings to other people - even those who have mistreated us?
When a crisis or other problem intrudes whatever is inside us will come out, our inner character will be revealed. (This awareness is a gift because we see what we need to work on with Christ in our spiritual formation.) In the midst of distress is not a good time to learn something new!
Instead we need to be proactive. We need to follow Jesus' often repeated advice and learn to "watch and pray" in anticipation of a coming problem. We should know our biggest vulnerability and liability and go into training with Jesus to learn how to become a different person.
"Training" means studying to learn how to apply Jesus' gospel to our lives. It means doing spiritual exercises/disciplines. It may mean seeking counseling or spiritual mentoring/coaching.
When someone gets angry at you are you prone to get angry back (or internalize your anger as depression)?
When you're hit with a big problem in your health or finances do you become scared (or shut down all emotion and get busy)?
When you're anxious, bored, or lonely do you overeat, use alcohol, or engage in another compulsive behavior?
How can you and I learn to become the kind of person who responds to distress by trusting and being secure in God's loving care and offering blessings to other people - even those who have mistreated us?
When a crisis or other problem intrudes whatever is inside us will come out, our inner character will be revealed. (This awareness is a gift because we see what we need to work on with Christ in our spiritual formation.) In the midst of distress is not a good time to learn something new!
Instead we need to be proactive. We need to follow Jesus' often repeated advice and learn to "watch and pray" in anticipation of a coming problem. We should know our biggest vulnerability and liability and go into training with Jesus to learn how to become a different person.
"Training" means studying to learn how to apply Jesus' gospel to our lives. It means doing spiritual exercises/disciplines. It may mean seeking counseling or spiritual mentoring/coaching.
Friday, September 11, 2009
I need a Sabbath rest!
Today is my Sabbath day to enjoy spending time with Jesus. Usually this means praying in silence and solitude for a few hours and then doing some writing or sharing in spiritual conversation with friends. I've been doing this weekly all year and it's been wonderful!
The basis of the Sabbath command (which Jesus himself practiced and he taught others to follow this example) is "do no work" or "don't be productive."
This hits me where it hurts. Have you ever heard of a "workaholic" or an "adrenaline addict"? That's me! Or, it was me some years ago. I'm in recovery and am no longer controlled by ambition and hurry and feelings of inadequacy and inability to set boundaries. But I have to watch myself! Practicing the Sabbath helps me to stay in recovery from my past addiction. It's a way to slow down and look up.
However, today I couldn't resist finishing some work before starting my Sabbath! (Thank you for reading my confession!)
Keeping a Sabbath is not a legalism about keeping a bunch of rules! It's a blessing! The Sabbath is about resting and rejoicing with God and friends. It's about praying and playing. It's about slowing down and savoring. The New Testament teaches us that a Sabbath could be taken on any day.
Times like now it's too hard for me to enter into Sabbath with my computer close by! So I'm off to go hiking with Jesus. Just the two of us in the beauty of nature!
The basis of the Sabbath command (which Jesus himself practiced and he taught others to follow this example) is "do no work" or "don't be productive."
This hits me where it hurts. Have you ever heard of a "workaholic" or an "adrenaline addict"? That's me! Or, it was me some years ago. I'm in recovery and am no longer controlled by ambition and hurry and feelings of inadequacy and inability to set boundaries. But I have to watch myself! Practicing the Sabbath helps me to stay in recovery from my past addiction. It's a way to slow down and look up.
However, today I couldn't resist finishing some work before starting my Sabbath! (Thank you for reading my confession!)
Keeping a Sabbath is not a legalism about keeping a bunch of rules! It's a blessing! The Sabbath is about resting and rejoicing with God and friends. It's about praying and playing. It's about slowing down and savoring. The New Testament teaches us that a Sabbath could be taken on any day.
Times like now it's too hard for me to enter into Sabbath with my computer close by! So I'm off to go hiking with Jesus. Just the two of us in the beauty of nature!
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