Emails to God

In the same way, some think one day is more holy than another day, while others think every day is alike. You should each be fully convinced that whichever day you choose is acceptable. Those who worship the Lord on a special day do it to honor him. Those who eat any kind of food do so to honor the Lord, since they give thanks to God before eating. And those who refuse to eat certain foods also want to please the Lord and give thanks to God. For we don’t live for ourselves or die for ourselves. If we live, it’s to honor the Lord. And if we die, it’s to honor the Lord. So whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord. Christ died and rose again for this very purpose—to be Lord both of the living and of the dead. So why do you condemn another believer? Why do you look down on another believer? Remember, we will all stand before the judgment seat of God. For the Scriptures say, “‘As surely as I live,’ says the Lord, ‘every knee will bend to me, and every tongue will declare allegiance to God. ’” Yes, each of us will give a personal account to God. So let’s stop condemning each other. Decide instead to live in such a way that you will not cause another believer to stumble and fall.
Romans 14:5-13

Dear God, but it’s so much more fun to judge other people. It’s so much more fun to get caught up in the minutia of I’m right and you’re wrong. I want to find little hills I can die on so I can feel superior to other people.

Okay, obviously, I’m being sarcastic, but am I really? I mean, I can have a tendency to do all of the things Paul is describing here–and more! I can judge other Christians by how they spend their money, how they dress, how they present themselves in public, how they raise their children, how they treat their spouse, how they worship you…the list can go on an on. And why do I do it? Why do I look at speck in their eye while ignoring the log in my own? All I can say is that I’m obviously an insecure mess, and I need your mercy.

Father, help me to focus more on the mercy I need from you than the mercy others need from you. And please forgive me. I’m so much less than I want to be. I’m not the worshipper, the giver, the worker, the father, the husband, the brother, the son, the friend, the citizen I need to be. I’m sorry. Thank you for loving me anyway.

In Jesus’s name I pray,

Amen

Yes, they knew God, but they wouldn’t worship him as God or even give him thanks. And they began to think up foolish ideas of what God was like. As a result, their minds became dark and confused. Claiming to be wise, they instead became utter fools. And instead of worshiping the glorious, ever-living God, they worshiped idols made to look like mere people and birds and animals and reptiles. So God abandoned them to do whatever shameful things their hearts desired. As a result, they did vile and degrading things with each other’s bodies. They traded the truth about God for a lie. So they worshiped and served the things God created instead of the Creator himself, who is worthy of eternal praise! Amen.
Romans 1:21-25

Dear God, an astute reader of scripture would note that I cut this passage off right before Paul started getting into specific sins, including homosexuality. I did that intentionally. I wanted to talk to you this morning more about the idea of worshipping the creation instead of the Creator. Why is it so hard for us to worship you? To quote Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing: “Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it. Prone to leave the God I love.”

Just off of the top of my head, and without pondering it too much, I think there are maybe two main things at play. The first is that Satan actively tempts us to drift from you. Even his temptations for Jesus, whether spoken in the wilderness or through Peter were about Jesus inserting his own will over yours. And isn’t that what he does to me too? He tells me I deserve better than I have. He tells me I need to protect myself at the expense of truth. He tells me I should be afraid of any number of things–immigrants, the government, my neighbors, my family. The fallacy in every lie is that they are all predicated on the false assumption that my life is my own. That I have a right to safety, money, power, comfort, etc. It’s not about me. It’s about you.

The second is the very desire that Satan plays off of doesn’t need Satan’s encouragement. I am selfish enough all on my own. And while I don’t build idols to which I pray, I certainly have things in my life in which I put my feelings of safety and security. I put my faith in my job and bank account. I put my faith in my government’s power in the world. I put my faith in the safety of my neighborhood/town. I put my faith in my health. My sense of certainty is based in all of these things, and in the midst of it all I lose the rest in you that only your Holy Spirit can offer.

Father, I give this day to you. I give my worship to you. I give my wants to you. Help me to live my life for you. Give me ears to hear and eyes to see what you need me to do in any given circumstance. And do it all for your glory and not mine.

In Jesus’s name I pray,

Amen

Everyone must submit to governing authorities. For all authority comes from God, and those in positions of authority have been placed there by God. So anyone who rebels against authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and they will be punished. For the authorities do not strike fear in people who are doing right, but in those who are doing wrong. Would you like to live without fear of the authorities? Do what is right, and they will honor you. The authorities are God’s servants, sent for your good. But if you are doing wrong, of course you should be afraid, for they have the power to punish you. They are God’s servants, sent for the very purpose of punishing those who do what is wrong. So you must submit to them, not only to avoid punishment, but also to keep a clear conscience. Pay your taxes, too, for these same reasons. For government workers need to be paid. They are serving God in what they do. Give to everyone what you owe them: Pay your taxes and government fees to those who collect them, and give respect and honor to those who are in authority.
Romans 13:1-7

Dear God, I’ll confess that this has always been a passage I’d rather skip. First, as a general principle, I’m fine with it, but when I think about the man who wrote it, the government under which he lived and the circumstances through which he lived (and died) through the last part of his life, I have to wonder if it should be read with more nuance and not just taken at face value. Then there is the reality that a lot of the world lives under despotic governments. How does the North Korean or Iranian Christian respond to this passage?

As I think about the weaknesses of being a Christian in a more modern society like ours or the Europeans, one thing I note is that life can be deceptively comfortable. A little like the frog slowly boiling in the water. When life is too easy and conflict-free, we get lazy. Then we stop hindering for you and depending on you. We make idols of the society we built instead of worshiping you. Even me over the last few days. I’ve taken moments here and there to pray for individuals in need of your comfort and healing, but I haven’t hungered for you.

Then there are the things that are corroding our society from within. The first among them is social media. But other forms of entertainment are doing it as well. Yes, we are corroding from within.

Father, I suppose at the end of the day respecting our government is our default position, but it shouldn’t be replaced by pursuing you. Worshiping you. Sacrificing our lives to you. Help me to do that today. For your glory’s sake, and for the sakes of those around me who need you.

In Jesus’s name I pray,

Amen

For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard. Yet God, in his grace, freely makes us right in his sight. He did this through Christ Jesus when he freed us from the penalty for our sins.
Romans 3:23-24

Dear God, this is a passage (well, the first sentence is) that my new youth minister memorize when I first became a discipling Christian in 1987. He had us memorize Romans 3:23, 6:23, and 10:9-10.

I was talking with a young man today about what you and I have been talking about lately in terms of my evangelism, or lack thereof. I told him that one thing we need to figure out is what we are selling when we share our faith. Are we selling heaven? Are we selling relationship with you? The fruits of the Spirit? And how do I package all of that into a nice, neat little bundle that will draw someone into an authentic relationship with you?

I guess it starts with the idea that we are all equal, regardless of gender, race, wealth, or social/political standing. We are all sinful. We have all fallen short of your glory. While we see each other as different, I’m sure we would be surprised to see how much you see us all as pretty much the same. From the very genuinely good pastor who lives completely for you to the murderer on death row—on a scale of 1-10, one might be a 1 and the other a 1.5. But I suppose this isn’t about a rating system. It’s simply pass/fail and we all fail.

Father, thank you for sending Jesus and freeing me from the penalty of my sin. Thank you for not seeing me differently than you see anyone else. Thank you for that equality. It takes achievement in man’s eyes off of the table and puts living in worship of you in perspective. So help me to take my eyes off of me, off of my priorities and idea, and put them solely on you and hearing your voice. Let your kingdom come and your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.

In Jesus’s name I pray,

Amen