Behind enemy lines

At work a few days ago I was at a meeting for a project I worked on this summer. The project manager was commending the whole team for the work they had done. It was an impossible project schedule, yet we actually completed in time and under budget. And he used an analogy that I really thought applied to the spiritual life.

He said that there are two ways to look at a difficult
project: we can either think of it as being held captive behind enemy lines or we can think of it as occupying enemy territory.

I think this is a good analogy for us, as God's people, since we really are foreigners in this land. We are native to here, this isn't our home. In fact, this land is enemy territory. So we really do have two response, we can either mourn our status as captured and give into the ways of the enemy and die.

Or we can occupy the territory we are in. We can fight for God. Claim victory in Christ. For this is a war and we are in it. And we are called to fight.

This looks like living with a mission. You are where you are to do some thing. To avoid preaching, I am a process engineer in Houston, TX to impact the kingdom of God here in this place. There are lost souls and weak brothers and sisters who need the gospel of God each and every day. I am not supposed to sit back and let the enemy take a stronger grip on the lives of those around me. I will fight, I must.

Hope that fails

In Romans 5:3-5, there is a discussion about suffering and why it is good for you. It produces endurance and character and hope. And hope in Christ does not put to shame. This post is NOT an exposition of this verse. It is a story that talks about hope that does put to shame. It helped me understand (in an elementary way) why it is important to have a hope that doesn't fail.

A few weeks ago I was working on project that required massive overtime. I was working 55 hours a week, and that is less than most of the people on my project. So this really took a lot of time. At the time of this story, we had just been informed earlier that week that our deadline was no longer the following Friday, but in fact that Wednesday! So as you can imagine, we put it into overdrive (we were told of this the Monday of the same week).

Well, turns out that we had a little wiggle room, but we had to be done by Thursday evening. So on Wednesday my direct lead was talking to me and suggested that it was possible that we wouldn't have to work on Friday, and may even be able to leave a little early on Thursday. I didn't think much of it, because I have learned to be skeptical about stuff like that (which I may  need to discuss at some other time).

The next day was Thursday...and we finished! We really did. All our documents went out and were out of our hands. Success! My boss kept coming around talking about not coming in on Friday and leaving early, and seeing how we finished so quickly, I started to believe it. In fact, I started to relish the idea. I was looking forward to going home early (which is actually the normal time I should be leaving). I had small group that night and was going to be able to relax beforehand. And oh the possibilities with a free Friday!

I received a text from my small group leader saying we would have to reschedule. Then my boss determined that we did have stuff to do, so I had to stay late on Thursday. And I even had to come in Friday to finish up some stuff.

UGH!

My heart sank and I was upset! What an awful thing, right? Well I know that it isn't the worst thing in the world. And not even the worst thing that day, or even that hour, but I didn't like it. I had hoped to have some time off. But that hope wasn't really founded on anything. It had never happened before on this project. In fact, the precedence of this project was to make last minute changes all the time (as seen by the moving deadlines above). But I hoped in something that was a little silly, and it sucked when it didn't come through.

Going home that Thursday night I had to tell myself that the only thing to hope in, truly, is God. Yes, we need hope always, but it must be founded on God. I was reminded of Romans 5:4 and that hope never fails, when it is in God. And hope that fails just isn't fun. It doesn't feel good. I would hate to be hoping in something that actually matters ( as opposed to going home early) and have it put me to shame.

I'm glad to know that God is trustworthy and hope in him does not put me to shame! Amen

Lessons in leadership

I started my new project today. I like it so far. My new boss is all about training me (and my coworkers) for the long run. Not just to complete this project. So today he was telling me about how he wanted me to do my job, and I believe that it is really how I should be doing any job, and even stuff outside of work. So I thought I'd share it with my friends. He was saying that he wanted me to take leadership over my work. He told me to think before I asked questions and come up with a solution on my own. Even to implement the solution and then present it to him. He said that this way I would actually learn. If I just went to his office and asked him how to do it, I wouldn't learn. But through my mistake I would learn what not to do and the reasoning behind doing it a certain way. He also said that every person is a leader in his own realm. Each person is in charge of something no matter how small or big. And he told me about how it is each persons responsibility to take care of that area and to make it succed. This reminded me of two things from the Bible. First the parable of the talents. Three servants are given a different amount of talents each and left to their own. The master leaves, planning to come back at some time to reclaim the money. The first two servants work with their talents and double their original amounts. The third buries it, afraid of losing it. The master comes back and rewards the first tow, but punishes the third for being foolish. I don't know for sure that the oint of this parable is to tell us that we need to take control of our spheres of responsibility, but it sure made me think of this story. Also, I was reminded of the beginning of time, when God told Adam that he was to work the ground and rule over the earth. God gave man a kingdom to rule over and work in. He expected Adam to take care of it well. And I believe that the idea of rule is so big in our human-ness. Even in the curse, God tells Eve her desire will be to rule over her husband. Everyone wants control. I think that is waphy it is such a big deal to submit ourselves to Christ. We have to give up our lives to pick up something so much greater. We still have responsibility, but it is for a different kingdom. One that will last forever. Whose kingdom are you serving?

junk

With the industry I am in, and more specifically, within my company, "your" desk is never your desk.

I work on a specific project for a certain period of time, after the process is done, I move on to a new project. But since all our project are done for different competing clients, everyone has to sit in the area designated for the project. So when I say I "move on" to a different project, I mean that I literally box up all my stuff and submit a "Relocation Request" and all my stuff gets moved to a new cube, on a new floor, of a new building.

Well, it's time for me to move again. My project (or least my part on this project) has come to an end and it is time to pack up and move. I'll start a new project next week, but for now, I just have to pack. And don't get me wrong, packing will not take too much time, but as I begin this process I realize how much junk I have. I am walking back and forth to the recycling bin throwing out so much paper that I have saved over the past few months. I have way more pens and highlighters than when I started this project. And most of the stuff I've
accumulated are not needed.

It's weird to think about how this stuff just compiled. I didn't mean to save up a bunch of papers only to be recycled in a few months. I didn't realize that I was collecting writing utensils. But I have. And (ready for the spiritual parallel?) I believe that it is the same way that sin grows in our lives, my life. I have never woken up and said to myself "Today let's gossip!" That would be absurd and I would smack myself. But gossip happens slowly. I have never thought, "Let's lust!" But it slowly accumulates, a glace here, a look there, then a stare, then a stray thought. Sin isn't bad because it hits like a bomb. But it creeps in and slowly grows. It builds on itself. It is junk.

But the Good News is that Christ Jesus has defeated sin. He has died to the effects of sin and risen victoriously over it. And that life is promised for us. I'm not saying that I will never sin again because I have been baptized in Jesus' name. But what I am saying is that in him, sin isn't our master, God is. We don't have to allow sin to grow and to accumulate like the junk in my cube. God is there to clean us up. To heal us. And to give us true life.

If you have junk in your life, you don't need to explain where it came from (although knowing may help prevent it in the future), but you need to go to God and have him clean you up. Don't try to do it yourself, I'll tell you right now, it's useless. Only God has conquered sin. Only in him is there freedom.

amen

Give reason

Peter tells us in his first letter: "but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect"
(1 Peter 3:15)

I always used to read this verse and say "I got this! I have written out my testimony and practiced it dozens of times!" Which is true, I have practiced dozens of times. I've even practiced with long testimonies over coffee that took an hour or more. I've practiced with a five sentence testimony, which is exactly what it sounds like. This isn't to show off or anything, it's just fact. I have taken this verse to heart and prepared myself.

I am prepared to give reason for my faith...

Well the other day I was hit with something that I wasn't prepared for. I was talking with a co-worker and she noticed that I had a blog up. She asked what blogs I follow and as I started listing a few, I realized that they were all "Christian" blogs. So I told her that it's a bunch of Christian blogs that she wouldn't have heard of.

So she asked me "Why are you a Christian?"

(Cue testimony). Right???
Wrong.

"Well, I was raised going to church and when I got to college I guess I just started getting a little more serious in my faith."

That's not my testimony. I never practiced that. And honestly, in the moment, I wasn't even thinking about sharing my testimony. I didn't realize she was asking for it. I just wanted to take the subject off Christ as quickly as I could.

When I read this verse before I always expected the non-believer to come to me and say "What is your testimony about how you were saved?" Now I realize that that isn't going to happen. That this girl sincerely asked me for a reason for my hope and I shut it down. She was looking for a real reason to hope and now she is still searching.

I am not beating myself up about this, thinking that I ruined all hope of her ever being saved. But I am using this as 1) an opportunity to warn other about waiting for the word "testimony" to share their faith. and 2) to learn about myself and how I react to others talking about and challenging my faith in the office. I never expected or planned on being the guy who kept his faith in Jesus private from everyone else. And I don't plan on staying on this path of being ashamed of the gospel. If you wanted to pray for me, you can pray that I would stand strong on the power of the gospel.

Reinventing the wheel...sorta

So at work (i'm on my lunch break) I started putting pens in my shirt pocket. I say "started" I've done it a few times scattered throughout my 6 months here. And today I am sporting the pen in my shirt. It made sense since I am in meetings where I need to be able to whip out a pen quickly and write something down, but I don't want to forget it or keep playing with it.

Anyway, I just got a gel pen from our supply cabinet because I here people praising the greatness of a gel pen all the time, but I have never gotten into it, so I wanted to try again. And as I put the pen in my shirt pocket I thought to myself: "What if the pen clicks open and draws all over my shirt? Or worse, what if it busts and ink spills all over my shirt?!? I really ought to put some sort of covering or pouch to put my pens in to protect my pocket...."

That is correct, I just thought of the idea for a pocket protector. Like I said, reinventing the wheel. My next thought was "I am such a nerd." But I still think the idea of a pocket protector actually makes sense when you need it. So I may be a nerd, but I don't have a big ink blot on my shirt. :)

And for the reference, I never got the protector, I just thought about it.

Karate Kid

I have a confession to make to my generation: I have never watched the Karate Kid. Mr. Miyagi is just a name to me. I'm sorry.

And to make matters worse, I watched the Karate Kid last night...except it was the new one with Jaden Smith and Jackie Chan. Also, sorry.

But I think I can make it up because I got some insight into how the Karate Kid links to the Christian life. Actually it may be how it doesn't link, but we'll see.

So in the movie Jackie Chan is teaching Jaden the "basics of all that is 'kung fu'" (also side note: why are they doing kung fu in the Karate kid????). And I believe this is supposed to relate to Mr. Miyagi teaching that boy (I have no clue what his name is, and don't care enough to look it up :/ again, sorry) to clean windows. "Wipe on, wipe off." But here Chan is telling Jaden to take off his jacket, hang it up, and put it back on. This happens for days or weeks till Jaden gets fed up and tells Chan that he no longer wants to train and that Chan knows nothing about Kung Fu.

It is at this time that Chan begins to 'attack' Jaden and tell him to put his jacket on, and shows that it is a defensive move. Then hanging it up is offensive. And so on. After Jaden is entirely astounded that Chan actually knows what he is talking about Chan says "Kung Fu is in everything we do. Everything is kung fu."

That got me thinking. This is not true about Kung Fu. I know that many people around the world believe this and other stuff about positive and negative energy, but it isn't true. What is true is that Christ is in everything. Colossians 1 talks about Christ being the first born of all creation, the one from whom all things were created. All that we do reflects the image and glory of God in some way or shape.

I could keep going, but I think the point is made. If I were talking to a disciple of mine I would tell him confidently after beating him up that "Christ is in everything we do. Everything is Christ." Also, I'd call him "Little Christ"...oh wait, that's Christian...I guess that works ;)