Joe Fontenot's Blog, page 19

A case study in getting blessings

“Wherever you are, be all there.”


– Jim Elliot

Classic stories: David against the lion–he shouldn’t have won.

Against the giant: same thing.

And against all the others more qualified than him to be king. Again.

So what did David do that set him apart?

He was simply ready long before blessings were even on the table.

He was committed to keeping his sheep safe. So when the lion came, he already knew what to do. On the heels of that, he saw the giant, not fearfully as the soldier did, but as just another enemy with a fatal weakness. And finally, to be chosen as king, he spent years letting his character be changed in the small areas–a decision that God ultimately credited.

Some thousand years later, Paul would write: “Whatever you do, do it…for the Lord.”

That’s the point of blessings.

They don’t enable the work–they follow it.

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The world is impressed

It matters what the world thinks about us, because we’re supposed to be their salt and light.

In 1 Timothy 3:7, Paul says that one of the qualifications for a church leader is that “he have a good reputation with outsiders.”

What this doesn’t mean is that we bend to their standards.

But what it does mean is that if we follow God and his holiness, God’s standards will make a positive impression on the world.

We saw a giant case study for this a few centuries back. And it went over amazingly well. The founders of the United States were a collection of men influenced by the Gospel.

Many of them were not true followers (Ben Franklin and Thomas Jefferson, to name two). But, yet, our laws–and even our currency–saw its influence.

Here’s the point: the way we reach the world is by first getting our stuff right on the inside. When we do that, it has a way of bleeding out and influencing those around us.

The gospel isn’t about coercion.

It’s about influence.

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Just like glass

“Be as shrewd as snakes and harmless as doves.”


-Jesus (Matthew 10:16b)

About 150 years ago, a man in Paris was experimenting with a new kind of glass and produced the first version of tempered glass.

The key to creating tempered glass is to heat it to over 1,000 degrees Fahrenheit and then, during that time when it’s super-hot, mold it in its final shape.

What’s interesting is the state of the final product. Normal glass has virtually no internal stress. It’s at ease.

But tempered glass is different. Not only has it been through a grueling process, but once it’s cooled, it’s under a perpetual tension.

And it is this tension that causes it to be mostly harmless when it breaks (unlike regular glass which breaks into dangerous shards).

Tempered glass is a lot like our own spiritual growth.

Sometimes God allows rough things to happen to us, because he’s in the process of creating something that’s going to be stronger. And when things break—sometimes we break—we don’t shatter into a mess and hurt those we love.

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Evolution is a metaphor

mart people explain things in systems. Evolution is a metaphor for order. It’s a needed metaphor, because—as the world tells us—God doesn’t exist. At least not in the: I created everything and have a plan for you sense. So Evolution, while described as a process of nature, really functions as a God-replacement. But…why the extra […]

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When not to use your willpower

A big part of spiritual growth comes from spiritual disciplines.

These are things like reading the Bible, praying, and fasting. But also worshiping, serving, and learning.

In other words, spiritual disciplines are the things we do on our road to sanctification.

A friend and I were talking about this the other day and how many people in the church want to grow but don’t practice spiritual disciplines.

“People just need to do it,” he said flatly. “It’s as simple as that.”

But what if it weren’t?

What if willpower (the “just do it” part) was actually the worst way to go about spiritual disciplines?

(In case you missed it, this is the main idea behind my book Life Hacking Spiritual Disciplines).

As it turns out, willpower is a good starter. But it’s not how we keep going. And it’s certainly not how we’re successful.

What then?

Habits.

A lot of people think habits are mindless. But they’re not. They’re momentum. The more you can weave spiritual disciplines into the fabric of your daily life, the less you’ll rely on willpower, and the more you’ll see results.

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The thing about grace that everyone forgets

Grace is the theme of the gospel message, It’s the logic behind God coming to redeem us.

And it’s how we can experience the good in spite of our bad.But there’s something everyone forgets. Literally.

If today I’m good at my job, or my marriage–earning my keep, as it were—what happens tomorrow when I’m having an off week (or year)? Is everything tallied together like a giant ledger?

No. We remember what we see, and we forget the past.

But grace undoes that.

Grace pushes us to forgive and accept even if its not merited. And, as it is sometimes the case, when we’ve forgotten what we’ve forgotten.

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What’s a Modern Sabbath?

After the industrial revolution–after we figured out that making six-year-olds work in dark factories for the seventeen hours a day was not a good thing–we invented stuff like the forty-four work week. And with that came the weekend. A time of rest.

Saturday is a day off. And so is Sunday. Life is good.

As an aside: I know a good chunk of America is service-based, so a lot of us work on Saturdays and Sundays. But these same jobs still maintain a forty-hour standard where anything over this amount falls into “overtime” and wages goes up. Compare this to most of human history, where there was no maximum standard. People worked all day, every day. And it wasn’t considered “hardship,” it was just normal life. And normal usually didn’t qualify for “overtime” pay.

But this raises a question.

In our modern society: Is the sabbath still relevant? Or is it something optional? Something we can do only if we need it? Like the rest of God’s direction for our life, following God’s instruction forms the backbone of our spiritual growth. To become more like him, we follow his ways.

But if we’ve built weekly rest into our legal structure–or if rest is something we can buy with enough money or influence, is the sabbath is still relevant?

I believe it is still relevant. For all of us.

But it’s not because we get tired and need a break.

In fact, I don’t believe it was ever about that.

A 200-word history of the sabbath

When God originally gave his people, the Israelites, the sabbath day, it was part of the ten commandments. At this time, the Israelites were nomadic, meaning they didn’t have any long term assets. They were dependent on God for food every single day. But shortly after, they would be putting down roots in a Canaan.

However, life in the promised land was not like life today. Most were farmers. And there wasn’t a lot of extra to go around. So became the mantra: he who did not work, did not eat.

The point of the sabbath was not rest in the take-a-break sort of way. The point was to remember that everything ultimately comes from God.

When you don’t have a bank account or savings, and when what you eat today depends on how hard you worked yesterday (literally), it’s easy to forget that you’re not the one in charge.

The sabbath was a reminder that everything we have comes from God.

In the early church, they switched from observing the sabbath on the last day of the week to the first. What day it happens is not really important. What matters is that they continued to put aside what they were doing for themselves to refocus on God who put them here in the first place.

The sabbath today

Today, the sabbath hasn’t changed.

It’s not about rest in the physical sense–though that can be a benefit. It’s still about remembering who’s in charge. And it’s about remembering our place as the creation, and a servants of the creator.

The only question for the sabbath

If the sabbath is not about stopping physical activity–if it’s not about refraining from accomplishment, and if it’s not even about which day of at the week we do it on, then what is it about?

In a word, the sabbath is about focus.

Are you setting aside a day where you are reminded that your life is not about you–that it’s about God? Are you sacrificing opportunities to advance your work, your ministry, or even the job that provides for your family, so that you can remember that it is God who gives you that work, ministry, and family?

If you’re not doing this, then you’re not taking a sabbath.

Another aside: Going to church isn’t taking a sabbath. That’s getting together in community with other believers. Both church and the sabbath are important. And often they may happen at the same time. But they’re not the same thing.

PS. A full day?

One last thought.

When God gave his people the sabbath, it was to take a day off. Not an afternoon. Not an extra long siesta one day a week. But the day.

I’m not getting legalistic here. But there is a certain value in taking a full day. A few hours is restful. And that’s good. But a full day is long. We let go of a lot when we give away a full day. But taking a full day also allows us time to dwell on God.

When was the last time you gave God a full day?

Your sabbath may look quite different from mine. No doubt, a sabbath 2,000 years ago in a Roman-occupied middle-eastern province looked a lot different than most of what happens today. But that’s okay.

Ask yourself: are you putting aside a full day to focus on God? This is the sabbath.

How to Get Started

Everybody knows, you don’t eat the whole elephant in the first bite. So how do you get started? Here are three quick tips:

1.Begin planning. If you have too many commitment, think about how you can do some of those on different days or get rid of some of them all together (the second is my preference).

2. Start Small. If a full day off isn’t a part of your weekly life, it’s okay to work up to it. Pick a 4-hour chunk. If you spend 8 hours sleeping, that’s four 4-hour chunks to pick from.

3. Bring in a Friend. Who can you do this with? Who will keep you accountable? Partner with them. And be transparent.

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Lessons I Learned from Martin Luther King Jr

This post originally appeared on the NOBTS.edu GeauxTherefore blog.

 

As one born twenty years after the civil rights revolution of the 1960s, I grew up hearing the scratchy recording, ”I have a dream”—usually truncating somewhere around there.

I knew about Martin Luther King Jr. But it wasn’t until I sat down to read his book, Strength to Love, that I ever interacted with the man and his ideas.

What was particularly surprising to me was that race was often not at the center of his message. Sin was. Discrimination and hate were byproducts of sin. And King knew it.

Here are a few of my favorite lines from his book, Strength to Love:

 

“A nation or a civilization that continues to produce soft-minded men purchases its own spiritual death on an installment plan.”

Complacency is an influence that slyly confuses wisdom and fear. When Jesus told his followers to be wise as serpents and harmless as doves (Matthew 10:16), he was telling us to keep both a sharp eye and a soft hand.

From the sermon, “A Tough Mind and a Tender Mind,” (based on this same passage), King makes the parallel between the struggles of the Christian life in general and civil rights in particular.

“Our minds are constantly being invaded by legions of half-truths, prejudices, and false facts”—a truth he notes, that applies regardless of the color of one’s skin. And, as such, “one of the great needs of mankind is to be lifted above the morass of false propaganda.”

Taking up our Lord’s command to be “wise as serpents and innocent as doves” is more than an approach; it is, as King notes, the building blocks of our future.

 

“We as Christians have a mandate to be nonconformists.”

Upon first reading this, I thought “nonconformist” was too extreme. I am, at my heart, a peacemaker. I don’t enjoy conflict. So I wondered, can a nonconformist be a peacemaker?

Keying off of Paul’s instruction to “not be conformed to this world” (Romans 12:2) King applies these words to our economic context. We live in a country of historically unprecedented wealth. It’s easy—even natural—to find ourselves sliding into the stream of material or social success. And the truth is, these things are not bad. What matters is what we do with these successes.

“The ultimate measure of man,” notes King, “is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.” Nonconformity is not limited to inflammatory topics or taboos, it is at the center of what a Christian is called to be.

 

“Forgiveness is not an occasional act; it is a permanent act.”

Here is King:

“In spite of the fact that the law of revenge solves no social problems, men continue to follow its disastrous leading. History is cluttered with the wreckage of nations and individuals that pursued this self-defeating path.

“Jesus eloquently affirmed from the cross a higher law. He knew that the old eye-for-eye philosophy would leave everyone blind. He did not seek to overcome evil with evil. He overcame evil with good. Although crucified by hate, he responded with aggressive love.

“What a magnificent lesson! Generations will rise and fall; men will continue to worship the god of revenge and bow before the altar of retaliation; but ever and again this noble lesson of Calvary will be a nagging reminder that only goodness can drive out evil and only love can conquer hate.”

 

“We can store our surplus of food free of charge in the shriveled stomachs of the millions of God’s children who go to bed hungry at night.”

In 1961, the newly elected John F. Kennedy gave his country a clear mission: land a man on the moon and return him back safely. Since then, our world has turned over impressively. There is now, for instance, more power in the phone in my pocket than there was in all of the Apollo program’s mission control.

The things we’ve created are quite amazing.

But if we’re not careful, they can become the things we live for.

“The means by which we live,” wrote King, “have outdistanced the ends for which we live. Our scientific power has outrun our spiritual power. We have guided missiles and misguided man.”

In Genesis, the Tower of Babel was about men so enamored with their own technology, they forgot their place before God. We are not immune to that same temptation today. If our stuff is anything, it is a resource to help our brothers and sisters. What better investment is there than that?

 

“A nation or a civilization” from Martin Luther King Jr’s Strength to Love, (Minneapolis, MN: Fortress Press, 2010), 5.

“Our minds are constantly,” 5.

“We as Christians have a mandate,” 12.

“The ultimate measure of a man,” 26.

“Forgiveness is not,” 33.

“In spite of the fact” paragraph, 35.

“We can store our surplus of food,” 68.

“The means by which we live,” 73.

5 Steps to Successfully Reach Out to South Asians in America

“‘I’m coming to your house. When is a good time?’ I told her.”

“Really? You said that?” I asked. “I don’t think I could do that.”

“Why not? That’s the right thing to do,” she told me in her matter of fact way.

My friend Charlotte is from India. But today she lives in Atlanta while she completes her doctorate of ministry degree. She was explaining to me how she reaches out to the often guarded south Asian people in their community.

“Yeah, but could a white guy like me be that direct?”

“Of course. That’s their custom. It’s what’s expected.”

I talked to Charlotte for about an hour. She gave me a breakdown how to reach out to South Asians (people from India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and other countries in this region).

Here are the 5 steps you need to follow to successfully reach out to South Asians:

1. Create a regular interaction

This is just saying hi and other basic social things. Small talk. Easy stuff that we can all do. But this is where it begins.

For Charlotte there is a group who drops their kids off at the church daycare every day. “I don’t work in the daycare, I’m in the office, but I make a point every day to be there when they arrive so that I can say hi.”

This period of regular interaction can last a short or long time. What matters is that you develop a rapport. This is the first step.

2. Ask directly to visit their house

The very next step is a leap I would never have made on my own.

Their custom dictates that you invite yourself into their home. For them, that’s saying: I value you and care enough to want to be more involved in your life.

If you recall, Jesus–in a very eastern context–did this same thing with Zacchaeus. Zacchaeus’ sin was not enough to keep him from God. Jesus communicated his great value when He invited himself over to eat.

The reason this works is because in the West, we are individualists. We are focused on our own thoughts and how those uniquely fit into our larger communities and societies. However, the mindset of easterners is community-first. They think of themselves in context of their community, not apart from it.

So, what do you actually say in this self-invitation? Pick something (“I’ve heard Indian tea is great,” or “There’s no substitute for an authentic Pakistani kabab”) something that’s previously come up in small talk, and then: “When will you invite me to your house to have some?” It’s really that simple.

3. Bring a pastor

If you’ve at all familiar with my writings, you know that I am big on every member in the church playing an active and (spiritually) equal role.

But here it’s different.

If you can bring along a pastor or someone who holds a significant position in your church, it’ll mean more to a South Asians. The reason is (and for Indians in particular) a priest or priestess holds a very high place in society.

“It’s like God is entering their home.” To them this is very honorable.

By doing this, you are communicating the significance of your visit.

4. Talk about life more than anything else

Now that you’re there, what do you talk about?

Pretty much anything that makes sense: “how are you adjusting?” You may be able to provide some insider-information into American culture that they’re struggling with. Or, “tell me about [some facet] of life in your home country?” At this point, you’re just being a human.

But how much (and when) do you start talking about God?

There are two camps here: those who says never lead with God (“it’s offensive” is the argument); and then there are those who feel they’ve squandered an opportunity if they don’t find a way to beeline straight to God.

But Charlotte–a devout sister who cannot stop talking about God–tells me talking about the normal parts of life is enough right now. You’re developing a relationship. If you’ve brought along a church staff member, or if at any time, you’ve laid that foundation of being a part of the church, then they know who you are. It’s not necessary to go straight into a speak about God.

5. Pray with them out loud before you leave

In the Indian pantheon there are 33 million gods. What Indians do not have a problem with is more gods.

“Before we leave, would you mind if we pray to Jesus for you?”

Charlotte says an Indian will be honored that you are praying to your God for them. This is how she ends all of her visits.

Charlotte tells me one story about the power of prayer.

“It had been a few months, but we finally had a chance to re-visit one family my pastor’s wife and I had been developing a relationship with. The husband wasn’t there this time because he had to work.

“Shortly after we arrived, the wife began to cry.

“The wife told me, ‘you prayed for peace for our house last time. I didn’t tell you how much my husband I had been fighting–so much the neighbors could hear–but since you prayed for us two months ago, we haven’t had a single fight.'”

Prayer is one of the most serious tools we have to communicating God across cultures. When we combine that with genuine human care, we have a powerful combination.

How to follow up

By now you have a relationship. The goal is to keep that relationship open. In time it will become a vehicle to help them understand the gospel. Discipleship begins at this stage.

If you’re church gathering doesn’t make sense (culturally) to those you’re trying to reach out to, make sure you’re partnering with churches that do. Think about the long game. Non-christian immigrants are making two major transitions here: spiritually and culturally. Both take time. And both take a support team.

If you can be that team, then everything else will take care of itself.

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How to Find Your (Spiritual) Theme

Have you ever noticed how most of the people in church don’t do anything?

Disclaimer: this isn’t a rant.

But, it’s true, right?

Most of the people who go to church treat it more like a football game. I pay my tithe (if I do), and you play music that makes me feel good and stuff knowledge about the Bible into my head.

That’s basically it.

The people who stand on stage are qualified. And most of the rest are just, well, clapping.

But I’m pretty sure Jesus didn’t have this in mind when he described the church as “so expansive with energy that not even the gates of hell will be able to keep it out.”

Or, when Paul wrote to church members: “Make a careful exploration of who you are and the work you have been given, and then sink yourself into that.”

The reason I bring this up is because it rams headlong into the issue of spiritual gifts.

What is the point of spiritual gifts if we divide the church by the paid guys on church staff who do “ministry” while the rest of us watch?

4 One-Liners and then my Point:

There is no divide like this in the New Testament. Jesus didn’t pick the educated, he picked dock workers. In his old days, Paul rested on his CV. After he met Jesus, his perspective did a 180.
It’s not a smart divide. It puts administrating, pastoring, teaching, discipling, serving, leading, evangelizing along with everything else on the shoulders of a few. If we were doing a business evaluation, we’d say this is unhealthy.
It turns the rest of us into spiritual vegetables. When we switch from active players to side-line spectators, we loose all of our conditioning, training, and, well, relevance.
It actively works against spreading God’s Kingdom. When Jesus handed down the great commission, it was to all of us, not just 1% who are hired to work on behalf of the rest.

My Point:

This minister/non-minister divide is something we’ve created, not God.

And it we see its fruit blossoming in our lack of passion for God. In lives that peak with Netflix binges and Facebook debates.

What’s the solution here? How do we get ourselves (and encourage those we love) to move into a life that’s truly something we can look back on and be proud of?

Well–I’m glad you asked!

The Answer is Theme

Let me explain.

In a movie, theme is the underlying purpose. It’s what tells us what everything means. Take the Star Wars (1977), for instance. It has a few themes: good vs evil (the force); diverse people working together (Luke, Han, and the princess); and selflessness (Han Solo’s character transformation).

The purpose of theme is to give meaning. When we dissect movies (and novels, for that matter), we see that there are pretty standard plot constraints. The hook happens in the first ten minutes, the inciting incident around 25%, and the midpoint happens at, well–you get the idea.

But theme is different. It’s not structural like plot. Instead, the theme is that intangible part that resonates deeply inside us. It’s made up shoulds and can’ts. It’s resonates with our moral compass deep inside.

And it’s the same for us growing spiritually, too.

If our spiritual gifts direct our plot, then our spiritual theme is our internal passion. It’s what thumps our hearts forward.

I can’t really oversell this. As Paul wrote, it is the reason God has put us here.

“Make a careful exploration of who you are and the work you have been given, and then sink yourself into that.”

How to Find Your (Spiritual) Theme

In my last article, we looked at a simple way to spot your spiritual gifts, and we saw that there was really just one question we need to be asking ourselves.

But once you have that–as important as it is–you’ve only got knowledge. It’s like a finish line. That’s really important. But you still need to run the race. And so nothing actually happens until you plug this knowledge into your life.

4 Steps to Find your Spiritual Theme

Use this as a guide to get you there:

First, Be at Home with Your Spiritual Gift(s)

This is a cart-before-the-horse thing. If you’re not sure about your spiritual gift(s), go back here first before moving onto step two.

Second, Filter by What’s Practical

Your theme is practical. It’s how you interact with the world. Wherever you go, whatever you do, your theme is what’s motivating and driving you.

As you begin searching for your theme, start by looking at where you actually spend your time.

For me, one of my themes is unity. I often find myself between two stressful points looking for harmony. It’s a satisfying place for me. I feel like I’m doing good work when I’m in this space.

Third, Try it Before You Buy it

Try on different themes. Copy those who are like you–or those you want to be like. Look for things that resonate deeply with you.

Fourth, Write it Out (Like…on Paper)

There’s a special power in putting things down on paper. Writing it out lets you see it days later. You’ll resonate with it, or you’ll immediately scrap it. Or, you’ll think more about it.

It’s not important that you figure this out before you finish reading this article. What is important is that you start thinking about it.

For some it will jump out right away. For others it will take some time. Both are okay. You’re seeking and that’s what matters.

Need More?

I wrote a book for you. It’s called Life Hacking Spiritual Disciplines. 

It’s about the practical steps it takes to be intentional about spiritual development. If you’re wanting this, then this book is for you.

Who is this resource not for? People who don’t want to work. This takes a little work. But if you want it, it’s there for the taking.

If you’re like me and you like to hold paper books, you can get a copy here at Amazon. Or if you’re in to the digital side of things, visit here and I’ll send you the Kindle version for free.

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