Humility on the Potter's wheel

It's seven months into the year and if you're like most people, your new year’s resolutions have long disappeared into thin air. Unless you're like me.

Every year, instead of making pointless new year’s resolutions about how I'm going to start working out every day, eat healthier, or go to sleep at 9 pm (instead of 1 am), I do something a bit different. I take some time to analyze myself and see what areas of my character need polishing (or major reconstruction!) and I choose one of these areas to work on that year. It's kind of like taping a sticky note to my brain for a year.

Then, throughout the year, I pray that God teaches me this character trait.

Last year, I asked God to teach me compassion. This year, I asked God to teach me humility.

And let me tell you, I sure got what I asked for! These past few months have been the most humbling months of my life.

Let me be completely honest. I like to be in the center of attention. I like when people compliment me, praise me for being good at such and such, and I like feeling powerful and important. But, I also recognize how this can quickly cause me to be proud, arrogant, and self-seeking.

Well God has been working on me lately, chiseling away the pride, the arrogance, the selfishness and bringing about obedience and humility. He put me in situations over which I had no control.

First it was the end of a relationship that I thought had a lot of potential. Then it was the lack of direction after graduation. Then it was a job in which I had to decide what was more important- how others see me or how God sees me. Then it was the complete uncertainty of unemployment and a quickly deprecating savings account. It was seeing my little sister get married, it was realizing my parents had shifted priorities, and it was eventually feeling like I had nothing and I was nothing.

All I had was God and I held on to Him for dear life.

This brings me to the Word, where Paul writes in 2 Corinthians, “We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body.”

You see, no matter what lows we are experiencing in this life, it will never come to a point where Jesus says, “Ok, this is a dead end. You have no way out.”

As Paul writes, we will not be abandoned or destroyed. Isn’t that reassuring?

What’s even more reassuring is that it is in and through these tough seasons of life that Jesus is most revealed in us!

As clay in the hands of a potter, our character gets pressed down, molded and shaped into a vessel that suits the potter. A vessel that reflects the creativity and craftsmanship of the creator.

So let me ask you, are you willing to be pressed down, crushed, and reduced to nothing? Are you willing to let go and let God? Are you willing to become the masterpiece that God is preparing for His good works?

If you are willing, let me challenge you to pray this prayer, “Lord, I acknowledge my pride, my selfishness and my desire to be in control of my life. I realize that if I hold on to these things, all I will ever become is a lump of clay, hard and useless. So Lord, I give myself into your hands - to be molded into a vessel for your glory, even if it means going through seasons of uncertainty, loneliness and darkness. Teach me obedience and humility along the way so that I may be transformed to reflect less of me and more of You.”

Unified in Christ/ Passion 2011

I recently got another apportunity to go to the Passion Conference in Atlanta, GA. I went last year and I had such an amazing experience there that I knew I needed to come back. So the minute registration for Passion 2011 opened (9 months before the actual event!), I got my ticket. And I'm glad I did!

Let me tell you a little about Passion. Passion Conferences were started by Louie Giglio and a small group of others who wanted to see a spiritual awakening come to the nation's college campuses. What started as a small one-day event grew into a global movement. God is using Passion to speak to the hearts and minds of thousands of college students each year. I am one of them.

What really stood out to me this time is the unity between the very diverse students present at the conference. I mean, there were all kinds of kids there. Nerdy kids. Kids with mohawks. Kids with tattoos. There was even a group of people who looked like they were Amish. And yet, all of these people had one goal in mind: to praise the name of Jesus! It was beautiful.

Speaking of unity, I got to see one especially memorable moment. After one of the sessions, while everyone was already heading out, one guy walked up to the stage. With arms raised high and tears streaming down his face, he continued to praise Jesus even though the music stopped and the stage was empty. Not much later, another guy walked up and simply held up the first guy's arm. Soon, another student came up and held up the guy's other arm. Together, the three of them stood still, arms held high in worship. Seeing these three probably complete strangers holding on to each other and worshiping God together filled me with awe. I sat there in my seat and just wept.

These kinds of moments really define the heart and pupose of Passion. It's not just a conference or a concert. It's a movement that unifies Christians and empowers them to go back to their cities, their families, and their universities and spread the Good News. It's all about knowing Christ and making him known. Together.

Photo by Yana Yaroshevich.

Sweeping the dust off

To everyone who is still my loyal friend and keeps up with my blog, rest assured. I have not abondoned you. The past few months have been busy so the blog got a bit dusty. Hopefully, I'll be a little more consistent this time around.

There are a few blog posts that will be up soon.
Check back.

Her eyes they tell me of great grief
And sorrow fills her brow
But as her eyes meet mine they see
Something worth smiling for

This smile is genuine I know
For life's been tough on her
But as that smile it fills her eyes
I catch a glimpse of hope

It makes me wonder
What it may be that she sees in me
Is this the only smile she's got
Ever since life went awry

Or is it Christ that shines in me
Telling her to hold on
That life's not over and its true
Greater things are still to come

I do not know what my smile did
As she looked into my eyes
She drove away and all I could see
Is a yellow cab, a smiling girl
With sorrow far away

Do you ever specifically set your alarm clock an hour earlier in the morning just to have more time reading the Bible?

I do that once in a while- but it doesn't always end up the way I hoped it would. If you're at all like me, it's mornings like this that the

snooze button becomes your best friend.

The awesome part is that God has the power to transform rushed and hectic mornings into profound revelations about him.

Let me explain.

A few days ago, I was having one of these hard-to-get-out-of-bed days. But, I made up my mind that no matter how late I might be, I'm still going to spend a few minutes reading my Bible. I opened up to Revelations and a few underlined words really caught my eye. In almost each chapter of the book, I had the word "overcomes" underlined with a bold black pen.

It really got me thinking about what "overcoming" meant to me. Once I read all the verses together, a beautiful tapestry of promises was woven into my heart.

I was taken away by the remarkable promises that God made to those who overcame! Yes, overcoming is difficult- no matter what it is we're overcoming. But, God wants us to know that there is a reward for those who do overcome.

Here are the promises God has for you:

"To him who overcomes, I will give the right to eat from the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God." (2:7)

"He who overcomes will not be hurt at all by the second death." (2:11)

"To him who overcomes, I will give some of the hidden manna. I will also give him a white stone with a new name written on it, known only to him who receives it." (2:17)

"He who overcomes will, like them (those who have not soiled their clothes), be dressed in white. I will never blot out his name from the book of life, but will acknowledge his name before my father and his angels." (3:5)

"Him who overcomes I will make a pillar in the temple of my God. Never again will he leave it. I will write on him the name of my God and the name of the city of my God, the new Jerusalem, which is coming down out of heaven from my God; and I will also write on him my new name." (3:12)

"To him who overcomes, I will give the right to sit with me on my throne, just as I overcame and sat down with my Father on his throne." (3:2)

Now I am no theologian, but, I can tell that these are some powerful statements! Especially that last promise... God gives us the right to sit on Christ's throne! Can you believe it?

I was simply in awe of God when I read all these verses. God is willing to give me the most beautiful of treasures and the most honorable of priveledges! Who am I to deserve such things?

That led to revelation number two. I realized that to be granted these promises, I had to overcome. That means overcoming my bad habits, my sinful desires, my temptations, and all the other things the world throws at me.

As I analyzed myself and my overcoming failures and successes, I realized I've failed more than I've overcame. Although this was a hard bit to swallow, I knew I had to turn to God for strength to overcome in the future.

Alone, I am nothing. With Him, I can do anything.

What about you? Are you an overcomer?

Or is the snooze button still calling your name?

Good morning Lord
How are you doing?
The world's on hold
The coffee's brewing

Just you and me
The morning still
I come to You
To get my fill

Your Word is sweet
It leads me on
This world is harsh
But I hold on

Without you, Lord
I'm incomplete
So bless me God
In today's feat

I need Your peace
To live in me
And grant me eyes
So I may see

Where I can serve
And praise Your name
That all I do
Would bring You fame

I want to see
The world in need
So that my words
Can plant the seed

I want Your heart
To live in mine
And that through me
Your light would shine

All this I pray
In Jesus name
For its through Him
I'm not the same

He gave me life
And this I know
Each day's a gift
To me bestowed

That's why I'm here
Before Your throne
Before the sun
It's rays has shown

My mug is empty
But I'm filled
In awe of You
My heart is still

This moment here
Will get me through
This day ahead
Just me and You

A few days ago I had a really great conversation with my dad.

We talked about everything. Our dreams. Our ambitions. Our perspectives. Eventually we got on the subject of church and ministry.

In Ukrainian, pastors, deacons and preachers are called "slyzhutelya," meaning "those who serve." Well, it got me thinking.

What does serving really mean?

When we put on our best suit and tie and preach in front of a congregation, is that serving? When we do our hair and make-up and sing in the choir or worship group, is that serving?

It seems all too easy. The fact of the matter is these things are actually profitable for us. We are often praised for our great voice, our preaching and teaching skills, and our good looks. Because we're up on stage where everyone sees us, we also gain recognition and possibly popularity.

But is that what serving is all about?

The Bible gives us several good examples of servanthood. The one that stands out the most is the story of the Good Samaritan. Unlike the other travelers on the road to Jericho, the Samaritan saw the need of the wounded man and filled it. It's that simple.

The Samaritan did what was necessary and was not afraid to get down and dirty. In fact, he gave the beat-up dude superior treatment and even payed for his hotel stay!

Did he need to do that? No. Could he have walked by like the rest of the folks? Sure. But, what makes the Samaritan different from the other guys is that he served unconditionally and compassionately. Not because he had to, but because he wanted to.

Serving means helping people without expectation of anything in return. It means being ready to get your hands dirty, and sometimes even the new suit (or dress). It means putting others before yourself. And, not caring if anyone sees you.

Don't get me wrong. I have nothing against preachers or worship leaders. In fact, I value their ministry and their talents. I just think tasks we often call "serving" are actually obligations and responsibilities.

It reminds me of the Michael W. Smith song where the lyrics say, "I give you more than a song. For a song in itself is not what you have required."

So think about it. Do you have what it takes to serve unconditionally?

Are you willing to pull over and change a flat tire for that little old lady on the side of the street (even if you're wearing a crisp white shirt)? Are you willing to hug the homeless kid (who hasn't taken a shower for weeks)? Are you willing to give away your lunch (knowing you'll be hungry for the rest of the day)?

Or is your definition of "serving" something that serves YOU more than anyone else?

Think about it.