Election Shmelection.

 

So, as a social studies teacher I spend a lot of time studying politics. Those things that many people find annoying and boring excite me and make me amazingly proud to be an American.

This election cycle has been long, involved, sometimes ugly, and extremely important. I feel in my bones that our nation is at a huge crossroads and one simple push in one direction or the other can take us down a path we were never meant for. I pray constantly for the issues which our nation faces. Everything from the lives of innocent babies being protected to the sanctity of marriage to the financial future of my family.

The other evening I was privileged to be a part of an event called Re:Turn, a focused time of prayer, fasting, and worship for our nation. You see, we believe our nation was set up as a lampstand for almighty God. We also believe that our nation, and especially our churches, have started paying more attention, to quote a friend of mine, to “what happens in the white house, instead of what happens in God’s house.”

I am praying and calling others to pray for our nation and for the elections. My desire would be to see leaders elected that would honor righteousness and have a heart to know the Lord. But make no mistake, the hope of our nation does not rest on the platform of a political party, or on the shoulders of any candidate for president, or vice president for that matter. The hope of our nation is found only in the person of the Three in One, holy God and in His people walking as sons and daughters of righteousness.

At this gathering, I heard some words which touched my heart and I found an instant peace about the election.  The words were…

“Every king or ruler who has ever sat upon a throne on this earth did so only at God’s choosing.”  You see, God is still in control. God still reigns on high and his purposes shall come to pass. We spend all of our time worrying about taxes, spending, congress and the Supreme Court and forget that the SUPREME being is still in charge.

Take heart, family. If we pay attention to God’s laws and God’s standards and God’s words then we will be more than ok…we will be uplifted and sanctified.

I invite you to visit the page of Re:Turn, because we have started focusing on making it a movement, rather that an event. Too often an amazing spiritual event takes place and the peope of God immediately go off and do something else and forget what God has told them. It’s like we get our spiritual appetizer, and leave the table before we get the main course. God has so much more in store for us than a one day, 4 or 5 or 13 hour feast on His spirit and word. He desires to see his call and spirit spread to every corner of the world. He desires to see His body RADICALLY changed and pouring out upon others.

Election?  Who cares.   Revival?  YES

Why Are We So Easily Bored?

 

I’ve been thinking recently about how easily we get bored. Have you ever really thought about it? As Americans we have so much stuff—video games, DVDs, iPods, iPhones, instant messaging, Chipotle, Starbucks, Graeter’s Ice Cream (it’s the best), NFL, NBA, MLB, WWF, hundreds of MySpace and Facebook friends. The list goes on and on. We’ve got all this stuff, and stuff to do, but we are so easily bored! 

What’s up with that?

C.S. Lewis in his book, “Mere Christianity,” said, “If I find in myself a desire which no experience in this world can satisfy, the most probable explanation is that I was made for another world.” 

Wow! That’s a powerful statement to me for two reasons. 

First, it tells me that we were created with deep longings and desires that simply will not go away. As men and women, there is a place within our souls that longs for true excitement and lasting fascination. We can’t escape this. The human race longs deeply to be fascinated with something bigger than itself. That’s why boredom is painful. We try to fill this yearning with stuff that never satisfies for long.

Stop and think about it. What drives the entertainment industry? Why do people pay $9 to be lost in a movie for a couple hours? Or why do people base jump off buildings and bridges thousands of feet off the ground? Why do people risk their marriages and careers for illicit affairs? The human race is starved for excitement, beauty, and adventure. Where can we find it?

The second thing about Lewis’ quote that impacts me is that he points us to God as the ultimate satisfaction to our longings and desires. Saint Augustine agreed. He put it this way: “You [God] made us for yourself and our hearts are restless until they rest in you.” 

Some people might think it’s trite, or even a cop out, to claim that God is the ultimate satisfaction to our boredom and restlessness. Perhaps it’s just a unavoidable part of being human.

Consider how Jesus described the Kingdom of God in Matthew 13:44:

The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again, and then in his joy went and sold all he had and bought that field.

I don’t know about you, but this little story makes me miserable—in a good kind of way. It makes me realize that there is so much more to Jesus than what I’ve settled for, or what many churches offer. When the man in the story discovered the hidden treasure, what did he do? First he is overcome with joy. Did you get that? No, really, let that sink in. This man felt a profound delight and joy in the treasure he discovered. His primary response was not duty, obligation or teeth-gritting discipline. He was overcome by a profound joy! For crying out loud, isn’t this what we’re all looking for? Isn’t this the answer to our boredom? 

Next, the man (in his joy) liquidated all of his assets to buy the field. Why? Because the value of the treasure was far superior to everything else he held dear.

How do you assess the value of something? Is it not by how much delight and pleasure you gain from it? Is it not by the intensity and quality of joy it brings to your heart? Author Sam Storms has said, “Pleasure is the measure of your treasure.” Dang, that’s true, isn’t it?

You and I were made to search for and find a superior treasure in Christ. Jesus offers us everlasting pleasure, joy and delight, but we have failed to discover it! He offers us a gourmet feast and we are content to snack on junk food! Jesus is like the breath taking Grand Canyon, or the wonderous Northern Lights, but we cannot lift our eyes from our handheld, electronic devices long enough to take in His beauty.

God unashamedly invites us to find our deepest satisfaction in Him. Just consider how He appeals to our desires in Psalm 34:8, “Taste and see that the Lord is good!” Or what about Psalm 16:11, “In your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures evermore.” 

Fullness of joy? Pleasures evermore? What kind of God is this? What have we been missing?

The clincher for me is found in John 7:37 when Jesus stands up in the middle of crowd of people and unashamedly says, “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink . . .” Enough said. I’m going drinking!

A Prayer
Jesus, I bring my heart to you. I’m thirsty. I’m hungry. I long to be satisfied and filled with what the Bible says are “Pleasures evermore.” I want to taste and see your goodness. I want to drink in more of You! Oh, quench my thirst. I’m sorry for trying to satisfy my boredom through worthless things. Let my boredom repeatedly bring me to You, and then may I discover in You a superior joy, delight and treasure that causes everything else to pale in comparison.