Chris Little

It’s almost football season again. I admit I struggle with my fanaticism when it comes to football. I have to be intentional about how much time, thought, and energy goes into the season. I have my favorite teams and players like many people, but I study football. So, as you might guess, sometimes my passion for football gets in the way of other things.

One of the things it gets in the way of is “hearing”. Imagine the scene with me for a moment: The football game is on and I am studying intensely. Becky comes into the room and begins talking to me. I recognize she is present and I “hear” something, but I am not really listening because of my focus on the game. I say “ok” or something like that and continue watching the game. A little later in the day I vaguely remember that I said “ok” to something, but cannot remember what it is. I look around for the obvious stuff – trash taken out, clean the kitchen, etc. – and hope that those suffice. Sometimes that works. Usually it doesn’t. How do I know? I know because Becky will say, “Did you hear what I said earlier about ____________ ?” It is then that I sheepishly have to admit, “No.”

I’m learning that to hear my wife during a game I have to stop the game, turn and face her, and engage in active listening. It’s hard to do sometimes – especially when the Cowboys are about to score a touchdown. However, I’ve learned it’s worth it (although the thought just crossed my mind that is a good reason to have Tivo™).

I believe that many of our conversations with God are like this too. We are so focused on our “stuff” that we don’t hear the specific words that God wants to share with us. Our hearts and minds are distracted by all the other voices. It takes effort to put aside the distractions of life to hear from God. However, I guarantee that it is worth it.

What distracts you from hearing from God? When are you most available to hear from God?

P.S. I don’t have N.F.L. Sunday Ticket because that would only feed the hunger. I am tempted, but have refrained so far.

I carry around a box. It’s a nice shiny box. It’s been wrapped up real nice and neat so that when people see my box they think that my God is attractive to them. It’s my duty right? My duty to make it look like God always does things according to how He should so that people will be attracted to Him. However, to be honest, the box underneath the shiny, neat wrapping is all torn up and ugly looking. It has been put back together with duct tape and is all scarred up. That is what my real life looks like underneath the nice, pretty packaging.

Well, a few weeks ago my box was ripped open. A friend mine died way too young, it seemed that I did a thousand funerals, every other person was being diagnosed with cancer or some terminal disease, or they were losing something or someone important to them. It was to the point that I had a heated debate with God over what He was doing. He obviously was not cooperating with my agenda for Him.

I was directed to Jonah 3 & 4 and it seemed that Jonah had walked in the same shoes that I was walking in that week. In Jonah 3 God re-establishes Jonah’s call to share God’s impending doom upon Nineveh. Jonah was excited about the opportunity to see God bring justice to the city of Nineveh. He could not wait to see them get what they deserved. Jonah preaches and the people are moved by God to the point that they repent. Jonah was MAAAADDD!!!! I’m sure Jonah was saying, “God, why do the scum of the world get to experience your grace? They deserve your mighty justice! Wipe ‘em out!” I’ve thought that same thing. I’ve said in my heart,  “God, why do the scum of the earth keep prospering and the good…die young?”

I then thought about all the reasons that I get angry with God. First, is when God does not provide healing when I ask for it. I mean, I am asking for his glory to be done. I know that the person who has been healed from their malady will tell the story of how God healed them and everyone will be moved and give God glory for their healing. I think about the story in John 5:6-16 of the man who sat by the Pool of Bethesda for 30+ years waiting to be the first person into the pool so he can be healed. Then Jesus walks up to him one day and asks the most obvious question ever, “Do you want to be healed?” What the heck? Can you imagine the lame man saying, “Uh, no, I like sitting here. I will pass on the healing offer, but thanks anyway.” The man by the pool said, “Yes.” Jesus told him to get up and take his mat. So he did. He didn’t even know Jesus’ name.

Then I think about the man whose friends brought him to be healed by Jesus but the crowd was so big they couldn’t get to him. So, being good friends, they climbed up on the roof, tore through it and dropped their friend at the feet of Jesus (Luke 5:17-26). Jesus heals him too. I have brought my friends’ needs and dropped them at the feet of Jesus too, but nothing seems to happen. Why? I then read Matthew 21:22 and it tells me, “Whatever you ask for in prayer you will receive, if you have faith.” Do I not have enough faith to ask for my friends and loved ones healing?

I also get angry with God over shattered dreams. A loss of a job, a loved one, etc. I think of the story of Lazarus and his death (John 11:20-27; 32-35). We know the end of the story and that Lazarus was brought back from the dead, but Mary and Martha didn’t. Their dreams were shattered when Lazarus died. They sent word to Jesus, one of their best friends, and he didn’t show up on time. He was too late. Martha runs out to Jesus when does arrive (late) and tells him, “If only you’d been here!” Mary then hears that Jesus has shown up (late) and falls at his feet and says, “If only you’d been here!” The pain is deep in the midst of shattered dreams. I’ve thought the same thing…”Jesus, if only you’d have been here when I asked you to be here!”

I also get angry with God when I believe he doesn’t care. Remember the story of Jesus and his disciples on a boat in the midst of a storm (Mark 4:35-41)? A storm comes up and the disciples are freaking out. They are using buckets to keep the boat from being overcome by the waves of water and sinking the boat. It’s an all hands on deck situation. They are scrambling around and then someone looks over and sees Jesus…sleeping?! Someone in the group runs over to Jesus and wakes him up. Can you imagine that conversation? “Hey, uh, Jesus…yeah, sorry to wake you but we got a little situation here. Feel those rain drops? Yeah, well…WE ARE ABOUT TO DIE! HOW CAN YOU SLEEP DURING THIS?” Jesus’ response is basically, “Uh, (yawn), why are you guys fearful? Storm, be still.”  It stops… Do you ever feel like God is sleeping at the wheel? Your boat is sinking and he does not seem to give a rip. Or as the disciples asked him, “Do you not care that we are perishing?”

I also get angry with God when he blows up my theological understanding of Him. I have a doctorate in God. I’m supposed to tell others about how God works; “If you do this, God will do this.”  I was reminded of the story of the prodigal son (Luke 15:11-32).  You know it well. The younger son comes to the Father and asks for his inheritance and he gets his half early. The younger son runs off and squanders his inheritance on everything that the Father has told him to stay away from as a young man. He does it with an intention of hurting the heart of his Father. The whole time the older son is at home performing his duties, doing his thing, and being obedient to what his Father asks of him. The older son cannot wait to hear the “dressing down” his younger brother is going to get when he comes home after spending his inheritance. He loves to see justice given out. Then one day the older brother comes in from his duties and  hears a party going on and I bet he is thinking, “Finally, father is going to celebrate me. Yes, I’m getting some big-time gifts.” Then a servant tells him, “Uh, that’s for your younger brother. He has come home. Your father has lavished him with gifts…” The older brother thought, “What?! I’ve been the good son. I’ve been here the whole time doing what the Father asked. I deserve the party, not my brother. He deserves justice!” I’m the older brother.

So, when do you get angry with God? Why do you get angry with him? God has reminded me, “My ways are not your ways Chris; My thoughts are not your thoughts Chris.” Then I’m reminded of Romans 6:23 and what the wages of my sin is…okay, I’m really deserving of those wages, BUT I’ve accepted his grace. I’ve convinced myself that I deserved God’s grace more than “those people.”

Jonah went away from Nineveh pouting & angry because God offered grace to “those people.” He wanted justice for the people Nineveh. He was just extended grace, but he deserved it. Jonah’s God-box had been ripped apart.

Well, my box has been ripped apart. I keep duct-taping it. When God jumps out of my box that I have for him and I get angry, upset, or want to quit I have to run back to the simple truth’s. This time I was reminded of the song Jesus Loves Me. Remember the words? Jesus Loves Me this I know, for the Bible tells me so. Little ones to Him belong, for we are weak and He is strong…

Life is a journey and along that journey we need pit-stops. These pit-stops are for rest, refreshment, refreshing your GPS, and more. These are pit-stops that we have planned or at least want. However, there are pit-stops in life that are not planned: death, health issues, loss of job, kids’ issues.

This is where we find Jonah. He had been on a self-imposed pit-stop at the beginning of Jonah (1:1) and now he is on an unplanned, God directed pit-stop. Jonah was running from God, had gotten on a boat and a storm came up and freaked out the sailors because they thought they were going to die. Jonah was crashed out below because running from God is a tiresome exercise. Jonah has been running as fast he can from God and he has not produced the results he has wanted . . . God is still pursuing him!

While we try to get away and do everything we can to numb our souls from God’s call on our lives, he is still there with us. You cannot out-run, out-wait, out-maneuver, or out-sin God. God’s grace does whatever it takes for Him to come and get us (Luke 15:4-9). Jonah’s life was literally flashing before him. He life was in the pits  (Jonah 2:5-6) to the point that he saw the “roots of the mountains”. God’s grace may be confrontational, disruptive, frightening, or demanding, but it will save your life.

What was God’s grace in this moment? He had the crew throw Jonah overboard and make him believe that he was going to drown (Jonah 1:15). God’s grace in this moment is that he showing Jonah that even in his deepest moments of despair and when there seems to be no way out, He is there. Jonah is swallowed up by a whale at just the right time to save his life. A whale? A nasty, stinky old whale?

My natural inclination as a parent would be to hold my child closer. My grace is too naturally to rescue my kids and to provide protection for them so that they “don’t get hurt”. However, there are times that the best thing I can do for my child is to push them out of the boat into the trusting care of the Father.

So, when your life is in the pits remember that:

1) God is in control – he allowed the storms and provided the fish.

2) God is in good even when your life is in the pits – he did provide the fish!

3) God is running with you – you cannot out-run, out-wit, out-maneuver, or out-sin God.

4) God still has a plan for you – in Jonah 3:1-2, we see God repeat his call to Jonah after he was vomited back onto dry land. Jesus did the same for Peter in John 21:15-19. Peter had denied Jesus three times and now Jesus asked him three times if Peter loved him. Of course, Peter said yes all three times and then Jesus said to him what he said to him the first time he called him to be his disciple, “Follow me.”

Jonah is a great story. It mimics many of our lives and our faith journeys. Jonah is someone who loves God and wants to be faithful to Him. So, we find him praying and asking God to use him. Now, if you don’t really want God to use you, don’t ask. Example: If you don’t really want patience, don’t pray for it, because the process of attaining patience is not fun! Jonah finds this out the hard way. He asked and he was told to go to Nineveh.

Nineveh was the last place that Jonah thought God would send him. As a matter of non-fact, I bet Jonah said, “God, what the heck are you thinking? Don’t YOU know those people?” Jonah did not like the people Nineveh. I’m sure he had plenty of reasons to not like them. They had a reputation for wickedness, evil, and ruthlessness in battle. I can imagine that he had all kinds of emotions running around on the inside when God told him to preach to the city Nineveh (Jonah 1:2).  Has God ever asked you to do something that struck fear into your heart?

Jonah heard from God and he chose to run from the job that he had been given.  Actually, he ran in the opposite direction from Nineveh. Have you ever run from God? Why do we run? Do we really believe that we can outrun God? I mean, does God get tired of running and give up? Do we think we are playing the childhood pool game of  “Marco Polo” and that if we don’t respond with “Polo” he’s not going to find us? I believe we run for a variety of reasons: fear, the task seems too daunting, unbelief that God would want us to really deal with those people, or my personal favorite – God, you must not understand, that is not apart of my plan(s) that I have asked you to bless.

What is God asking you to do right now? Are you ready and willing to jump in and do it? Are you thinking about running? What is making you think running is a better solution than obedience?

In Apple Confidential the author tells the story of Steve Jobs’  pursuit and interaction with John Scully (then CEO of PEPSICO). Jobs and Scully discussed the opportunity of joining the Apple team for a little while and then Jobs lays out a challenge. He said, “Do you want to spend the rest of your life selling sugared water, or do you want a chance to change the world?”

Jesus asked his disciples basically the same question when he asked if they were willing to “Come follow me.” The disciples threw down whatever they were doing – fishing, collecting taxes, building stuff – and followed him for a chance to change the world. They did not fully understand what that meant when they started out in their new venture. However, along the way they were so convinced of the product they were selling they were willing to die to for it.

We are told that Jesus came into the world so that we might “have life and have it to the full” (John 10:10b). I see two parts to this promise. The first is the promise of an eternal, spiritual life through Jesus’ death on the cross. The second is a life now that has meaning and purpose beyond just the mundane of everyday. If Jesus is our model for living the answer could be found in examining his life & habits. Let’s see…he prayed on a regular basis, studied the bible, went to the Temple, participated in a small group, mentored a few people, and did ministry according to his passions & gifts. Does that sound radical?

What about his disciples? If they modeled their life after Jesus what did they do? I mean, maybe Jesus offered them some keen insight to them before he died. Well, they prayed on a regular basis, studied the bible, went to Temple and house churches, participated in small groups, mentored people, and did ministry according to their passions & gifts. That doesn’t sound too radical either?

It could be “hidden” in Jesus’ words when he said, “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me and the gospel will save it” (Mark 8:34-35). What does Jesus mean? I think he is saying that the “full life” comes from pursuing him and giving your life (what people have a tendency to call life – my comfort, convenience, etc.)  away in the pursuit of seeing others see Jesus through our us.

Maybe another way to put it is,  “Is there enough evidence (less of you and more of Jesus) to convict you of being a disciple of Jesus” (James 2:14-26)?

What will history write about you? He/She had a chance to change the world? Or will history have to add the infamous “but” to the lost opportunities?

Do you want to spend the rest of your life __________________________, or do you want a chance to change the world?

Imagine with me for a moment that you really want someone to create a sculpture of you to stand for eternity. I know it sounds very narcissistic, but just pretend. Who would you choose? You have all the great master sculptors throughout history at your disposal. Who would want to be the one to “interpret” you and create the image of you that others would see and get their perspective of who you were from that one piece of art?
In case you did not know, you are already a one-of-a-kind masterpiece. Ephesians 2:10 describes you as a unique poem – one that has never been before or will ever be written again – you are a masterpiece of the Creator of all art. The One who inspires all art.
However, many times we are too embarrassed by the original art work that we are, and decide to allow other artists to shape and mold us. We allow these other artists to shape and mold us because we want to be liked by the masses, we want to fit in, we do not want to be too original. Who are these other “artists”? Our culture – the voices of the day.
Who would dare walk up to “The Mona Lisa” and attempt to make it better? Only fools . . .

As a Christ follower, you have been made into a new creation by the Master Artist. You are unique. Why do you allow other “artists” to dictate to you what you are to be? Why do you allow them to chisel away at what is already been completed and determined to be a masterpiece? It is because you have chosen to listen to the wrong critics. You desire the applause from the masses, instead of the one who knows you best.
Take a moment a remind yourself – you are a one-of-a-kind, cherished, priceless creation of the Master Artist. Ask yourself, “Whose applause am I pursuing?”

What a wonderful Easter weekend! As I was contemplating Easter and all that it means for me, the Spirit orchestrated this “thought” in me. “Chris, where do you still need God’s resurrection power in your life?”

Easter is a wonderful time of celebration, but sometimes I wonder if it becomes “another holiday” for us as Christians? I must admit, it started out that way for me this year. My prayer for myself, and you, coming out of this Easter is, “Where do I still need God’s resurrection power?” I do not want a better life just because of a more disciplined life, but because God’s resurrection power has and is transforming my heart/will/mind.

How did God speak to you this week(end)? Where do you still need the resurrection power of Jesus in your life?

God’s love for His people never withers away. It is always spring time. His love for us is like a 24/7, 365 days a year for the rest of our lifetime honeymoon! Who would not sign up for that?
God is love (1 John 4:16). It is his character, his makeup, his nature. If you were to squeeze God like a sponge – love would ooze out. If you were to squeeze some of us – “stuff” other than love would ooze out. How do I know that God is love (1 John 4:7-10)? I know because I have experienced his love. My words are inadequate to describe it – you just have to experience it for yourself.
God’s love motivated him to offer us a gift, a great sacrifice on his part, himself. He literally gave his life so that I could be bought from the marketplace of slavery (Rom. 3:23-25). Real love always leads to sacrifice at some level (1 John 3:16a).
His love and sacrifice has guaranteed us the greatest life. It’s actually a pretty easy life too – love God with every part of your being and love your neighbor as much as you love yourself (Matt. 22:37-39). I got the loving God down most of the time. I am also really good at loving myself – I will go to no amount of expense or inconvenience to show myself love. My neighbor? God, do you know them? Then, it hit me. God is in the same marketplace where he “bought” me ready to buy them too.
Jesus wept over Jerusalem (Luke 19:41) because the people did not understand how much he loved them. Jesus counted the cost (his love persevered) and he still gave his life for mine. God wants me to love others like he has loved me. When was the last time I wept over my neighbors? My kids’ school? The people at the grocery store?
I want to love my neighbor…God, grant me the heart that weeps over them!

Or does it not fail all the time? It seems that way. As I was reading through the 1 Corinthians 13 passage these three words, “Love never fails,” are stuck right in the middle. At first I thought, “Aw! That’s neat.” Then I began to let that settle on me a little bit and thought, “Well, that’s not always true.” I know I’ve failed at loving well and I know others who have experienced the same type of failure. None of us are perfect right? Then I tried to put myself in the shoes of others and it hit me. Anyone who says “Love never fails” is naive and seriously mistaken.
So, how in the world does Paul say “Love never fails?” He says it in full view of the cross. There is no other way to say it and understand it. Love does fail – we have all experienced the pain of love gone bad. Does that make us give up on love? I hope not.
In view of the cross love never fails. Will I ever love anyone like that? Maybe. Can I ever love anyone like that? In view of the cross, yes.

I have been contemplating this over the past weeks and months in a variety of contexts – personal life, church life, and the “world”. Of course, everyone has a different opinion about what is going on. You look at the world (earthquakes, wars, etc.) and you hear people say “it’s the end times!” Well, yes, and Paul said that too over 2,000 years ago. You can look at the statistics surrounding the universal church and see that it looks like we are losing ground and not gaining ground – especially in the U.S. I have found that just because I am a “professional Christian” doesn’t mean that my personal life will always be perfect either.
As I thought about all this, I was drawn back to the early church in Acts. The reason I was drawn there, I believe, is because God is rooting around in my soul and asking, “What does it really mean to be a disciple of Jesus these days?”
Here are a few items that caught my attention:
1) The Gospel was being preached (Acts 2:38; 5:42; 8:4; 10:34-8). The early church (disciples) were telling people about Jesus everywhere they went, even when they were in a situation that was inconvenient and not of their choosing.
2) People were responding to the gospel (Acts 2:41; Acts 8, & more). The people heard the truth and responded to it. Why?
3) There was outward evidence of the people’s internal transformation (Acts. 2:42-6). They were radically different people after their conversion.
4) Their lifestyle drew others to Jesus (Acts 4:47; 5:41, & more). People were drawn to these new believers because of the way they were living.
So, I am doing a “gut check” right now. Am I preaching the gospel (words are necessary)? Am I seeing people respond to the gospel? If not, rethink question #1 again. Is there outward evidence in my life that I am a follower of Jesus? If I were in court, how easy would it be to find evidence (other than I am a pastor)? Does my lifestyle draw people to Jesus or repel them from Jesus?
I’m pretty sure God is up to all kinds of stuff around the world, & in my church, but what is doing in me? What is he doing in you? Could you be convicted of being a Jesus follower?