Worry-Free Living: LifeStride

Life can be lived in strife or in stride. LifeStrife leads to worry-filled living, not worry-free living. When we live as though we are the center of our own universes and the answer to our own problems, we are soon overwhelmed by them. 

Self-confidence is replaced by self-doubts, which in turn make us fearful. We are caught in cycles of worry, fear, more worry, and more fear.

Jesus had a serious issue with both fear and worry because they represent mistrust of God. God has never been shown to be unfaithful. Why would we fear earthly eventualities if God is in control of everything (Ps. 27:1; Rm. 8:31)?

Jesus described a life devoid of worry in His sermon on the mountain. Bluntly, He said, “Don’t worry about your life” (Mt. 6:25). Easy for Him to say, you might think. But Jesus lived off of the generosity of His followers, without permanent shelter, much less a steady income. He pointed to the birds and the flowers as examples of God’s provident care.

LifeStride

When Jesus promised we could share in His kind of life, He gave us the secret for doing so. Jesus explained that He was the vine, and we were the branches. If we would remain nourished by Him, we would bear fruit equal to or greater than His! (See Jn. 15:1-5; 5:20.)

Life can be lived in stride instead of in strife. To stride is to take a step—that is, to make progress. Such a life can be free from striving. LifeStride is life walked in the Spirit’s power. Our inability plus our availability equals God’s ability.

In his book, Radical, David Platt writes: “This is how God works. He puts his people in positions where they are desperate for his power, and then he shows his provision in ways that display his greatness.” Life stride assumes the watchful eye of a heavenly Father and a caring Son who lives to bring our concerns to His Abba, Daddy.

 

Let’s resolve to be people of faith. Life can be lived in stride instead of in striving.

Worry-Free Living: LifeStrife

My puppy Coco sleeps about 18 hours a day. She doesn't worry about where her next meal is coming from or if she'll have a roof over her head tomorrow. You might call her attitude toward life an example of Jesus' teaching in Matthew 6:25-34. Coco is definitely not consumed with anxiety!

In my book, When Christ Sets You Free, I identified two extremes of how believers approach life. The first is LifeStrife. The second is LifeStride. One of them leads to worry-free living.

LifeStrife
When we forge ahead on our own, bypassing godly wisdom and operating in our own power, we can expect a life filled with struggle and contention—in other words, a life of strife. Those of us who strive work very hard. We often choose burdensome tasks and unbalanced loads. Jesus, on the other hand, described the life He offered: “My yoke is easy and My burden is light” (Mt. 11:30). Instead of a heavy, unbalanced load, Jesus promised an even yoke. The analogy is two oxen pulling together instead of pulling against each other.

LifeStrife is a dog-eat-dog way of existence (pardon the expression, Coco). But it's as American as apple pie and baseball. "Earn your keep. Work your way to the top."

If you study the major religions of the world, you will find they are based on LifeStrife: please God by doing for Him (doing vs. being). Humans do the work, and the Supreme Being is hopefully satisfied by their efforts. This approach to obtaining salvation reflects an amazing consistency: self effort.

In matters of faith, believers gravitate toward the code of “If it’s to be, it’s up to me.” LifeStrife is the essence of most religion, but it is the antithesis of faith. Faith is giving control to God. Striving is the illusion of control.

The opposite kind of life is LifeStride. In my next post I'll explain the implications of "striding" instead of "striving."

Worry-Free Living: Internal GPS

One Christmas we bought our son Mark a portable GPS system for his car. Most new cars come equipped with one, but Mark drove a vehicle with “history.” He needed a GPS because Mark is, shall we say, directionally challenged.

During the holidays, Mark headed for his best friend’s home in Murphreesboro. He was to be back at 6 p.m. for dinner. When the meal was ready, Mark hadn’t arrived, so his dad called him. “Where are you?”

“I don’t know. I’m lost.”

Now, think about this. Mark had been back and forth to his friend’s house dozens of times over the years. How could he be lost?
His answer surprised us: “I’m using my new GPS. It’s taken me a way I don’t recognize. I have no idea where I am.”

Mark’s plight sounds familiar to all of us who have tried to find our way on a strange road.

The Bible is our road map for life, but we may find ourselves navigating in rough terrain. The road may appear unmarked, without specific
Scriptural guidelines. It requires steps of faith, taking unfamiliar paths just as our biblical forbearers did. Getting off and then back on the road is one thing; staying on the road is quite another! I call it “living between the ditches.”

These ditches are spiritual paradoxes such as We can know God. God is mystery. And Christ sets us free. We are slaves of Christ. Now, since I’m into paradoxes and polarities and antonyms, I’ve coined two extremes of how we approach life. The first is life strife. The second is life stride. Stay tuned to read about the differences and which leads to worry-free living.

Hospitality: My Elisha Room

If you've read my last postings, you are familiar with the fact that Kimberly lives in South Carolina. However, she makes monthly trips to Nashville for cancer treatments at the Sarah Cannon Cancer Center. Although the cancer treatment—an experimental drug—is "free," the expense of transportation, meals, and hotels over the months had eaten into her family's pocketbook. I feel led to offer my home as a place for Kimberly to stay.

In October, 2011, Kimberly came for her first stay at "Betty's Bed & Breakfast." Although it might appear that Sim and I were being the “good Samaritans” in this story, actually Kimberly was the answer to my prayers. You see, we had an “Elisha room” at our house, and I had been disappointed that we were not having occasion to use it regularly for ministry. In the pastorate, we seemed to always have someone visiting the church—whether a missionary or evangelist or ministry friends—but since leaving the pastorate, our extra bedroom and bath were sitting idle.

In case you don’t remember what an Elisha room is, here's the story from 2 Kings 4:8-10: "One day Elisha went to Shunem. A prominent woman who lived there persuaded him to eat some food. So whenever he passed by, he stopped there to eat. Then she said to her husband, 'I know that the one who often passes by here is a holy man of God, so let's make a small room upstairs and put a bed, a table, a chair, and a lamp there for him. Whenever he comes, he can stay there.'"

My "Elisha room" is downstairs rather than upstairs and unlike Shunem, the view from the windows is the beautiful rolling hills and green foliage of Tennessee. We've had guests from Canada, Kenya, China, and Mexico. They have ranged from a ballet troop, to international students, to great evangelists. Of course, the most important guests have been my grandchildren!

The first Wednesday that Kimberly stayed with Sim and me, we went to prayer meeting at my downtown church. Kimberly met the people who are usually at "our" table. After the service, an interesting thing happened. One of my friends stopped me to say, “If Kimberly ever needs a place to stay, and you can’t keep her, let us know.” It seems she and her husband also have an "Elisha room." Sure enough, in November, Kimberly stayed with this couple, as I had family visiting. And they remain on stand-by when we are not available to keep Kimberly.

Since I have begun sharing Kimberly's story with others, I've found several families who have "Elisha" rooms. They just didn't have a name for this special place! Practicing hospitality is at the heart of Jewish and Christian teaching. Some scholars list hospitality as a gift of the Holy Spirit. If you have an empty bedroom at your house, think of ways it can be used for ministry. Opening your home to those who need a place to stay is an invitation for angels to visit (Heb. 13:2)!

God Sent Me a Barnabas with Long Blonde Hair!

This continuation of the Kimberly story (see January,February 2012 blogs) began in the fall of 2011. You will recall that Kimberly credited a daily devotion magazine for confirmation of God's leading to seek cancer treatment in Nashville. Kimberly and her mother had come to Nashville for her monthly treatment and were staying in a hotel directly across from LifeWay Christian Resources—the producer of that daily devotion!

The two of them decided to walk over to our offices and meet the folks who worked on the magazine, Open Windows. As editor of the magazine, I would have been among the first to greet Kimberly. Except I was on medical leave with a hip fracture! But I heard about the visit and the deep impression Kimberly's story had left on the staff.

The magazine staff (thank you especially, Susan) put together a collage of the particular issue of Open Windows that had blessed Kimberly so much. We planned a big surprise break-time celebration for her next trip to Nashville. We would present the collage and enjoy cookies and punch with our new-found friend. But Kimberly came down with a cold and was not able to attend the "party." And—as it turned out—I was not yet recovered from my hip fracture.

Would I ever meet the mysterious Kimberly? All I knew was that she was an attractive, vivacious blonde, and like the biblical Barnabas, had the gift of encouragement. I now know Kimberly lights a room simply by walking into it. Her contagious smile and "people first" attitude attract others to her like the proverbial flies to honey.

When I returned to work, I began a relationship with Kimberly over the phone and by e-mail. I asked about her travels and where she had stayed in Nashville. Kimberly flew in on Wednesday afternoons and left Thursday afternoons. "What do you do on Wednesday nights?" I inquired during one phone conversation.

"Nothing much. I just rest," she replied. Knowing by now that Kimberly loved going to church and being a member of a downtown church near my workplace, I asked Kimberly if she would like to go to church with me some Wednesday night. "I would love that!" she replied without hesitation.

Then the thought struck me. Why should I take Kimberly to a hotel for the night when I would be coming back downtown the next morning anyway? Although the Sarah Cannon treatment facility was not on my beaten path to work, it certainly wasn't far away.

Little did either of us know that Kimberly was going to be an answer to my prayers!

No Room in the Inn? You Just Wait!

I promised a continuation of the Kimberly story (see January blog). And so we come to the spring of 2011. Kimberly and Michael had prayerfully decided to seek her entrance into an experimental treatment program for the melanoma cancer that slowly seemed to be winning the battle for her life. But when Kimberly approached the Sarah Cannon cancer facility in Nashville, TN, she was told there were no vacancies in the program.

Just like Joseph and Mary seeking shelter on the night of Jesus' birth, Kimberly was turned away with a 'No Vacancy' sign. But God had a plan, and like many of His plans that appear thwarted before they even begin, this plan would not be denied. Joseph discovered that plan after being thrown in a pit and then in an Egyptian jail. Jonah's submarine adventure ended on dry ground. And Daniel's influence wasn't curtailed by the Lion's Den dinner menu. So is it any surprise that someone dropped out of the Nashville program, and Kimberly took his place?

Now think about getting from South Carolina to Nashville on a monthly basis, usually for at least an overnight stay. Michael and Kimberly are in the 99% of Americans, not the top 1 %. No medical benefits could possibly cover every expense. Michael and Kimberly prayed in faith God would provide and took the step of faith into the darkness—faith that moves mountains.

Thank goodness for frequent flier miles and programs to assist medically-necessary air travel. Hooray for Southwest Airlines having a direct flight. But transportation to the treatment sites in Nashville, meals on the road, and trips back and forth to the airport were out-of-pocket expenses. Kimberly tried first one hotel, then another, seeking the lowest rate. Kimberly was also concerned about Samuel's well-being while Mom was away from home. She was his ride to school and number one homework consultant! Also, the family was still going to Virginia occasionally to meet with Samuel's doctors about his progress with his cleft palate.

Months went by as Kimberly settled into the routine of travel and treatment. On her July trip Michael and Samuel got to come with her, and they witnessed the fireworks show from Riverfront Stadium in Nashville. Then in October Kimberly's mom made the trip with her. That's when I first heard about Kimberly. But more from that in my next post!

The Spirit Speaks in Our Daily Routines

She came into my life unexpectedly, definitely a God-thing. Before meeting her (I was home nursing a hip fracture), I heard about Kimberly, who had visited LifeWay to meet the people who produce Open Windows, a daily devotional magazine which I edit. Open Windows, it seems, had been used by God to give her a new lease on life.

In and of itself, this testimony is not unique. Repeated throughout the nation many times each year, I hear through snail mail, email, and telephone calls how specific devotions bless people's lives (700,000 readers). But Kimberly was facing terminal cancer and had been told she had only one chance: an experimental program being conducted at the Sarah Cannon (remember Minnie Pearl?) Treatment Center in Nashville, TN. The regular trips to Nashville would be expensive and grueling in her condition. Would the treatments even work, or worse, have terrible side effects.

Kimberly's ten year old son Samuel had been born with a severe cleft palate. Six surgeries later, and with another surgery anticipated in Spring, 2012, just thinking about the insurance claims seemed daunting. Her husband, Michael, prayed with her about their decision. One day he found an Open Windows devotion which seemed to speak to him. The Spirit encouraged Michael to believe Nashville might be their answer. Later, Kimberly walked past the magazine, which was turned over on its back. An advertisement caught her eye. Although it announced an event she wouldn't attend, the bold print title exclaimed, "Come to Nashville." The Spirit spoke to Kimberly. Together, she and Michael would give this new treatment a try!

I'll tell you more about Kimberly in my next post, but for now let's stop and contemplate the wonder of it all. Believers faced an immovable object (terminal cancer), they sought the counsel of God, and the Spirit spoke through what was a for Michael and Kimberly, a daily routine: reading a devotion with Scripture and prayer.

As you begin a new year, and as you think about affirming life goals, make it a resolution to spend time each day in Scripture and prayer. Want an answer to perplexing problems? Look to God, through His Word and prayer; sometimes the Spirit speaks in dramatic ways, but often He uses our daily routines.