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Many people want a god they can mold themselves and cast into whatever image fits their narrative. Maybe, on some level, all of us do.

But when we open the door to Jesus, we open the door to the God who is there, the real God, not some fluffy, huggable toy we can put on the shelf when we’re done with him.

When we let God be who He is, we discover that He is far better than anything we could have come up with on our own.

A Spiritual Self Defense thought

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Bible trivia:
Answer from last time: She was a judge of Israel
New question: What was King David’s home town?

An amazing transformation takes place when God is no longer the enemy.

For so many years I stared down at my feet thinking, I am unworthy. I screw up. I can’t get it right.

Then one night I had a dream. In it, the sky parted, heaven began to appear, and I knew at the next moment I would see the face of God. I thought I would be afraid, but I wasn’t. Instead, I felt a different feeling—awe. Like standing on the edge of the Grand Canyon, only a thousand times more.

This is what God tries so hard to get us to do: to stop, to look heavenward, to forget ourselves, to get lost in the wonder of Him.

A Spiritual Self Defense thought

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Bible trivia:
Answer from last time: Samson
New question: What was Deborah’s claim to fame?

Many unhappy people are trying to “dress up” for God.

God will like me if… I lust less, pray more, be nice, tow the line, yada yada.

So…here’s the question: How good do you gotta be before God actually likes having you around? And here’s the answer: Wrong question. God already likes you, and, yes, He’s perfectly aware of all of your little secrets, and, no, He’s not disgusted with you.

Little children don’t clean up for their parents. Their parents clean them up. Their parents dress them. God knows that we don’t have the ability to “dress up” for Him. That’s why He meets us where we are. His presence transforms us, and the only way—the only way—to get into His presence is to go there honestly, just as we are.

A Spiritual Self Defense thought

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Bible trivia:
Answer from last time: 1 Peter (1:23)
New question: What was the name of Manoah’s long-haired son?

Do you want the best that Jesus has for you?

Guess what! You will not find it by following the crowd. Sorry. The crowd doesn’t have it.

It can be good to fit in, but you won’t find what Jesus offers by desperately trying to fit in. It’s great to be well liked, but pursuing popularity doesn’t deliver the beautiful life God designed for you. If you can better yourself, go for it! But keeping up with the Joneses (or whoever) will not empower you to advance in the kingdom of God.

Jesus likened the Kingdom to a treasure hidden in a field. It isn’t being hyped on an infomercial; it’s hidden. It’s NOT in the place where everybody else is looking.

If you want the best, you need to go beyond the slick and glossy good that’s peddled to the masses. The best is found somewhere else—in a place you don’t expect.

I’m all for accountability, safety in numbers, mentors, Christian peer review, and all of that. But at some point, you need to decide that you’re gonna go for what Jesus has for you even if no one—I mean no one—goes with you.

Do you want the best Jesus has for you?

You gotta be willing—if need be—to stand alone.

A Spiritual Self Defense thought

You might want to watch the video: It takes courage

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Bible trivia:
Answer from last time: He was struck with leprosy
New question: In John 3, Jesus tells Nicodemus that he must be “born again.” What other book in the New Testament uses the phrase “born again”?

At one point my faith was more artificial. It was manufactured. It centered around performance. It had a lot of sound, but not much muscle.

I think I was always looking for something—it wasn’t quite conscious, but subconsciously I knew something was missing, and I was always looking for it, but not finding it.

Early on, I thought it was all about answers. If I really, really knew my Bible. If I really understood theology and philosophy and apologetics, then I would be complete. Of course, it’s good to learn, but I found that learning more and more didn’t make me any more complete.

For a long time, I thought the answer was found in obedience. I found all kinds of obscure ways in which I wasn’t quite lining up with perfection, and worked hard to eradicate them. Hmm. It’s good to obey, but I didn’t find what I was looking for here.

I saw people around me who had supernatural experiences and gifts of various types. They stomped around like they owned the place, and for a while, I was impressed. But after a time, those things lost their glitter, and I realized this wasn’t what I was looking for.

I think the beginning of a turnaround for me was discovering that God likes me, that God likes hanging out with me. It took me a whole year just to take that in. That made it possible for me to invite Jesus into my real world where I lived every day. As I did that, I experienced something I didn’t expect: emotional healing, spiritual growth, personal transformation, new perspectives all rolled up into one.

I didn’t know it was a package deal. I never would have guessed that.

What about you? What does your journey look like?

A Spiritual Self Defense thought

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Bible trivia:
Answer from last time: Elisha
New question: What happened to Elisha’s servant Gehazi when he accepted a gift from Naaman?

“Ever notice how everyone who drives slower than you is a moron, while everyone who drives faster than you is a maniac?”

I had to smile when my son said that. Wrapped in two tons of steel moving at 60 mph (or whatever), we become both powerful and anonymous. Nothing like power and anonymity to reveal our true character.

For me, driving has been a good barometer of my own transformational journey. How triggered do I get by the actions of other drivers? When I’m delayed, do I get bent out of shape? If I need to be first, cut in front, follow close, drive too fast (or too slow) what does that say about my heart?

Throughout life, God gives us opportunities to test our hearts. I don’t think He gives us these tests because He needs to know what’s inside (He already knows), but rather, He gives them to us because we need to know. Every time we miss the mark, it’s an opportunity for us to figure out why, and invite Jesus into the difference between who we are in Christ and how we live in this world.

A Spiritual Self Defense thought

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Bible trivia:
Answer from last time: 110 (In Egyptian culture at the time, 110 was considered the “perfect” lifespan.)
New question: What was the name of Elijah’s successor?

So how do you find the door where Jesus is knocking?

Look for the pain.

As a rule, Jesus is looking to occupy the places inside where we hurt.

Why is that? First of all, because He heals. He comforts. He makes things better. Even if we don’t experience physical healing right away, His presence and His perspective bring about emotional and spiritual healing which lays the groundwork for all other healing. Second, because when Jesus occupies the hurting places in our lives, those things lose their power to control us. We are set free to enjoy the presence and purposes of God.

Dwight

PS. Got this email the other day about the Spiritual Self Defense textbook:

…a man in our fellowship…fell to despair and drinking again…to his great dismay. He was desperate enough to read your book, and did so in two days, saying: “This is the best book I’ve ever read to help me with this! He’s saying a lot of things about lies I’ve believed and I’m seeing now from my childhood where this comes from! It’s like I get near to success and victory and I sabotage myself! He’s talking about why I turn to drinking! I want to read it again and take notes. And I’m not the only one! 60% of Christian men have a problem like this with alcohol. It’s a plague! Lord Almighty, this could help a lot of people!”

 

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Bible trivia:
Answer from last time: Righteousness, peace and joy
New question: Both Joseph and Joshua from the Old Testament lived to be what age?

For me, an easy way to think about the Christian life is this: Your life is like a giant house. When you begin walking with Jesus, you open up the front door of that house and invite Him in. But there are hundreds of rooms and closets where the doors are still closed.

As we move forward in life, we find Jesus knocking at those doors. Not all at once, but one at a time. There we can choose to say yes or no. We can invite Him in, or keep Him out.

But when we open the door, His presence changes everything.

As always, I welcome your thoughts. Ping me back or comment at my blog.

Blessings!

Dwight

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Bible trivia:
Answer from last time: The church of Laodicea
New question: What three things characterize God’s kingdom according to Romans 14:17?

God loves you…

So…what does that look like?

I need to tell you I have NO idea.

I CAN tell you what God’s love for me looks like. It’s a drive down a lonely country road with the windows down, nobody behind me, nobody in front of me, no place I need to be, no time I need to get there. It’s smooth jazz on rainy night in the city. It’s crunching autumn leaves under hiking shoes exploring a trail I’ve never walked before. It’s a great movie, a good book, listening to someone’s story. It’s those moments when all my anguish turns to laughter because Jesus meets me in that place of hurt. It’s Father God coaching me in the game of life.

I don’t know what love looks like for you. But I know Jesus speaks your love language, whatever it may be. Let yourself be loved by God—whatever that looks like for you.

A Spiritual Self Defense thought

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Bible trivia:
Answer from last time: John the apostle
New question: To which church did Jesus say He stood at the door and knocked?

Why does God create us so fragile? There are so many ways we can suffer. We can get hurt many, many different ways.

I’ve long thought of this as a difference between God and me. I’m fragile; He is not. But now, I see it very differently.

God created us as fragile because that was the only way we could understand His heart–how deeply He feels, how much hurt He has suffered.

Wow.

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Bible trivia:
Answer from last time: Faith, hope and love
New question: Who was the author of the book of Revelation?