Overwhelmed

Ever just feel completely overwhelmed?  Like there's just too much to do and not enough time to do it?  Or maybe life just seems to catch up with you all at once?  Yeah, I've been there too.  In fact I came across this picture that I think tells the story pretty well:

So tired, so stressed, so much to do, so hurt, so overwhelmed.

What did Jesus do in these situations?

He Prayed

I know this is the last thing we want to do when we're hit with these days, but the Bible says: "Jesus often withdrew to lonely places to pray" (Luke 5:16).  And with the crucifixion on the horizon, Jesus goes to the Garden of Gethsemane to pray.  He is overwhelmed to the point of sweating blood, and he goes to his heavenly father for help.

There is health in prayer, there is peace in prayer, there is direction and focus in prayer.

The Narrow Road

Jesus uses this phrase, "the narrow road" a few times in the Gospels.  In fact he actually says, "narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it." - Matt 7

Jesus is speaking to crowds of people, a mega church in a sense, but he knows better than to think that they all have this figured out.  In his words "few" actually find it.  How many people in our churches today, think they have this figured out - but are greatly mistaken?  How many "Christians" are actually on the wrong road?

"Why do you call me "Lord" but you do not do what I say?" - Jesus (Luke 6:46)

Thou shalt not covet?

The Bible talks a whole lot about money.  As American's I don't think we really want to know what it says.  We have come up with all of the excuses under the sun as for why these passages don't "apply" to us.

Here's the problem:  There's no way around it, we have a problem with greed and coveting in our culture and in the church.  It is just normal life.  We are bombarded with commercials telling us what we need, TV shows showing us what's lacking in our home, and the internet always there to make sure that we don't fall behind in the latest trends.  From technology, to transportation, to fashion, things are changing every day and we feel the need to keep up.

What's interesting to me is that "coveting" made God's list.  It's actually a part of the original 10 commandments that God gave to Moses.  Coveting is placed right along side murder, adultery, and worshiping idols.  But how many of us aren't looking at our neighbor's car, home, TV, or oxen (to throw in the OT a bit) and wishing we had that for ourselves.

Well enough blogging (on one of my 3 computers) for today, I'm going to Wal-Mart.

Hypocrites

Jesus seemed to like the word "hypocrites".  Just about everytime he has a run in with the religious leaders of his day, he throws this word at them.  Jesus also spends time speaking on this topic to the crowds.

Luke 6 is a good example:
vs 39 he talks about "the speck in your own eye"
vs 43 he talks about "trees that don't bear fruit"
vs 46 he says, "Why do you call me Lord, and not do what I tell you?"

I kind of get the idea that there were a whole lot of people in Jesus' day who were doing the religious thing, but not really living it.

Sure am glad that we don't have this problem today!

Does the way I live match what I believe?  Is my life really that much different than anyone else?

1 John 3:18 Let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and truth

The Temptation

In Luke 4 we have Jesus in the wilderness being tempted by Satan.  As I read this today, something caught my attention.  One of Satan's "offers" was the "kingdoms of the world".

vs 7 "if you, then, will worship me, it will all be yours."


Jesus had a choice here, and I think we often jump over this without really thinking it through.

Choice #1 - power, wealth, possessions, fame, etc.....
Choice #2 - loneliness, abuse, pain, death, persecution, etc....

I wonder if we were given this same choice, how many of us would choose #1.  Or sometimes I wonder if in a sense we already have.

Pastor Stats

I was at a retreat w/ a bunch of pastors this week, and they shared a few statistics about my profession.  I've heard these before, but it really hit me hard this week.

Take a look at a few of these:

• 90% of the pastors report working between 55 to 75 hours per week.
• 80% believe pastoral ministry has negatively affected their families. Many pastor's children do not attend church now because of what the church has done to their parents.
• 33% state that being in the ministry is an outright hazard to their family.
• 90% feel they are inadequately trained to cope with the ministry demands.
• 80% of pastors and 84% of their spouses feel unqualified and discouraged as
  role of pastors.
• 90% of pastors said the ministry was completely different than what they
  thought it would be like before they entered the ministry.
• 50% feel unable to meet the demands of the job.
• 70% of pastors constantly fight depression.
• 70% say they have a lower self-image now than when they first started.
• 70% do not have someone they consider a close friend.
• 40% report serious conflict with a parishioner at least once a month.
• 33% confess having involved in inappropriate sexual behavior with someone in the church.
• 50% of pastors feel so discouraged that they would leave the ministry if
  they could, but have no other way of making a living.
• 70% of pastors feel grossly underpaid.
• 50% of the ministers starting out will not last 5 years.
• 1 out of every 10 ministers will actually retire as a minister in some form.
• 80% of spouses feel the pastor is overworked.
• 80% spouses feel left out and under-appreciated by church members.
• 80% of pastors' spouses wish their spouse would choose a different
  profession.
• 66% of church members expect a minister and family to live at a higher moral standard than themselves.

Statistics provided by The Fuller Institute, George Barna, and Pastoral Care Inc. 

 

You could almost say success for a pastor is if you and your family make it through life still serving God.