Trusted WITH OUR BODIES

So far in this teaching series we've explored the idea that God gives us the gifts of time and different seasons of life. Both are beautiful things, but also worthless without the gift we'll discuss today- our bodies. God trusts each of us with our bones, skin, muscles, blood, arteries, etc. What would it mean to take care of this physical form that is on loan to us? I'm going to say that pursuing health sounds like reasonable answer.

A HEALTHY BODY IMAGE
What do you see when you look in the mirror? A good gift from God? Or something that you'd label defective? Studies show that the majority of us don't like our bodies much. Based on what the Scriptures say, I think God has a much higher opinion of our physical forms than we do. The human body might be one of God's most amazing and complex designs. If we are going to take care of our bodies, we're going to have to begin thinking about them differently- and maybe seeing them with God eyes.

After Jesus came, some people of faith started to debate the nature of our physical forms. Some said that our "flesh" is evil, but that our spirits are good. One argument against this line of thinking is the fact that Jesus took on a human body-just like ours- but never sinned. Jesus described His body as a temple where God lived. Jesus body was the perfect sacrifice to make things right between God and all us rebellious people. When Jesus rose from the dead, He didn't just appear as an apparition, but took His physical body back. Apparently, the physical form wasn't a bad thing for Jesus. And it isn't for us either. If the Bible is telling us the truth, then our bodies can be homes for God as well- whether we think we/they are good enough or not.

Of course our bodies have limitations. They are degrading. Most of us hit our physical peak in our late 20's/early 30's and it just goes downhill from there. Of course, these forms aren't meant to last forever. God has even better plans for us. Not only are our bodies given a limited life span, but they also can't give a complete representation of who we are. We are more than the sum of our appearance and vital stats. Gratefully, the inside counts just as much if not more than the outside with God.


A HEALTHY LIFESTYLE
While it is important that we begin to see our bodies as good gifts from God- regardless of their conformity to false standards of beauty/perfection- we need more than healthy thinking. We need healthy living. Most of us know that a better diet, more exercise, proper rest and good medical care would improve our health. So why don't we do it? Maybe we're lacking a little motivation. Sure, we could talk about improved energy now or being around to see the grandkids have kids. But what if we upped the ante and saw the way we treat our physical bodies as a deeply spiritual issue? The way I treat my body is one measure of my gratitude to God. Ever thought about a healthy food choice, a half hour on the treadmill or turning off the tv to get in bed early as a sign of respect for God? I'd say it is. Pursuing a healthy lifestyle also puts me in a better position to be able to serve God and sieze the opportunities He gives me over the long haul. Stewardship means managing all of the resources God trusts us with- including our health. Finally, the bodies we are walking around in are our only vehicles to take this journey of life with. How would we treat our cars if we were only given one and had to make it last a lifetime? (I'd probably start changing my oil more often!)

REFLECT:
Q: What is your first thought when you look in the mirror at your body? How often/do you ever see your body as a good gift from God?

Q: Have you ever thought about how important it was for Jesus to have, sacrifice and resurrect a physical body like ours? What does this say to you about our bodies?

Q: Have you ever connected the way you treat your body with your relationship with God? Do you tend to separate the physical or spiritual or see them as deeply entertwined? Take another peek at 1st Corinthians 6:19-20.

Q: Are you more prone to neglect or obsess about your body? Where are you doing well when it comes to taking care of this body God has given you? Where do you need to start making more healthy choices?

Try It: Each time you make a healty choice with regard to diet, exercise, rest, rx care of the use of your body, say a quick prayer and offer it God as an act of grattitude for the body He has given you.

Try It: Pray about different parts of your body (ex. hands, mind, mouth ,ears, etc.) Ask God to help you to use them in ways that please Him and bless your neighbors. Feel free to share any of your prayers using the comments feature below.

Trusted WITH SEASONS OF LIFE

I'm a sucker for design shows. Or at least I used to be before every cable channel known to man had one. Whether it be homes, landscaping, meals or motorcycles- I enjoy watching a designer incarnate their vision. In the process I've learned some key principles of design. Repetition for example. A good designer subtly repeats certain elements like colors, shapes, textures or images. The right amount of repetition helps a design to feel cohesive. Too much makes it feel like a mess. Where does this principle of repetition come from? Creation. As the original designer, God like to scatter recurring elements throughout our existence. Take the concept of seasons for example.

We experience the cycle of natural seasons each year. We live through varying seasons of spiritual growth and development. And we walk through various stages and seasons of life. Last week we explored the idea that God trusts us with time and the gift of life. Let's take that a step further and acknowledge that God gives us different seasons of life. Whether we define it chronolgically, economically or in terms of our health or relational status- God is trusting us all with a certain season of life today. What would it mean to honor God with this season?

ARE WE LIVING IN THE MOMENT?
Humans seem intent on wishing they were somewhere else. Instead of enjoying where we're at, we often find ourselves looking ahead or behind us. Unemployed people want to get jobs. Working people want to retire. People with young kids want them to grow up and leave the nest. Empty nesters want their kids back home. Maybe a great way to start honoring God's trust with our current season of life is simply to be present in it. 2600 years ago the nation of Israel was swept into captivity by the Babylonians. God allowed this to happen after patiently pleading with Israel to turn their hearts back to Him for centuries. After the dust settled and the reality of the situation set in, the Jewish people cried out to God and asked to be set free from their season of captivity. Check out God's response. God encouraged them to be present in the present. To settle into this season. Not to wish for the past or the future. Sounds like good advice. We won't get these days back. We probably ought to live them now.

WHAT CAN THIS SEASON TEACH US?
Last weekend my family went to the farmer's market. It was fun to see what each vendor brought to sell. As we walked and sampled, I noticed something. The farmer's market is markedly different from the produce department in a grocery store because it only sells food that is in season. Grocers might pay a high premium (and pass it on to the customer) to acquire foods that are out of season in our area, but growing elsewhere. The farmer's market focuses on what this season has to offer. Doesn't life work the same way? Each phase has unique growth opportunities and lessons to teach us. God uses the Babylonian captivity to help his people learn discernment, faith and trust. What lessons are we being presented with right now?

HOW IS GOD SHOWING UP IN THIS SEASON?
Most of the time we think that God is with us when things go smoothly and has abandoned us when the bumps come. (Fickle aren't we?) I'm guessing the people the prophet Jeremiah wrote to felt the same way. They had lost everything- homes, property, familiarity and freedom. Yet, even in the midst of these (self-induced) challenges, God intended to bless them. Even if life was different for a season, they'd still have homes, food, kids and grandkids. If we keep our eyes open I'm guessing that we'll be able to see God's goodness leaking through no matter how tough this phase of life is for us.

HOW CAN THIS SEASON BLESS OTHERS?
Sometimes God tells us something that makes our heads spin. Like these words spoken to the Jewish captives who had been deported far from home:

Work for the good of the city where I've taken you as captives, and pray to the LORD for that city. When it prospers, you will also prosper.

God asked His people not to get so locked into their own season of life, but to look outward and see how this time in their lives might bless others. Even their captors. In a way, I think many of us can relate to these folks who were living in a strange land. In an increasingly mobile society, a good number of us have moved away from home and left our support networks behind. A "raise your hand" survey in our church community this past Sunday found that about 2% of us had grown up in the Raleigh area. WOW! No wonder God puts us together in communities. We need help and support- esp. from those who are in a different season of life than us. It's amazing how the overly familiar circumstances of our life can be helpful, reassuring and even inspiring to someone else. So who can you bless in this phase of life?

REFLECT:
Q: How would you describe your current season of life? What is good about it? What is challenging?

Q: How hard/easy is it for you to live in the moment? Do you tend to look back? Look ahead? Why do you think that is?

Q: What is your current season of life giving you the chance to learn? Are you embracing this opportunity? How or why not?

Q: How is God showing up in your current situation? Can you see His goodness in the midst of the challenges or uncertainty?

Q: What might you have to offer someone in another season of life? Are you connected to people in other phases? What might they have to share with you?

Trusted WITH TIME

Time was a major focus at the Beijing Olympics. Sprinter Usain Bolt shocked the sports world when the clock read 9.69 at the end of his 100m race. Especially since he coasted the last 15-20 meters. Fans of the US Swim team cheered and groaned when differentials of .01 seconds meant a gold medal for Michael Phelps and a silver for Darra Torres. As fans, we lived and died by the clock. Sounds familiar, huh? Do you ever stop to think about how much we rely on the gift of time?

NUMBERING OUR DAYS
There's a great prayer about time in Psalm 90:12: "Teach us to number each of our days so that we may grow in wisdom." While it is true that our days are numbered, most of us don't live with that truth daily. What would happen if we began to see and use our days like they were a sacred trust from God?

A GIFT - NOT A GIVEN
Last Sunday I asked our church community how many of them were planning on waking up on Monday. Every single hand went up. Most of us live like the future is a given. Even though we know it is a reality, most of act surprised when we hear that someone (ex. Tim Russert, Bernie Mac) has died. The Bible is very honest about our relationship with time. The bottom line is that we're powerless to grant ourselves any more time. Yes- all the self-help and productivity articles are lying. God is the giver of time. Numbering our days might mean approaching each one as if it is a gift from God, instead of a given.

SPENDING OUR DAYS WISELY
Thinking about our time differently should eventually lead us to use it in a new, better way. Think about the way we refer to time. We SPEND time, SAVE time and BUY time. We talk about time like a commodity. What makes our days so valuable? We don't know how many we have left. Tomorrow isn't promised. So, we'd better make the most of today. What does it mean to spend our time wisely? Although there are tons of valid answers, let me suggest a few. Spending our days wisely might mean enjoying the gift of life. Often when we talk about time management we think about work and productivity. And while work is an important part of the life that God is giving us, it isn't the only thing. In the Old Testament, God taught His people a holisitic rhythm of life that included work, rest, celebration and relationships. Using our days well might also mean enjoying the Giver of time. We don't have to wait until we meet our Maker to get to know Him. Every day offers us opportunities for gratitude and communion. One more idea here. Numbering our days can also mean doing the work of the Giver of time. Why has God given us this day? Perhaps He has something for us to do on His behalf? People to be served or love. Hope to be dispensed. Mercy to be shared. Justice to be sought.

REFLECT:

Q: What is your relationship like with time? Are you perpetually early or late? Do you over or underschedule?

Q: Look at Psalm 90:1-6 again. How do these verses contrast God's relationship with time vs. our relationship with time?

Q: When was the last time you thought about the short and unpredictible nature of life? What happened to trigger that? Do you like to think about this kind of stuff?

Q: Look at James 4:13-15 again. What does God take exception to in this passage? Is this an admonition against future planning? What role should prayer play in our time management?

Q: Do you have a sense of why God is giving you this time on earth? What purposes/missions has He given you to fulfill during your days here?

Try It: Pray Psalm 90:12 every day this week.

God Trusts Us (Series Intro)

Fall is here. Although the weather doesn't feel like it yet, many of us are shifting gears into a new season. Labor Day has passed. Summer vacations are over. The kids are back in school. And over the next few weeks we'll settle into the changes that come with a new season. We'll change wardrobes- trading shorts for pants and flip flops for shoes. We'll shift schedules- shuttling kids to their activities and devoting weekends to football and tailgating. We'll transition meals- from summer fare to fall veggies and soups. Since fall seems like a natural time to make some changes, we're jumping into a new teaching series that centers around making a simple (but HUGE) perspective shift: Seeing ourselves as people whom God trusts.

TRUSTED










Last week we wrapped up the Lord's prayer with a phrase that acknowledges that everything is God's (For THINE is the Kingdom...). But do we really live that way? I may say that everything is God's, but I often live like my stuff is mine. And I'm pretty sure I'm not alone. To challenge this perspective Jesus told a simple story about a guy who was a bit like us. After sitting with the story for a while I found myself coming back to a few key questions.

WHOSE LIFE IS THIS?
The man in Jesus' story was incredibly comfortable with the idea of possession. Read it again and notice the number of times that he talks about HIS stuff. Or for that matter, listen to the people around you today. We talk all the time about what is "ours". But does anything really belong to us? The Bible seems pretty clear that everything belongs to God. If we believe that God made the world then it makes sense that He's got ultimate ownership. There's nothing we can give God that isn't His already. But even if we believe that, many of us constantly fight the illusion that we are responsible for all the blessings in our lives. Luckily for us, God sees our struggle and isn't afraid to challenge us on this. (Check out Moses' words to the nation of Israel as they're getting ready to enter the promised land that God was giving them.) Maybe the ultimate test of ownership comes at the end of the story Jesus tells. To clarify the issue of ownership, God tells the man that He is taking back everything that belongs to Him. The man can keep anything that is really "his". What if God did the same with us- and took back everything in our lives that He has blessed us with or had a hand in bringing our way. What would we have left? Not much. Not even our own lives.

SO WHY DO WE HAVE IT?
Which led me to another question. If my life- and all the goodness in it- really isn't mine, what am I doing with it? This really hit me a couple months back on a trip to the grocery store. When I walked in I stopped and stared at all that was available to me. I could have anything I wanted in the store. I could choose from hundreds of kinds of fresh produce, dozens of cuts of meat, 100 flavors of ice cream. Why? Why was all this available to me- any time I want it- when so many have little to eat and no choices in the matter. I concluded that it must be the blessing of God. I don't deserve all the good things in my life. But for some reason, God has seen fit to give them to me. The same was true in the story Jesus told. The man had lots of crops because he had a good, fertile piece of land. And who should get credit for that?

So, why does God bring good things in our lives? Why do we have the benefit of education, healthy bodies, good medical care, long lives, tasty food, friends and families, a loving church community, freedom, job opportunities, comfortable homes, physical safety, etc, etc,??? A few verses in 1st Timothy provide some insight. The blessings in our lives are there for our enjoyment. They are there for us to savor. They should point us back to the One who loans them to us. But that's not all. Everything that I've been given isn't just for there for me- but to help others too. Look at the passage again and notice that there's 1 admonition to enjoy "our stuff" and 4 promptings to use it to help others. Think that ratio is intentional? =) If everything in my life is God's, why do I have it? Because God is trusting me with it. He's trusting me to use these blessings well- both for my benefit and to help others.

HOW WOULD IT CHANGE ME TO LIVE LIKE I'M TRUSTED?
I tend to think that anytime Jesus tells us a story, He's trying to make a point. What does Jesus want us to get out of this one? Hopefully a new way of living. What would happen if we abandoned our position as owners of our lives an saw ourselves as managers of the things God is trusting us with? First, we'd feel honored. Our sense of importance would skyrocket in a God honoring way. After all doesn't trust build a relationship? God must think a lot of us to make us responsible for so many blessings. Second, we'd feel responsible. If everything in my life belongs to God, then I need to use it wisely.

REFLECT:
Q: Do you believe that everything really belongs to God? Do you live that way consistently?

Q: Which parts of your life are easy to give to God? Which do you try to keep ownership over?

Q: Have you had any experiences that opened your eyes to just how blessed you are? What happened? How did it change you?

Q: Do you usually think of yourself as a person that God places a lot of trust in? Grab a piece of paper and make a list of every good thing in your life (material and otherwise). What does it say to you that God trusts you with so much?

Q: Do you have any ways, ideas or practices that help you keep a healthy perspective on the ownership issue?

Try It: Adjust your next vocabulary for the next day. Instead of talking about things in the first person possessive (ex. my job), use a phrase that acknowledges God's ownership and your stewardship (ex. the job that God is trusting me with).

Prayer- For Thine Is The Kindom and the Power....

How do you typically end conversations? If you aren’t sure, listen to how others do it for the next few days. You’ll probably hear things like “Have a nice day”, “Bye now”, “Later”, “Take Care”, “Be Good” and maybe the occasional “Peace Out”. Listen to the same folks offer salutations long enough and you’ll notice that most of us have one or two catch phrases we recycle. How should we end conversations with God? Those of us who are familiar with the Lord’s Prayer probably learned to say this:

“For Thine is the Kingdom, and the Power, and the Glory, forever and ever, Amen.”

BENEDICTION
You might be surprised to know that the above phrase probably isn’t exactly what Jesus taught His followers. The earliest copies of Matthew 6 that have been unearthed don’t include this ending. Most likely it was added by a well meaning copyist at some point. So why is it so common? Because the ancient manuscripts available in 1611 to translate the King James Version included it. And since many Americans learned scripture using the KJV, this benediction is the one many of us were taught.

So is this a big deal? Should we stop ending our prayers with “for Thine is the Kingdom…..”? Probably not. Here are a few reasons why: 1. The ending that most of us learned for the Lord’s prayer is very similar to the way devout Jews ended their prayers in Jesus’ day. Jesus probably used words like these on numerous occasions Himself. 2. The common benediction to the Lord’s prayer agrees with what is said about God in other parts of the scriptures. Here are examples from both the OT and the NT. 3. The wording in this phrase captures ideas in the Lord’s Prayer that Jesus told us to focus on. This makes it a great summary.

Not that we need to be rote in our prayers, but regularly ending our conversations by reminding ourselves that God has all the power to accomplish whatever we’ve asked about, and that He’s in control no matter how things look is probably a good thing. But what if we used this phrase as a way to start and order our days as well?

INVOCATION
Look through your email inbox. You’ll probably find that some of your friends and colleagues have inspirational quotes- or maybe even scriptures- as a part of their auto signatures. Why include this kind of thing? Seems like we’re trying to make a statement about what is important to us, or our philosophy of life. Wouldn’t the final phrase of the Lord’s Prayer make a nice mantra? Specifically, it reminds us that God has ownership. It’s HIS Kingdom, Power and Glory. He’s in charge. And He’s responsible. Maybe one of the reasons that we stress so much is that we think we have to make things happen. Surprise, God cares more about this world- and about us- than we do. Let’s put the burden on Him to do the heavy lifting of the Kingdom work.

That doesn’t mean that we don’t matter. For some reason (probably that love thing again) God has seen fit to involve us in all sorts of things. He makes them possible, but then asks us to play a part to help them happen. God offers us a relationship with Him- but asks us to choose it. Jesus dies to forgive us- but invites us to confess to receive mercy. God welcomes us into community- but we have to take the chance to engage others. The Holy Spirit offers us the opportunity to bring hope, mercy and justice to our neighbors- but we have to be willing to love, serve and speak. Maybe a simple prayer each day could help us to acknowledge both God's ownership/power and our involvement and live out those concepts.

REFLECT:
Q: What phrases do you usually use to end verbal conversations? To sign emails? Why do you use those specific phrases? Are they meaningful or intentional?

Q: How were you taught to end your prayers? What do you usually say to finish a conversation with God?

Q: Which phrase or word in the common benediction to the Lord's Prayer is most comforting to you? Most challenging? Why?

Q: Which is harder for you- to acknowledge/believe in God's ownership and power or to take action and do your part of His work? Why?

Try It: Take some time and pray through each phrase of the Lord's Prayer by yourself or in a group. Say the words you are familiar with and then add your own thoughts, requests, etc. to them.