"...Heaven in the Here and Now." - Andy Holt

Andy Holt blew my mind in his blog post today. There were a ton of great points but this is the one that spoke to me the loudest:

"You are invited, not simply to heaven when you die, but to the depths of God’s presence today—which is, in fact, heaven in the here and now."

A single statement with immeasurable application. I'll mention a couple points that resonate with me.

1. It's easy to forget that we don't have to be dead to be in God's presence. This is obvious if viewed in a metaphorical sense. However, if you think about it in a very literal sense, it's an amazing point. God has invited us to be in his presence through a direct relationship NOW. Why wait until we die to realize the value of being in God's presence? I should be taking joy in this reality TODAY.
2. "...heaven in the here and now." I love the choice or words here. He didn't say "it's great." He said it's "heaven!" Again, thinking about this literally, our relationship with God should give us so much joy that we get a little taste of heaven here on earth. I can't say I've ever felt that way but I'm going to pursue this type of connectivity to God.

It's about Availability not Ability When it Comes to My Relationship with God

I realized today that being raised in the church is both a blessing and a curse. As I've been dealing with the issues I have in my life, all of them keep pointing to God as the solution. I understand that and agree that he is the solution. However, I've never had to put any effort into having a relationship with God. Growing up, the system of church and youth group my parents put me into built my relationship with God. Then I went to a Christian college for 4 years where the system kept me close to God. When I graduated college and left these faith systems, I quickly fell away from God.

It's been 7 years and I've been in and out of my faith in God many times. Some years I cursed him and refused his love. Some years I clung to him and relied on him for hope. Ultimately though, I've always come back to the understanding that I believe in God and want him to guide my life but wasn't sure how to truly make that happen.

Today I spoke to my friend, Ryan, about this struggle to be in a true relationship with God. I asked him how he keeps his faith so strong and I got my money's worth from his response.

He drew this diagram...

This image illustrates my "position" in Christ. It shows that once I became a Christian, the Bible says that I am IN Christ. Nothing I can do at that point can change my position in Christ. God now views me through Jesus Christ who died to purify and connect me to God. So, that's all good!

Then he drew the next diagram...

This diagram illustrates that Christ is also in ME. However, this is my "condition" and unlike my "position" in Christ, Christ's "condition" in me is ever changing. There are 5 "means of growth" that help grow Christ's presence in me...

1) Pray

2) Spend time reading the bible

3) Hang out with other Christians

4) Serve - Volunteer

5) Suffer

The more of these things that engage me, the more likely Christ's presence inside of me is to expand and eventually, this expansion will change the way I think, act, feel, walk and talk. I'll start to resemble Jesus in a very organic way.

My first reaction to this was, "okay... I need to get to work and do these things." Ryan was quick to point out that this isn't about what I do though. Yes, I have to take steps and make an effort but letting Christ grow inside of me is not about my "ability." It's about my "availability." I think I understand this but will need to think more about it.

Ultimately though, I know my idols have to change and I have to find my self-worth in God and not in my accomplishments. Until today, I was under the impression that I had to draw close to God and change my view/perspective on money and how I view myself. Now I realize that I just have to make myself "available" to God and he'll do the rest.

Ryan summarized this understanding with a famous sermon titled, "The expulsive power of a new affection."

In other words, I won't be able to "change" myself through my abilities which was exactly my first reaction. I have to let God grow his presence in my life through an increase in availability and that will remove my reliance on worldly achievements to give my life meaning.

I'm Already Dead

A few weeks ago, Andy Holt, a pastor at Heritage Christian Church in Westerville, Ohio spoke about agape love referencing 1 John Chapter 4.

He pointed out that the word agape in the Greek is actually meant to define the kind of love that is sacrificial. As in “laying down your life” for someone you love. This is the type of love Jesus demonstrated for us and is the type of love God desires in return.

As I seek an understanding of how to place my hope and joy in God instead of my achievements (false idols), this point is extremely enlightening.

Andy said that with this type of love for God, there is no reason to be insecure because “you’re already dead.”

“I’m already dead?” I thought immediately. As the point sunk in, I started to realize that this is another great point for me in my quest to rid my heart of the idols I worship. I strive for success because it gives me my identity. However, if I loved God the way he loves me, my worldly identity wouldn’t matter because… well… I’m dead [to the world]. I want to love God that much. I guess this desire is the first step.

One Way To Evict My Idols

There is a famous sermon by an old dead guy titled "The Expulsive Power of a New Affection." I tried to read the sermon but got more out of the title than the first two pages so I quit. Luckily, the title is powerful enough that the rest of the sermon isn't necessary.

"The expulsive power of a new affection."

Or.... "finding something new that you care about more than something old has the power to replace your affections for the old thing."

When I heard this, I suddenly realized one important aspect of getting rid of idols, or in my case, putting my hope and joy in God instead of my success.

I was under the impression that I needed to figure out how to change my perspective. However, the enlightenment here is that what I actually have to do is focus on building my relationship with God. The more I develop an affection for God, the less I'll put my hope and security in success.

This is true of many things that plague mankind. The more we open our hearts to God, the less room we have for everything else. I'm going to put a lot of time into drawing closer to God over the next few months versus focusing on "fixing" my issues. I'm hoping I can get some of the bad tenants taking space in my heart evicted.

I'm a Crazy Idol Worshipper!

I recently read Counterfeit Gods by Timothy Keller and never found a book so convicting. Keller defines a counterfeit God (or an Idol ) as anything that has power over you.

“An idol is whatever you look at and say, in your heart of hearts, ‘If I have that, then I’ll feel my life has meaning, then I’ll know I have value, then I’ll feel significant and secure.’”

It seems obvious that this is a flawed perspective but I have to admit, I’m guilty. I spend 80% of my time seeking security and meaning through business success. As an entrepreneur, my success is measured in millions of dollars. In my worldview, success isn’t even possible at anything less than $1 million in revenue annually. I’m not just talking about business success here but this is how I measure my personal success… as a person.

The reason I started to read this book is because I realized I was putting my happiness on hold. I was constantly telling myself that once I’m a millionaire, I’ll “feel significant and secure.” I had made entrepreneurship an idol and I worshipped it every day in hopes that I’d eventually find joy therein.

Then my friend, Ryan, called me out on this logic. He asked me how much happier I feel when I have achievements in business? Hmm… not that different. “Did you tell yourself you’d feel happy when you are where you are today?” Hmm… yes. I did.

I realize now that putting happiness on hold thinking that “success” is the solution is like walking through a dessert for a cup of water that turns out to be empty. I’m lucky I’m realizing now that the cup is empty so I can walk a different direction.

But realizing it isn’t the solution…

“We need to find a way to keep from clutching them [idols] too tightly, of being enslaved to them. We will never do so by mouthing abstractions about how great God is. We have to know, to be assured, that God so loves, cherishes, and delights in us that we can rest our hearts in him for our significance and security and handle anything that happens in life.”

“Money can not save your from tragedy, or give you control in a chaotic world. Only God can do that. What breaks the power of money over us is not just redoubled effort to follow the example of Christ. Rather, it is deepening your understanding of the salvation of Christ, what you have in him, and then living out the changes that that understanding makes in your heart – the seat of your mind, will, and emotions.”

I know… the solution is still a little abstract. My next post will address an understanding I’ve come to realize about how to actually rid yourself of idols.

How Love Feels

How Love Feels - by me
Like the sun that burns you in the gentlest way
Like the breeze that chills you with the slightest sway
Like the water that sustains you from day to day
Love goes unnoticed until it's taken away