A Beautiful Act of Trust
The last few posts have been reflections on events surrounding the accidental gunshot wound I suffered back in 1984. The main thrust of these posts has been on living a fully surrendered life to JESUS. Self is at the root of all of mans deepest problems! Learning how to die to self is a necessary step to becoming a fully developing follower of CHRIST.
I’m sure I will have occasion in the future to ponder and write some more regarding my accident… but, for now… I have one last story I’d like to share.
A story about a godly woman who prayed a selfless prayer
My family lived in Altamont, Utah, at the time of my accident. A few days prior to my accident, my parents had driven to TEXAS to pick up my nephew and nieces for summer vacation. They were still in TEXAS when they received the call informing them of my accident. My sister, Kathy, was the one who had to make that call to my parents from the hospital that night. I know it was one of the most difficult calls my sister ever had to make!
Hearing of the news, my parents made arrangements for my mom to fly in to Salt Lake City on the very next flight available. She would travel to Lubbock and wait through the dark hours of the night into the early morning hours for her flight to prep, board, and depart for Dallas, in order to make the connecting flight to Salt Lake City.
My dad stayed in TEXAS. He was able to listen in on the phone as a nurse at the hospital in Salt Lake City gave him moment by moment updates on what was happening as the team performed my open heart surgery. He knew long before morning that there was reason for optimism. Once the team finished my surgery, Dr. Ford gave my dad an update. I still had hours and days ahead of me… but, I had survived and the outlook was hopeful.
But, my mom at this point was on a plane headed to Dallas where she would make the connecting flight to Salt Lake City. The whole long, dark night… she sat waiting, armed with little more than the knowledge that I’d been shot in the heart and was critically wounded.
Time warp
Have you ever had something happen where you enter into what can only be explained as a sort of time warp? It’s a place of existence where, for the one inside the bubble, time slows to a crawl. The hustle and bustle of life might be happening all around, but you become unaware of the existence of anyone or anything. Gasping for breath, the sound of each single heart beat reverberates—deafening—no other sound or noises register. You are isolated and alone in a dark void of shock and grief. It’s an agonizing place.
My mom spent about twelve hours in her time warp. Her trip from West Texas to Utah gave her lots of time alone with only her thoughts and her GOD. Her greatest desire was simply for me to be ok. I am, after all, her baby! And, let’s be honest… I’m probably her favorite of the six children she gave birth to! No, I’m kidding. My mom has no favorites (except for me). 
While traveling through the empty spaces of those twelve hours, my mom prayed, and prayed… and prayed. She so desperately wanted to say, “GOD, please heal my little boy! Just let him be ok! Don’t let him die!”
And, what’s really wrong with a prayer of that sort?! Why shouldn’t we ask GOD for the things we want most? Aren’t we encouraged to do so, “ask, and you shall receive…” Doesn’t Luke 11:9-12 seem to be the “ok” we need for justifying the prayer that asks GOD for the things that suit our hopes and dreams?
In Philippians 4:6, we are encouraged to pray rather than worry—to, "let petitions and praises shape our worries into praying, letting GOD know our concerns.”
JESUS, while in the garden, spoke HIS desires to GOD while wrestling with the coming difficulty of the cross. HE asked the FATHER to, “let this cup pass.” But, HE followed those words with a statement that painted a clearer picture of HIS truest heart motive: “But, YOUR will be done, not MINE.”
There is nothing wrong with letting GOD know what’s on your heart and mind. There is nothing wrong with asking GOD to allow a certain outcome. BUT, in all things... GOD knows what is truly best for us. The surrender of ones heart and will to HIS perfect sovereignty in all things is a beautiful act of trust. Our "petitions and letting GOD know of our concerns" must be done so under the umbrella of, “but LORD, YOUR will be done, not mine.”
YOUR will, not mine
This was the formula my mother used for her prayers regarding me during those twelve hours in the dark. She could have prayerfully insisted that GOD deliver on only an outcome she most desired. She could have prayed, “GOD, don’t YOU let my little boy die!”
She, however... did not.
Instead, in her prayers she did the very best thing she could have done for me—she gave me back to the FATHER. She acknowledged that... I belonged to HIM. She was thankful and grateful for the gift I had been in her life. And, she still wanted desperately for me to be ok. But, her deepest heartfelt prayer was, "LORD, YOUR will, not mine be done."
She prayed a very selfless prayer. Everything in her wanted to beg and plead and bargain… but, instead, she did just as her MASTER had done in the garden. And, in a beautiful act of trust, she surrendered her will to HIS. She placed everything that was most precious to her in HIS hands and said, “YOUR will be done.”
I love my momma. She is a very special lady. She has taught me so much about GOD and of love and grace. She also taught me by her example what it is to live fully surrendered to JESUS—to trust HIS purpose and plans, even in times when seemingly everything around us was falling apart.
How is your prayer life looking?
Are your prayers based more on the desire for specific outcomes than they are on a posture of simple trust? No matter the answer, the good news is… it’s never too late to begin anew!
Begin each day with a proper context from which to frame the events of your days. Spend time with the FATHER in prayer. Embrace the truth that GOD loves and cares for you deeply! That HE has good in store for you. Then the definition of “good” can take shape in the light of understanding GOD’s love and commitment to you!
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The Motives of the Heart Matter
In 1984 I suffered an accidental gunshot would to my heart. I almost died. Technically speaking… I did die, several times! Earlier this week, I identified a number of key individuals whose motivations and actions (regarding the efforts to save my life) were absolutely selfless!
Our lives and the choices we make have an impact. The motives that drive our decisions tip the scales one way or another resulting in either positive or negative impacts. Not only in our own lives and in the lives of our friends and loved ones... but also in the lives of people we may never even have the chance to know personally!
The people identified: my friend’s parents, the EMT’s, doctors, nurses, and the care flight crew... all acted selflessly. Each motivated by the single desire to do what they could, contributing to the efforts to save my life!
But, what if my friend’s parents, instead of acknowledging the severity of the situation, had simply broken out the first aid kit and treated my gunshot wound with ointment and a band-aid? Or, embarrassed at having an accident of this sort happen at their home… what if they had waited just 10 more minutes in making the decision to call for help?
What if the EMT studying to become an ER doctor had bought into the lie that he was just too old to go back to school? Or, a low self esteem had convinced him he just wasn’t smart enough to be a doctor? What dire consequences to me could have resulted if he had put off returning to college and training by even one semester? What if he had decided the attempt to save my life just too risky to gamble his future on?
What if hearing me complain of chest pains and not wanting to be bothered with the stress of a gunshot wound, the team in Roosevelt had given me antacid and waited to see if that worked? Or, the care flight crew, learning I’d never flown in a helicopter before, opted to take me sightseeing instead of straight to the hospital and open heart surgery in Salt Lake City?
All along that path any number of choices motivated by varying conflicts of self interest could have led to a drastically different outcome for me. Had even one person in that team of people been motivated by self interest and consequently made a selfish choice, I likely would not be here today pondering, writing… alive!
I am very thankful to GOD!
GOD orchestrated these events and I’m so thankful for each individual who contributed to giving me the opportunity to survive my accident. GOD used the hands and feet of these selfless individuals to give me a second chance at life.
What an awesome thing to be used of GOD in such miraculous ways!
When is the last time GOD used you to be a miracle in someone else’s life? Our motives have great bearing on our decisions... and in turn, the ability or inability for GOD to use us in HIS work! HE has invited us to be participants… but, we have to submit to doing it HIS way.
Oh, we can (and do) try to force participation via means of our own making! Any number of "things" can drive our lives and our decisions. Sometimes, even being driven by bad motive, we can accomplish seemingly great things. BUT, apart from CHRIST, we can have no part in the FATHER’s work. The end product cannot and does not justify the means.
Either you are fully surrendered to the FATHER, motivated and moved by HIS love alone—or you are not, and whatever fruit produced is not of HIS doing or power.
JESUS is our example. In all things, HE lived a totally surrendered life to the FATHER. There were no actions HE took without first the FATHER directing it. We are called to that same life. JESUS has made the way possible for us to be dead to our old self-centered nature and fully alive in HIM.
And, JESUS wants to live HIS life in you, through you, AS YOU! But, we must surrender our life before HE can give HIS life for us to live it.
A great resource for discovering this truth more deeply is the book The Rest of the Gospel by Dan Stone and David Gregory.
How are you doing?
We all must continually check the motives of the heart. It's easy to be motivated by self-centeredness and selfish gain. And, once thusly motivated, we easily find ways to justify our self-centeredness.
Take some time with FATHER today to do a bit of diagnosis! Is your life and ministry motivated by anything other than FATHER’s love? Are you busy doing anything FATHER has not directed you to be doing? Are miracles a common occurrence in and around you… or, are they few and far between—or worse, only stories that you've heard about in others lives?
Whatever you discover, talk it over with FATHER. Commit anew to the surrendering of the old nature to the grave—and to allowing JESUS to inhabit you fully and in every area and corner of your life.
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Living… Leading… Fully Surrendered to JESUS
Henry Ford is credited with saying, “Coming together is a beginning. Keeping together is progress. Working together is success.”
We really are a people created for community. The Ford model demonstrates well that where we are able to come together in harmony, there is no end to what can be accomplished! Doing life and co-laboring together within the framework of team divides our tasks and multiplies our successes!
JESUS in Mark 6 sent the disciples out in pairs—to do the work of ministry in community. JESUS spent three years pouring in to HIS team of 12. The idea of doing work together in community was tremendously important to JESUS. The FATHER, SON, and SPIRIT live in community as one.
But, in every area of life (work, school, parenting, even in many marriages!) there are those who stubbornly deny the need for partnership and refuse to embrace the benefits of working together in community as team.
Why do so many leaders ignore the benefits of partnership and team? The answer is that many leaders are motivated by self interest—a self-centeredness that poisons the soul and corrupts the heart. Self-centeredness is the first, and perhaps most important hurdle to clear for the would-be leader.
Failure is often experienced due to the self-centeredness of leadership.
Godly leaders are ones who have learned the daily art of dying to self and surrendering their whole selves to GOD. This means tuning ones heart and ear to hear the voice of the SPIRIT; seeking HIS will, HIS agenda… rather than focusing on manipulating the world around to further ones own little kingdom objectives!
A godly leader is one who is a fully developing follower of CHRIST, fully surrendered. It is an individual who has fully embraced the instruction JESUS gave to the rich young ruler.
In Luke 18:18-23, a rich man inquired of JESUS, “How can I obtain the life?”
This was a guy already doing everything outwardly required of him by religion—yet, he was still empty… still had no life! He was doing all the “right” things. But, a leader can do all the right things and still be dead, self-centered and agenda driven.
JESUS is the LIFE. We only experience the life in HIM. It’s not an imitation of JESUS—but rather, JESUS inhabiting us! HIS life in me, through me, AS ME! Its life that can only happen after one has fully surrendered to JESUS. Dead to self is requisite.
“Sell everything you own and give it all away to the poor,” JESUS said. “Then come, follow me.”
JESUS cut to the heart of the matter. “In order to live MY life, you have to surrender yours—including everything that is precious to you—surrender your wealth.”
Self-centeredness destroys life. Results in failed leadership. Kills team!
WARNING!! Understand this clearly: a self-centered leader might be able to accomplish some great things in their life and ministry. BUT, those accomplishments will be entirely the results of human effort… NOT the work of the FATHER!
What has JESUS asked you to surrender?
Is there anything that currently stands in the way of your ability to truly live fully surrendered to HIS purposes?
If there is, JESUS would still cut to the heart of the matter with us today. “Abandon your wealth, your plans, your little kingdoms… Surrender your whole life to ME—including everything that is precious to you—giving yourself away with no regard to how you might benefit. Then come, follow me.”
It’s only after we’ve surrendered everything to FATHER that we are able to come, follow JESUS. Any variation on that order results in failure.
The only true way to lead healthy teams is to truly be healthy yourself! Choose you this day… to live and to lead from a life fully surrendered to JESUS!
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“NO AMIGOS” Directive
I recently posted a tweet inspired by 2 John 1:10-11 (msg) ... my tweet was, "If anyone shows up who doesn't hold true to the teachings of CHRIST—don't become their partner by giving them a platform to perpetuate evil."
A dear friend of mine (@wilandlisa) responded to my tweet and asked, "As Christians, how do we really do this while at the same time helping those who struggle with staying true to Christ's teachings by their un-Christ like actions?"
Her question is not a new one with regards to the instructions given here by John in this scripture. It seems people have been debating over the exact meaning of these instructions for as long as the book of 2 John has been in the Canon of Scripture!
So, ok… well, the statement made from 2 John 1:10-11 (msg) is not necessarily directed at the type of person Lisa was inquiring about in her question. There is a BIG difference between the one she described in her question and the one defined by John in this scripture.
The person Lisa describes is an individual who is immature in their faith. Unfortunately, there are lots and lots of these types of folks populating the church. The failure occurs when leaders neglect teaching people the full gospel MESSAGE! To many focus only on leading people to CHRIST for eternal salvation, but then do little to instruct those babies in CHRIST on how to discover freedom through surrendered daily living!
Our mission as leaders is to foster the opportunities where lives can be transformed through the work of the SPIRIT into fully developing followers of CHRIST!
In an environment absent of that sort of atmosphere, many babes in CHRIST end up going to church for the entertainment value—rather than being challenged to continued transformation into CHRIST-likeness. Or, they go to get propped up by a set of man-centered rules by which they can feel better about their inability to live the life (see the Abundant Life post dated March 2).
The end result is that immature believers remain immature and continue to live out of selfish motives.
BUT sometimes… worse still… immature believers and unbelievers alike can be lulled into a comma by the types of “leader” John speaks of in 2 John 1. John defines this type of leader as a charlatan—an anti-Christ!! Yikes!! That’s pretty extreme language used to define this type of person that we (the church) are to be on the lookout for!
Thus, the reason for John's... Uhm... "NO AMIGOS" Directive! Ok, well... I actually came up with the name there... but, pretty clear instructions by John here nonetheless!
Make no mistake, this is not simply one seeking truth, or one stumbling along due to immaturity. Rather, this is one intent on twisting and distorting truth—a deceiver. Sadly, there are many “religious leaders” in the church today who fall into this category! These Charlatans don’t share the whole MESSAGE of the gospel—and worse, they distort the MESSAGE. They lead people astray. Sometimes those led astray are believers—but, sometimes they are not, stumbling through life believing they are Christians.
Followers of CHRIST are called to die to self. Paul said, “for me to live is CHRIST.” Not, for me to live is to be CHRIST-like… or, for me to live is to read my Bible… or, for me to live is to tithe! For me to live IS CHRIST. That means no agenda of our own. That means a total surrender of every area of our lives. The old life—that self-centered, live for myself life—is gone. It was buried in the grave the moment I received CHRIST as my SAVIOR. My new life IS CHRIST—a wholly surrendered, CHRIST-centered life. One that allows JESUS to live HIS life in us, through us, AS US!! That means I’m no longer agenda driven by selfish motive or by a misguided attempt to impress GOD.
My whole life is open for GOD to direct me in whatever way HE chooses to lead.
JESUS was the first to live that life perfectly. HE was not driven by HIS own self-centered motives either! You’ll find over and over in the GOSPEL accounts, JESUS saying, “I’m not doing any of these things of my own accord—I’m doing the will of my FATHER!”
JESUS was totally surrendered—HIS whole life, open for GOD the FATHER to direct in whatever way HE chose to lead HIS SON.
We are to live that same life! Let’s live lives wholly surrendered to the MASTER! AND, be willing as JESUS was to overturn tables, rebuke religious leaders, and wash the feet of doubters… every time HE leads us to do so, no matter how uncomfortable those activities can be to us personally!
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The Abundant Life
Paul calls the New Testament life a walk. What is the sustenance, the life, of that walk? It isn't us trying to walk for GOD. It may look like that on the outside, but we have taken the LAMB of GOD into us! HE is not only the forgiveness of sins. HE is also the life within us, from WHOM we make the journey. We can walk around for years with a sense of forgiveness, but no sense of life. We have the life in us, but we don't know it. We try to generate the life ourselves, but we are doomed to failure, because it's impossible for us to generate the life. GOD is telling us, "I will share MY glory with no man. Only I can live MY life. But I will impart the life to you. I will give you the life. I will live it through you."
That's why there isn't anything beyond the grace of GOD, completely understood, that is necessary for living the Christian life.
In John 6 JESUS said, "I am the bread of life… Unless you eat the flesh of the SON of MAN and drink HIS blood, you have no life in yourselves. He who eats MY flesh and drinks MY blood has eternal life." We have eternal life in us—GOD's life. It's the life without beginning and without end. It's the uncreated life. JESUS is telling us, "I am all a person needs for living the life. It isn't ME plus something. It isn't ME plus your prayer life. It isn't ME plus your Bible study. It isn't ME plus your good service. It isn't ME plus the sum of everything you can do, because you will never produce a life that pleases ME. I am the only life that pleases ME."
Nobody is offended as long as we are down here and GOD is up there, and HE does something for us—that's OK. But when you start talking about JESUS living HIS life in you, through you, AS YOU, that raises eyebrows. In John 6, the people were perfectly satisfied with JESUS as long as HE produced bread. The offense came when HE said HE was the bread. "How can this MAN give us HIS flesh to eat?" they asked.
JESUS was telling the Jews, "You're doing all of these external things, but there isn't any life in that." The opposite of life is death. If we are not operating out of the life, we're operating out of death. But it doesn't look like death, because often we get results. Church programs get results. Our personal programs get results. On the seen and temporal level we are getting results. JESUS has a word for people about that: "There's your reward. You're getting your results. So there's your reward. Go ahead with it. But it isn't of ME. It is not MY life flowing through You."
Paul revealed the secret of CHRIST in us. To the Galatians he said, "I live, but no, I don't. CHRIST lives in me. It looks like me, but it's CHRIST." To the Colossians he wrote, "It's CHRIST in you that's your hope of glory." To the Philippians he proclaimed: "For me, to live is CHRIST." Who was doing the living? CHRIST. But if you looked right at him, who would it look like? Paul. Paul illustrated this in 2 Corinthians 5:20: "We are ambassadors for CHRIST, as though GOD were making an appeal through us." These ambassadors for CHRIST were pleading with the Gentiles. But who was really pleading? GOD was making HIS plea through them. The words and the works came through Paul. But Paul knew that he wasn't working up this concern for Gentiles. GOD was in him making that appeal. It looked like Paul, but it was the indwelling JESUS.
Friends, if you want to discover more about the Abundant Life, read the book called The Rest of the Gospel by Dan Stone and David Gregory Smith!
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