The Apostle Peter’s identity being challenged

Posted on by Matthew Laker

peterJesus declares, I will define who we are. “I will make you….” (Matthew 4:18-22).

When we watch the life of the Apostle Peter the more he understands who God is, the more he understands who he is.

Knowing God and knowing self are therefore interdependent” (The Gift of Being Yourself: The Sacred Call to Self-Discovery By David Benner.)

For Peter to find salvation and wholeness, he will have to walk away from the nets. However doing so is not an easy task as the nets are what have defined Peter for so long. Peter seems to have been a faithful Jew, a hard worker, and a family man. He most likely did not have an easy life, but things were average for him. His identity as a business man was as secure as it could be. Then Jesus challenges him to drop that old identity, his net, and follow him.

As we follow Jesus he is going to lead us to see our spiritual nakedness (Gen3), our true selves and our need for him.

In Luke 5:1-11, Peter’s response to Jesus is to recognize his need for Jesus and then challenges Peter’s identity. It was after raising the fish-filled nets up out of the water, that Peter runs to Jesus and shares that he is a sinner. He understands this about himself. However, as Jesus reveals more of himself to Peter, Peter moves from knowledge to experience. God wants us to be aware of our need for divine help. He wants to replace the fig leaves we grab to cover our nakedness (Gen.3:21) and give us real wholeness in our life. To do that we must see ourselves as Jesus see us.

When Jesus says to Peter, “I will make you….” (Matthew 4:18-22), Jesus declares to Peter, I will define who you are.

For us today the question becomes: will we cling to the old nets? Like Peter, will we let Jesus define us or will we let the things we do, or do not do, with our hands define us?

At times we place our self-value in what we have, what we can do and what others think of us. Yet Jesus calls us to walk away from that and drop the nets. Let him define us.

Jesus calls us to an identity that is grounded in our relationship to God the Father. Jesus came to restore our relationship with God the Father. It is as we understand who God is and what Jesus has done that we understand who we are and what we can do.

To go there we must step out of the boat and let go of things we have grabbed a hold of to define us and be honest with ourselves.

What nets do you hold on to that secure you in a false self?

Peter not only understands and comes to know God deeper but he begins to understand himself better, his true self. True self is only found in seeking and accepting God. There, Jesus declares, wholeness is found.

From the backseat to the driver’s seat of life.

Posted on by Matthew Laker

Are you taking control of your life?

driverseat bWhen we were in the car one day, one of my kids spoke up from the back seat and asked, “can we go there? I would like to.”  However, they were not the ones in the driver’s seat, I was.  Given my role as a parent in their life, I get to take the driver’s seat.  

Who’s driving your life?  Do you feel as if you are in the back seat and someone else is driving your life?   Do you find that your agenda is often filled more by responding to another’s agenda or needs?  Are there things you would like to do, but do not feel you are the one driving the car in your life? Perhaps your parents are still driving you around?

Do you want to take control of your life?

How do we get out of the backseat and drive?

Many people want to live a life that counts.  Many want to have an impactful career. Some carry dreams of having great impact on those around them.  Some want to leave an impact in their neighbourhood or in a certain field.  Many just want to get out of the hamster wheel they feel they are in, one in which they are running hard and not going anywhere.  However, to do that you are going to have to get out of the backseat of your life.

The number one thing to do to get out of the backseat of your life and drive is to:

1. Choose it.

Do you really want it?  Why do you want it?

It is going to take work and self-discipline. On a scale of 1-10, how much are you willing to change in your life?

In my circle as a follower of Jesus, sometimes we do not like the self-discipline idea because we think Jesus will make it happen. Now I believe very much we need Jesus in our life.  However, the life that he calls us to is one that involves self-discipline. 

To be self-disciplined involves taking the driver’s seat in our life.  It starts with not just I should, but I will and here is why:

This is really a mental shift and will be hard for many. You are the only one who can make this choice.

If you are serious about making changes then there are steps you can do to help.

a. Life plan

Most of us have dreams and things we would like to accomplish.  At the same time if we are going to steward the resources we have, we need a plan. We only have so much gas and time.

If you would like some help in this area, feel free to contact me about life planning and coaching. matthew@matthewlaker.com

Check out this post for how a life plan can help.

A second step to help move from the back seat to the driver’s seat is to ask yourself:

b. What new habits do you need?

Looking at your life, what are the habits that need to change, or be picked up, for you to move forward?

Understanding your “why from above” will help keep you going in developing a new habit.

Are you ready to get out of the back seat and take control of your life?

What is one step you will take today?

It is their fault or is the enemy closer?

Posted on by Matthew Laker

HD_ea0132jSometimes our own actions and attitudes are the greater enemy.

Yes, there is an enemy out there that is contributing to your problems.  But, there is also an enemy that many of us are unwilling to consider.

There was an individual who once shared this story with me. ‘I was doing the dishes in our home and cleaning up.  During this time I was getting upset with my spouse, and placing much blame.  Then I asked myself the question, ‘What have I done to contribute to the situation? The individual added, ‘It was a sad realization though, of how much I was contributing to my own frustration, and bringing tension to the relationship.’

What if instead of searching out an enemy or blaming the enemy out there, we began to reflect on what “I” have done or are doing that has contributed to the perceived problem.

“There is in each of us a propensity to find someone or something outside ourselves to blame when things go wrong”  The Fifth Discipline: The Art & Practice of The Learning Organization

We live in a time where we are very quick to blame others.  Whenever there is a problem it is caused by the enemy out there.  It is always someone else’s fault.  Think about your relationships and when conflict comes, is your first thought they or I?  When you have a business problem, is the first thought they or I?

At the beginning of the Biblical story we see Adam blaming Eve and Eve blaming the snake. We seem to try and transfer blame first, believing the enemy is out there.

We need to understand that the enemy is not always out there.  We can perceive problems as externally caused, but what if our own actions and attitudes may be coming back to hurt us?  I understand that sometimes we have done nothing to the enemy, and they are just lashing out at us and hurting us.  However, I want to challenge the idea that it is someone else’s fault for how I reacted, or for my attitude.

This is important to understand because it can help defuse a heated argument. It can help us get unstuck and lead to personal growth.  It can help your business by really understanding why something did not work out how you thought it should.

Understanding that the enemy is not always out there can lead to change that brings wholeness. Understanding that the enemy is not always out there can help you get out of the valley.

Some things to consider:

· Hit the Pause button – where can you take a deep breath and take steps back to see the full picture. This is self-evaluation.

Questions to ask:

  • How has your attitude contributed to the situation?
  • What actions have you taken that could have poured fuel on the fire?
  • Why do you think that person did that action or reacted in the way they did?
  • What attitudes and actions contributed to the problem?

Jesus put it this:

“Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye?” (Matthew 7:3)

This was not to say that the fault lies with you and you alone.  In a way he is saying the enemy is not always out there.  He is calling Jesus followers to understand how similar you are to that other person.  At the same time, there is a reality check that you may not be able to change that other person, even if you point out their sin.  You can however change yourself, and if you are going to point out a weakness or sin in another, be humble to take correction yourself.

By understanding this and asking the above questions, and by correcting your own contributions to a situation, you can take steps to greater wholeness and life success.

Do you have any great self-evaluation question to ask?

Personal observation between a hydrated (Wholeness) and dehydrated (burnout) life.

Posted on by Matthew Laker

cracked_earth

“If you wait until you’re thirsty to take a drink, it’s too late.  Your body is already into dehydration.” by Wayne Cordeiro “ Leading on Empty: Refilling Your Tank and Renewing Your Passion”

We were heading out to Canada Day celebration (Canada’s birthday) and one of my kids said, “I am not thirsty. Why do I have to bring my water bottle?”  Some times in our physical life we think we can just tough it through, and fail to understand the role of drinking before we are empty.

During a season in my life I was not taking proper rest or self-care.  I had become dehydrated in a way.  Feeling like life is overwhelming, questioning my calling (work), feeling like I could not even see the path right in front of me. And, struggling with just basic tasks at work.

Have you ever experienced something like that?

Sometimes we find ourselves feeling dehydrated in our life from lack of rest or other circumstances.  Given where you are at right now, ‘Are you feeling hydrated or dehydrated, or somewhere in between? What is your reality? Circle where you are at on the scale? How are you feeling?’

(dehydrated) 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 (hydrated)

Psalm 23:1

“The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall lack nothing”

Rest in our life is like drinking water.  I was aware of the need to practise rest, and even had some people ask me once and awhile if I was doing it.  I will save my reasons for not resting for another time.  However, rest is like drinking water.  I am learning if you do not keep the rhythm of it, it will take you longer to recover.

On http://www.webmd.com/fitness-exercise/dehydration-home-treatment they share that just for a short dehydration time it can take up to 24 hours to replace all the fluids you lost from just a low or medium dehydration experience.

http://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/recovering-from-burnout.htm says, “Recovery from burnout is a slow journey; not a quick dash to some imaginary finish line. You need time and space to recuperate, so don’t rush through this process.”

The call here is to practise a rhythm of rest, like how we have a rhythm of drinking water. The end results then is my mind, body and soul stay hydrated. We do not want to get to the place of burnout, or moving in that direction.

As I write this I am entering a new season. I have recognized I need to work on a few things, to rehydrate in a few areas of my life.

Here are a few observations and reminders that have come my way.

  • Taking a break doesn’t mean one is lazy or not valuable.
  • Taking rest does not mean one is less committed to family, church, calling/work
  • It’s really hard with a young family to continue to foster my relationship with my wife (spouse), but that is no excuse.
  • We all need pit crews in our lives.
  • Boundaries are our friend.
  • I need to not do all the family house chores on my day off.  Spreading them out over the week helps me rest better on my time off.
  • Scheduling rest before the calendar fills up.
  • God called me based upon him and not what I have done.
  • I need to understand what recharges me. I am working on this one.
  • 1 John 3:1
  • God is at work in ways we are unaware of.
  • Jesus is the greatest source of life giving water.
  • The work will never be done.
  • God gives us rest as a gift.
  • God is in control.

I have lots to learn in this area. How about you?

What lessons have you learned in practising rest?

How do you do this with a young family?

What is God saying to you?

Depending on what number you circled in the above scale.  What are two steps you can take in the next two weeks to move closer to living a hydrated life?

Looking for help in Discernment?

Posted on by Matthew Laker

holyspiritbibleRemaining in God’s word helps when we need discernment.  God’s word can shape our perspective on how to view the world, ourselves and God, and this gives help for discernment in our life.

Have you ever found yourself in a place needing discernment? Perhaps you have a choice to make? Perhaps there is someone in your life, and you are needing to know how to respond to them? In 1 John, the apostle John gives some instructions to his people to help with discernment.  In 1 John 2:25-27 there are two reminders that can help with discernment in our life. I will share one here.

John’s church is experiencing some challenges. One group is claiming a new understanding of Jesus.  John gives his church some advice, a place to start that will help them with discernment. Whether that be the need to discern a new spiritual teaching, or direction in our life.

1 John 2:24-25 “See that what you have heard from the beginning remains in you.  If it does, you will remain in the Son and in the Father. And this is what he promised us – even eternal life.”

“Objectively John was teaching there are objective right beliefs rooted in recitation of the historic facts of our faith” (Burge, Gary. “The NIV Application Commentary: The Letters of John.” Michigan, Zondervan, 1996, p. 131).

However, it is not just the ability to repeat back what John wrote in his gospel.  It is about taking hold of who Jesus is and putting our trust in him.  Often it is when we have forgotten who Jesus is that we have forgotten who we are, and this makes choices even harder.  John is calling his people to not forget who Jesus is, and what they heard in the Gospel of John.

Remaining in God’s word is not just about reading scripture every day.  This is a good discipline, but the discipline does not save us.  Our spiritual disciplines position us to hear from God, and centre ourselves on Jesus.  To remain in God’s word is to let it also take root in our life, and embrace God’s promises and principles for our life.

If you follow Jesus long enough, you know of times when you need some discernment and so you open your bible and hope something comes out.  However, for many you only come out in the end with nothing.

I have observed in life, that through the regularly reflection/meditation of scriptures over time we gain better perspective.  God’s word can shape our perspective on how to view the world, ourselves and God, and this gives help for discernment in our life.

Remaining in God’s word will point us to Jesus, were we can find and live in the promise of eternal life (v.25)

Remaining in God’s word will help in discernment in life.