Coffee With The Lord

Ingratitude makes physically attractive people ugly!  I’ve met people who, at first glance, seemed to have everything going for them… good looks, great family, enviable job, bright mind, and the list could go on…  But after being around them for awhile one blemish colors everything else about them with an ugly color … they are ungrateful!!

This morning, my Bible reading included Isaiah 63.7 – 64.12.  It tells the sad story of an ungrateful people… people that had so much going for them, people who had experienced God’s rich blessing and power on their behalf, people that God had provided for in such wonderful ways… But they were ungrateful!!

Here’s how the prophet Isaiah describes the situation…

“I will tell of the kindnesses of the Lord, the deeds for which He is be praised, according to all the Lord has done for us – Yes, the many good things he has done for us, according to His compassion and many kindnesses!  He said, ‘surely they are My people, children who will be true to Me;’ and so He became their Savior.  In all their distress He too was distressed, and the angel of His presence saved them.  In His love and mercy He redeemed them; He lifted them up and carried them all the days of old…

Then Isaiah goes on to say this… “YET they rebelled and grieved His Holy Spirit!” and later, “All of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags… no one calls on Your Name or strives to lay hold of you; for you have hidden Your face from us and have given us over to our sins.” (Isaiah 63.7-10, 64:6-7 NIV)

Oh, I never want to be guilty of ingratitude to God!  The personal ugliness it produces is revolting… AND deadly!!  Romans 1 tells the sad story… over and over again in it you read this sad refrain, “God gave them over… to the sinful desires of their hearts… to shameful lusts… and to a depraved mind…” And it all goes back to “Although they knew God, they neither glorified Him as God nor gave thanks to Him (i.e. they were ungrateful!)” (from Romans 1.18-32 NIV)

Here’s the point: Ingratitude not only makes physically attractive people ugly… It is spiritually toxic – it is a hideous blemish within!  Oh, Lord, I never want to be guilty!!

Have you ever pictured yourself as a “sheep in the Good Shepherd’s flock” and the Lord as the shepherd over the flock that you’re a part of?  That is the unstated assumption of the 23^rd Psalm you know!  Come on, use your imagination – picture yourself as one of the sheep of His flock… and Him as your shepherd – the “Good Shepherd” (cp. John 10:1-21)  I did…  Incredibly uplifting!  Wonderfully peace bringing! 

But on the other hand, imagine yourself out in the wilderness alone with all its dangers and predator animals – alone, without a shepherd!

I mean think about it for a while – which would you choose?  (Compare the pics)

The choice is not difficult for me!  I want and need the Shepherd’s leadership, care, protection and provision!  And I admit, I would find great comfort as an inexperienced lamb within a flock of more mature sheep with a shepherd’s care.

Listen, if you know Jesus, you’re one of the sheep in His flock … not the only one, but one of the “sheep” in His flock that is important to Him.  In fact, Luke’s gospel declares that if you, or any of the other sheep, would go astray He’d put everything else aside to seek them (or you)! (Luke 15:1-8)   

The 23^rd Psalm, which I read this morning during my time of “coffee with the Lord,” declares that the Lord provides for those who are a part of His flock, He leads them, satisfies their deepest hunger and thirst, He heals their wounds, walks with them through frightening valleys as dark as death, is their security and protector, and He causes abundant lifelong blessing to come their way!  In fact, being a part of the Lord’s flock has as its benefit blessings that never end… in this life AND the life to come!  Check it out…

“The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.  He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters.  He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.  Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.  You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.  Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever!” (Psalm 23 ESV)

I tell you, I think the Psalmist was on to something really important!  I want the Lord to be “my Shepherd!”  I want to be a part of His “flock!”

Anyone who has had the responsibility of overseeing and leading a group of people (even born again, Christian people) has had to deal with rivalry – petty, jealous, competitiveness that sometimes surfaces within the group.  Someone does something that is perceived as an attempt to impress, get “an inside track” on the others, or gain an unfair advantage, and jealousy, animosity, and anger rears its ugly head!  Unity is threatened, the mission is clouded, vision evaporates, and shared values are compromised.  A sense of “team” disappears and suddenly it’s “every person for themselves!”

Well it happened among Jesus’ team of 12 – and Jesus provides “spiritual leaders” today an excellent case study in how to deal with this challenging situation (it’s found in Matthew 20:20-28)…

The problem – destructive rivalry – reared its ugly head…

“Then the mother of the sons of Zebedee came up to him with her sons, and kneeling before him she asked him for something.  And he said to her, ‘What do you want?’ She said to him, ‘Say that these two sons of mine are to sit, one at your right hand and one at your left, in your kingdom.’ … And when the ten heard it, they were indignant at the two brothers!”

Jesus did not delay, He dealt with situation immediately by emphasizing “Kingdom values” (He emphasized that in Kingdom efforts we serve together as “servants” – we do not seek to gain advantage over one another with power and position, as the broader culture often does)…

“But Jesus called them [the 12] to him and said, ‘You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them.  IT SHALL NOT BE SO AMONG YOU [a very powerful phrase in the Greek]!  But whoever would be great among you must be your servant, and whoever would be first among you must be your slave!

And then He provided the potent power of His personal example – He modeled the behavior and values that He emphasized!

“Even as the Son of Man came not to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many!”

It seems to me Jesus provided a wonderful pattern for any spiritual leader in dealing with this issue… When the problem surfaces > the values are emphasized and taught > then the leader personally provides a model of the behaviors expected in a team effort.

My response?  Lord, when destructive competitive rivalry rears its ugly head in any effort I am responsible to lead, help me to follow your example!