Perhaps obedience isn’t merely what most of us have always been taught it is–doing what someone tells you to do. Sure, that is a quite helpful and needed aspect of it, but it’s so much more.

Obedience means literally a thorough listening.

In Latin, ob audire, “to obey,” means to listen thoroughly. The Jewish tradition says, “to bare your ear.” In fact, in many, many forms, in many, many languages, the word for obedience is an intensive form of the word listening.

Think about this for a minute. How does this deepen all those Scriptures in which obedience is emphasized or commanded? Maybe, just maybe, God’s chief concern is not that His creatures keep all the rules, but that they listen to Him thoroughly.

Isnt that of much greater depth? For it is in listening thoroughly that we honor someone. And in an intensive listening we are taking in to ourselves the other. Whenever you truly listen with all your being, there is a transformation that takes place on the soul level that simply doesn’t happen by the mere outward, thoughtless doing of what someone tells you to do. Surely God, who created the universe, is deeper than that.

I believe that a thorough listening to God, if there is any desire for Him and a teachable spirit, will automatically result in doing what He says to do anyway. Of course it will not be perfect every time, but we will continue to be perfected as His grace meets our weakness.

Do you ever take time to actually listen to God? Through His creation, His Scriptures, His people, His Son, His Spirit?

If not, why not?

About halfway trough this 30 day fast from talking about anyone not in the room, I’ve noticed several things. First, as expected, a heightened awareness of just how much we talk about people. And with that, I have recognized how often I react to people with judgment. So much more than I want to admit.

But with this awareness came a revlelatory practice as a cleanser for the inside of my cup (Matthew 23:26). Whenever I feel the urge to talk about someone in any manner within even a thousand miles of negativity, or whenever I start to judge someone in my heart, I immediately pray a blessing over them and their day. I don’t fret over praying elegantly or with profundity, I just shoot up a simple prayer as quickly as I can from the moment the judgement surfaces.

“Lord, I pray a blessing over that guy in the red car.”

“God, please draw her closer to you today and bless her.”

BOOM.

Oh what this does for your heart! By refusing to verbalize (and therefore strengthen) any of the negativity, and counteracting it with a blessing, the heart begins to change toward that person. Toward all people. Your reactions become loving responses in more and more situations.

Thank you, Lord Jesus, for showing me this wonderful practice of peace toward others, for You, and for the molding of me into Your likeness.

Blessed, and sometimes painful, theosis!

Today is day one of a thirty day fast, an experiment if you will, from talking about anybody who is not in the room. And I mean good talk as well as bad–a total fast. Because even good talk can devolve so quickly and easily. So I’m going to cut it all, do a cleanse, and see what happens.

There will probably be some awkwardness in conversations, some uncomfortable silences, weird transitions…and, there will probably be a cut-off of the supply line of negative energy, gossip, complaining, as well as a reduction in anger and stress. I’m just guessing.

The inspiration for this fast came from listening again to Dietrich Bonhoeffer’s “Life Together.” In chapter four, under a heading The Ministry of Holding One’s Tongue, he states that “Often we combat our evil thoughts most effectively if we absolutely refuse to allow them to be verbalized.” I believe, in this case, that this is not just bottling everything up, but simply refraining from speaking evil of another (James 4:11-12). He goes on to say, “talking about others in secret is not allowed even under the pretense of help and goodwill.”

By the way, my fast includes people I don’t know and famous people. So please don’t try to talk to me about any politicians..!

Ok, here it goes. It’s been positive so far!

Don’t let any unwholesome words escape your lips. Instead, say whatever is good and will be useful in building people up, so that you will give grace to those who listen.  ~Ephesians 4:29

My theory is that after the thirty days I will find that it is indeed helpful to have one or two trusted people with whom I can share concerns and who will keep me honest. We need to be kept honest, for there is “seeking wise counsel”, and then there’s just complaining and whining. Also, if I have a real concern for someone, I probably don’t need to share with seventeen different people.

Much of maturation is, somewhat ironically, more ridding than adding–the ridding of one’s self of inhibitors, more than the adding of virtues.

The other day, Zayra was looking for her school pants in the laundry basket, and after a matter of a few seconds, claimed, “They’re not in here.” (Fortunately, this only happens 400 times a month.) I then coached her to start removing items from the basket one by one until she sees what she’s  looking for. Seven seconds later: “Found ’em!”

Shocking.

In order to see something, whatever is obstructing it’s view must be cast aside.

I believe this to be the issue much of the time in our spiritual life. Most all of us have plenty in the way of information, doctrine, and even answers to prayer. Yet we still lack faith. We fail to trust. Why?

A significant portion of the time, I feel our view of Jesus is blocked. Blocked by the cares of this world. Blocked by Facebook. Blocked by Netflix. Blocked by SportsCenter. By people doing things we don’t like (that’s a big one for me). By bad habits. By gossip. By politics, news, meaningless discussions, and sometimes…church. I’ve been to many a Sunday services in which I actually felt distracted from God. Weird.

In a word, we are blocked from seeing God by attachments.

Much of what the Christian mystics have written of over the centuries is detachment. The more we possess, the more that possesses us, because there will be more that requires, at least on some level, our attention. And this is not merely material goods, though it is not less than that.

Habits of actions and thoughts can have their hooks in us so much so that they steal much of our focus everyday–focus that could be extended toward Jesus, toward the Holy Spirit speaking and working, toward those around us in great need spiritually, physically, and emotionally.

The more we can remove, the less there will be that will have a chance to greedily grab our focus each day. Then, the more energy we will have available for the One who deserves our full attention.

A few weeks ago I was reading the liturgy for the day, and the NT reading came from Paul’s first letter to Timothy, the first chapter. I was so taken with it! For the past five years or so, I have immersed myself in the four gospel accounts, and it has been richly fulfilling and needed. Therefore, reading Paul again was fresh to me. And this letter to his guy Timothy resonated with me deeply and immediately.

Here’s verses three and four from the New Living Translation which really struck me:

When I left for Macedonia, I urged you to stay there in Ephesus and stop those whose teaching is contrary to truth. Don’t let them waste their time in endless discussion of myths and spiritual pedigrees. These things only lead to meaningless speculations, which don’t help people live a life of faith in God.

Amen!

In this age of information overload, I am so often bombarded, it feels, with invitations to meaningless discussions. As my daughter Gabriela says, “It’s driving me to the nuts!” I can’t do it. Life is too short. There’s too much meaning in the universe to take the time to talk about ridiculosity that does not lead to love, to God.

I like how one commentary on I Timothy states, “The danger seems at first a simple one: wasting time. Avoid godless chatter, he says, and focus on the really important things, such as the gospel of Jesus Christ…What exactly is ‘godless chatter?’…Godless chatter is talk that doesn’t have as either its content or goal the promotion of the gospel of Jesus Christ. In other words, what Paul is recommending is that our talk be ‘partisan’ in the best sense of the word–that we never waste time in simple critique of false teaching, critique that doesn’t go anywhere. No, Paul wants us always to talk in terms of the gospel.”

So with regard to talk of a spiritual nature, let’s make sure it has a point, and that that point is the gospel of Jesus Christ, of living a life of faith, the promotion of love, of God Himself. If you wanna talk baseball stats, I can talk all day long. No rules, no worries there. But if we’re gonna talk religion on any level, I’m gonna hold you to gospel purity.

I’ve had a friend who likes very much to criticize the same Christian author over and over, year after year. Stop. Enough. It’s pointless. It’s boring.Yawn fest. Who cares? Not this guy. Or some I know at the gym and elsewhere who love to go off politically. Let me tell you something, you do that with me and I will always ask you two things: 1) How’s your prayer life, and how much are you praying for these politicians you love to slam? and 2) What do you feel God is personally calling you to politically? In other words, what is God calling you to do about what you’re complaining about, because I have a sneaky suspicion that it’s not to complain about it.

Pray and do something.

Ok, that’s enough for today. I may spend some time over the next weeks unpacking some of I Timothy because I love doing that, and there’s much to glean and understand from this letter.

Blessings!

I just returned this week from my 13th semi-annual hiking trip out west, my third in a row to Colorado. It was magical yet again, and it seems YHWH always teaches me something profound when I am out in His glorious creation, distraction-free. Yet this trip, He showed me something before we even got out of the Denver Airport, before we got close to setting foot on a trail in the mountains.

After deboarding, we made our way to baggage claim #5 to retrieve our suitcases. There were four of us on this trip; one dude didn’t check a bag, and the other two saw their bags fairly early. (I always have this slight, back-of-my-mind feeling that my bag will be lost, but I remembered saying to the guys that it’s nice to have a direct flight since there’s very little chance of your bag going missing.)

Still waiting.

Looking.

Down to two bags going round and round.

Oh man, this is happening. My suitcase is not here. I could keep staring at these two other bags go around, holding out hope they will birth mine on one of their laps, but my bag is not here.

OK, deep breath. This is alright. The guys all went to the bathroom and to check on where to go for the rental car, so I had no one to hold me at this point. I went to the Southwest office to report my bag not making it. They said I could look at the heavy bag area as sometimes they take a bit longer. And since I packed a full 96 ounces of peanut butter for the trails, my bag was kind of up there in poundage.

Wait.

Look.

Nothing.

Besides my heavenly peanut butter, my $275 hiking boots I’ve had for eight years and seven trips were in there, as well as a myriad of other precious belongings, like my brand new hydro flask I was so nerdily excited to use. But I was psyching myself up~”I technically have everything I need on me to hike and have a good time. I will not let this ruin the trip.”

The dudes had come back by this point, and couldn’t believe my suitcase didn’t show. We could only figure someone grabbed it by mistake since it’s one of those black nondescript suitcases. And I had made the dumb mistake of putting my home phone number on the little tag as opposed to my cell number, acting like someone may find out I’m a spy or something so I better give vague information.

It had been long enough, and I decided to go back to the office and report my bag as missing, hoping it would turn up soon so I could get it before the trip was over.

Then, I had this thought: “Isn’t it possible that it got put on the wrong baggage claim carriage?” I mean, humans are prone to error. So right before walking to fill out my report, I decide to take a look over at baggage claim #4, next to the one (#5) where my bag was suppose to be.

And I see a black nondescript suitcase.

A little hopeful, I walked closer. That bag came around the turn as I approached, and it did indeed look like mine, bulging out the front from all that peanut butter. I picked up my pace, to a slow trot/gallop, and as I got to the bag that looked like mine, I grabbed that little tag to read “Robert Pallikan.” Oh glory! Elation filled my desperate little heart! So much pain and inconvenience was just averted. It was on the wrong conveyor.

And off we went…!

So, a few days later, we had a nice, slow morning. I was blessed with some time to myself in the room to meditate and pray. In reflection, the Holy Spirit spoke this to me:

What you’re looking for isn’t always where you’re looking. Sometimes it’s where you think you’re not suppose to look.

That’s one of those thoughts I can ruminate on for the rest of my days. Instead of expounding on what it meant to me, I will leave that with you to discover how it might mean something to you right now or in the future.

May our good Lord, who is full of mercy, richly bless you this day.

This morning I came across this great working definition of a disciple or apprentice  as “simply someone who has decided to be with another person, under appropriate conditions, in order to become capable of doing what that person does or to become what that person is.”

This seems to finely encapsulate what an apprentice is quite succinctly.

So….

Would you say that you are a disciple or apprentice of Jesus?

Have you decided to become a teachable student of the living Christ in order to become capable of doing what He would do if He were living your life now?

Hebrews 12:1

What we must do is this: we should remove from our lives anything that gets in the way, and the sin that easily distracts.

What is your greatest spiritual distraction?

What most takes your focus off God?

What do you do about it?

What, if removed from your life, would give you more freedom to be at peace?

To lock eyes with You

The blurring of all else

The fuzziness of not-You.

“Shoulds” dissipate

now nothingness

as focus sharpens

on only-You.

There is none else.

Above…beyond

is clear.

Love unconditional

wells up, springs forth

as that which is seen so quickly and easily,

with cheap glance and labor but minuscule

is filtered to the below, away

hamstrung of its power to distract

from now.

All that remains

Purity

Lasting

Reality

You

in Everything

Forever.

We are told that as Christian, we must glorify God in everything we think, say, and do. At times it can be hard to understand what that means or how to do it. We want things for ourselves. We want people to tell us how great they think we are. But, what is the point? What is the point of getting people’s appreciation? All we need is God’s appreciation and love. We are supposed to glorify God, not ourselves. We need to open our selves up to Him. He is our majestic, all-powerful, wonderful God.

Sometimes it can be hard to find a way to glorify Him when you are doing certain things. But there is always a way. You don’t even always have to look for it yourself. God can bring people to you. He wants us to glorify him by looking for ways to help His people. It’s like the Bible explains: If we encourage our neighbor, we encourage God. If we support our brother, we are supporting God. If we love our enemies just as we love our family, we are loving God. We can glorify Him just by being open to His guidance and love and power.

God’s glory is not something that we should just talk about or pay attention to whenever we feel like it. It’s not about us or about when we feel like doing just because. It is all about God and His glory. We should do everything we do in His name. We should boast about Him, not ourselves. We should praise Him, not ourselves. We should honor Him and everything He does, not ourselves and whatever it is that we do. Glorifying God in all we think, say, and do is so important, and not as hard as you might think. We must simply look for ways to do things that praise His name, honor His word, and glorify what He stands for.

GABRIELA