I was reading Psalm 51 this morning and verse 17 jumped out to me.
Psalm 51:7- The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit. A broken and contrite heart, these oh God, you will not despise.
We live in a world that despises things or people that are broken but it is the very position that God desires and loves to work in us, on us, and through us. Every Friday night at Shabbat we pray a line that is powerful but yet dangerous and costly. It is this, "Jesus, You were broken for us so we will be broken for You."
When I moved to Europe I knew that I was making a sacrifice for God because I was leaving loved ones and my comfortable life behind but I didn't realize that He was wanting to bring a greater level of brokenness to my life. I left thinking that I was walking a pretty good walk of humilty, faith, and trusting in God but He has used this last year and a half to bring more brokeness to my life and show me areas that I was walking in pride, unbelief, or mistrust. He has pressed on issues of my heart that have not been easy or painless but it has brought about more of Him and less of me in my life. I realized that although I long do to "things" for God my greatest desire and first objective is to become more like Him. It's only from that place that I can really be effective for Him. I believe allowing a complete work of brokenness in our lives is the doorway to becoming like Him.
The key in brokeness is undersand that its not just about being broken but its about how we respond in the midst of brokeness. Will we allow Him to reshape us into what He wants after the breaking or will we get offended at the breaking.
Will we respond in pride or in humility?
Will we close our hearts or open them up more to Him?
Will we run away or run to Him?
It's only in running to God in our weakness that we give Him the oppurtunity to move in power in our lives and make us into His image. So many times when the pressures come and we feel closed in we complain and begin to ask why. Why God? Why are you letting this happen to me? Why are you not getting me out of this? When the more important question is not why but what. What are you wanting to show me about my life. What are you wanting to work on in my heart through this situation or circumstance. It is important to realize that the seasons or times of brokenness are not a one time event. We will continually need to become more and more broken so that we can become more and more like Him. It is a process and it takes time.
So if you are feeling pressed in on every side or are already at the place of brokenness. Run to God today and ask Him what He wants to do or show you in your life. Allow Him to show His strength in your weakness.
What will your response to brokenness be?
Thursday, September 22, 2011
Wednesday, August 3, 2011
With all my heart
11 years ago today was one of the best moments of my life but it actually began before then. I remember meeting Courtney Praise Benjamin for the 1st time and thinking to myself,"um there is something about this girl that is different from any other girl I have ever met." I mean she was beautiful, kind, and loved the Lord but I still couldn't put my finger on what exactly was different about her. Then, one day the Lord was showing me a bunch of pictures about my life and they were all moving really fast and then came one of Courtney and it stopped...then the pictures kept coming. When it was all over I asked the Lord what that was all about and why did it stop on a picture of Courtney. He answered and told me that she was the "One" for me.
I thought I knew her then but after all these years together she continues to amaze me with her love for the Lord, people, me, and our children. She is the most caring and selfless person I know. She is always concerned with the needs and feeling of others. I cannot even begin to tell you what a mess I would be without her much less how crazy our kids would be without her. :) She has helped me, loved me, served me, taught me, cared for me, submitted to me, honored me, respected me, listened to me, fought for me, laughed with me, cried with me, and now traveling the world with me. I could go on and on about how amazing she is but still never come close to describing her to you. She is my prize, my love, my friend, and I couldn't and wouldn't be who I am today without her in my life.
Thank you Father for blessing me with Courtney Praise Benjamin. I love you babe...with all my heart!
I thought I knew her then but after all these years together she continues to amaze me with her love for the Lord, people, me, and our children. She is the most caring and selfless person I know. She is always concerned with the needs and feeling of others. I cannot even begin to tell you what a mess I would be without her much less how crazy our kids would be without her. :) She has helped me, loved me, served me, taught me, cared for me, submitted to me, honored me, respected me, listened to me, fought for me, laughed with me, cried with me, and now traveling the world with me. I could go on and on about how amazing she is but still never come close to describing her to you. She is my prize, my love, my friend, and I couldn't and wouldn't be who I am today without her in my life.
Thank you Father for blessing me with Courtney Praise Benjamin. I love you babe...with all my heart!
Thursday, July 21, 2011
Leadership
So, today I woke up thinking about leadership. I don't really know why other than the fact that ever since I was 12 there has been a cry in my heart to be a great leader. I told the Lord that I wanted to be a man that HE would write about. It wasn't a prideful thing in my heart but it was my desire to live a life that so pleased Him that He would want to write about me. I wanted to be someone that people could and would want to follow. But this begs the question...what makes a great leader?
Well, here are two things that I was pondering this morning that I believe help make a great leader.
1. We must always be more concerned about the condition of our own heart over the condition of other peoples hearts.
Now, here is kind of a tricky one because obviously as leaders we must be concerned about confronting and dealing with issues in peoples lives but unfortunately sometimes we get so focused on dealing with other peoples problems that we lose sight of our own. Jesus speaks clearly in Matthew 7 that we are to first get the plank out of our own eye then we can see clearly to remove the speck in our brothers eye. It isn't that Jesus doesn't want us to speak to each other about our issues but He wants us to do it in the right order and with the right heart. It is also interesting that Jesus says there is a plank in your eye and you are trying to remove a speck, which indicates that sometimes we actually have a bigger hindrance in our own eye that hinders us from being able to see what are the real issues even in others. A lot of times we think others have BIG issues when in reality it is us with the BIG issue. I have found that if I am more focused on dealing with my issues than not only do I see better to deal with the issues of others but the people under me respond better because they see my willingness to deal with my issues.
2. If you want to lead great you must serve great!
Now, this is one that we usually all agree on because Jesus is SO clear in the gospel as He spoke to His disciples about being a great leader. He who wants to be the greatest among you must serve and be humble. True humility is the key because sometimes we can even serve with a selfish heart that wants to get noticed or is trying to work the "system" of if I serve than I will get exalted. It's not just about our actions of service but more about our heart of service. We must serve with out expectation of return. If we serve only if it benefits us or because someone important is going to see it then it's not true service and it's not true leadership. We always think of leadership as being over people but it is really way more about coming underneath people and pushing them up and forward. We need to have more of a desire to come along side and underneath people than to be over them. The word says do not lord "over" them as the Gentiles do but serve. Now I am not saying leaders shouldn't boldly and clearly lead. There are obviously times when we must take a clear lead but it should always be with a heart to see the ones under us succeed, grow, and released into their destiny as the next generation of leaders.
In this day we must see a generation of leaders that walk in true humility to see their own hearts dealt with and to be willing to lay down their lives completely for each other with no expectation of anything in return. I write this not from a place of feeling like I have attained it but I am first challenging myself and pressing towards the goal of continually becoming more like Jesus. So, I also challenge you today to not just hear and know these truths but to be a doer of these truths.
That's the way Jesus led and that's the way we are to lead!
That is true leadership and true greatness!
Well, here are two things that I was pondering this morning that I believe help make a great leader.
1. We must always be more concerned about the condition of our own heart over the condition of other peoples hearts.
Now, here is kind of a tricky one because obviously as leaders we must be concerned about confronting and dealing with issues in peoples lives but unfortunately sometimes we get so focused on dealing with other peoples problems that we lose sight of our own. Jesus speaks clearly in Matthew 7 that we are to first get the plank out of our own eye then we can see clearly to remove the speck in our brothers eye. It isn't that Jesus doesn't want us to speak to each other about our issues but He wants us to do it in the right order and with the right heart. It is also interesting that Jesus says there is a plank in your eye and you are trying to remove a speck, which indicates that sometimes we actually have a bigger hindrance in our own eye that hinders us from being able to see what are the real issues even in others. A lot of times we think others have BIG issues when in reality it is us with the BIG issue. I have found that if I am more focused on dealing with my issues than not only do I see better to deal with the issues of others but the people under me respond better because they see my willingness to deal with my issues.
2. If you want to lead great you must serve great!
Now, this is one that we usually all agree on because Jesus is SO clear in the gospel as He spoke to His disciples about being a great leader. He who wants to be the greatest among you must serve and be humble. True humility is the key because sometimes we can even serve with a selfish heart that wants to get noticed or is trying to work the "system" of if I serve than I will get exalted. It's not just about our actions of service but more about our heart of service. We must serve with out expectation of return. If we serve only if it benefits us or because someone important is going to see it then it's not true service and it's not true leadership. We always think of leadership as being over people but it is really way more about coming underneath people and pushing them up and forward. We need to have more of a desire to come along side and underneath people than to be over them. The word says do not lord "over" them as the Gentiles do but serve. Now I am not saying leaders shouldn't boldly and clearly lead. There are obviously times when we must take a clear lead but it should always be with a heart to see the ones under us succeed, grow, and released into their destiny as the next generation of leaders.
In this day we must see a generation of leaders that walk in true humility to see their own hearts dealt with and to be willing to lay down their lives completely for each other with no expectation of anything in return. I write this not from a place of feeling like I have attained it but I am first challenging myself and pressing towards the goal of continually becoming more like Jesus. So, I also challenge you today to not just hear and know these truths but to be a doer of these truths.
That's the way Jesus led and that's the way we are to lead!
That is true leadership and true greatness!
Monday, January 3, 2011
Motivated By Love
One thing that I desire for my life and for this emerging generation is that we live a life motivated by love. Now, first you have to understand that I am not talking about some romantic or fantasized view of love. I am talking about real, true, authentic love. Which can only come from and through knowing God. To know God is to know love.
The kind of love that I am talking about is not a feeling or an emotion but a CHOICE to walk in a self giving and self sacrificial way of life. A choice of love that we lay down our wants, desires, and personal longings for the people around us. Always esteeming each other over ourselves. That's the love that I am talking about. See the way that Jesus lived his life and the way the early church lived their lives wasn't really about the actions but about the motive. They were motivated from this place of true divine love for each other that then had an effect on their actions and the way they lived out their lives. So many times in the church we focus on trying to get all the outward actions in proper alignment but the motives of our hearts are in the wrong place and so we eventually get burned out or just give up because our hearts aren't really in that place of true love for one another.
As we are ministering here in Brussels, I see a generation of people that have no idea what true love is or looks like. They are motivated by their hurt, insecurities, lusts, and false realities of life. BUT GOD,! We have been seeing a great release of the Fathers love over the young people here in Belgium that is awakening their hearts to the reality of His love and purpose for their lives. They are getting saved, healed, and delivered. True freedom is coming to their hearts, minds, and emotions.
This excites me because I want to see a generation who have their hearts fully alive and awakened to God's love and see them walk in a life motivated for love, to love and by love!
We are seeing it happen!
The kind of love that I am talking about is not a feeling or an emotion but a CHOICE to walk in a self giving and self sacrificial way of life. A choice of love that we lay down our wants, desires, and personal longings for the people around us. Always esteeming each other over ourselves. That's the love that I am talking about. See the way that Jesus lived his life and the way the early church lived their lives wasn't really about the actions but about the motive. They were motivated from this place of true divine love for each other that then had an effect on their actions and the way they lived out their lives. So many times in the church we focus on trying to get all the outward actions in proper alignment but the motives of our hearts are in the wrong place and so we eventually get burned out or just give up because our hearts aren't really in that place of true love for one another.
As we are ministering here in Brussels, I see a generation of people that have no idea what true love is or looks like. They are motivated by their hurt, insecurities, lusts, and false realities of life. BUT GOD,! We have been seeing a great release of the Fathers love over the young people here in Belgium that is awakening their hearts to the reality of His love and purpose for their lives. They are getting saved, healed, and delivered. True freedom is coming to their hearts, minds, and emotions.
This excites me because I want to see a generation who have their hearts fully alive and awakened to God's love and see them walk in a life motivated for love, to love and by love!
We are seeing it happen!
