“There are times…when a well-placed pawn is more powerful than a king.” –from the TV Show, Castle

In a world, where pursuit of fame and fortune is commonplace, we overlook the power of the “ordinary”, the “common.”  In chess, a pawn is most often the first pieces to be taken by the opponent.  But, in chess and in life, there are times a well-placed pawn is more powerful.

Powerful to take down arrogance.

Powerful to break down walls to unbelievers.

Powerful to lend the hand, to be Jesus’ hands in this world.

Powerful to reach out to the one standing next to you who just needed to know they are not alone.

Powerful to do the right thing, over and over again, and thereby renewing another’s faith that doing the right thing is not only possible, but that others do it too.

Powerful to follow the lead of the Father, the lead of the Savior, the lead of the Holy Spirit–to do the things that may not make sense.

Powerful enough to fly under the radar and accomplish the things that a “king” could not.

For days when you feel more like a pawn in this great chess game, remember: “There are times…when a well-placed pawn is more powerful than a king.”

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Photo by Claudio Jule

Where, exactly, did the wimpy, milktoast, doormat definition of peace arise?  When did we give up the idea that peace comes with a price?  And why, exactly, do we keep believing that “not rocking the boat” is somehow the best approach to every situation?Show me, exactly, where Jesus chose to not rock the boat.  Was it when He walked on water?  Challenged the current days’ teachings about God?  Or remained silent among the threats and taunts of His executioners–do not be deceived.  Christ’s executioners expected Him to get angry, to fight back.  They knew He was innocent.  The fact that He took a punishment that did not belong to Him didn’t just rock the boat.  He rocked the world.  Literally!

“For I will not presume to speak of anything except what Christ has accomplished through me.” –Romans 15:18

I do not know your story, but Christ had done anything but make my life smooth waters and non-rocking of boats.  He demands me to be honest–requirement me to avoid cliches and playing politics.  At the same time, He demands me to be gentle–returning gentle words when affronted with wrath, speaking the truth in love rather than launching into my own verbal sparring match.  Even when I am technically right, He requires me to be spiritually right as well.

In the face of persecution, He demands me to focus on Him, not my attackers.  And in the face of uncertainty, He demands that I hope in His plan for my life.  When the world settles for whining and a victim mentality, Christ demands that I stand tall and speak  confidently that regardless of what life looks like right now, I know I am in His will and His control of this world is greater than anything my mind can imagine.

And when someone speaks against Him, He asks me, “do you love Me?”  I would defend my family, my friends.  Why should I shirk the opportunity to speak the truth (in love, remember) about the One who has done more to change my life for the better than any human ever could.

“I’m at peace with it.  It’s not the pansy, pie-in-the-sky, life-is-perfect peace.  No, this is the kind of peace that comes after war.  It’s the hard-won, show-you-my-scars, didn’t-think-I’d-live-to-tell-about-it, peace.  It’s not gentle–it’s wild, fierce, and I’m not giving it up, not ever, because I paid too high a price to get it.” –Jennifer Claassen, from http://jenclaassen.blogspot.com/

Peace is not a daisy floating with the breeze.  Peace comes with a sword, the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God, cuts through the foolishness of this world.  When the world demands your time and attention, true peace demands your focus on Christ.

“Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you.  Do not let your heart be troubled, nor let it be fearful.” –John 14:27

If you want His peace, there is a little word, used twice in this verse we often overlook.  Missing this word means the utter breakdown of any sense of peace in your life.  Here is the phrase again, emphasis mine:

“Do not let your heart be troubled, nor let it be fearful.”

You are responsible for allowing peace to reign in your life.  God has provided the Comforter in the form of the Holy Spirit.  It is entirely up to you to protect your land from the invasion of anything that threatens the peace indwelling in you.

“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.” –Matthew 5:9

Peace is given to us.  If we want to experience its power, its comfort, its calm, we must make it happen.  In no way do we create peace–Jesus gave us perfect peace.  We must, however, create room in our hearts and minds to make room for peace.

“But how?!?” your heart cries.  Go back to the verse from John to gain insight into two powerful ways to start.

“Do not let your heart be troubled…”

Trouble reigns in this world.  Whether the constant drama at the office, the drama of raising teenagers, or troubled finances, ample opportunity arises to allow trouble room to grow in our hearts.  The question is: will you let it?

You tend that garden–you plant the seeds.  Though the enemy may scatter some trouble-seeds in the area, it remains your call as to whether that seed gets room in your garden.

“Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.  And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” –Philippians 4:6-7

“Do not be afraid”–Fear finds foothold when we look at the water rather than the ONe who made it.  Peter asked Jesus to call him to the water, then He doubted Jesus would be there in the waves (Matthew 14:28 and following).  We cry out for Jesus’ leading, then we fear He will abandon us there.  Yet still He promises:

“No man will be able to stand before you all the days of your life.  Just as I have been with Moses, I will be with you; I will not fail you or forsake you.” –Joshua 1:5

God called Joshua to go–and promised that in His will, Joshua would not fail.

“Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful.” –Hebrews 10:23

Let His very words wash over your weary heart:

“These things I have spoken to you, so that in Me you may have peace.  IN the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world.” –John 16:33

As a woman called to leave the worldly security of her full-time job to pursue the GOd-given dreams He has embedded in my very soul, I intimately understand the issues of a troubled heart and a fearful approach to life.  As you struggle, I struggle.  I do not preach from a pulpit of perfection–I am in the trenches slugging out this battle with you.  Take heart and lean on the promise of I Thessalonians:

“Faithful is He who calls you, and He also will bring it to pass.” –I Thessalonians 5:24

photo by clix

Throwbacks are all about bringing in previously-published articles.  These articles appeared back when groundswell was published in the form of an email newsletter.  The photos are newly added to the blog.

On days I spend writing, usually with a posture of eyes closed, focusing while intentionally not focusing, letting the words flow.  Allowing the scriptures to bubble up in my heart, allowing the Spirit to move and mold and shape.

And the background noise at this time is the dishwasher.  the water flowing, the occasional increase in water pressure, getting the grim and food particles off the plates so they can be used again.

And it strikes me.
It struck so hard and fast, I stopped writing the other thing to write this.

God’s work in my life is like the dishwasher.
Flowing water, heated (oh, those trials in life), spraying the cleanser of the His Word over the crevices of my heart.

All so I can go out again, clean, to serve again.

A dirty plate can still serve, but it can also spread disease, discomfort, and alter the taste of the next food on the plate.

Only a clean plate can present the food in the cook’s intended form.

And I get dirty again, just as the plate gets dirty every time it serves.

But the more I allow the heated, cleanser-filled water of the Spirit to wash over us time and time (and time) again, the less I will taint the service God has given for me to do.

Stopping long enough to be cleansed can be hard.  But just as the dish that sits and gets harder to clean as time passes, my heart and mind gets harder to clean the longer I wait.

The continual cleanse of the Father is one that I encourage you to seek.  Each of us individually seeking the cleansing, we can then come together in more powerful service, as the purity of the gospel message can be presented against the background of His people–the people He made holy.

“but as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, because it is written, ‘Be holy, for I am holy.’” –I Peter 1:15-16

Being holy requires continual cleansing of our sinful hearts.  Not salvation-level cleansing, but as Jesus Himself described it:

“He who is bathed needs only to wash his feet, but is completely clean…” –John 13:10

Seek continual washing.  Let the Ultimate Dishwasher cleanse His serving vessals that we may serve Him without blemish or taint.

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Photo by Colin Brough

“How am I ‘supposed’ to feel about this?”

We receive message all the time about how we “should” feel.  Everything from food choices to charities–everything is up for being told how we should feel.  We are told we should passionately get behind every product, every situation, every political stance.

We are bombarded with the opinions of others telling us how we should feel.

We should feel happy, sad, excited, scared, nervous about….everything.  From holiday gatherings to situations related to work.  Every situation is open for interpretation and advice–unwanted or otherwise.

In walks manufactured emotion.  While driving to a holiday gathering, it occurred to me that some of the internal pressure I experienced when just alone in the car was a product of manufactured emotion.  I had fallen prey to the notion that I “should” be feeling a certain way about different areas of my life.  That realization alone released so much pressure.

I appreciate David and the Psalms.  David was clear in his emotions–good, bad or ugly–David was transparent with God.  He didn’t try to hide his emotions from God.  He didn’t talk himself into feeling a certain way.  He poured out his heart to his Lord–and he was called a man after God’s own heart.

Take some time today, right now even, and see where you may be functioning under the feelings and emotions others have convinced you to have.  Strip it all away, come to the Father with just your own self, and receive a peace that passes all understanding.

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Photo by Rose Ann

Six days into the new year, what are your prominent thoughts?  Considering giving up on the resolution that seemed so reasonable when you made it?  Panicking that you are out of floss and can’t get to the store so you may break your resolution to floss every night despite your best efforts?

What about that extra ten pounds?  The still-in-need-of-a-good-cleaning closet in the spare room?  The monthly chores?  The budget?  The goals?  The future?

A new year dawning is a great time to reflect and refocus for the coming year.  It can also be a trap.

A trap of trying to control life.  Of course if you finally lose that last ten pounds your life will be instantly better in every way, right?  Surely if the spare closet is finally clean, your soul will also feel clean.  And looking at those budget numbers every day will surely make you feel in control of your entire life, right?

That is the kicker to resolutions: they are an attempt at control.  And as such, they can be a trap.

“Which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature?” –Matthew 6:27

Resolutions can be good.  They can be starting points from which God works in our lives in ways we have not seen before.  And self-control is a very, very good thing:

“For a bishop must be blameless, as a steward of God, not self-willed, not quick-tempered, not given to wine, not violent, not greedy for money, but hospitable, a lover of what is good, sover-minded, just, holy, self-controlled.” –Titus 1:7-8

In this, and many other passages, God calls us to self-control.  Yes, maybe that third cookie is a bit much.  But is the cookie the problem, or your attempt to control your life the problem?  Is the daily coffee shop drink the problem, or the kind of life you think you deserve to have that is causing the daily purchase really what is killing your budget?

So often, it is not the symptom–the resolution–but the underlying cause of the symptom that needs to be addressed.  Any attempt to do otherwise will result in fruitless endeavors.

And knowing this, God gives us a phenomenal template from which to build our resolutions:

“But for this very reason, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue, to virtue knowledge, to knowledge self-control, to self-control perseverance, to perseverance godliness, to godliness brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness love.  For if these things are yours and abound, you will be neither barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.” –2 Peter 1:5-8

Resolutions can be good.  But if they are yet another small bandage to a much greater issue, you will be frustrated again and again.

Seek God’s heart.  Let Him show you the true source of your discontentment.  And make resolutions aligned with His purposes.

The payoff will be spectacular!

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Photo by Luka Rister

Lessons learned and shared with another.  Whenever my cousin and I talk, I am challenged, encouraged, and I understand a little more about the lessons God has taught me over the years.  This time, I sit in the waiting room of the mechanic’s shop.  We discuss life in general and …groundswell… in particular.

“What I have learned,” I share with her, “is that if all I focus on is that one moment in the future, I will be discontent with everything until then.  All it does is train us to be discontent–so when we get to that moment, not only will we not appreciate it, we’ll find some other reason to be discontent.”

We were talking specifics, but isn’t this true about so many things?  Whether deliverance from a bad job, angry neighbors, or a traffic jam, when all we focus on is the moment of complete deliverance, we miss out completely on the work of God in the meantime.

“There is an appointed time for everything…” –Ecclesiastes 3:1

God has an appointed time for your deliverance.  He also has an appointed time for every step necessary between now and that deliverance.

Imagine the Israelites at the Red Sea, Egyptians chariots close at hand.  The staff goes up, the waters part, the walking begins.

Imagine this (totally fictional) account from an Israelite perspective: “I can’t believe we are here.  Doesn’t God love us?  What is He thinking?  I am so tired of being a slave.  Moses came to lead our Exodus yet here we are still being chased by Egyptians.”  And as the last Israelite toes touch on the far shore, the waves crash in, obliterating their pursuers.  ”Well it’s about time we are freed from their yoke!”  As the people of God walk away from the shore, “This doesn’t look like the Promised Land.  What happened to milk and honey?  Here we go again…”

Totally missing the miracles, the waters parting, the dry land beneath, the complete deliverance of the people before the waters crash in on the enemies.  The moment where celebration and praise of victory ring out, tainted by one person’s “it’s about time” and “now what?!?”

We think this is absurd.  We wonder how someone could have this perspective on just this side  of an amazing deliverance.  But don’t we do the same thing?  We pester God, just like the New Testament woman with the judge, and He delivers.  Instead of prostrating in awe, we start pestering about the next thing.  In our single-focused picture of what should be, we miss out on everything happening around us.

“There is an appointed time for everything.”

Living in this exact appointed time does not mean we do not dream of something more.  Instead, we get to dream of “that day” while noticing the everyday miracles around us.  It means trusting God that every moment is the exact moment He is sovereignly in control.  It is then that our clouded eyes see His miraculous Hand working in the everyday.

Why focus on just the dream at the expense of missing out on the everyday?  Why not experience both?

Why not start now?

“There is an appointed time for everything.”

This is your time.  What will you do with it?

photo by Herman Brinkman

Throwbacks are all about bringing in previously-published articles.  These articles appeared back when groundswell was published in the form of an email newsletter.  The photos are newly added to the blog.