"The Boss of My Brain"

At age 4, my youngest looked right at my husband and proclaimed, "No Daddy, You are not the boss of my brain!"  It was one of the moments that was hard to respond without gales of laughter.

I remembered that yesterday, I considered in two separate discussions the reality of authority.  I asked myself last night, do I sound like my 4 year old?

In the gospel of Matthew, Matthew seems to go out of his way to point to Christ's identity as Messiah and his authority as Messiah.  My shorthand is Jesus as both Lord and Savior.  The Saving part is not much a problem for me to embrace--I need some saving!  The Lord part, I don't contend in theory but in reality, I wonder?  How do I live minute to minute as Lord being Lord?  What does it look like for Christ to be the authority in my life--decisions, relationships, opportunities?

A picture of authority:

• Power to determine
• Adjuciate/settle an issue
• The right to control
• The right to command
• The right to detetrmine
• The right to influence
• The power to enforce
• A confidence that comes from great expertise

What would it look like to be able to claim, yes Abba, you are the Boss of my Brain?  Jump to Paul who lived with that reality:

We demolish arguements and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.  2 Corinthians 10:5

I thought, what does it mean to put my thoughts under the authority of a person, not a concept or set of ideals? How does my mind, my thoughts,  which are too often:

• Critical
• Silly
• Worried
• Spinning in an unhealthy direction
• Way too often self centered
• Small

become obedient (exousia--the power of choice, the right) to person, the Lord, Christ?

Should I ask for permission to do things (prayer)?
Should I be familiar with the record of responses and expectations (scripture)?
Should I be in a posture of one who is not in control or holding power, but looking to one who is (worship)?
Should I remember that the mind of Christ is almost always upside down from my natural thought process?
Should I listen and learn from others whose thoughts are often not independent ones, but dependent on Christ?
Should I review the list above, what makes up authority and pursue ordinary ways to cooperate?
Should I not only care about what my Lord cares about--but be willing to do something about it (serve)?

It's Lent:  as season to consider closely, the breadth and depth of God's mercy and sacrifice and majesty.  Given the brilliance of it all, the answer is, I should.

Major in the Minors, post 1

Proverbs 22:6 Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it.

Ephesians 6:1-4 Children, obey your parents in the Lord for this is right. Honor your father and mother which is the first commandment with a promise—that it may go well with you and that you may enjoy long life on the earth. Fathers, do not exasperate your children, instead, bring them up in the training and instruct ion of the Lord.

It’s been a frustrating morning. I have persisted in encouraging, nagging, pointing out, the need for the girls to take care of their things—pick up the rooms. An age old battle, but it brought to mind a question. How do I get them to value what I value—or at least associate more value on the caretaking of their space?

My initial thought was to tie it to something they value, like an i-pod or cell phone, or, this morning-- both. There is a practical, logical feel to that solution.

Then, I thought is there a faith component to this, my immediate answer was yes, and I happily (full of pride) pulled out the scriptures above to back me up.

Yet, I wonder if I am training correctly—what is the way a child should go? My oldest, a high schooler, yesterday applied for a job. The circumstances behind this act required her to manage through some disappointment, some hurt pride and humbly take initiative in spite of it. She sailed through that important task and test beautifully. Really, it was an impressive real world step of maturity. However, the workout clothes were still stuffed in the corner of the closet. What’s a mama to do?

She also navigated through the sorrow and shock of a class mate’s suicide last week, comforting her friends, asking the right questions, attending the funeral service, praying for the family who lost their son. However, her makeup is sitting exposed like Japan’s nuclear rods next to the makeup case on the floor of her room. What’s a mama to care about?

After thinking this through and finishing their laundry, I wonder how to find a faithful perspective. They do need to learn to be responsible for their stuff and also aware that mismanagement of their stuff affects those (mamas) around them. However, I wonder what part of my heart, mind, thoughts, words are dedicated to the clutter and what are dedicated to relationships, work, ministry.

I need to take care not to train the girls up to be tidy, but faithful (and yes, responsible). I need to give thanks, praise and notice when they walk in obedience to God first and foremost.

Any thoughts on the tension of not just avoid majoring in the minors but also remember to major in the majors.

Living A Better Story

Donald Miller wrote in A Million Miles in a Thousand Years: 
     "So I started obeying a little. I'd feel God wanting me to hold my tongue and I would. It didn't feel natural at first; it felt fake, like I was being a character somebody else wanted me to be and not who I actually was; but if I held my tongue, the scene would play better, and I always felt better when it was done. I started feeling like a better character and when you are a better character, our story gets better too. At first the feeling was only about holding my tongue. And when I learned to hold my tongue a bit, the Voice guided me from the defensive to the intentional.
     God wanted me to do things, to help people, to volunteer or write a letter or talk to my neighbor. Sometimes I'd do the thing God wanted and the story always went well, of course; and sometimes I'd ignore it and watch television. But by the time I really came to believe the Voice was God and God was trying to write a better story. And besides, nothing God wanted me to was difficult.         
     Until..."
 
     It's a great book, I don't want to call it a must read, that seems presumptuous but it is wonderfully written and has an truly original perspective.  If you love to read or write this is as must read as it gets.
     That said, back to the excerpt.  Obedience.  People equate faithfulness with obedience and I hesitate a bit, I think that a faith which lives itself out by following rules leads to legalism and self righteousness and then failure. 
     It is a New Year's Resolution or I am Willing Myself to be better religion.
     Miller points to two interesting parts of obedience:  first, listening to God and following that, when the character does that (obeys),  the story gets better.  
     It hit me:  legalism is not obedience--willing oneself is not obeying anyone but self.  Obedience is hearing, attending to and then following what Miller calls the Voice.  The story would not get better if I take a legalistic or self will approach, but if I listen to God, discern His will from prayer, scripture, worship and I have a posture ready to give then not only will I be obedient, my story gets better (note, not easier--Miller has great thoughts on our pursuit of comfort). 
     I love the line, "sometimes I'd ignore the voice and watch television" again, what I am listening to and what am I paying attention to.?
     I just listened to a podcast of a sermon from Andy Stanley of Northpoint Community Church.  He asked, "when was the last time you saw a love scene in a movie between two married people?  I know it's almost ewww, yuck like watching your parents."  
     Stanley's conclusion:  we pay lots attention to and then fantasize about the love scene between unmarried people we find attractive but then are shocked, outraged that someone acts out in real life, that which we seek for entertainment.  
     We are shocked at the real world destruction that comes from listening then acting on a voice that is not God, because in the movies such behavior is fun with a cool soundtrack and hair/make up artists and costume designers.  It has the illusion of being worthy of watching, but somehow we are supposed to know not do what we pay to watch.
      Putting the two points together, if I follow what I focus on, then first I need to focus on that which is true and worthy.  Then, I need to follow it.  That is obedience, it's not complicated, but its not always entertaining.   Good stories are not amusements--but they are rich and interesting and have a lasting quality that I want.
     Monday morning coffee and comfort with obedience.  I think it's going to be an interesting week.