Work as Praise

So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.
1 Corinthians 10.31

“The (Irish) penitentials did not restrict their understanding of man's relationship with God to the moments of formal prayer and liturgy; instead, all daily work and activity was looked upon as a continuous act of praise and worship to God.”
- Hugh Connolly, The Irish Penitentials

This is true Christian faith, faith that embraces every aspect of life and leads us to praise God for His steadfast love and faithfulness and to serve Him with whatever He brings into our hands at any moment. This is an all-pervading faith; not the sacred/secular split so common among many Christians today, keeping faith in its place and the world in its.

Not only our work but our avocations, diversions, relationships, conversations, habits of reading and study, and everything else can serve as praise and service to the living God. To know the faith of Christ in this way is to practice not only His presence, but His pre-eminence as well.

Please comment below or email me directly at csonger@new-communitychurch.org

Quiet Moments – Part 2

But Jesus Himself would often slip away to the wilderness to pray.
Luke 5:16

In the movie Castaway, Tom Hanks says "We live and we die by time. And we must not commit the sin of losing our track on time." He adds about late Fedex packages, "First thing it's two minutes, then four, then six, then the next thing you know, we're the U.S. mail."

I am having to redo how I do my life. Life is more complicated than ever: strategic planning and budgeting for work, planning for Christmas, husband, father of 6, caring for an aging parent, etc…

In Africa they have a saying, "In America, everyone has watches and no one has any time. In Africa, few have watches and everyone has time for you."

Like Luther, I am rethinking how I plan my day. I've got to get the spiritual disciplines and exercise in first. I have to continue to let go of the small things and focus on the most important.

Are you too busy? If God wanted to get a hold of you, how would he do it?

Please comment below or email me directly at csonger@new-communitychurch.org

Quiet Moments

But Jesus Himself would often slip away to the wilderness to pray.
Luke 5:16

Did you know there are cultures in the world that don't have a word for "minute" or "hour"? They simply have no need or desire to measure time in such short increments. Nor do they attempt to maximize every second of every day. Filling their lives to the brink would be unthinkable. Sound too third-worldish to you? Isn't it easy to see how such words are not necessary in places where people grow their own food and rarely venture beyond their own village?

I'm not suggesting that we all move into the woods and live off the land. But I am encouraging you to consider the benefits of pulling the throttle back just a notch and embracing a more contemplative lifestyle. When you allow yourself time for creative solitude, you can see God at work and begin to rediscover life in all its richness. When you give yourself the necessary time and space to seek clarity, gain perspective and ponder decisions, you find more to savor, enjoy and appreciate.

As I reflect on these two different approaches to life--the rushed and the restful--I force myself to ask, How did Jesus live? Was He frantic or steady? Was He checking the sundial every few minutes, wishing He could cut some time off His commute to the next city? Or was He able to stop and tend to the needs around Him?

Jesus had more pressure on Him than any of us can fathom. His own disciples were always peppering Him with questions. The Pharisees wanted Him dead. The crowds wanted Him king. Many pressed against Him, wanting to be healed. Yet He got alone to pray. To think. To be strengthened. He sought His Father and enjoyed Him in the quiet moments of life.

I don’t know about you, but this is an area I need to work on. Perhaps you think (as I often do) that you just don’t have time? Well, let’s remember who gives us every minute of every day. Don’t you think it is enough time for you to spend a part of it with Him? Bottom Line… it is a matter of trust. As it says in Proverbs 3:5, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding.”

Please comment below or email me directly at csonger@new-communitychurch.org

Gifts From God

As you go throughout your day today, please don't forget that everyone you encounter is a special person, designed and loved by the one and only holy God, and that He has a purpose for them in this life. If we have the privilege of encountering one of these unique, one-of-a-kind, amazing people - it is a gift from God to us - handle them with care.

Love God, Not the World

If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.
1 John 2:15

I don't have to tell you how hard the world is vying for your affections. It beckons you and me with the lure of lesser loyalties. The world wants you to have a better car, a bigger house, more-fashionable clothing, a sleeker cell phone, a snazzier computer. And nearly every day in the mail, you are offered a brand-new credit card to buy it all with.

But what you may not realize is that money and possessions are not the only things the world offers to demand your affections and compromise on one of the Bible's clearest commands.
What in the world do you love? Why not complete a year-end inventory of your heart and its affections? Just like a year-end inventory in a big warehouse, walk down the aisles of your heart and take note of what clutters the shelves. How do you use your time? What do you think about and talk about?

Perhaps you'll find some "old inventory" that should be moved out of your heart. Perhaps there are some habits you've developed over the years--and if you are honest, you really love these old habits more than you love God. Things like hobbies or television--or perhaps even addictions like food, alcohol, drugs or pornography.

Perhaps the inventory will reveal a possession that you realize owns you. It is in competition with God for your love. Perhaps it's time to clear out some inventory and replace it with some fresh obedience to God's commands. Wasn't it Jesus who said the greatest commandment was to "love the Lord your God with all your heart" (Matthew 22:37)?

Fall in love with God. Love His people. Love His mission and will. When you're consumed with love for Him, you won't have much room left to love the world.


Please comment below or email me directly at csonger@new-communitychurch.org

Ever Feel Down?

How long, O LORD? Will You forget me forever? How long will You hide Your face from me?Psalm 13:1

Some people believe the words "Christian" and "depression" should never appear in the same sentence. They believe that a person whose Bible proclaims, "The joy of the LORD is your strength" (Nehemiah 8:10), should know better than to be unhappy.

It makes you wonder, though, if that was the case with William Cowper, author of such classic hymn lyrics as "God moves in a mysterious way, His wonders to perform" and "There is a fountain filled with blood, drawn from Emmanuel's veins." Severe depression forced him early in life to abandon his career in law. If not for the patient mentorship of John Newton (composer of "Amazing Grace"), who knows how low Cowper's depression would have taken him?

Charles Spurgeon struggled mightily with depression, particularly after a false cry of "Fire!" set off a stampede in his packed-house congregation, killing several in attendance. He often talked about hearing his "own chains clank" as he delivered his sermons, comparing his feelings to a chariot stuck in the mud.

King David, we know, cried out in melancholy many times through the psalms. Paul, who wrote, "God, who comforts the depressed, comforted us by the coming of Titus" (2 Corinthians 7:6), certainly knew seasons of darkness and despair. Biblical figures such as Moses, Job and Elijah went through overwhelming valleys of doubt and fear.

So if either of you find yourself under the heavy weight of depression today, grappling to work free but not always able to win the fight, you're not alone in your struggle. Your suffering is not unknown by God. Your dark circumstances are not beyond His power to heal, restore and redeem.

As you seek God for relief, take a measure of comfort in your good company.

Please comment below or email me directly at csonger@new-communitychurch.org

What is God's Plan for Your Marriage?

In Genesis chapter 2 the Bible says, "For this cause (marriage), a man shall leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave to his wife; and they shall become one flesh. And the man and his wife were both naked and unashamed." This is a picture of complete transparency and intimacy. But how is it accomplished? It begins with unconditionally accepting your mate as God’s provision for your needs. To understand what I mean by this, read on…..

God’s plan is that we accept (not just receive) our mate from God. This is not easy. It means that we have to view our mate’s apparent weaknesses as qualities that God may be using to transform our own life. This means that we must unconditionally accept our spouse on the basis of who they are, not what they do. It’s a position-based relationship, not a performance-based relationship. It’s just like our relationship with our Savior Jesus. He accepts us because, out of His mercy and grace, He calls us His children (a position-based relationship) if we believe in Him, not because we do good things to earn our way to heaven (a performance-based relationship).

Therefore, we must accept our mate because they were designed by God, as a gift to us, to be the perfect fulfillment of all our needs - past, present, and future. God designed us, so He knows our needs better that we know ourselves. It makes sense then that he is a better designer of the fulfillment of our needs than we could ever be. So rather than change our mate to become someone we think they should be, we should be more concerned with accepting them for who they are - God’s provision for our needs.

This can be extremely tough! In fact, we can only accomplish this by the power of God’s Holy Spirit and by having faith in Him. So the basis for my unconditional acceptance of my mate is faith in God's character and trustworthiness to care for my needs. We are only able to fully accept our mate by coming to know God and trusting in His character.

A godly marriage then is not created by finding (or trying to make) a perfect flawless person. Rather, it is created by allowing God's perfect love and acceptance (and forgiveness) to flow through one imperfect person - you - toward another imperfect person - your mate.

Please comment below or email me directly at csonger@new-communitychurch.org

Remembering 9/11

Many of the thoughts I had in the days following 9/11 are just as appropriate in these current days of insecurity:

1. Trust in God, not men (see Jeremiah 17:5-8). God and His plans are not upset by the actions of men. He is the anchor in a storm.
   
2. Live for eternity and God’s kingdom now (see Matthew 25:14-30). Determine God’s purpose for you. How does He want to use you now to reach, influence and serve others in the cause of Christ?
   
3. Share the gospel boldly (see 2 Corinthians 5:20-21). People need and want to hear about your spiritual journey - really they do!
   
4. Embrace biblical values now, not just when there’s a crisis (see 2 Peter 3:10-13). Give others the courage to live for Christ today, at all times, in all their spheres of influence, and not wait for tomorrow (see Hebrews 3:13).

One of my favorite traditional hymns of our faith is Martin Luther’s “A Mighty Fortress Is Our God.” Perhaps you know it:

A mighty fortress is our God, a bulwark never failing;
Our helper He, amid the flood of mortal ills prevailing:
For still our ancient foe, doth seek to work us woe;
His craft and power are great, and armed with cruel hate,
On earth is not his equal.

But the God of heaven is infintely greater. He loves you more than you can imagine and He has a perfect provision for all your needs. Those are great words to remember during these troubled times.

Please enter a comment below or respond driectly to csonger@new-communitychurch.org

Accountability – We All Need Alarm Bells

In Galatians 6:7-9 the Bible says, “Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. The one who sows to please his sinful nature, from that nature will reap destruction; the one who sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life. Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.”

We can’t pull a fast one on God. He sees all and cannot be deceived. He notices our shortcuts and also our effort when we do well. To ensure that we live by this truth, we need to seek others to hold us accountable and act as our “alarm bells”. Invite others to ask you tough questions, such as the following:

1. Is my personal walk with God up-to-date? Example: Am I being faithful to my daily quiet time?

2. Am I keeping my priorities straight? Example: Do I have the proper balance between work and family and other activities?

3. Am I asking myself the hard questions? Example: How am I doing I the area of personal purity?

4. Am I accountable to someone in authority? Who?

5. Am I sensitive to what God is saying to the whole body of Christ? (It’s not all about me)

6. Am I overly concerned with building my image? Example: Is what people see vs. who I really am the same thing?

7. Do I put more stock in events (and tasks) rather than process (and building relationships)?

8. Am I a loner in my leadership and personal life? Example: Is there too much secrecy in my life?

9. Am I aware and honest about my weaknesses (my blind spots)?

10. Is my calling constantly before me? Do I even know what my personal life mission is?

Ask yourself these questions on a regular basis and you will be headed down a road of appropriate accountability. We all need accountability, in our personal lives, as well as our professional.

David is Off to College!

The recent departure of my first-born going off to college was an emotional time. It was a time to stop and reflect on what I had done right in his life and where I had missed the boat. Unfortunately, missed opportunities are hard to make up. Fortunately, I have 5 more kids to try to “get it right” with. All this reflection led to some generalizations around what wisdom was it that I needed to impart before it is too late – to my children, as well as to others around me – what were the key things that God has been teaching me. Many things came to mind, but in the end I boiled it down to my “top 10”. The top 10 key lessons that God had taught me through the years – based on my few successes and my many failures. I think for every man there is likely some overlap and undoubtedly some uniqueness in this list. Whatever the case, here’s mine…….

1. Practice unconditional love in all your most important relationships, especially your marriage.

2. Do what you love to do and do your best.

3. Invest your life in others, not in things or accomplishments.

4. God & His Word are the only things to base your life on.

5. Flee lust and avoid all sexual temptations.

6. Delay gratification, or better said, do not seek instant gratification. Learn to have patience.

7. Honesty is always the best policy.

8. Practice brotherhood and accountability.

9. There is no greater responsibility than parenting. We are stewards of His children.

10. Be Missional. We are on a mission for God. Stay personally externally focused.

That’s my list – what’s yours? I believe you need to know what it is, because in it lay the reasons you were put here on this earth. There are no mistakes in God’s economy. I believe He uses every lesson taught to every one of us to grow us all as a body of believers and to build up His kingdom.