Making Myself Nothing

So I was spending time with Jesus this morning. Normally I come out of my time with Jesus extremely lifted up, encouraged, pumped, "on-fire"; however, this morning I came out completely pathetic. Why? Well, taking a look at this life I am living and what I have to offer and what I have to bring to the table is merely embarrassing. By table, I mean...works. It seems like I try to "work" my butt off, and it merely does nothing. 

Realizing that is exactly where I am supposed to be. To know that I really don't have anything to bring to the table...I have nothing. So if I have nothing, why do I act like I have something. Why do I act like I have something to offer? I wake up everyday, and in my mind I feel like "I" can do something to really make a difference. I feel like "I" really can fix a problem that I am dealing with. I feel like "I" really have the amazing genius answer to a contemplative question. Well the reality is that I don't. I don't have anything to offer. Yes, I know, I know, it sounds like I am giving you this "poor Ryan speech". It's really not that. It's really just me trying to be real about where I am at. 

I believe in humility. I believe it is humility that makes our walk grow further with Christ. I believe humility is where Christ wants us to be at. In fact it is Philippians 2 that we find that Christ was the example of humility. "But in humility, count others more significant than yourselves..." We can ignore that verse everyday. The fact is that is where Christ wants us at, absolute total humility. The idea that someone else, in fact everyone else is more important than yourself, it's hard to live out. In all honesty, there are people that I simply do not want to do this for. This makes me a hypocrite. "Follow Christ, but not all of it". Is that what I am saying? Sadly, yes it is. My challenge is Follow Christ completely, or don't follow at all. This is not to say that I won't fail, that my flesh won't take over. What I am saying is that it is our goal as follower of Christ, to strive as in Matthew 5:48 to be perfect. We will never obtain perfection until heaven, but we don't give up on it here on earth.

Live in humility friends. Count other interests, more significant than your own. Live as Christ lived. "...but made himself NOTHING, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross."

Live in humility. You are nothing. I am nothing, without Him.

Here's a song that capture's that: Bebo Norman - Nothing Without You

The Mighty Aslan

So I went to the movie theatre this weekend to watch the 2nd installment of "The Chronicles of Narnia". Here's just a couple of the highlights that were great analogies of our walk with Christ. I did have my girlfriend Corrie, right by my side to help me some of these I didn't realize.

Of all the my favorite lines in the movie, one was in particular. (If you haven't seen the movie or read the books you may not want to read this...I spoil it) Let me set it up for you: Throughout the movie, the Narnian's (which may represent God's chosen people, the Israelites) are fighting against a group of people called the Telmarines (which I think seem to be similar to the Egyptians you find in Exodus). This group of people basically want to rid the world of the Narnian's. They fight back. Which is great for you action-prone men that need that like I do. Throughout the movie though, Aslan (representing Jesus) is no where to be found. Peter, Edmund, Susan, and Lucy are looking for him constantly. Lucy thinks she sees him in the beginning, but most people doubt her. She is confident though. After a while, she kinda gives up. When all hell breaks loose, she comes to her senses and decides to go find Aslan. She goes on this search and the great part is she does find Him.

My favorite line in the book/movie was this: After finding Aslan she says, "I thought it was you the whole time, I just knew it!" Aslan then says, "Then why didn't you just come to me." She responds with, "Well, I didn't want to come alone." Aslan says, "You can always come alone."

What a great meaning to the story! How many times in our lives do we feel intimidated to come to Jesus for whatever reason we make up in our silly heads. Christ always has the same calling, "You can always come alone." We don't need to fix ourselves, we don't need to be afraid, we just need to go. Then we can rest in the Savior's care. Isn't it a great feeling to rest and to be protected by the great Lion, Aslan?

Last line from the movie I want to share with you. Still wanting to find Aslan, Lucy and Susan are having a talk and wondering why Aslan has yet to come. Susan says, "We just need Him to prove that He's still there." Lucy (who is now my fav) says, "Maybe, He just wants us to prove we still believe." That's a great thought. Are we proving everyday that we still believe? Or are we waiting for Him to do something?

Another spoiler alert...The great part about the ending, just like He did to the Egyptians, he washed them away while splitting the sea in two....wow.

Catch you later...

Being Perfect

So here's a great mid-day, mid-week thinking question for you:

Matthew 5:28 says: "You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect." Wow. Yes, wow.

So being perfect is a command given by Jesus. Are you perfect? Have you met anyone perfect before? So you agree, this is an unattainable goal. Then why is it in the Bible. Does it mean that we will never live to be what we are supposed to be?

Well, I went a little further into this verse. The word "perfect" in this passage is from the greek word "teleioi", which denotes "end", "goal", "outcome". So the verse is not saying that this perfection is a must although the word is actually a command in the Greek. The word is a outcome at some point of a goal. My translation is that we as Christians are to have a goal to be perfect, which we all know will only come when evil is vanquished and kingdom of God has come (when Christ returns). However you interpret this perfection, the bottom-line is that this is a demand for perfection (although we are not), and our goal is to be perfect.

It seems this day and age in the church, we settle for imperfection. We realize we have issues and that will never change, and we will never be like Christ. So why try for something we know we are going to fail at. Most people never deal with themselves because they know they are not perfect. I know I'm not perfect, nor ever will be. However, you or I cannot fall into this feeling that I cannot attempt to be perfect. 

This may not make sense to you, but I  hope it does. I am not saying you or I will ever be perfect. I am saying that this verse DEMANDS that we try, but yet knowing we are going to fail. I hope that also doesn't take the motivation out of it for you or I. The great part is that in the eyes of God, we are perfect, due to the fact that when God our Father looks at us, he sees Jesus. It is through the perfect blood of Christ that our sin is perfected into forgiveness and cleanliness from God.

Chew on that.

Dark Joy

So I haven't posted on this website in a while. I typically use my own website, but this is way easier to blog on.

I've been reading through a book that a friend of mine suggested called, "Champagne for the Soul" by Mike Mason. Overall it is a great book. In the book he talks about how basically it is our responsibility as a believer to be joyful in ALL circumstances. He says, "I saw that if joy does not arise out of the midst of tragedy, it will not arise at all. Christian joy is rooted in darkness, chaos, meaningless, sorrow." What the heck is he talking about? Joy to me never seems dark, chaotic or sorrowful. It seems happy. But I guess, the main this is deciding what is happy and what is joy. To me, being happy is a feeling that you get when something great happens to you or you do something that brings the feeling of happiness.

I'm not a instinctually joyful person. I don't wake up in the morning with a smile on my face. This is one of the reasons I am trying to grow in this area of joy. More trying to investigate what it takes to be joyful. Not happy, but joyful. Brother Lawrence once said, "I do not know what God wishes to do with me; I am always very happy." What I want to know is what did Brother Lawrence drink, or what was he taking that made him so joyful. I want that. I definitely am not a happy person by nature. Some people are, and I am not. I go through weird states of depression sometimes. Not major depression. I don[t always have such an optimistic view of life always. By the way, this is me being vulnerable. 

In this book that I am reading Mr. Mason basically suggest that Jesus was our example of joy. It is through His death, that brought His joy, which is found in the resurrection. If it wasn't for the tragedy, the latter miracle would have never happened. Easter is a joyful celebration. Churches across the country fill up on Sunday's to celebrate the joy that came from the death. Good Friday isn't necessarily so good. Maybe that is why it is called Good Friday, because we all know that joy that comes on Sunday.

I'll keep you updated with what I'm learning through the book. Til next time...