Thick-Skin

2 Corinthians 7:8-10 For even if I made you grieve with my letter, I do not regret it-though I did regret it, for I see that that letter grieved you, though only for a while. As it is, I rejoice, not because you were grieved, but because you were grieved into repenting. For you felt a godly grief, so that you suffered no less through us. For godly grief produces repentance that leads to salvation without regret.

Paul truly loves these people. How do we know? Because he is willing to be honest with them, even to the point that they experienced grief. To some this sounds strange, but to us to have experienced this type of grief, it is refreshing.

I played high school baseball for a man named Murl Bowen. He is literally THE WINNINGEST HIGH SCHOOL BASEBALL COACH in history. I know that sounds a little far-fetched for most of you, but it is true. Wikipedia (my friend Bruce Kendrick’s favorite source to site for research papers) puts it like this, in the article about Asher, Oklahoma:

“In those forty years, Asher won 2,115 games, lost only 349, hauled home forty-five state championship trophies, fourteen state runner-ups, and sent dozens of players to college and minor-league baseball. No high school in history, public or private, has won as many games as the Asher Indians.”

Not a bad career, if you ask me. What made him so successful? I am sure there were many factors that led to that incredible run, however I remember one in particular. Coach Bowen was honest with his players. He told his players what they needed to know in order to improve, on and off the field. I remember several times when coach Bowen said something to me that made me feel like a complete moron at the time, but later proved to help me immensely in baseball and in life. One such phrase he uttered consistently, to help us be the best player we were capable of was, “Know your limits.” If you were a power hitter, then great. If not, then don’t try to hit the ball out of the yard just to prove how manly you were. I was not a power hitter.

I also remember one time, my freshman or sophomore year, that I had some crazy haircut that looked really stupid. We were at a tournament in Eakly, Oklahoma when coach Bowen took me aside very calmly and told me, “Kris, you look like a horses a**.” At the time I was offended, but not long after I realized that he was right, I did look like a horses a** with that haircut.

I use coach Bowen as an example of a leader who cares enough for his followers to be honest. Honesty does not mean cruelty, though. According to Paul in 2 Corinthians 7:8-10, he regretted his outright honesty at first. Later, however, when he saw the repentance that it produced, he did not regret it, but rejoiced!

My prayer for all who read this, is that we would love the people we lead (including ourselves) enough to be lovingly honest for the purpose of godliness. Amen.  

Glamour

Acts 7:59-60 And as they were stoning Stephen, he called out, “Lord Jesus receive my spirit.” And falling to his knees he cried out with a loud voice, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them.” And when he had said this, he fell asleep.

What can we learn here? Stephen forgives. He just finished preaching a sermon that literally went into the record books (and for good reason too) and his audience kills him for it. And how does Stephen respond? Stephen does not allow persecution, threat, hatred, or even violence get in the way of his attitude. These people were killing Stephen and he asked God not to hold it against them?

To be completely honest this seems so out of reach! I don’t know about you, but I get steamed when someone leaves dirty dishes in the sink. Stephen, on the other hand, keeps his cool while getting beaten to death with rocks! This just shows me how much I need to grow spiritually. My desire is to be so in tune with Jesus that I respond to things the way he responds, and think the way he thinks.

That is what Stephen does here. He responds to his persecutors much the same way that Jesus responded to his persecutors. Stephens words, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them,” are very comparable to Jesus’ words recorded in Luke 23:34, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.”

So where did Stephen come from? He seems to just emerge out of nowhere and take the world by storm! Interestingly, before Luke records Stephen’s speech in Acts 7 we see Stephen mentioned in Acts 6 as one of the seven table servants that are appointed to relieve some of the burden off the Apostles. Stephen served tables to widows. Not only did he serve tables, but read how Stephen’s peers described him, “a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit…” Long before Stephen spoke to the high priest and was martyred for his faith, Stephen was a servant and a godly man.  

We don’t read much about Stephen’s life before he was martyred. He loved Jesus. He had faith. He served. Only the last part of Stephen’s life is mentioned in scripture.

Most of our lives will never be written about in books. Most of us will not be famous throughout history. But you know what we can do? We can be faithful. We can serve. And if we continue growing spiritually maybe we will seize the opportunity to forgive someone who wrongs us…

Hand on the Plow...

I had some options in college. I worked pretty hard at getting good grades in every class and understood everything the profs tried to teach us. And though my strongest scores were always math and science, I would rather shovel dung than work with inanimate objects all day, every day. I had felt a constant tugging toward ministry starting when I became a believer at the age of fourteen, however my aversion to public speaking steered me away from preaching. Strangely, my desire to help people drove me toward majoring in Psychology. I thought, "Hey, I'll get my Ph.D., open my own practice in a wealthy area and bank off the rich folks' secret disfunctions!" Sorry, I'm just trying to be honest! 

By the time I was a senior I found myself incredibly board with "behavior modification" and the whole direction of the social sciences. I realized that taking this direction was not going to fulfill the intense calling I felt to see lives transformed for the gospel.  

It was at that point that I finally, fully, let go of control and started hearing and obeying God as best I could. This path has not been convenient, especially for my mother-in-law, who must have thought I was a complete moron for moving her daughter seven hours away from home for a part time job in Austin, Texas. She was right though (and a wonderful blessing of a mother-in-law), sometimes it is difficult to discern between obedient and stupid when it comes to fully obeying our Lord. Sometimes obedience looks stupid to other people, especially when it effects your financial future.

Seven years later here we are, planting a church in a town I barely knew existed, in a huge metroplex surrounded by other suburbanites who are working, playing golf and getting excited about the 60 million dollar football stadium being repaired in Allen, Texas! I don't know whether I should be excited or embarrassed.

Anyway, we walked into this church planting endeavor soon after Karis resigned from her full time job and started a real estate career. Needless to say, our financial house is up and down, up and down, up and...well you get the picture.

So every once in a while I find myself asking the question, "Would it have been easier to have taken another career route and not gone into church planting?"

As I was reading in Luke this morning I came to this incredible little passage where Jesus responds to some people who want to follow him "if" they can first take care of some of their other life issues. Jesus' answer to them crushed me...

"No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God." - Luke 9:62

That said it all...

Of course it would have been easier to take another route! BUT THAT IS NOT THE POINT!! We are blessed beyond measure to be considered worthy of this ministry! Who am I to ask the question, "Would it have been easier to...?"

Thankfully, this is all part of God's molding process! He is making us into his image, slowly but surely. We should invite him to shape us into his image, however painful the process. It is not about collecting more toys, or gaining more financial status. It's about knowing him. And when we know him, he will make us more like him that we were before. He cleanses us, renews us, and walks with us through all of these struggles.

Now may you be blessed as you go about your day. And may you invite God to shape and mold you according to his will. Amen...