I Have All I Need

The list of things I wish I had is very, very long. More time to golf. More money saved for retirement. A pickup for camping trips. Time to fish. Time to read the rest of my books. And on it goes! Besides being dissatisfied by my wants, I can get bothered by

Occupy...Something!

My friend Michael Duduit, who writes regularly on preaching and is editor of Preaching magazine, talks about this latest protest movement that started in Wall Street and has since "occupied" a couple of dozen city parks across the nation.  He says there's a better solution than protesting the amount of money somebody else makes or how little attention is given to the average citizen.  Michael says "Here's a better bet: Occupy Worship. Meet the One who alone can satisfy your needs and breach the chasm caused by sin, and the best news is you don't even have to go to New York or any other city to Occupy Worship—you can demonstrate anywhere!"

I like the way Michael thinks.  He reminds us that even if all the money earned by all the investment bankers and all the highly-paid executives of all the companies that are the target of these protests was spread around to the poor, it still wouldn't be enough.  (Not to mention, most of the poor in the US have a thousand times more than the true poor overseas.)  Why not?  Because humanly, we never have enough.  Even those highly-paid executives feel their lives would be better if they just made, say, 10% more.  The solution, Michael rightly says, is to worship.

Now, by worship, Michael and I don't mean to turn on your favorite Christian song or hymn, sing along loudly, and pray.  Closing our eyes and praying doesn't make our problems go away (it doesn't work for Tim Tebow in the backfield either).  No, we're talking a deep, focused, sincere, whole-hearted, whole-life surrender to the One who owns eternity and has already accepted you, dear reader, as his beloved child.  As we've been studying lately in the Beatitudes, a life "in Christ" means we have full access to the blessings of living in the love and acceptance of the Father through the Spirit (John 17:20-23, Col. 1:24-27, etc).  "Christ is in you" says Paul, and he's not talking some metaphysical claptrap or fuzzy idea, but a spiritual reality. 

Life -- real, authentic life -- is lived out in that reality, minute by minute.  Not just "what would Jesus do?" but "Jesus, what are you doing and what would you have me do?"  Offering ourselves as a living sacrifice (Romans 12:1) is what Paul calls "truly the way to worship him."  Focusing on whole-life worship helps us understand that the momentary troubles of this life really are momentary.  We don't ignore them, we work on them with the passion that Jesus had cleaning out the moneychangers (the honest and the dishonest together) from the Temple, in John 2:13-17, and the love he had when he healed the sick and provided bread for thousands. 

Want something to occupy in protest of this world's sickness?  Occupy, and be occupied by, Jesus-in-you, with everything you've got, and watch what happens!  (And come back and tell me!)

Bogeyman

This latest economic crisis has a lot of people concerned that we're facing a long season of tight finances, higher unemployment, and economic pain not seen since the Great Depression of the 1930s. Theories of the causes and the cures are everywhere, leading in all directions, and they hang over us like a dark cloud on a summer afternoon.

Meanwhile, we're winding up toward October 31. Traditionally on this evening, children dressed up as scary characters like economists and bankers come to our homes and attempt to coerce us into giving them candy and other nutrition-free junk. Some use the ancient epithet "trick or treat!" which sounds a little like investing in the stock market.

Hmmm...so there are threats on every side, it seems. What's a Christian to do? Spend all our time and energies in an attempt to keep all these threats from hurting us? Opt for self-protection at all costs? And for that matter, shut off all the lights and pretend not to be home when the little costumed threat-bringers show up?

Time to stop and ask "What would Jesus do?" And we have an answer. He himself was born into uncertain economic and political times--we'll talk more about that during Advent season--and faced threats similar to ours, although I don't think he worried about his 401(k). But he taught his disciples something very interesting in the Sermon on the Mount, found in Matthew chapters 5 through 7. (Click here to read what he said about possessions, prayer, fasting and faith in Chapter 6.)

Jesus explained that the Father knew exactly what is going on with each person, and is able, as well as ready, to provide all their needs. So the big idea, he says in verses 31 and 32, is that we should have faith in our Father's ability to provide for us: “So don’t worry about these things, saying, ‘What will we eat? What will we drink? What will we wear?’ These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers, but your heavenly Father already knows all your needs." He de-emphasizes our own abilities, and asks us to focus on God's provision instead.

And the Father has provided all our needs -- starting with sending his Son to live and die for us so we could live forever with him, and then for every other need, as Jesus said he would if we focus on him first. Personally, I've seen a lot of uncertainty in my life, but God has always provided for me, one way or the other. He still will -- no matter which way the economy of this city, the US, or the world goes. It's my job to be a good steward of what he has given me, but I need to keep remembering, he's the one who gave it in the first place.

And what about all those little costumed characters who may come around in a couple of weeks? Just like with the economy and an uncertain future, I can't control them. But I have the choice to hide, run away, or face them calmly. So here's what The Lovely Joanne and I have been doing the last few years: knowing we'll get visitors asking for something, we decided to give them something much more valuable than candy. Instead of carving up pumpkins into scary faces, we carve pumpkins with the word "Jesus" and maybe a Christian fish symbol, or a heart and a cross. Then when the little guys come around to "scare" us, we give them the most reassuring message there is: "Jesus loves you." I'm always delighted at how the atmosphere turns around when we say those words. And then we give them some kind of treat, and a little card telling them there's a God who loves them. The evening ends up being a lot more fun for us all that way.

Jesus' words of reassurance that the Father is watching over us mean as much to me now as they did to the disciples 20 centuries ago. My Father has pulled me through a lot of pain and loss in my life, and I'm convinced he will keep doing it. That helps me not worry so much about the sky falling. Or the doorbell ringing. I pray it will do the same for you.