To See Thee More Clearly...

I recently received an eye exam in order to get an updated prescription.  My glasses have been broken for some time and  I needed desperately to get a new pair.  Unfortunately my prescription was a tad  outdated so I had to go through the process of sitting in that dreaded chair.
The eye exam is a funny thing because if you wanted, you could be totally dishonest.  I mean, you are in the room in more than ample time to memorize that number/letter chart they make you read before the doctor ever arrives.  But being an adult I escaped the temptation to do so, because I knew I needed to see better.  So I went though this process of them puffing air in my eye (i still think there has to be a better way to do whatever they are doing with that test), watching the hot air balloon, and putting those big goofy glasses on to look at the wall in front of me.  Long story short, I once was blind, but now I see.
I have always been one to pursue spiritual growth.  I want my sight to improve.  I want see things more clearly, starting with the scriptures.  In order to do this I have to put myself through some self-examination.  Lets face it, our prescription (they way we are used to seeing things) gets outdated.  And although we could get by with it, we are really not seeing things absolutely clear.  And why would we want anything else?
Remember that stage in the eye exam when your doctor asks, "Which is better...1..or 2?  Yeah, it's that big goofy glasses part.  This is confusing because I never know what I am supposed to be seeing.  I am always thinking, "I hope that's the right answer."  But all he is doing is changing lenses.  Doing this, he/she attempts to discover your prescription to get you the right pair of lenses.  Without proper lenses, the way we see is tainted.  And without the proper spiritual lens, our spiritual sight is as well.
What lens do you read God's Word from?  I care not to expose all the lenses there are because that would be exhausting.  But if we approach it wrongly, we come out with a wrong conclusion.  There are all sorts of lenses...cultural, traditional, denominational, lenses of prejudice, and etc.  There are attitudes we carry that can turn into lenses.  All of which, if we are not careful taint the way we read the scriptures, and at worst, taint the way we see God (which always leads to tainting the way we communicate Him with those in need).  How dangerous is that?
So I am challenged in examining myself even before I read.  Before I dive into my learning I try to always clear my head, subject myself to some personal testing of sorts.  I want to understand God the way He intended for humanity, which I know will lead to me loving Him like He intended.
So what lenses are you searching and looking through?  May they be the most accurate prescription for the clearest result.  

Believing God

The title of this post bears two words that have been on my mind for some time, and I having quite the time rationalizing them, and then, perhaps that's the problem.
I want to think with all my heart that I live a rational faith.  There are people who need explanation out there and I have a heart for such people.  I think our faith can be intellectual and reachable.   I do not want to think ever that it is a "check your brain at the door" faith.  But then, now that I am wanting to believe God with all of my life, I am afraid irrational may just have to be a part of it.
But I would like to know where the two marry and why it is God made me a rational being.  Was it that I am just designed for certain placement in His plan? Am I to be only the "too deep guy" that you only refer people to that you believe are over-thinking it all?  Is there any such thing as over-thinking? And can a thinker "believe God" for that which he himself cannot explain?  At what point in the deep thinker's life does God really become God of wonders. No pun intended, but I wonder?
I am at a point in my life where I want to see something only God can do.  More than that, I want to be a part of it.  And even more, I want to lead people into it as well.  I want to be able to sit back and not explain something for a change.  There are parts of me that want to be a fool, a dumbfounded and baffled person at the sight of something supernatural.  I don't know if this is blasphemous to say, but I want to try Him on some things, not provoke, but just step out on what I feel in my heart (a heart I believe is guided by Him) and see how He takes care of me, what He can do through a willing vessel of faith, and watch Him get all the credit because I couldn't possibly have accomplished what comes to pass. Can I believe God for something like that? We'll see.

Turn It Down A Notch!!

Proverbs 16:21

The wise of heart is called discerning, and sweetness of speech increases persuasiveness.

My daughter loves to play her karaoke machine...loudly!  If it were anytime else other than when I am trying to watch something or talk to someone, maybe that would be better.  But I am always asking her to turn it down a little.
I am asking myself the same thing today.  I preached Sunday and when I came away from it I was sorely disappointed. Don't get me wrong, it was worthwhile subject matter and I got many compliments on the presentation of information.  I am not beating myself up or fishing for compliment.  I am simply a little disheartened because I yelled so much.
Of course I could say that's what I have been raised under or that's what Pentecostals expect, but I am trying to avoid all trains to Excuse-Ville.  One can use similar excuses to scream at their children (that's me too), but it doesn't do much to justify their behavior nor does it really produce much in the child either.  I don't know why I do it, but I am tired of this behavior.
I have to give myself some lead way to make room for passion.  The more passionate about a subject a person is, the more adamant they become in body language and speech.  I make no apologies for passion, but it seems as if lately I am just being loud. It's time to turn it down a little.
If you find yourself in the same situation, whether you are a public speaker or in your private chambers with family, here is what the Word of God is teaching me today:


1) Sweetness of speech INCREASES persuasiveness.
What are you trying to get accomplished?  And why do you feel you have to yell?  I remember once before God dealt with me about this and my voice became so much sweeter with my children.  I could not believe the different results I got.  There was a lack of disagreement, a lack of meltdowns when we did disagree, and an all-around peace in the home.  Maybe the Word is true: A soft answer does indeed turn away wrath.  When we soften our tone, we accomplish more, plain and simple.

2)  Sweetness of speech begins in the THOUGHT process.
Proverbs 6:20 says, "whoever gives thought to the matter will discover good" and it followed soon by verse 22 that says, "Good sense is a fountain of life to him who has it."  I believe these two statements to be directly connected to verse 21 in between.  Our speech is always more eloquent when we have thought about what we are saying.  Sometimes yelling is just a sign of our own insecurity on the subject we are yelling about, or even insecurity toward the people we are yelling at.  Think about that for a moment.  Rants of any kind are usually filled with thoughtless opinions based on high emotions.  Rants can be helpful but we must make sure they entail education on the subject.  My buddy once had a bumper sticker on his CD case that said, "Don't hold strong opinions about things you don't understand"...I couldn't agree more.  To simplify all of this point, think before you speak.

3) Sweetness of speech gives LIFE.
Following verse 21 we see verse 25 of Proverbs 16.  It is following this discourse on speech and it reads, 'There is a way that seems right unto man, but its end is the way of death".  It would be one thing if only good speech helped the situation, but it's so much more in fact.  We also need to guard our speech because it seems that if bad speech could bring death.  I have heard quoted many times Proverbs 18:21, "the power of life and death are in the tongue".  Rings true.  There always justification for man to "speak his mind" in this great culture.  The men who created the idea of Free Speech perhaps turn over in the grave constantly for sake of the thoughtless spewing of the people they gave the right to.  I wish we all could just watch our tones with each other, and speak respectfully and wise.

I for one am challenged to turn it down a notch.  This idea shall become a part of my daily faith.  I certainly need Him to control the volume.