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What if God is Waiting For You?


When You Can't Find Jesus in Church

by Bob Hartig

“My church is the outdoors,” the woman confided in me. “I don’t get along well with Christians.”

She and I were strangers. Her remark came during a chance conversation,and I don’t recall saying anything that would have prompted the second half of her remark. Maybe I did, though. My days of aggressive evangelism as a young believer gave way long ago to trying to listen to people rather than preach at them, but I don’t hide my faith. In any case, the lady was smart, personable, interesting, and, well, simply a nice person. Like me, she loved the outdoors and treasured God’s handiwork in nature. She just had an issue with Christians.

She’s far from alone. Maybe you feel that way yourself. Your experience of Christians has not made you want to be like them. The judgmentalism, the double- standards, the lack of understanding and love, the blurring of religion with politics, the anger and outright nastiness . . . the list goes on, doesn’t it? Who wants to sign up for that? It’s a hard enough world to live in as it is
.
The question is, is Jesus himself like that?

In your heart, you know the answer. Of course he’s not.

Back in the 1970s, as a young man exploring LSD, occultism, and a neo-Eastern cult, I somehow understood, despite my deep dislike of institutional religion, that Jesus himself was trustworthy. In the shopping mall of spiritual
masters and mystical pursuits, all of which ultimately left me confused and fearful and which never satisfied my heart, here was this person whom I instinctively knew I could count on. He certainly was important, because every spirituality I explored had a version of him it was selling. But who was he really?
 
If you too have wondered, you’re in good company. Even Jesus’s closest friends often didn’t know what to make of him, and at one point his own family thought he’d lost his mind. Jesus was a man of vast contradictions—today in the
synagogue, where a good Jewish guy ought to be; tomorrow in a place no Jew would go, striking up a conversation with the wrong kind of woman. Jesus wasn’t trying to be a rebel. It just came with his commitment to reveal God’s redeeming love to people broken by life, by their own sins, and by religious demands that only added to their misery rather than helped them.

There were the miracles, yes. But there were also the things he said. His words, and Jesus himself, were utterly unlike anything the people had ever encountered. That he was a holy man, no one questioned except his enemies. But
the holiness of Jesus was far different from the holiness of the religious leaders. Their brand of hermetically sealed holiness distanced itself from sinners and left ordinary people feeling condemned. Jesus’s robust holiness sought sinners out, invited them to draw near, embraced them, inspired hope, acceptance, and dignity.

In Jesus, holiness and love came together.

And the people loved him for it. Jesus was their hero.

“Come to me”—those were his words. Not an invitation to go to church but to draw close to him.

“Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.” (Jesus, in Matthew 11:28–30 MSG)

Am I against the church? Heavens no. I love the church, and so does Jesus. There is much that is wonderful about it, too much to say here. But I also understand firsthand why many people’s experiences of religious institutions have
repelled them rather than drawn them to Jesus. If that’s you, perhaps what you encountered didn’t reflect his character. Perhaps it wasn’t about him at all.

I’m not saying that following Jesus is easy or that he’s always comfortable. His first, closest followers would tell you that being with him was both reassuring and challenging. He confronted them with themselves, he made demands upon them, and he will do so with you. He changes us, not the other way around; none of us get to remake him according to our preferences.

But that’s a good thing. It’s where the hope lies—in companioning with a Savior and mentor who understands life, us, sin, and the heart of God infinitely better than we do, and who loves us beyond what we can comprehend.

That Scripture verse you read a few paragraphs back . . . reread it and give it a think. It’s not about going to church. It’s not about spouting Bible verses orreligious cliches. It’s about him. Start with him, with Jesus. Talk with him like you
would a friend, as if he’s really there and is really listening—because he is. Pick up a Bible and start reading the gospel of John to get better acquainted.

Keep at it and see where it goes. That’s where I’ll leave it, because it’s that simple.

The rest is up to him and you.

What If God Is Better Than Beans?

“

lentilI will tell you a story from long ago, a tale of two brothers. Twins they were, these young men, but to look at them, you’d never have guessed. One was a hunter; the other, an animal husbandman. The first, oldest of the two by a matter of minutes and rugged as the land he hunted, was his father’s favorite. The second, smaller in bulk but strong in cunning, was his mama’s boy.

One evening the elder brother returned from the field, emptyhanded and famished after a couple days of fruitless hunting. Cresting the hill overlooking the family homestead, he caught a whiff of something delicious. There was his younger brother, cooking a potful of lentil stew.

“Spare me a bowl, will you?” the older brother said. “I’m starved!”

The younger brother dolloped out a generous portion. Oh, it smelled good! His mouth watering, the older brother reached for the bowl . . .

“Just a minute. I did the cooking. You’re about to do the eating. First I want something in return. Promise me your birthright.”

“Look, I am about to die,” Esau said. “What good is the birthright to me?” . . . So he swore an oath to him, selling his birthright to Jacob. Then Jacob gave Esau some bread and some lentil stew. . . . So Esau despised his birthright. (Genesis 25:32–34)[1]

In the ancient Near Eastern culture where this story takes place, the eldest son typically received a double portion of the father’s inheritance. That’s two shares to Esau from his fabulously rich dad for every one that went to Jacob. We’re talking massive, enduring wealth, traded in a moment for a bowl of beans.

Well, we think, that guy was dumber than a mollusk.

Careful, though. Esau wasn’t the first to tragically undervalue a treasure that was his by right, and he’s hardly been the last. Life is replete with examples of people making bad choices, trading what’s priceless for something that’s here today and gone tomorrow. A marriage for a fling, a sterling reputation for a tarnished buck, freedom for an addiction—you know the story, and maybe you’ve lived it. Thank God for his mercy and forgiveness, and even better, for his redemption. God can turn our worst failings into our greatest assets by his grace.

But we’d be wise to ask ourselves, Is there any bowl of beans for which we’re trading our relationship with God? Because that relationship—not just conceptual but experiential, interactive and thriving like a loving, healthy marriage—is our priceless birthright in Christ.

“This is eternal life,” Jesus said, praying to his Father, “that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent” (John 17:3, my emphasis). Getting close enough to God to hear his heart; receiving his life-changing love and loving him in return; experiencing his companionship in the ordinariness and occasional extraordinariness of every day—nothing is better.

Please understand. I’m not talking about salvation; I’m talking about what it is we’re saved for. We were made for a divine love relationship with the Lord of Life, the Monarch of Creation. He wants us—more than we can possibly imagine. Whatever hinders our closeness with him, that’s our bowl of beans.

Now, don’t get hung up contemplating all the ways you fail God. That’s not what he’s about. He’s not out to shame you—he wants to draw you in. If there’s something that hinders you, whether it’s an elephant in your living room or something small but maybe bigger than you realize, he’ll deal with you about it. Just be real with him. Talk to him—and listen.

God is not the author of faint-hearted living or gray religiosity. He’s certainly not out to rob you of joy; he’s the author of joy, and he wants you to have more of it. Which means enjoying closeness with him. He “richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment.” Family time, hobbies, friendships, sports, food, work, play—good, all gifts of God. But he does want you to include him.

Because only he offers you Life with a capital L, and a different perspective on the world around you, and hope, and grace, and wisdom, and all the things that are most important. All of which come to you only through your heavenly Father’s companionship.

Nothing is more precious than that. Nothing is more important than your birthright. Don’t trade it for beans.

[1] All Scripture quotes are from the New International Version (NIV).


Helpful Additional Resources

Coming soon

When You Can't Find Jesus in Church

by Bob Hartig

“My church is the outdoors,” the woman confided in me. “I don’t get along well with Christians.”

She and I were strangers. Her remark came during a chance conversation,and I don’t recall saying anything that would have prompted the second half of her remark. Maybe I did, though. My days of aggressive evangelism as a young believer gave way long ago to trying to listen to people rather than preach at them, but I don’t hide my faith. In any case, the lady was smart, personable, interesting, and, well, simply a nice person. Like me, she loved the outdoors and treasured God’s handiwork in nature. She just had an issue with Christians.

She’s far from alone. Maybe you feel that way yourself. Your experience of Christians has not made you want to be like them. The judgmentalism, the double- standards, the lack of understanding and love, the blurring of religion with politics, the anger and outright nastiness . . . the list goes on, doesn’t it? Who wants to sign up for that? It’s a hard enough world to live in as it is
.
The question is, is Jesus himself like that?

In your heart, you know the answer. Of course he’s not.

Back in the 1970s, as a young man exploring LSD, occultism, and a neo-Eastern cult, I somehow understood, despite my deep dislike of institutional religion, that Jesus himself was trustworthy. In the shopping mall of spiritual
masters and mystical pursuits, all of which ultimately left me confused and fearful and which never satisfied my heart, here was this person whom I instinctively knew I could count on. He certainly was important, because every spirituality I explored had a version of him it was selling. But who was he really?
 
If you too have wondered, you’re in good company. Even Jesus’s closest friends often didn’t know what to make of him, and at one point his own family thought he’d lost his mind. Jesus was a man of vast contradictions—today in the
synagogue, where a good Jewish guy ought to be; tomorrow in a place no Jew would go, striking up a conversation with the wrong kind of woman. Jesus wasn’t trying to be a rebel. It just came with his commitment to reveal God’s redeeming love to people broken by life, by their own sins, and by religious demands that only added to their misery rather than helped them.

There were the miracles, yes. But there were also the things he said. His words, and Jesus himself, were utterly unlike anything the people had ever encountered. That he was a holy man, no one questioned except his enemies. But
the holiness of Jesus was far different from the holiness of the religious leaders. Their brand of hermetically sealed holiness distanced itself from sinners and left ordinary people feeling condemned. Jesus’s robust holiness sought sinners out, invited them to draw near, embraced them, inspired hope, acceptance, and dignity.

In Jesus, holiness and love came together.

And the people loved him for it. Jesus was their hero.

“Come to me”—those were his words. Not an invitation to go to church but to draw close to him.

“Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.” (Jesus, in Matthew 11:28–30 MSG)

Am I against the church? Heavens no. I love the church, and so does Jesus. There is much that is wonderful about it, too much to say here. But I also understand firsthand why many people’s experiences of religious institutions have
repelled them rather than drawn them to Jesus. If that’s you, perhaps what you encountered didn’t reflect his character. Perhaps it wasn’t about him at all.

I’m not saying that following Jesus is easy or that he’s always comfortable. His first, closest followers would tell you that being with him was both reassuring and challenging. He confronted them with themselves, he made demands upon them, and he will do so with you. He changes us, not the other way around; none of us get to remake him according to our preferences.

But that’s a good thing. It’s where the hope lies—in companioning with a Savior and mentor who understands life, us, sin, and the heart of God infinitely better than we do, and who loves us beyond what we can comprehend.

That Scripture verse you read a few paragraphs back . . . reread it and give it a think. It’s not about going to church. It’s not about spouting Bible verses orreligious cliches. It’s about him. Start with him, with Jesus. Talk with him like you
would a friend, as if he’s really there and is really listening—because he is. Pick up a Bible and start reading the gospel of John to get better acquainted.

Keep at it and see where it goes. That’s where I’ll leave it, because it’s that simple.

The rest is up to him and you.

What If God Is a Gardener?

gardener“With a potent winter storm now behind us here in West Michigan, a fresh blanket of early February snow sits ten inches deep in my backyard. This hardly seems like the time to think of gardening.

Yet it won’t be much longer. Already the sun is rising earlier and setting almost an hour later than on winter’s darkest day. Longer, brighter days are encroaching. The snow will melt, the soil will warm, and growing things will appear. And gardeners will plant their seeds.

Seeds are like faith. To plant a seed is to sow the substance of living color and fruitfulness. And it’s to express confidence that the act of planting something so small it seems almost nothing makes all the difference. Because from the very beginning, God decreed that within humble seeds would reside the mysterious, exponential power of reproduction.

Then God said, “Let the land produce vegetation: seed-bearing plants and trees on the land that bear fruit with seed in it, according to their various kinds.” And it was so. The land produced vegetation: plants bearing seed according to their kinds and trees bearing fruit with seed in it according to their kinds. And God saw that it was good. (Genesis 1:11–12)

God is a gardener at heart. In Eden he planted a garden—the sublimest of all art galleries, a landscape filled with living, growing sculptures. Humanity was to be its caretakers. And seed was its means of self-sustenance. God loves seeds.

Within a single seed are all the components that will develop, over time and in the right conditions, into the living thing the seed came from and is intended to perpetuate. Every seed is a latent rose, or a maple, a healing herb, a kingly sequoia . . . and something more, something deeper. Within a seed, Jesus told his disciples, resides the key to understanding the kingdom of heaven.

He taught [the people] many things by parables, and in his teaching said: “Listen! A farmer went out to sow his seed . . .” (Mark 4:2–3)

You know the rest—how some of the seed fell along the path, some on rocky ground, some among thorns, and some on good soil; and how the seed fared differently in each case.

The disciples were mystified. What was Jesus getting at? “Explain it to us,” they requested later when they were alone with him.

“Don’t you understand this parable?” Jesus responded. “How then will you understand any parable?” (Mark 4:13)

In other words, this parable is foundational. Indeed, in all three synoptic gospels, it is the first of all the seed parables, and there are a number of them. Because the kingdom of God operates like a seed. Not a product with packaged parts and instructions for assembly, but a tiny fleck imbued with the blessing and mystery of life.

“This is what the kingdom of God is like. A man scatters seed on the ground. Night and day, whether he sleeps or gets up, the seed sprouts and grows, though he does not know how. All by itself the soil produces grain—first the stalk, then the head, then the full kernel in the head.” (Mark 4:26–28)

“The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and planted in his field. Though it is the smallest of all seeds, yet when it grows, it is the largest of garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds come and perch in its branches.” (Matthew 13:31–32)

A seed implies patience. It doesn’t replicate overnight, doesn’t unfold everything it contains in a day. Apparently God, the Master Gardener, values the process of germination, growth, and maturation rather than immediate results. That’s how it is in the plant kingdom, and so it is in his kingdom.

In you and me.

We have been “born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God” (1 Peter 1:23). The Word sown in our heart by the Gardener has germinated, transforming us into a new creation in place of the old (2 Corinthians 5:17).

But that new creation, like a plant, takes time to grow. So be gentle with yourself. There are things you can do, and need to do, in order to cultivate God’s kingdom within you and through you. But a large part of the matter is to simply treat your relationship with God as just that: a relationship. A connection and a conversation. An organic interaction with Someone who is always with you, who loves you more than you can imagine, and who is keenly devoted to the growth of his seed in you. Because that’s what it is—his seed. Seed destined to mature into something very, very good. Trust in him to help you grow it—to grow you day by day, season by season, into the reflection of God you are created to be.

Helpful Additional Resources

Coming soon

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