Be an Owner not a Renter

This last weekend our church hosted a conference called Impact.  The focus of the conference was to help us to see how we can impact SoCal.  We had speakers from our 5 sister churches get up to share about this idea.

I think the concept that really stuck with me was the idea of being a renter vs being an owner.  I have lived most of my life in rental homes, and so I am very aware of what it is like to be a renter.  You often are not as concerned with the condition of your home, unless it is something that inconveniences you personally.  You are willing to overlook some of those cracks and dents in the walls, the slight slope on your floor, or even if an outlet is not working.  As a renter you are not concerned because you know that it will be a place you will at some point leave.

Now I am not saying that if your are a renter you don't care at all, but certain things do not bother you as quickly.  You do not jump to fix every tiny things in your home.  You sometimes let things slide.

Because of the Lord's goodness I have also had the privilege of getting to see my family own a home.  Home ownership changes the way you view things in your home.  Even the smallest of problems become something you want to fix.  This is due to the fact that this home is YOURS, you want the house to last since you might always live there.  You see the potential of the home if you take really good care of it.  That home becomes the place you make memories that will always be there, and you fill it with things that are important to you.  You even take out insurance to protect your stuff when you might not have when you were renting a home.

The message that was preached off this concept was pointing us to our own lives.  We often live our lives like we are renting the situation we live in. For example we go to Elementary school but are always prepping for middle school, then from middle school to high school, then from high school to college, then from college to job, while we are in that job maybe we are prepping for marriage, babies, or even a better job.  We are always moving toward the next big thing in our lives.

I am not saying that we should not look forward to the next great things that God wants for us, but this lifestyle often help us have excuses on why we do not get involved in our community or our world.  We give the excuse that we will do it later, or we will be able to serve better when we are more stable.  We just keep putting it off.

I think that really hit me hard.  I know that I have used that excuse more than once.  I am often a renter of a community, and not trying to act like an owner of the community.  If I was an owner I would get more excited about serving that community, and also be more passionate about getting involved in the problems of my community.

I know that right now we are in a time of humanity that there are so many causes that each of us know about to get involved with, and that can get overwhelming.  However how often are we asking what is happening in my own back yard?  The great thing about taking ownership of where God has you planted is that ownership will ripple out to others in the community, and then to their families then so on and so on.  When we thrive where God plants us we will see change in the greater world and community.

A great example of this is a woman named Henrietta Mears.  She decided to use her teaching skills to help grow her community in Hollywood.  She started helping run a Sunday School program at a church and from that program she saw over 400 people join Christian Service with one of the most famous being Billy Graham.  Her willingness to be an owner of her community help to raise up people who have had a much bigger impact.  She did not have to have special skills, she just used what God had already gifted her with.

I do believe that on top of supporting our Home community we are also to support the Global Community.  This might mean going physically and/or emotionally into some places that are not comfortable.  This might mean we have to stretch ourselves to stop being worried if it is safe or not.  God never promised us safety, in fact he promised us we would face hard things.  He loving told us that we would never walk in it alone, and he would walk with us.

This might mean being friends with someone who we scared/unsure of, or opening up to people you don't understand.  It might mean moving your family into a community that is not the best, but it is the place that God wants you.  Maybe that means you have to talk to that person at work that everyone ignores or shuns.

All this to say we have to be open to be the owners of the community locally and globally.  We have to open to God asking us to move or change our minds about what we hold dear.  Being open to loving people unconditionally no matter what they have to offer you or what you think of them.  Seeing yourself as the pastor of your community, job, and neighborhood.

The Lord Moves

In this last year God has been amazing!!!!  I mean He is always amazing, but this year I feel like I have seen God move so much more.  I know in some of my other post I have told you some of the things God has done.

In these last few weeks so many things have happened to remind me that God cares about the my small things.  He cares not only for my needs but also my wants.  He wants to give me things that make me happy and not just things that make me survive.

One big example is God provided me with a ticket to Disneyland and money to eat at Disney.  I never thought that I would have enough money to walk into Disney.  Being able to walk into the park was an amazing moment.

This is a big thing that God provided, but there have been countless little things that have reminded me of God love for me.  Just the other day I was driving and feeling a little down, and then out of the blue something pulled me out.  That thing was the smell of wood burning...it was super hot out so no one would be burning wood.  It was like a tiny reminder of feelings and emotions of joy and laughter.  Then not two seconds later was the smell of fresh cut wood, again one of my favorite smells.  It was 9:30 pm so I am pretty sure no one was cutting wood.

I was so surprised to smell both of those smells, and they only brought me joy in a time of feeling a little out of sorts.  These small moments help me to remember that I can always find moments of God love in the little things.

It makes me have faith for the big things.  This summer I am getting to go overseas to talk about God's grace and love.  I know that in this time I will get to see God move in amazing ways, and see His love for me just as much as His love for others.  I also know that the finance to go are in God's hands.  I am praying that God moves in the lives and hearts of those that give, and those that we will be sharing with. 

"Perfection"

So in the last few weeks I have begun to realize a few things about being an adult...I know, I know I have been an adult for a while, but I am a bit of a slow learner.

The thing that I have really been mulling over is the idea of being perfect.  I know in my own life I have struggled with feeling that I was not good enough because I am not perfect.  This plays out at times in my faith.

I have lived often feeling like I had to be the perfect Christian spending time with God everyday, always serving, and setting the perfect example for those around me.  While all of these things are very true, and I should strive for those things. The thing that has me thinking is many Christians do struggle with these things, but we often do not talk about it.

As I talk to some of my youth students I have begun to realize that at times the younger generation might not feel like they can closely follow God well, because they cannot attain this "perfection" that they believe they see.  As I began to think about it, I have also lived much of my life feeling and thinking the same thing.

I have looked at my own life, and think I couldn't be perfect like those around me.  Then I find myself comparing my own life and my own ability to the abilities of those around me.  I become discouraged in the fact that I am struggling when so many around me seem to have their lives together.

I think we as the church must challenge ourselves to open and honest, with those around us, about what we struggle with.  No this is easier said than done.  People are scared that they might be judged or pushed out for their honesty.  This is also where the church must show the same grace that that Lord showed us.

In this honest, we are not just sitting in our own mess, but trying to move forward in the things God has for us.  When we are honest in our community our community grows in trust.  We also see God moving in everyday ways.  It is great to hear the stories of God moving in crazy ways, at the same time it is great to see how God is moving in the day to day aspects of our lives.  We need to honest in the fact that we have not arrived, and that we struggle daily to follow our Lord.  We will never stop struggling in one way or another, but we will become stronger walking in faith with God.