Living as Exiles in a Strange Place: part 2

I was away a couple days last week for my 10 year anniversary.  But these thoughts on living as exiles have been sticking with me, so before I move on to 2 Peter, I wanted to reflect a bit more on this idea.  I've been reflecting on the life of Christ and how he lived among the people, yet was without sin.  He impacted his culture without being co-opted by it.  Peter brings out this idea as he writes to "exiles scattered."  He writes things like: with minds that are alert and fully sober, set your hope on the grace to be brought to you when Jesus Christ is revealed at his coming.  As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance.  But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do. (1Peter 1:13-15 TNIV). or  I urge you as foreigners and exiles, to abstain from sinful desires, which war against your soul.  Live such good loves among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us.  (1 Peter 2:11-12 TNIV).  What strikes me about these things Peter writes is that we are to live among our unbelieving neighbors (I'm not fond of the TNIVs translation of the word pagans.  The NASB translates it Gentiles and the NLT translates it our unbelieving neighbors)  There are many implications that can be drawn from this idea, but it seems to me that at the very least we are supposed to be about the work of building relationships with the people around us.  Otherwise, how could they see the way we live?  We are called to be the people of God.  Called to live differently, or holy, among people who don't follow the same God we follow.  I don't know if we make this more difficult than it is, or whether it is more difficult than it sounds.  It seems like this would be a challenge in an individualistic culture of suburbia with our fences to keep people out, our lack of front porches, and our desire to live a private life.  But, after several readings of 1 Peter now, I can't find any line that says if it's difficult don't worry about it, or that this is only for people who live in urban settings.     

Living as Exiles in a Strange Place: part 1

This week, I'm reflecting on the book of 1 Peter.  I was struck by the way that Peter addresses his readers.  He doesn't address them as a specific church, nor does he address an individual person or leader.  Instead he writes, Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, to the exiles...who have been chosen and destined by God the Father and sanctified by the Spirit to be obedient to Jesus Christ and to be sprinkled with his blood: (NRSV).  I don't know about you, but there are times where I feel this tension deep down in my soul.  It's a tension that wrestles with whether I'm out of place.  Don't get me wrong, there are times when I think that I fit in with the culture around me too much and find myself desiring the same things that most people desire.  But then there are other times when I wonder, what the heck am I doing here?  I feel so out of place or alone.  And then it hits me.  We are living as exiles.  When Christ gets a hold of us, and chooses us, and sanctifies us, we are destined to feel like exiles because we were created for something different; something better; a world without sin, and pain, and suffering.  Ecclesiastes says that God ...has set eternity in the human heart (TNIV).  So, I guess it's normal to feel out of place at times.  That doesn't mean we get to leave the world or withdraw from it into safe little Christian cliques.  Jesus, in John 17:15,18 prayed to his father, My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one...As you have sent me into the world I have sent them into the world (TNIV).  We are sent into the world to live as exiles.  More thoughts on this later in the week...  

The Devil Didn't Make Me Do It

Ok, so we've all heard the phrase "the devil made me do it."  While I certainly don't discount the seriousness of spiritual warfare, if I am being honest with myself, it is my self that usually causes me to do what I don't want to do.  I was reminded of this as I was reading James 1:13-16 this morning:  No one, when being tempted, should say, "I am being tempted by God"; for God cannot be tempted by evil and he himself tempts no one.  But one is tempted by one's own desire, being lured and enticed by it; then when that desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin, and that sin, when fully grown, gives birth to death.  Do not be deceived, my beloved (NRSV).  It's pretty clear that I'm often both tempted, lured, and enticed by my own desire.  Now when it comes to things that are blatantly sin, this isn't so hard to discern.  But, what about when you're trying to discern God's will or direction for your life?  It can be tricky to know when something that is pulling you is your own desires and purposes or whether it is from God.  I mean is it possible for me to be pulled or lured in the direction of something that is "good" and yet find myself being pulled away from God's desire for my life?  Maybe this is why James encourages us to ask God for wisdom in 1:5.  I seriously don't believe that God is up there trying to trick me up or see me go astray.  James says if we ask for wisdom that God will give it to us generously and ungrudgingly.  Psalm 37:4 says, Take delight in the LORD and he will give you the desires of your heart. (NRSV).    

Remembe How We Started

I'm back from a thee week hiatus.  I basically spent all my free time finishing up the last two papers for my Masters Degree at Fuller.  Hard to believe I started it 4 years ago.  It looked pretty daunting as I began and looked all the classes on my check list that I would have to take.  Now that journey has come to a close.  I'm looking forward to my first summer in a while where I don't have to take a class.  I'm also looking forward to doing some reading that isn't "required."  In any case, this week, I'm reflecting on the book of James.  Ironically, it was a neat reminder of how I started in my walk with God.  James 1:2-4 was one of the first scripture passages that I memorized.  It reads, "My brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of any kind, consider it nothing but joy, because you know that the testing of your faith produces endurance; and let endurance have its full effect, so that you may be mature an complete, lacking in nothing" (NRSV).  I'm reminded that starting something is just the beginning.  There will be trials.  The journey will get difficult.  That we're promised.  However, these trials and difficulties are all part of our growth.  It's the only way we become mature.  One of the things I find myself doing when I go through trials is going back and remembering how I started this journey with God.  I reflect on some of these early verses I memorized.  I read through old journals of my thoughts.  So if you find yourself going through a trial today, maybe it would be a good exercise to remember how you started, and how Jesus really did mean it when he said he'd never leave us nor forsake us.  Hope you have a great day!