The Center for Living Well

A Love Story

Everyone loves a good love story, especially around Valentines Day. What many don't realize is that the pages of our Bible consist of a beautiful love story of God's relentless pursuit of his beloved. At times, it even reads like a romance novel.

The story begins with in Genesis 1 with God lovingly creating the heavens and earth and everything we see and know. His creation culminates in him forming Adam from the dirt of the earth and breathing life into his nostrils. He then creates a companion and soul mate for him to share his life with, Eve. Both made in love and to love...to love God and to love one another (Deuteronomy 6:5, Mark 12:30-31). What a beautiful beginning to an amazing love story. Like any love story however, it doesn't take long for their love to be tested and for them to be unfaithful. The evil temptress makes a way into the garden, they disobey God, and they are separated from God and one another. They hide in their own shame (Genesis 3:8) and set the stage for all of mankind to be unfaithful to God.

Amazingly, God doesn't give up on them. This is where the story of his pursuit begins. Through the stories of Noah, Moses, Abraham, and others as retold through the prophets, God continues to believe in the hope of a restored relationship with his beloved and continues to pursue them, though his love is unrequited. His people continue to turn their backs on him and commit adultery by worshipping false Gods and submitting to sin. Not a single person is faithful to him "for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God." (Romans 3:23).

God could have turned his back on them. In fact, he could have and had every reason to destroy them altogether. His love is so amazing that instead of giving up on his people, he proposes marriage and sends his son to pay the "bride price", as an atoning sacrifice for their infidelity and sin. "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life" (John 3:16).

Pause here for a moment...to understand the rest of the story, you have to understand what took place in a Jewish wedding during the time of Jesus. It took place in three parts. The first was the betrothal. It began with the bargaining between the father of the bride and the father of the bridegroom for a bride price. The bride price was very steep, which was indicative the commitment level of the bridegroom and his means to support his bride. It was sealed with a ceremony and then the couple was betrothed, or engaged to be married. Throughout the bible, many references are made comparing the relationship of Jesus and his followers to that of a bridegroom and bride. The bride price is what Jesus paid through his work on the cross. When Jesus said, "It is finished", the price had been paid (John 19:30). Followers of Christ are betrothed because "the bride belongs to the bridegroom" (John 3:29).

Following the betrothal, the bridegroom would go away to prepare a room in his father's house, a home for his bride and his future family. Jesus said in John 14:2, "In my Father's house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you."

During the time of the bridegroom's preparation, the bride would prepare her gown. It was a very time consuming process where every detail would be considered so that she could be perfect for her bridegroom. The preparation of the gown is the purification of our character that takes places through the process of sanctification while we are awaiting our reunion with Christ. The sanctification takes place through our faith in Jesus Christ, "For them I sanctify myself, that they too may be truly sanctified" (John 17:19).

This is where are are now in the story, but how does the love story end?

The final chapters of our love story end with the wedding ceremony and marriage feast of the lamb where God and his people are reunited. "Then I heard what sounded like a great multitude, like the roar of rushing waters and like loud peals of thunder, shouting: "Hallelujah! For our Lord God Almighty reigns. Let us rejoice and be glad and give him glory! For the wedding of the Lamb has come, and his bride has made herself ready. Fine linen, bright and clean, was given her to wear." (Revelation 19:6-9)

The bridegroom rides in on a white horse, sin and satan are defeated, and the new heaven and new earth are created. In Revelation 21:2-4 it says, "And I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, 'Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.'"

It's hard to imagine that the entire Bible is a love story about God's love for us, his pursuit of us, and that it ends with our being reunited with him. It tells the story of a love so amazing that we can't even begin to comprehend it. Perhaps we can't believe that a love like this is possible because our earthly experience of love has been so wrapped in pain, disappointment, or loss. Or, maybe we can't imagine that anyone could forgive us for the things we have done and love us anyway. Or perhaps we don't believe that there is a beautiful and happy ending in store for us. The truth of the matter is that just because you can't imagine something doesn't mean it isn't true. Truth is truth and truth transcends belief. However, the real power of truth comes when we actually believe it's true. All we have to do is simply say, "I do".

Running with Horses

Do good things and good things come to you.

Sounds like a simple enough equation. However, we all know that life is anything but simple.

Bad things happen to good people. Good things happen to bad people. The sun shines and the rain falls on us all regardless of our moral standing.

Being a Christian is not a guarantee of easy living. In fact, multiple passages in the New Testament actually promise trouble for those that believe in Jesus. The only thing we can really hold on to is that God will work all things out for the good of those who love in Him (Romans 8:28).

So, there may be times when good comes of good done. Just as there will be times when bad comes from good done. The result doesn’t define the process or the intent upon which the action is taken. The blessing comes in the being and the doing and the giving.

Yet this head knowledge does little to rectify the troubled spirit and trampled heart that comes from disappointment, discouragement, or disregard. You wouldn’t be the first, nor would you be the last to look toward the heavens and ask ‘why?’

When life tosses you about like a ship upon a tormented sea, it is hard not to feel betrayed, let down, and even abandoned. There are many psalms that wonder where God went or why He hid His face or how long He was going to wait before rescuing His people.

Job asked why. Habakkuk asked why. Jeremiah asked why. We ask why.

“Why does the way of the wicked prosper? Why do all the faithless live at ease?” Jeremiah 12:1b

One of the reasons is this: “If you have raced with men on foot and they have worn you out, how can you compete with horses? If you stumble in safe country, how will you manage in the thickets by the Jordan?” Jeremiah 12:5

The only thing guaranteed in this life is trouble. Trouble is coming. We may feel that we have our fair share of it already, but more is on its way. And everyone’s brand of trouble is different, which leaves us sometimes wondering if we are suffering alone.

We are never alone in suffering. Everyone suffers. And as the last days continue to barrel toward us, the suffering will continue. Trouble is only getting started.

So, if this is the future that we are all facing, if the horses are coming around the bend straight for us, if the thick of things is on its way, then how will we be ready for it?

We keep asking for God to deliver us, but perhaps the very trials that we are currently facing are His way of doing just that. God is allowing the struggle of the foot race so that we may be ready for those horses thundering toward us. That doesn’t mean that He will leave us abandoned to our present crisis, but it doesn’t mean that He will rush to pluck us up out of it either.

He is working it all out for the good of those who love Him. It’s the working it out that places us wherever we are for however long we are there. All we can really do then is wait on the Lord, trust in His wisdom and promises, count our present blessings, and be grateful that it is only men running alongside us in our safe country and not the horses we will someday encounter.

Jennifer Miller, Director of Operations

What's in a body anyway?

Our culture is obssessed with beautiful bodies…or the elusive pursuit of them. This is entirely opposite of God’s priorities. Read this candid guest post and listen to the convicting reminders shared by wellness leader Dawn Rutledge. Diane Markins 

Have you ever noticed how hyper-focused we are on people’s bodies and appearance? Spend some time listening to people greet one another in church, at social events, or when they meet for lunch, and you will hear a lot of greetings that sound like, “You look great!”, “Did you lose weight?”, “Have you been working out?”, “I love your outfit!”, or “Where did you get those jeans? They look great on you!” We live in a society where the focus is external. In fact, people use our appearance to make decisions about how we are feeling and how our lives are going.

The other day, a friend who I hadn’t seen in a while was over at our house for a party. She made a comment about how “good” one of the people at the party looked because he was tan, had lost some weight, and looked good on the outside. “He must be doing well,” she said. What she didn’t know is that he has been struggling with addiction and is in all truth not doing well at all. She made the same mistake in reference to another friend who had gained some weight, and said, “She really doesn’t look good.” Ironically, this person who once had some serious struggles is now doing incredibly well and is happy and healthy. While I use my friend as an example of how off-target we can be, we all have made these same mistakes.

The truth of the matter is this is just a projection of our own body obsession, and in many cases, our own body dissatisfaction. Why do we focus so much on our outward appearance? There are many reasons, most of which have to do with the pressures  society places on us to look a certain way. We internalize those messages and allow them to affect our self-worth in a positive or negative way, depending on how we “measure up”. As long as we are listening to these messages from the media, Hollywood, advertisers, and others who influence us, we will continue to remain focused on our bodies and how we look. And sadly, we will not focus on the things that really matter, like our character, our relationships with God and others, our gifts, talents and abilities, or living in-line with our purpose.

God’s word says something different about our bodies and appearance. Matthew 6:25 says, “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes?” Clearly, life is more important than the food we eat or the way we look. With respect to our bodies, the word also tells us in 1 Corinthians 6:19, “Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own.”

It blows me away to consider that my body is a temple of the living God, that He indwells me. When I think about my body as a temple, it helps me shift my focus away from making sure it looks good to whether it is honoring and glorifying Him. How we are living means far more to God than how we look. So a far better question to ask ourselves and others is “how are you living?”

If you are interested in connecting with your heart, spirit, mind, and body in an entirely new and healthier way or are seeking wholeness and healing, consider joining us for an upcoming retreat. Visit  Living Well Retreats for more information or to register for an upcoming retreat.

Listen to my interview with Diane Markins on her Words in High Def site. Share your body image experiences or concerns and wisdom in a comment below.

If you love me, you'll obey me.

Ever notice how kids have a really hard time listening and obeying at the end of the school year and the beginning of summer? In the past few weeks, I have noticed how I have had to call my children several times before they respond to me, I've had to give them multiple reminders to get them to do what I've asked them to do, and when they finally do what I ask, they only do it part of the way. This got me thinking about obedience...my obedience.

The reality is that I am not that different than my children. I hear God's voice and sometimes, I tune Him out because it is untimely or conflicts with my plans. After a few repeated nudges, I sometimes respond begrudgingly and put minimal effort in to get the job done so I can check it off my extremely large to-do list, a list that I have created, not Him. I'm certain that you can relate.

The harsh truth is that delayed or partial obedience is not obedience at all, it is disobedience.  Our willingness to obey is a posture of the heart and should pour out freely as an overflow of our love for God. In John 14:15, Jesus said to his disciples, "If you love me, you will obey what I command."  He goes on to say in verses 23-24, "If anyone loves me, he will obey my teaching. My Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with Him. He who does not love me will not obey my teaching. These words you hear are not my own; they belong to the Father who sent me." If we love Him, we will obey Him. If we don't obey Him, we don't love Him.  These are painful truths to hear, especially because I love the Lord with my entire heart. But why is it so hard to obey Him?

There are many reasons why we don't obey. Sometimes, the call comes at a time that is inconvenient or conflicts with our own plans or desires. Other times, God asks to do something that is difficult or scary, so we don't respond out of fear. Still other times, it's because we simply don't know or trust that God is preparing us for something much better than what we are unwilling or afraid to give up. The truth is that not trusting God is really a symptom of not knowing God - knowing that He is good, faithful, merciful, loving, and has great plans for our lives. When I hesitate to respond to God's voice, I can almost hear him asking me, "Don't you know that I love you and want what is best for you? Do you trust me?"  In my head, I know. But sometimes I'm stubborn, prideful, or afraid, and I simply let it interfere with my ability to know and believe the truth, and respond accordingly. I need a change of heart, and I need to trust Him more.

David was known as a man after God's own heart. He was a faithful and obedient servant. He provides us with a wonderful example of what it is to align our love and obedience. As David so beautifully wrote in Psalm 119:33-37, "Teach me, O LORD, the way of your statutes; and I will keep it to the end. Give me understanding, that I may keep your law and observe it with my whole heart. Lead me in the path of your commandments, for I delight in it. Incline my heart to your testimonies, and not to selfish gain! Turn my eyes from looking at worthless things; and give me life in your ways."  Let this be the prayer on each of our hearts as we seek to know Him, trust Him, and obey Him.

Perhaps you need a retreat so that you can get quiet and hear from God, or get to know Him better?  Join us for our upcoming "Living a Free Life" weekend wellness retreat October 28-30 in Oracle, AZ.  Click here for more information.

God Loves You

In the past week, three people close to me have had their hearts shattered due to broken relationships. Feeling helpless, I asked the Lord in prayer what to say to them that would help them. He said to me, "Tell them that I love them." Really? It seemed so trite to me to say "God loves you" to my friend whose wife of 22 years left him, or to my daughter whose first true love broke up with her, or to my dear friend whose boyfriend just isn't ready for a serious relationship right now.  It's one of those overused Christian phrases that quite frankly ticks me off because it's dismissive and condescending. Or so I thought...

The very next morning, I received a daily devotional from Daily Hope with Rick Warren entitled "Children Need to Know that God Loves Them." Rick so beautifully laid out a very convincing argument for parents to teach their children that God created them and He delights in his creation. He designed us for a purpose and desires a relationship with us. He alone the one true love we can count on who will never let us down.

After reading this devotional, I spent some more time in prayer and He revealed to me the following biblical truths about his love that I believe He wants all of his children to know.

• You were not an accident. You exist because of God's will for your life, created in His image. (Genesis 1:27, Revelation 4:11)
• God is perfect and his love is unchanging.  (1 John 4:12; Micah 7:18)
• You were fashioned for a purpose which God prepared in advance for you to do. (Ephesians 2:10)
• God knows your every thought and every move. He is with you every step of the way.  (Job 31:4, Psalm 44:21)
• You can lose people, possessions, jobs, etc. but nothing you can do could ever separate you from God's love.  (Romans 8:39)
• God wants a deep and intimate relationship with you.  He stands at the door and waits for you to let him into your heart and life.  (Revelation 3:20)

When I started to consider all of these truths, it occurred to me that truly knowing God loves us gives us the power and strength to overcome any circumstance, inspires hope, and brings healing and comfort, especially when human love fails us. We cannot even begin to understand the love that God has for us in our human existence because this kind of love simply doesn't exist in the flesh. There is NOBODY in our life who can love us like the Father loves us - completely unconditionally and sacrificially, with a love that is unchanging and continues to pursue us whether we return it or not. In fact, the entire bible story is the story of God's unrequited love of his people. He continues to love and pursue us, yet we continue to wander, disobey, worship false idols, and sin.

Psalm 136 takes it even further. Every other line states "His steadfast love endures forever," for a total of 26 times. I don't know about you but if something is repeated 26 times, it's probably pretty important and worth remembering. I looked up the word "steadfast" and it is defined by Dictionary.com as: firm in purpose, unwavering, or firmly established. The word "endures" is defined as: to sustain without impairment or yielding, to bear without resistance, or to bear with patience. So, if we substitute these definitions, the repeating verse in Psalm 136 says, "His firm, unwavering, firmly established love sustains without yielding, bearing with patience, forever." This gives the phrase "God loves you" a little bit more meaning, wouldn't you agree? This is the kind of love we all long for, and is the kind of love that God gives to us freely, no strings attached. He simply asks us to love and accept his son, who was given to us as a gift of his grace and mercy. Seems simple enough, but we make it so complicated. We doubt His love because we feel unworthy...and we are. But He loves us anyway. We reject His love, and yet He continues to pour out His love unendingly. We abuse His love and we sin, and He forgives us. Sounds a lot like the broken hearts that I was telling you about at the beginning of this blog, doesn't it?  But in this story, God is the one with the broken heart. The amazing thing is that in loving him back, we repair His broken heart, and our own. 

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This is love!

"This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another."  1 John 4:10-11

Thanks to Hallmark and lots of television and print advertising, we can't help but know that Valentine's Day is around the corner. For many, it's a time where we take a little more time to think about the ones we love and let them know how we feel. For others, it can be a painful time where we are reminded of love lost, challenges in our existing relationships, or the absence of a meaningful "love relationship" in our lives. What if this year, we turned our focus away from human love and made it about our relationship with God?

We are all familiar with John 3:16, which says "God so loved the world that he gave his one and only son....," but we often miss the part about the fact that he SO LOVED THE WORLD. He loves each and every one of us and desires an intimate relationship with us. In fact, he loves us so much that he sacrificed His one and only son to restore the relationship with his beloved. Agape love. A sacrificial love that knows no bounds. A love that bears all, forgives all, and is completely unconditional. It is the kind of love that Paul speaks about in 1 Corinthians 13:4-8 "Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails" 

So why am I focusing on how much God loves us? Because until we know and believe how much God loves us, and we receive his love, forgiveness and grace, we will not be able to love others in a meaningful way. We can phileo love, which is the kind of "brotherly love" we experience in a friendship. We can eros love, which is sensual love we experience in an intimate relationship. But, we cannot agape love apart from God. The greatest commandment of all time tells us to love God with the entirety of who we are and to love others as ourselves, but we can't do the second part without the first.

If we are struggling in a relationship or simply want to improve a relationship, we can begin by knowing God more through his word. The more we know him, the more we can begin to understand how he loves us, especially through the example of Jesus. Since Jesus is God in the flesh, and God and love are synonymous, go back an insert the word "Jesus" into 1 Corinthians 13:4-8 to begin to understand who he is and how he loves you.  "Jesus is patient, Jesus is kind. Jesus does not envy, Jesus does not boast, Jesus is not proud. Jesus is not rude, Jesus is not self-seeking, Jesus is not easily angered, Jesus keeps no record of wrongs. Jesus does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. Jesus always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Jesus never fails." The more we know him and understand his love for us, the more we can love him in return. The more we love him, the more we can love others. 

1 John 4:7-11 says "Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another." Love comes from God. To know love, we have to know God. God loved us first. God sent his one and only son as a sacrifice so we could have a restored relationship with him. This is love. Because of his great love for us, we can and must love one another.

 

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Living an Empowered Life

"God's way is not a matter of mere talk: it's an empowered life". 1 Corinthians 4:20 (Message)

I believe that each and every one of us wants to feel truly empowered in what we do and the way we live. The problem with being human is that we view our empowerment very differently than God intended. You see, too often we view our worth and value with a "world view," where the outside world and its values, norms, standards, and pressures determine our self worth and value.  

In your mind, picture a funnel. Imagine the world and all of its influences entering the funnel at the top, and your self worth/self concept as the “net” result at the bottom. Everything that pours in through the top defines who we are and ultimately what we will become. You can think of examples - body image, job performance, our relationships, how we define success, how we fit into various groups or the “church”, etc. You can probably recall the pressure you have felt in each of these areas when you have been under the world’s “yoke” so to speak.

This view of self disconnects us from God, and can lead to worshipping false idols where our focus becomes the world's values as we attempt to measure up to the world's standards, or the standards of others who are not God. We give way to people pleasing. When we fail, we feel less-than, guilt, shame, or self-loathing. Because we value the opinion of others so much, criticism crushes us. When we "measure up," we may find that the approval of others inflates our opinion of ourselves or we start to think that we have accomplished these things on our own and we may even boast of our abilities. It is a very oppressive system by which we are completely limited in our abilities because it's entirely based on whether we measure up or we don't. Under this pressure, we feel compelled to wear a mask of perfection, not wanting others to think we make mistakes or fall short of what is expected of us. In Ecclesiastes 4:4, King Solomon writes, "And I saw that all labor and all achievement spring from man's envy of his neighbor. This too is meaningless, a chasing after the wind." In Matthew 16:26 it says, "For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what shall a man give in return for his soul?" Both verses illustrate an empty existence where we strive and toil to accomplish nothing of real eternal value. Heavy, limited, full of burdens where here is no freedom or joy.

The definition of the word “empower” as defined by the World English Dictionary is: to give or delegate power or authority to; to authorize; to give ability to; to enable or permit; to equip or supply with ability. Some synonyms include: sceptered, enabled, authorized, commissioned, qualified, entrusted, sanctioned.

As believers, we are inherently empowered by the spirit of God within us. 1 Corinthians 12:4-6 says, "There are different kinds of gifts, but the same spirit. There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. There are different kinds of working, but the same God works in all of them in all men." When we begin to recognize that God alone equips us with our gifts and talents, and places a calling on our lives, we can begin to "walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which we have been called" as Paul spoke about in Ephesians 4:1. It begins with moving from the "world view" discuss above to a "kingdom view" whereby our self concept and value comes from knowing our identity in Christ.  

Turn the funnel upside down (we do live in an upside down kingdom!) and now imagine God at the top and His definition of who we are, our identity in Him flowing down from above with Him as the source. Look at the bottom of the funnel and see how broad and limitless the possibilities are and how light our burden becomes. With this view of ourselves, we have the freedom to live out our calling using our God-given gifts and talents. Fully connected to God, we are able to connect to others in a God-centered way where we are free to be authentic and transparent. Instead of people pleasers, we become God-pleasers, where we seek his approval and pleasure in what we do and how we live our lives.  God gets the glory and we get affirmed in our calling. Exodus 9:16 says, "But I have raised you up for this purpose, that I might show you my power and that my name be proclaimed in all the earth."  World praise is filtered through a humble heart, and criticism is filtered through truth and provides opportunities for lessons and growth to occur.  In this world-view, we are fully empowered to do ALL that God created us to do and more than we ever would be able to do on our own as Paul wrote in Phil 4:13, "I can do all things through him who strengthens me." Light, unlimited, taking the “yoke” of Christ onto our shoulders. Fully free, full of his divine joy where the joy of the lord is our strength (Nehemiah).

In Exodus 3, we see the story of Moses being called to the burning bush. A man in his 80s who was simply going about his business of being a shepherd of sheep, God calls to him and speaks to him from a burning bush.  There, tells Moses to lead God’s people out of Egypt.  Moses lists off a bunch of excuses - world view excuses. “Who am I to do this?” he says. “I will be with you,” God replies. “They won’t believe me,” he rebuts.  God performs two miracles.  First, He turns his staff into a snake and then back into a staff.  Second He turns his hand into a leperous hand and back again. He even tells Moses he will give him a third miracle if he needs it. “I am not eloquent in speech,” he rebuts to which God replies, “I will be in you mouth and teach you what you shall speak.”  “Please send someone else,” he begs. God gives him Aaron to speak for him. Finally Moses, a man in his 80s, obeys and God’s will is done. He is transformed from a shepherd of sheep to a shepherd of people and He manifests God’s glory and power within him.

Like Moses, God fashioned you for a purpose. He has given you talents and gifts. Know that when He calls you to something, He will equip you like He did with Moses. In fact, He already has! And when you realize that He never fails and He does not make any mistakes, you will begin to soar with possibilities and you will begin to act as if you cannot fail. Open your heart and invite Him in and begin to allow Him to manifest all that He created you to be. Live a truly empowered life.

To close, I would like to share a quote taken from Marianne Williamson, from “A Return to Love: Reflections on the Principles of A Course in Miracles.

"Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won’t feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It is not just in some of us; it is in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others."

Do you want to live a life that manifests the glory of God within you? Join us for our "Living an Empowered Life" Holy Yoga retreat on Feburary 25-27.  For more information, click here.

 

An Attitude of Gratitude

 

Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.  ~1 Thessalonians 5:18

 

Thanksgiving is upon us, a time during which Americans take a day to feast, count their blessings and give thanks. But what does thanksgiving mean and what are we celebrating? The word "thanksgiving" is defined by Dictionary.com as: the act of giving thanks; grateful acknowledgement of benefits or favors especially to God; an expression of thanks, especially to God; a public celebration in acknowledgement of divine favor or kindness; and a day set apart for giving thanks to God. Notice that every single definition contains a reference to giving thanks to God or divinity. 

Most Americans know very little about the history and origins of the holiday we celebrate every year.  Some point to the first Thanksgiving between the Pilgrims and the Wompenog Indian tribe. In 1620, the Pilgrims lost half of their colony due to disease and starvation due to challenges adapting to their new world. The Womenogs befriended them and taught them how to hunt, fish, plant, and harvest. One year later, after a bountiful harvest, the Pilgrims held a 3-day feast and festival in honor of what the Wompenogs had done for them. In New England, the Puritans celebrates Thanksgiving as a religious holiday, a day that took place after fasting and prayer to give thanks to God for bountiful harvests, victorious battles, and drought ending rains. It wasn't until 1863 when Abraham Lincoln declared it a national holiday in an attempt to promote unity immediately following the battle of Gettysburg, the bloodiest battle of the Civil War but also the turning point of the war. Today, Americans celebrate with a turkey feast, watch the Macy's Day Parade followed by football, and kick off their Christmas shopping the day after on Black Friday, the busiest shopping day of the year.

Scripture gives us a bit more insight into the true origins and meaning of Thanksgiving. Long before America existed and Jesus walked the earth, God's people adopted the tradition of giving thanks to their God for his provision and protection, answered prayer, and victory over their enemies. Some of their traditions included giving offerings, having feasts and celebrations, and singing songs for the purpose of giving thanks to God. In fact, many of the Psalms are specifically written for the purpose of giving thanks to God. The author (unknown) of Psalm 100 wrote, "Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth! Serve the Lord with gladness! Come into his presence with singing! Know that the Lord, he is God! It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people and the sheep of his pasture. Enter his gates with thanksgiving, and his courts with praise! Give thanks to him, bless his name! for the Lord is good; his steadfast love endures forever and his faithfulness to all generations."

Scripture tells us that Thanksgiving wasn't meant to just be a commercialized holiday that we celebrate one day a year. Thanksgiving is a permanent posture of the heart, or an "attitude of gratitude" toward God for everything. Paul writes in 1 Thessalonians 5:16, "Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you."  Thanksgiving always, in all circumstances? That's a tough order, but one that we are called to as believers.

Why would Paul encourage us to give thanks in all circumstances? I believe it's because we get too caught up in our circumstances to see who God really is and what he is doing, or we allow our circumstances to influence our image of and feelings toward God. As the Psalmist of Psalm 100 wrote, the Lord is good and his steadfast love and faithfulness endure forever. Oftentimes, we can't see past our circumstances to really wrap our minds around those truths. But, if we take a "God view" of our circumstances, we can find blessings and learn to give thanks even in the midst of heartache, trials, suffering, and pain. For example, when we are having a rough day with our kids, we need to be thankful for them instead. When we feel stressed and overworked, we need to be grateful that we have work. When we are unhappy with our lot in life, we need to be thankful for the ways in which God has provided for us. When we have lost somebody we love, we must be grateful for the love we shared and the precious time we had with that person. When we go through a difficult trial, we need to consider the lessons learned and the fact that God loves us enough to teach us and refine our character.

We are human and we cannot begin to understand what God's plans are for our lives. But if we begin by reminding ourselves that God is good, he is faithful, his love endures forever (Psalm 100), and that he will never leave or forsake us (Hebrews 13:5) then we can begin to have a thankful heart in all circumstances. It is a choice as to how we view our circumstances, and it is up to us to find the blessings and choose gratitude. The Puritans provide a great model and one that we can easily follow by giving thanks to God for food, water, and the battles he has fought and won on our behalf. When we consistently give thanks, we will begin to see our circumstances in a new light and over time we will find purpose, meaning, and joy in everything.

It's the destination AND the jouney that count

July 10 was my son's 7th birthday. At the time, we happened to be in Wisconsin visiting my family. A few days before, I asked him what he'd like to do for his special day. He said he wanted to go to Moto in downtown Chicago where they film the cable TV show "Future Food". If you're not familiar with the show, "molecular gastronomists" Homaro Cantu and Ben Roche defined as "world renowned chefs, successful restaurateurs, patent-owning mad scientists and celebrated futurists" prepare cutting-edge creations using science and creative culinary techniques. I have to admit, it's pretty amazing what they do on their show and the idea sounded like a lot of fun. So, I called to inquire. They only had 10 and 20-course taste menus, both of which were cost prohibitive for a 7 year old birthday dinner. Before I hung up, I felt nudged to explain our situation to the hostess...that we had come all the way from Arizona, it was my son's birthday, my kids watch the show, and I'm sure I whined a little. "Can we at least come for a dessert or a drink so my kids can see it," I pleaded. She happily explained that they had a four-course dessert tasting available (at a far more reasonable price) that they don't publicize (until now in this blog!) and that they would love to have us. She also said that they would likely be able to give us a tour of the kitchen and the kids could meet the chefs. Sold! I made the reservation.

We spent the day at the Field Museum exploring and enjoying the wonders of creation, including Sue, the largest, most complete, and best preserved Tyrannosaurus rex ever discovered and Lyuba, a 42,000-year-old intact baby mammoth.  Between the exhibits, my kids would ask, "When are we going to Moto?"  I would reply, "Later.  For now, enjoy these amazing exhibits!"

When it came time to go to Moto, the kids were beside themselves. We quickly changed in the car and rushed to Moto to make our 5 p.m. reservation. Treated like royalty, we were seated at a reserved table with several waiters who circled the table regularly making sure we had everything we needed. The kids were served a cherry-infused cola with a cotton candy float served in a Erlenmeyer flask. Their eyes beamed! After four rounds of beautiful gourmet desserts, the maitre d took us to the basement where we toured the "lab" and the kitchen. Chef Ben from the show was there and immediately greeted us, jumping over the line to shake hands with my son, wish him happy birthday, and sign a personalized menu they had printed for him. Following the tour, we were served a pineapple soda float with an edible packing peanut that had been enhanced to taste like vanilla ice cream and had been dipped in liquid nitrogen so it was frozen and steaming. This was something my kids had seen on the show, and was the highlight of their evening aside from the tour of the kitchen. For my kids, this experience was far more than they could have ever imagined and was as close to "heaven" as they had ever been. Since the night at Moto, I have listened to them try to retell the story to their friends and relatives, only to hear them say, "The pictures don't really show what happened. I can't explain it. You just have to go sometime!"  Sadly, the experience of the Field Museum usually gets left out of the story unless I bring it up. You see, they have been to "heaven" and all else now pales in comparison.

After the experience of "heaven" with my kids, I found myself thinking about the "real" heaven and what it might look like. I have read about the throne room in Isaiah and Revelation, and I am certain there are no words that could ever express or capture its majesty. In Don Piper's book 90 Minutes in Heaven, Piper recalls his experience of heaven in the 90 minutes he was dead following a car accident. So amazed and enamored by the sights and sounds, he didn't even want to return to his life on earth. He says that words were not sufficient to explain the experience. 1 Corinthians 2:9 says, "However, as it is written: 'No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him.'" It blows me away that this is what we have to look forward to some day.

This got me thinking about the phrase, "It's not the destination that counts, it's the journey." I believe that some of us live focused on and even obsessed with thoughts of eternity, where all else pales in comparison. Others live experiencing the journey, living life to the fullest without giving much though to the afterlife. King Solomon, the wisest of all kings, wrote in Ecclesiastes 3:1," He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the hearts of men; yet they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end." However, Solomon also wrote in verse 5:18, "Then I realized that it is good and proper for a man to eat and drink, and to find satisfaction in his toilsome labor under the sun during the few days of life God has given him--for this is his lot." 

You see, life is a balancing act. It's about living our lives with eternity in our minds and hearts, while fully experiencing and appreciating the blessings and the beauty of life we have been given. Since the days we have are numbered, then shouldn't we enjoy them, fully experiencing the "journey" while before we get to our "destination"? God has planted the seeds of eternity in our hearts in order that we might experience a little bit of heaven here and now. Because it's both the destination and the journey that count!

To learn how to eat mindfully and live vibrantly, join my for my upcoming "Eat What You Love, Love What You Eat" mindful eating workshop series that starts August 13.  For more information, click here. 

To learn how to live a more balanced and intentional life and experience the joy of Holy Yoga, join us for our upcoming "Face Down on Your Mat" Holy Yoga retreat August 20-22 in Tucson.  For more information, click here.