Chain of Command

 by Chris Jones

There’s a general rule in any chain of command, that complaints go up.  The idea is that your concerns are best placed in the hands of those who have the power to do something about them.  Consequently, a correlation exists between the direction in which we allow our complaints to flow, and the degree to which we give individuals along those channels power over us, or at least over our problems.  There’s a certain acknowledgement that we have no better idea what to do with a problem, than to hand it over to them.  Along with it, there’s a measure of power, whether expressed or not, that we forfeit.

The greatest modern repository for such misplaced complaints is any social media outlet of one’s choosing.  I’ll spare examples, since your news and twitter feeds are likely full of them.  Many instances, however, are just complaints flowing in the wrong direction.  What’s remarkable is that those complaints don’t sound so dissimilar from those of more famous complainers who, but for one small difference, we call the greatest worshippers of all time.

Take this excerpt from Psalm 69 as an example, “…the floodwaters are up to my neck.  Deeper and deeper I sink into the mire; I can’t find a foothold.  I am in deep water, and the floods overwhelm me. I am exhausted from crying for help; my throat is parched. My eyes are swollen with weeping…”  King David was a pretty good complainer.  The difference?  He knew his complaints went up the chain of command, to the very top, in fact.  The result?  Each of his complaints evolves into praise to the only One who is in a position to do something about them.

Are your complaints flowing the right direction?  Are you unknowingly surrendering power to those who have no ability to help?  Ask yourself, “How is this working for me?”  Take a lesson from the greatest worshipper and “the man after God’s own heart”.  Let all your fears, doubts and frustrations flow to Him who is able to do so much more than you could think to ask.  Let them evolve into praise, your confession that He is able, that He has all things under His command.

Worshipping in Spirit and Truth

 by Chris Jones

Enter his gates with THANKSGIVING.  Go into his courts with praise.  Give thanks to him and praise his name.  Psalm 100:4

There’s a familiar phrase to many Christians.  It’s a common expression we take from John 4:24.  There we read about John telling a Samaritan woman that one MUST “worship God in spirit and in truth”.  It may be a difficult concept for some to understand, and seems thoroughly disregarded by others.  When I imagine what a true worshipper of God might look like, I think of King David (as most probably do).  If you’re unfamiliar with his story, you can read about him staring here.  It’s a story that chronicles a man whose worship directly touched the heart of God.

In comparison to someone like David, I feel like I live a pretty lackluster life.  Don’t misunderstand me.  I love my life.  I have a great wife.  I’m the father of two awesome little boys who are growing to be special men in God’s Kingdom.  I have a career that I really do love and God continues to breathe fresh life into the dreams He is placing in my heart.  Still, I feel far from what He designed me to be, a perfect instrument of worship.  Honestly, and ironically, it’s worship songs that make me feel this way.  Perhaps it’s more accurate to say that I feel this way in regard to worship songs I wish I could sing from the bottom of my heart.

Have you ever heard this quote from A.W. Tozer, “christians don’t tell lies, they just go to church and sing them”?  I think this is partly true.  How often do we stop and consider the words of the worship songs we sing?  I feel like some of them expose how far I am from being able/willing to fully abandon all of my goals and ambitions, in exchange for all He has for me.  Take, as an example, the words of this popular worship song:

Lord I give you my heart.  I give you my soul.
I love for You alone.
Every breath that I take, every moment I’m awake
Lord, have your way in me

Some weeks, I just don’t feel like that guy.

Worship is serious.  It’s not just a time for us to sing with one another.  It’s another opportunity for us to open our hearts before God.  The last thing I want to be in those moments is false.  Rather than sing something that may not be true of myself, I turn those thoughts into prayers.  “God help me to lay aside my selfish ambitions and learn to live, guided by your plan for my life.  Right now I just don’t feel like I can say that I’m living for You alone.  Holy Spirit help me live a life and be a man through whom You can truly have your way.”  Perhaps I’m splitting hairs.  Admittedly, it seems like such a small difference.  However, I believe it’s a great expression of His worth to us to acknowledge how far we are from His glory and that only he can bridge the distance that separates us.

“Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.  Do not cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me.  Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.” Psalm 51:10-12  Give thanks today, with a pure and grateful heart.

(note: Re-reading this whole thing, it sounds like a bit of a bummer on what is such a significant day for most of us.  I apologize, if it comes across that way.  I’m curious to hear your thoughts.)

Who is God to you?

 by Chris Jones

There’s a definite difference between knowing someone in a general sense and knowing them intimately and personally. Consider a celebrity as an example. It’s easy to get a false sense of familiarity with them. They’re in our homes every day. Every detail of their lives, whether fact or fiction, is examined and re-examined in the grocery store check-out line. We following them on Twitter, where every waking thought is transmitted directly to our computer or cellular device. Still, with all of this exposure, we know them superficially at best.

Is it possible that we’ve developed a similar familiarity with God? Many of us have been told stories about Him since we were children. The details of the relationship we’re supposed to have with Him are examined and re-examined each Sunday. His every promise for our lives has been communicated directly to us through His word. Regardless, It’s not likely that we’ll develop more than a superficial knowledge of God unless we make our relationship with Him personal.

In Psalm 18, David writes, “I love you, Lord you are my strength. The Lord is my rock, my fortress, and my savior, my God is my rock, in whom I find protection. He is my shield, the power that saves me, and my place of safety. I called on the Lord, who is worthy of praise, and he saved me from my enemies.” It’s obvious that David’s knowledge of God went well beyond the superficial. God was well more than just a character in a story to him. His promises were true to David. They had been demonstrated and fulfilled as David stepped out in obedience to God’s commands.

Who do you know God to be? Is He just the hero from an ancient storybook, but bound to those pages? Do His promises translate to your life? Can you say, like David, that God is the source of all your strength and hope? If we’re supposed to be His witnesses, it’s important that we first have a personal experience with Him. If you haven’t had such an encounter with God, let this be the year. Allow Him to prove Himself to you. No matter your need, in Him you’ll find a source that will not fail.