Archive for the 'Simplicity' Category

18
Jun

as a tiger thinks in his heart

By couch 2 Comments
Categories: Simplicity and revelation

The Bible has something very interesting to say in Proverbs 23:7 - "For as a man thinks in his heart, so is he." (NKJV)

Monday afternoon I was with my other parents (Jenny’s) in San Marcos taking a small respite after a long morning to watch the US Open Golf Tournament reach its dramatic conclusion. If your not familiar with it, Tiger Woods and Rocco Mediate tied for the first four rounds and needed a fifth on Monday to crown this year’s champion. I don’t often watch sports, but I would have to say that the 30 minutes I watched was probably some of the best sports I have ever seen. Back and forth the two players went, with amazing shots under huge pressure. 24,000 came out to watch those two lone players battle it out, and with great grace they did, Tiger Woods finally emerging victorious.

As I sat there with Jen and her parents, a commercial came on from Nike. First let me say that I am a huge fan of Nike commercials, I think they are (for what I’ve seen) very well done. This one featured old video clips of Tiger Woods and his father Earl Woods. In the voice-over, Earl Woods, who has since passed from this life, talked about how he would coach his son in his youth. He talked about various techniques he would use to keep Tiger focused, and how he would constantly challenge him to be better. There was one statement, however, that really hit me - at first it struck me as ridiculous.

Earl said, "I would tell Tiger - ‘Tiger, I promise you you’ll never meet another person that is as mentally tough as you the rest of your life’." What? Can you imagine making that statement to anyone, much less your own son? How can anybody know that? The statement seems ludicrous.

But to this day - the legitimacy of that statement has rung true. Time after time, the man Tiger Woods has overcome in countless pressure situations to become arguably one of the greatest golfers, if not one of the greatest athletes, of all time. And how does he have it in him?

Simple - he has always believed what his father told him. And so he has thought in his heart, so he is.

How did Earl Woods know what to say over his son? He most likely didn’t. He just believed in him and developed what was in him with words of affirmation and life. The power of life and death are in the tongue, and Tiger’s father spoke into him identity, encouragement, and strength - and his success today is due to the simple fact that he has believed it. Of course, there are long hours of practice and performance, but none of those would even be possible nor worthwhile if it weren’t for his Father’s words to spur him on in good times and bad.

Oh that we as the church would believe what our Father says about us. Its’ the only way for us to be what He’s purposed us to be. Simple? Not really. Powerful? We had better believe it.

05
Jul

Simplicity: The Power to do Good

By couch 0 Comments
Categories: Simplicity

Lately I’ve felt the Lord trying to simplify my Christian life. Bringing things back the original, most necessary, main and plain things that must be the horse before I can ever get to the cart. We, especially in the West, have made the Christian life so complicated, that I’m searching the Scriptures to find simplicity. That word is taken from 2 Cor. 11:3, where Paul talks about the simplicity of the gospel, which is devotion to Christ. Devotion to Christ seems to be the vehicle of the entirety of the rest of the Christian life. This blog series, entitled “A Terrible Thievery”, is mostly my journey in understanding all that distracts and steals from me the simplicity of devotion to Christ. If you haven’t already, please read the first post below before this one.

Now, some brief thoughts this morning on what else is missing when Christ isn’t the head, or isn’t given first place or preeminence in our focus as the people of God. Since I have no ability to obtain righteousness by the law, then I also have no ability to obtain sanctification merely by the outward practices of God’s Word (Galatians 5). However, Christ in me is more than sufficient to will and to work according to His good pleasure (Phil 2:13) the inward and outward deeds that are pleasing to Him. He in me, is my only hope of Christ-likeness, or “being spiritual”, or “having God’s heart”, or “not being an American Christian”, or “being Godly”.

Jesus said “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled.” (Matt 5) We hunger and thirst for righteousness by hungering and thirsting for Christ, who is righteousness. However, He isn’t just a stagnant righteousness, but an active righteousness that empowers, frees, and strengthens according to its’ own kind. Therefore the more I know Christ, the more I am inspired to understand His power to work through me the “Godly life” He desires, and therefore walk in it! The “Godly life” that we all desire and preach, is only obtained through personally knowing Christ. Even Jesus’ said that He spoke and did nothing apart from what He saw the Father speaking and doing (John 5, 8). Even Christ’s outward perfection was empowered by His living, abiding relationship with the Father, and His understanding of who He is!

How crucial is it therefore that we understand who He is! Peter says it this way  -

“His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness.” 2 Pet. 1:3

What an incredible statement! Knowing Christ is accessing the very power we need for life and godliness. Beloved of God, let’s get to know Him, for that is our eternal life! (John 17:3; John 6:36; John 7:37-39)