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Posts in category Christianity

The Cure for Self-Centeredness

Jan12
2012 Leave a Comment Written by Rick

Get on board with eDevotionals at EastLake Church by sending an email to edevotional@eastlakechurch.com.  You’ll get devotionals like mine below, Monday through Friday each week delivered right to your inbox.  The devotionals follow the theme of the weekend message, which you can find here.

Read:

Hebrews 10:24-25

Reflect:

When things get challenging, my wife likes to check on me with this question: “Besides me, who can you talk to about that?”

She knows me well.  She knows my tendency to try and handle things on my own.  She knows my want to be private.  She knows that I like to be self-reliant, dependent on no one.  She knows that I want to be the strong one, not burdening anyone – including her – with my problems.

She knows this about me because for years I was private, self-reliant, and strong, handling things on my own.  The strongest thing to do, I thought, was to involve no one in my burdens.  I appeared strong to others, yet choosing isolation turned my focus to myself.  That is, I became selfish.  I thought about my needs, my burdens, my desires, my stressors and what I could do myself to satisfy them.  That’s dangerous territory.

The cure for self-centeredness is connection with others.  That connection is found by getting out of your row and into a circle.  You find it by taking a risk and speaking first.  You find it through opening up in honest conversations.  You find it by talking about your goals and fears and struggles and joy and pain with people willing to do the same with you.  When you make these authentic connections, that’s when you get truly strong.  You were made for connection.

React:

Evaluate your connections.  Are you in a circle that allows you to be your honest self?  Are you in a circle at all?  If the answer is no, it’s time to take a risk and get in to a growth group.

Pray:

Father, I pray that You would bless me with growing friendships that honor you.

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Nutrition and Faith

Jan11
2012 Leave a Comment Written by Rick

The early results for this month’s nutrition experiment are looking good. Since January 1st, I’m down 6.5 pounds. There’s also some subtle measurement drops, most notably an entire inch of moobs. Beyond that, the spots of seborrhic dermatitis appear to be clearing up, but I’d say it’s too early to put it in the win column because I’ve had other times of it improving without trying anything.  Meanwhile, I had some thoughts:

On day one of any change in diet, I’ve always had the same experience thinking:

  • “There’s nothing to eat around here!”
  • “This is stupid.”
  • “This is too restrictive.”
  • “But, I don’t want to not have alcohol, or sugar, or (whatever I’m cutting out)

Then I start to justify why I should have the things I’m cutting out:

  • “It’s not that big of a deal.”
  • “I can handle it.”
  • “What difference does it make anyway?”

Then I remember why:

  • “I’m doing this to improve my health.”
  • “I’m doing this to take care of my body.”
  • “I’m doing this to be effective and strong.”

This nutrition experiment is no different.  I had the same thoughts, justifications, and realizations.  This time, however, as I searched the refrigerator to find something to eat that would match my new nutritional mindset, I thought about something different:

This is similar to what people go through when they make a decision for Jesus. Facing a changed life, there are thoughts about “Really? Never again?” and “But I like getting hammered with my friends” and justifications like “It’s just sex” and “A little hit of weed just keeps me sane” and the remembering whys like “I’m choosing to change out of heart of gratitude for Jesus’ sacrifice for me.”

Outsiders might call my way of eating too restrictive, and they might say the same about my faith. I choose to look at it in terms of freedom. I have absolute freedom to choose my actions, whether it’s how I eat or how I choose to act in relationship to my faith in Christ.

Posted in Health

Wisdom to Change

Nov12
2011 Leave a Comment Written by Rick

This EastLake Church eDevotional of mine came out on Thursday.  Enjoy!

Read: James 1:5 (NLT)

Reflect: Early on, working with my doctor to get to a diagnosis for occasionally crippling arthritic pain, I began to notice a relationship between what I consumed and when a flare-up would occur. For example, if I ate shellfish, I would have a flare-up. No big deal. I liked shrimp, but not more than pain, so I eliminated shellfish from my diet. Next, I began to recognize that alcohol did the same thing to me. I tried to mask the symptoms through a combination of doctor-prescribed medicines and home remedies. They helped, but didn’t completely work. My wife knew when I’d had drinks while out of town because I’d be limping off the plane.

Some years later, on a camping trip, I was sitting around the campfire with family. We told stories, laughed, and drank beer. I was halfway through my beer when I started to feel the joint pain digging in. It was cold, though, so I switched to hot coffee with a shot of liquor to stay warm. I went to sleep that night, only to wake up a few hours later in agony. I made a decision immediately to stop drinking.

I wish it had stopped there because, a few years later, I began to recognize in myself a relationship between sugar and my pain. I liked beer, and gave that up for the hope of being pain-free. Now I had to consider giving up sugar? It just wasn’t fair, but I gave it a shot. The experiment has turned out great so far, as I eliminated sugar, medications, and most important: the pain.

React: I gave up foods that I liked to eliminate physical pain. Consider what you’re currently allowing into your life. Where have you not wanted to make the connection between a difficulty you’re experiencing and your actions? Change is hard, but nothing happens until you start.

Pray: Lord, give me the wisdom to identify where I’ve been hurting myself and the courage and strength to make changes.

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The Hurdle of Giving

Nov09
2011 Leave a Comment Written by Rick

Last week, Pastor James Grogan talked about the hurdle of difficulty at EastLake Church.  (Check out Hurdles, Week 4 here) We’ve also been talking a lot about the Christmas Conspiracy, our yearly giving initiative that’s used to fund the different ways that we’re reaching out locally and globally.  Sometimes, difficulty and giving collide, so I explored that collision in one of our eDevotionals this week.

Read: Lamentations 3:22-24 (NLT)

Reflect: I’m pretty sure that if my wife and I had tracked every semi-significant expense we’ve ever had, those expenses have probably happened right before we needed to consider giving generously.

The family cars need service, from alignments to serpentine belts to simple regular maintenance. As if planned, the cars also have license tabs due at about the same time in February. And, the cars need smog certification this year. Braces and surgeries are coming up. We’re thankful for insurance, but there’s still a significant out-of-pocket expense. Mom and Dad are having their 60th wedding anniversary party in January. It’s not cheap to fly back home for a visit.

Christmas is coming. Giving toward Christmas Conspiracy initiatives is coming too.

If I look at circumstances alone, it feels like we’ve got nothing to give. After all, my family is the only responsible party for our expenses and everyone else could take on the additional giving. I want to say “I give up!” But I really won’t. God has always been faithful to us. God is faithful every time I take steps to be obedient to Him with my marriage, my time, my kids, and my finances. As Pastor James said this weekend, my right response needs to be rooted in trusting God’s promises, sticking with the ship, and doing what I can. That response plan has never failed me.

React: Giving, especially in the face of other expenses, can be a tremendous hurdle because it feels optional. I encourage you to pray the prayer below, and do what God is telling you to do.

Pray: Father, thank you for providing for me. As I consider my giving, above and beyond my tithe, I pray that you would remove fear, doubt, and selfishness so that I may follow through on what you ask of me.

Side note: If you would like to receive eDevotionals from EastLake Church, Monday through Friday via email, send your request to edevotionals@eastlakechurch.com

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Five Years Later

Nov06
2011 4 Comments Written by Rick

Every job I’d ever had was in the restaurant business.  I bussed tables at a buffet, I made pizzas at Chuck E. Cheese, I worked as a pantry cook at a fine dining restaurant, and at the dining hall at Washington State University.  I got my degree in Hotel and Restaurant Administration, then moved into a management career with Pizza Hut, moving from assistant manager to general manager to regional trainer to area manager.  I made a switch to Jack in the Box for a couple of years, then moved to San Diego to return to the pizza business.

Then I started attending EastLake Church.  I met one of the pastors after service and it turned out we were both from the Tacoma area.  Then I ran into him at the gym and we often ended up working out next to each other on the cardio equipment.  We started talking, and he learned that I had a good mind for business operations.  One day, he called me up and said that he had an opportunity for me at the church.  We sat down for lunch, talked through the specifics, and he placed the offer on the table. I committed the decision to prayer, and turned it down.

A year later, the role was still open, and I was asked to consider it again after some changes were made to the scope of the job as well as the compensation.  It was still a cut in pay, but reasonable.  It was still a cut in career growth potential, but worth exploring an entirely different path.  And this time when I prayed over it, instead of a clear “no”, I heard a “yes.”  I gave 2 weeks notice to my supervisor (who was also an EastLake Church member), and started off on a new adventure.

Five years later, I’m not rich beyond my wildest dreams, but I am rich with great friends, working relationships, and experiences.  I’m not growing in a high-flying corporate career, but I am growing in Christ.  I’m not leading an area of managers to maximize sales and profits, but I do team up with staff and volunteers to maximize our ability to reach people for Jesus.  And that’s all good.

 

 

 

 

Heart Check

Oct28
2011 Leave a Comment Written by Rick

I saw this question posted recently:

“What is the proper response when you go to church and come away feeling like the goal was to entertain?”

And it really pissed me off.

Why?  The question appears innocent, but it carries a subtle condemnation.  The question suggests that not only was there something wrong with the service, but also with the theology of the church leadership.  The question suggests that something bad was experienced, and that the asker has the answer.

I know, because I’ve been there.  I know, because I’ve carried the same self-righteous bullsh*t into a church service with me. I know, because I’ve thought that I knew what church should look like.  Heck, I’ve even been in my own church and felt the same way.  And I was completely wrong.

Carefully examining my own heart, I can find where I’ve substituted what I prefer for what is holy.  I can identify times when I judge a performance instead of enjoying His presence. I can see how I’ve turned away at a joke I didn’t like and haven’t turned my focus back to Him.

My answer to anyone who asks the question is to check your own heart.  What’s in there? Concerns about worship style are usually rooted in preference.  Try asking the question a different way:

“What is the proper response when you go to church and come away feeling like the goal was to bore people out of their minds?”

Sounds ridiculous, doesn’t it?

Could it be, then, that the goal of a church service is to bring the message of Jesus to people in a way suited to the style and strengths of the team that’s bringing it?  And, could it also be that a church using electric guitars, big screens, lighting packages, and a tattooed hipster pastor loves Jesus just as much as one that uses crusty old hymnals and a crusty old pastor?  And, could it also be that each church is likely to attract a different kind of person and they’re not wrong to use the style they’re gifted in?

So yeah, check your biases at the door so you can enjoy some time listening. If something annoys, offends, or bothers you about the church and it has nothing to do with essential elements of Christian faith, then the problem is with you.

 

 

 

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Test Results

Oct09
2011 2 Comments Written by Rick

“F*ck.”

That was the first word that came to mind when my wife told me her latest test results.  I didn’t actually say it, because I’m holy like that and my pastor/boss was in the room when I took the call.  But I clearly mouthed it.  And I said it out loud later in the privacy of my car when I drove home.  Maybe I’m not so holy after all.

There are several periods of agonizing wait as you wait for a medical team to help you figure out what’s wrong.  There’s the waiting for the specialist referral to clear insurance.  There’s the waiting to see the specialist because he’s so booked up with appointments.  There’s the waiting room at the office, then waiting again inside the exam room at the office.  Then there’s the waiting for testing like bloodwork, an MRI, a CT scan, or a test for cancerous cells. Worse yet, waiting for the results of the test.

Your mind races through the possibilities that could come from the test results. None of the possibilities are actually good, as in “You’re simply producing too much joy and happiness.”  Normally, test results have one of the following conclusions:

  • No answer revealed.  Back to the beginning.  More waiting.  Still in pain.
  • Answer revealed.  Problem doesn’t suck as much as it could have.  Solution is clear, and you get started on a recovery plan.  Still in pain, but at least improving.
  • Answer revealed.  Problem sucks exactly as much as it could have.  More specialist consults, no clear solutions.  Still in pain.

While it’s true that none of those things are good, they can all be used for good.

Check out what the Apostle Paul has to say about this in Romans 8:26-28 (The Message Translation):

“Meanwhile, the moment we get tired in the waiting, God’s Spirit is right alongside helping us along. If we don’t know how or what to pray, it doesn’t matter. He does our praying in and for us, making prayer out of our wordless sighs, our aching groans. He knows us far better than we know ourselves, knows our pregnant condition, and keeps us present before God. That’s why we can be so sure that every detail in our lives of love for God is worked into something good.”

God knows exactly where we’re at. God has sent His Holy Spirit to us as a helper, healer, counselor, and comforter. God makes prayers out of our aches, sighs, and groans. God takes our circumstances, our waiting, our pain and works them into good.

The key is in “our lives of love for God.” That’s where hope is found.

The bible reveals this hope in 2 Corinthians 12:7-10, as the Apostle Paul talks about a “thorn in the flesh” that he has asked God to take away, but hasn’t:

“Because of the extravagance of those revelations, and so I wouldn’t get a big head, I was given the gift of a handicap to keep me in constant touch with my limitations. Satan’s angel did his best to get me down; what he in fact did was push me to my knees. No danger then of walking around high and mighty! At first I didn’t think of it as a gift, and begged God to remove it. Three times I did that, and then he told me,

My grace is enough; it’s all you need.
My strength comes into its own in your weakness.

Once I heard that, I was glad to let it happen. I quit focusing on the handicap and began appreciating the gift. It was a case of Christ’s strength moving in on my weakness. Now I take limitations in stride, and with good cheer, these limitations that cut me down to size—abuse, accidents, opposition, bad breaks. I just let Christ take over! And so the weaker I get, the stronger I become.”

And that’s where my wife and I are at. Her latest test results revealed a spinal fluid leak as the cause of a pleural effusion as well as the cause of severe headaches and body aches. Her case is complex with the leak related to dural ectasia which is related to Marfan Syndrome.  Check out more of her story at her blog. So, in my quick list above of test results outcomes, this one is “Answer revealed.  Problem sucks exactly as much as it could have.  More specialist consults, no clear solutions.  Still in pain.”

But even through all that, we have Christ’s strength to move in and cover where we are weak. His grace is enough. His grace is all we need.

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Connected to the Source

Sep07
2011 Leave a Comment Written by Rick

If there’s one thing I’ve learned about computer diagnostics, it’s that you should always trace the cables.

Not long ago, I went to check out a call for a keyboard that wasn’t working.  I traced the USB cable from the keyboard all the way to the end, and found that it wasn’t plugged in to anything. I plugged it in, and it worked fine.

Last weekend, I got a call that every time a door was opened, the power went out on a computer.  The user checked to make sure that the plug was secure in the wall and on finding that it was, ordered the door to not be used.  I checked it out, and found that the plug was loose.  The problem? The user checked the wrong plug.

Beyond just shaking my head at how goofy these situations are, it got me thinking: How often do I neglect to trace my connections back to the Source when my life seems out of balance?

The truth is that I can get so focused on problems, that I can forget to answer the obvious question: Am I connected?

  • If I feel spiritually lost or empty, I need to check in on my personal reading and reflection on scripture.
  • If I feel like my wife and I aren’t clicking, I need to look at the last time we took a date night.
  • If I feel like I’m not making progress building friendships, I need to look at my effort toward meeting with friends for growth groups.
  • If I feel like I’m losing touch with projects, I need to look at my systems for follow-up.

Rule #1: Check your connections.

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Eat Smaller Bites

Small Bites of Nonsense