the Glocal Trekker Blog

I have a small discipleship group that meets on Fridays at 6:00 a.m. Either they are involved in various ministries or they are trying to figure out where to use their jobs and how to live missionally. There are many tensions when this starts happening. I thought I'd let you in, with the doctor's permission, to use the email on some of the struggles we all face. Often people say to me, "I wish I had a church like yours" or "how do you get your people doing all this stuff," as if there is no struggle to it. There are always struggles. You just do it anyhow. You challenge people--you upset them--and you show them all they have and put it on their plate to choose to "serve" or not "serve."

The question is not "is my time at home or outside home." Your time is ALWAYS your home!!!!! You NEVER stop being a husband or dad. You NEVER have a right to side step your responsibilities at home. The man who cares for others but not his own, the Bible says, "is worse than an infidel!" The question is, what is the culture of your home going to be? What is Christian culture in the home? Knowing me, you know I'd say "kingdom culture?" What makes Christian culture different than humanitarian, Buddhist, Islamic, etc. culture? How do we be a godly father and husband and model all of what God wants in all our lives. I coached my son's football team for years, we took vacations, spent a couple of hours a day just playing with the kids, spent Saturdays together, involved my daughter in dance classes and all the recitals that go with it. I wouldn't trade anything for those memories. What we try to do is segment the personal aspects of our faith from the missional aspects of our faith. You can't do that. Christianity is an uncomfortable, challenging, comprehensive whole--it all fits together. It isn't enough to teach your children Bible stories. They need to see you live real life Jesus stories, be there when you do, and be as much a part of them as possible. Not just "for," but for what their faith is going to look like in the future.

The current model of "Christian" family success is not changing us or our culture. If anything, as a nation morally, ethically, and servanthood-wise, we are going in the toilet faster than ever. As lost as our culture was when we were growing up, our sons and daughters are inheriting quite a different world. We are being sold a Disney culture of Christianity--just for me and mine--that has and will continue to doom us. When the Kingdom flows in, it also flows out. It's a breathing and symbiotic relationship.

Each person has to determine how they are called to incarnationally live out the Gospel and the principles of the Kingdom in their own context of work, neighborhood, community, nation and world. Everyone has different gifts, resources and opportunities. The only thing I would say is, "to whom much is given, much is required." Our culture seems to say, "to whom much is given, much less is given back!" As Christians, we should be out front modeling a different ethic and ethos--not being sucked down and swallowing the subtle lies that have infiltrated us--a costless and comfortable Christianity. As corny as it may sound, WWJD may be the most significant question you can ask. With what you've been given, who you are, etc. WWJD? Or, as a friend of mine, Chris Seiple, says "WIJD" (what is Jesus doing). Please Him, and you know you're doing His will. Don't compare yourself to anyone else. Celebrate how He's using you.

I'm glad you're wrestling with this. I'm not going to let you off the hook easy. You may be a smart, rich doctor (at least I hope you're smart!) but the ground at the foot of the cross is level for all of us. I honestly believe the more successful a person is in life, the more difficult these questions become. God's got his hand on you--I know that and I see it. It's not about location in where you work. It's not about the scale of work. It's only about hearing the voice of Jesus and living incarnationally there. You're in a wrestling match with God--go God!