The Gift He Gave

I know it's a couple days after Easter, but I've been thinking about this poem for a week or so now. I wrote it back in middle school. If it's not the first poem I wrote, it's definitely the first I saved, and I wanted to share it. It's a good reminder of why we celebrated on Sunday.

The picture I chose to go with it was taken at one of my favorite places, a place where God did a lot of great things in my life. I chose this picture because it's a reminder to me that the most important things in life happen at the foot of the cross (even if the photo itself is horrible).


Riding into town,
A king without a crown.
People cheered.
His power, leaders feared.

One last dinner,
Then He'd save the sinner.
In the garden He prayed.
By a friend He was betrayed.

He carried His cross,
And He bore our loss.
Our shame and pain
The reason He was slain.

He rose again
And saved us from our sin.
An empty grave
Was the gift He gave.

The Cost of "No"

This is the second of two posts addressing the cost of obedience to God. You can read the first here.

"Looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider Him who endured from sinners such hostility against Himself, so that you may not grow weary or fainthearted." - Hebrews 12:2-3

If you're like me, you're not a fan of shopping. There are several reasons why, but I think my primary reason for not enjoying a trip to the store is looking at the prices. Especially when I'm shopping for clothes. I'll see something I like. Then I read the price tag and suddenly decide I don't like it anymore. The cost is too high, and I don't think it's worth it.

Sometimes, that's how it feels when God is showing us something He wants us to do. It looks great. Then we count the cost. We might lose friends. We might disappoint family. We might have to leave everything that is familiar. It could even cost our lives.

Unlike that piece of clothing, I hope you realize obedience is worth it. The reward is so much greater than the cost. And there is also a cost to disobedience.

In Deuteronomy, God set a choice before the Israelites. He told them they could choose the blessings of obedience or the curse associated with disobedience. Like the people of Israel, if we choose disobedience, we remove ourselves from the blessings of God. We harden our hearts toward Him. We block ourselves from hearing His voice. We hinder our relationships with Him and show Him that we don't love Him.

Through their obedience, the Israelites were supposed to show the world what a relationship with God looked like. What if, through our disobedience, we hinder someone else? What if it costs their salvation? What if disobedience prevents us from meeting someone who needed to hear about Him? What if praying with that person in the mall is just the sign they are looking for, and we don't do it?

Isn't their eternity more important than our momentary convenience?

So yes, there is a cost to following Christ. There is a cost to doing what He says to do. But there's an even higher price to pay when we don't. The cost of obedience is temporary. The cost of disobedience is eternal.

Like Jesus, let us not refuse to pay the cost. Let us see, instead, the joy before us and choose to be obedient to Him.

"But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For His sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ." -Philippians 3:7-8

Join the conversation:

• When you count the cost, do you also consider the rewards?
• How do you respond when asked to give something up for the sake of Christ?

The Cost of "Go"

This is the first of two posts addressing the cost of obedience to God. The second will be coming next week.

"For which of you, desiring to build a tower, does not first sit down and count the cost, whether he has enough to complete it?" - Luke 14:28

Not long ago, I was driving down the road and saw a dog. It's not like it's unusual for me to see people walking their dogs. But this dog happened to look like mine - my dog who had died about two months before. My thoughts went something like this. "I miss my dog. Next time I get a dog, I'm going to have to pay for everything. Oh man, that'll include plane tickets to and from Denmark. I can't leave a dog in a kennel on an overseas plane ride. What if I never get to have another dog?"

Counting the cost is a phrase you hear a lot in church. Considering Jesus Himself said it, there's obviously a reason. Following Jesus has its rewards, but they're not free. Early believers were persecuted. They were beaten, stoned, and imprisoned. All but one of the apostles were executed just for proclaiming the Gospel. Millions around the world still face this reality.

With as many missionaries as I know personally, and with the plan to become one myself, counting the cost has become even more personal. Every time I realize I might miss important events in the lives of my friends and family - graduations, weddings, births. Every time I realize I might be leaving the country just as some friends are returning. I've left it all for 12 weeks before, and even though it was hard, I learned that I could do it. Whenever the price starts seeming too high, I remind myself of that. Then I saw that dog. Suddenly, the cost seemed very high - because I actually had to consider it. (Don't get me wrong, the people matter more to me than the dog, but I was always able to ignore that because I've handled it before.)

No matter what God is asking you to do, there's going to be a cost. You have to be willing to count that cost. If you jump in not knowing what it's going to cost, eventually you'll want to quit. The cost will get too high, and you won't want to pay.

But hopefully, when you count the cost, you'll also decide that it's worth it.

"As they were going along the road, someone said to Him, 'I will follow You wherever You go.' And Jesus said to him, 'Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head.' To another He said, 'Follow me.' But he said, 'Lord, let me first go and bury my father.' And Jesus said to him, 'Leave the dead to bury their own dead. But as for you, go and proclaim the kingdom of God'." - Luke 9:57-60 

Join the conversation:

• What's God asking you to do?
• What will it cost you?
• Is it worth it?

No Cost Too High

There was no cost too high.
When You looked across eternity,
You saw me.
You knew I would fall
And determined to give it all.

There was no cost too great.
You knew the pain I would cause
And loved me anyway,
Because I was lost
Until You died on the cross.

Now You're asking for my life
So You can display Your might.
You're asking if I will go
And speak of You in lands unknown.
You're asking that I give it all.

So I will leave everything behind.
It is Your heart I want to find.
No matter where my feet may go,
One thing I will always know.
There is no cost too high.

Good and Faithful

"Moreover, it is required of stewards that they be found faithful. " - 1 Corinthians 4:2

"But I don't want to give it back. I need it. It's my car!" I pulled into the parking spot and slammed my hands against the steering wheel. Several months before that moment, my mom had shown up at my dorm and given me a car. She said then that it was only mine until her car died or I left for Denmark. But now that her car had broken down, I was not happy about giving it back.

"Whose car is it?" I didn't hear a voice, but I knew God had spoken that to me pretty clearly. After all, I'd been praying for God to give me a car when my mom showed up with that one. He got His point across. No matter who was driving, it was His car. I still wasn't crazy about giving the car back to my parents that weekend, but I learned something important that day.

Nothing I have is mine. It's all His. I'm the steward of all God has given me, and He has given me everything I have.

A few years ago, I heard someone say, "Owners have rights; stewards have responsibilities." Often, when we hear the word "steward," we think of money. But stewardship is so much more than that. It's about taking care of what God has given us and using it well.

We don't have a right to our time; God does. He gave it to us. You wouldn't expect your employer to be happy if you agreed to work for 40 hours, got paid for 40 hours, but only worked 30. If you're a Christian, you've promised God your entire life. Your assigned work is advancing His Kingdom.

We don't have a right to our bodies; God does. You wouldn't go to someone else's house and intentionally leave a mess or tear down their walls. Why would you do that to the temple the Holy Spirit lives in?

If you have kids, you don't have a right to them; God does. They're His children. You wouldn't tell your friends how to raise their kids just because they spent the night at your home. God's kids might be around for 18+ years, but they're still His to raise the way He wants them raised.

Our time, our bodies, our money, our dreams, our families, our relationships. Our cars, our houses, our things. Everything we have is His. As stewards of His things, it is our responsibility to care for them. It is our responsibility to care for them the way He would. If He asks for us to give something back we should. When we prove that He can trust us, God always gives us more in return.

Not even two months after the scene in my car (that thankfully no one saw), my parents drove back to Columbia. When they left, the car stayed. God blessed me with the same car - TWICE. After making it pretty clear that it was His to do with as He pleased. The second time, I never forgot that it was His.

As you are making goals or resolutions for this year or trying not to give up on them already, ask how you can be a better steward of what God has given you. Whether that be by managing your money or your time, getting healthy, investing in relationships, developing your talents, or anything else. Ask God how He wants you to take care of it, and do what He says.

Join the conversation.

• What areas of your life have you tried to take ownership of rather than stewarding for God's purposes?
• What will you do differently this year to be a better steward?

The Promise: Part 2

"Behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will fulfill the promise I made to the house of Israel and the house of Judah... For thus says the Lord: David shall never lack a man to sit on the throne of the house of Israel." - Jeremiah 33:15, 17

A few weeks ago, I wrote about God's promise of a Messiah. I explained how Jesus is the fulfillment of that promise. I talked about how the Jews missed their Messiah because He wasn't who they were expecting.

While it is unfortunate for them that they missed Him - and that's the understatement of a lifetime - I honestly can't say that I wouldn't have done the same in their shoes. I've definitely missed it before. There have been times in my life when God said something, and I interpreted it however I felt like interpreting it at the time. Not didn't-recognize-the-Savior-of-the-world significant, but considering that, at one point, it caused me to doubt for nearly a year that I could hear God's voice, I'd say it was pretty big.

Here's the thing. The Jews had every reason to expect their Messiah to be a king. Throughout the Old Testament, God's promise explicitly says that the Messiah will sit on David's throne and will rule as king. Even though Jesus is the King of Kings, He does not yet rule the Kingdom of Israel.

But He will.

Eventually, Jesus is coming back to earth. He will set foot on the Mount of Olives. His throne will be in Jerusalem - where David ruled as king of Israel. He will act as King and High Priest. Everyone will recognize Him, and everyone will worship Him. Isaiah describes His reign well:

"The wolf shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the young goat, and the calf and the lion and fattened calf together; and a little child shall lead them. The cow and the bear shall graze; their young shall lie down together; and the lion shall eat straw like the ox. The nursing child shall play over the hole of the cobra, and the weaned child shall put his hand on the adder's den. They shall not hurt or destroy in all My holy mountain; for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea. In that day the root of Jesse, who shall stand as a signal for the peoples - of Him shall the nations inquire, and His resting place shall be glorious." - Isaiah 11:6-10

When Jesus returns, there will be no question about who He is. For Christians, the promise of His return and reign is reason to hope. It's reason for joy. And it's reason to tell the world about Him now. That way they can receive the fulfillment of God's promise and share in our joy when He returns.

The promise of Christmas was a coming Messiah. The fulfillment of that promise came in the form of a humble baby in a manger. The promise of Christmas is a returning Messiah.  That fulfillment will come in the form of a glorious King riding on a white horse and taking His rightful place on a throne. And because He has already fulfilled His promise, we can be sure that He will do so again.

"'I, Jesus, have sent my angel to testify to you about these things for the churches. I am the root and descendant of David, the bright morning star...' He who testifies to these things says, 'Surely I am coming soon'." - Revelation 22:16, 20

The Presentation

"And while they were there, the time came for her to give birth. And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped Him in swaddling cloths and laid Him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn." - Luke 2:6-7

For many families, it's a sign that Christmas is coming when the tree gets put up. For my family, it's when the nativity scene is set out. We bring out the tree every year, but our decorations just don't feel complete without Mary, Joseph, and Baby Jesus making their appearances. When I was little, my mom would never let me help set it up. Even if the pieces were still stored in styrofoam, it was a hard sell for me to be allowed to handle them. It's made of glass, and she was worried I would break it. (Considering how few glass bowls are left in our house, this was - and probably still is - a valid concern.)

Often, when we're preparing for Christmas, everything has to be completely perfect. We are worried what people will think of us if we don't have the most beautiful decorations or the tastiest cookies or a flawless photograph for our cards. Even our wrapping paper can't be ripped or wrinkled before it's torn off the gifts.

As I have reflected on Christmas this year, I've had to wonder. How often do Christians do the very same thing to the wonderful gift God has given us? It's not wrong to want to have a beautiful home for welcoming guests and to remind us of the beauty of the Christmas story. But it becomes a problem when we treat the Gospel the same way we treat our Christmas decorations.

God came into the middle of our mess. Literally. Jesus was born in a stable. There were animals everywhere. I'm sure there was straw, animal poop, and stink everywhere. Mary went through labor, the same as any other woman, with all the blood and mess that comes along with that. Jesus slept in a trough meant for feeding animals. While spiritually it's a beautiful representation, the actual scene looked nothing like the pristine figurines we have in our homes.

But we're scared to go into the mess. As Christians, we're scared to associate with the drunk, the addict, the person bound by witchcraft. If we get near them, we might get dirty. We don't even stop to think that by stepping into their mess, we might be bringing exactly what is needed to help them get clean. We don't want to share how we came from shattered homes or had an anger problem. Our image will be broken. We don't even stop to think that by showing our brokenness, we're letting Him display His power to heal and restore.

And sometimes, God's story doesn't go the way we want it to. We don't want to admit that, even though we serve a God who is always good and powerful, there is evil in the world. We can't explain that perfect justice means killing an innocent man for the faults of others. We don't want to admit that maybe it sounds a little strange to outsiders that a virgin would have a baby. We take it on faith that God's way is better than we can even understand, so we won't acknowledge they might be tripping over something so fundamental to our beliefs.

But maybe that's exactly what we're supposed to do. We're supposed to step into the messiness of life, where people can be found. We're supposed to proclaim that God's goodness will be found, even in the middle of their messes and questions.

God wasn't afraid to deliver the most perfect gift of all in the dirtiest of circumstances. And He wasn't afraid to proclaim exactly where He was. We don't have to be afraid either. If a dirty, stinky stable can't ruin His love, then neither can our attempts to present it to the people the gift is for.

"Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be a sign to you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger." - Luke 2:11-12

Join the conversation:

• How have you tried to "clean up" the presentation of the Gospel?
• What can you do to share God's gift with others in the way that will help them most?

For more complete context, you can read Luke 2 and Matthew 1-2.