MLK and Your Dreams

We all hope for a better tomorrow. All of us have hopes and dreams that we would see the best of life for others and for ourselves, but things get in the way.

Time passes and our hearts continue to long to see those hopes and dreams come to pass. Life takes a turn we didn’t expect or planned on from either our own choices or just from the hard stuff of life.

What about your dreams and hopes? 

Do they seem so distant and unattainable, maybe even impossible? For some their disappointment has brought them to such a place of desperation that they feel like giving up. Does anyone care about this or about me? Will anyone stand up for justice? Yet, in the midst of all the brokenness, there is always hope! It’s not over for you or me?

We can all learn much for our own hopes and dreams from Martin Luther King Jr.’s life. King grew up in middle-class surroundings and his father was the highly respected pastor of Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta. At the beginning of his social justice calling King was afraid for his family and his own life. In a sermon, he prayed

“Lord, I must confess that I’m weak now and I’m losing my courage and it seemed I heard a voice saying, Martin Luther stand for righteousness. Stand up for justice. And lo I will be with you always, even until the end of the world. He promised never to leave me, never leave me alone. No never leave me alone.”

Three nights later a bomb exploded on his front porch. Though not injuring anyone, King a man of fierce determination took it in stride.

In the book ‘Bearing the Cross’, King said, “I am tired of the threat of death. I want to live, I don’t want to be a martyr. There are times I doubt if I’ll make it through. I’m tired of getting hit, beaten, tired of going to jail. But the important thing is not how tired I am, the important thing is to get rid of the condition that lead us to march.”

Here is an excerpt from King’s famous ‘Letter from a Birmingham Jail’ to fellow church leaders in Alabama.

“But more basically, I am in Birmingham because injustice is here. Just as the prophets of the eighth century B.C. left their villages and carried their "thus saith the Lord" far beyond the boundaries of their home towns, and just as the Apostle Paul left his village of Tarsus and carried the gospel of Jesus Christ to the far corners of the Greco Roman world, so am I compelled to carry the gospel of freedom beyond my own home town. Like Paul, I must constantly respond to the Macedonian call for aid.”

To read the whole letter in context click here: When the march in Selma was over King addressed the weary marchers from the steps of the capital.

“How long will it take? However difficult, however frustrating the hour, it will not be long. Not long, because no lie can live forever. How long? Not long, because you reap what you sow. How long? Not long, because the arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends towards justice. How long? Not long, because my eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord…” 

King was a man of focus who inspired many to re-consider the cultural norms of injustice. Though exhausted from years of steady plodding he remained resolute. Over the years I’d heard others refer to less admirable aspects to his life in order to minimize what good he had done. 

What strikes me the most was not his personal sacrifices or his incessant non-violent marches, nor even his eloquent speeches. It was his firm grounding in the Christian gospel that motivated him to inspire others! 

These are King’s words the night before his assassination in Memphis.

“Like anybody, I would like to live long. But I’m not concerned about that now. I just want to do God’s will… I’ve looked over and I’ve seen the promised land. I may not get there with you, but I want you to know tonight that we as a people will get to the promised land. So I’m happy tonight. I’m not worried about anything. I’m not fearing any man. My eyes have seen the coming of the Lord.”

King was committed to the cause despite its cost. He carried his hopes and dreams everywhere he went. So, here’s the deal. His hopes and dreams were for others and not just for himself.  He tenaciously persevered through all his trials and like you and I had times of doubt and felt like giving up, but he didn’t!

He knew he wasn’t alone and my friend, neither are you! So, if you feel discouraged or even feel like giving up then reflect on King’s extraordinary life, but may we never forget the real King of the universe who gives us a living hope that will last forever! If you’re a Christ-follower know that He WILL be with YOU and WILL hold you in HIS hands while your life story unfolds.

Things might be out of your control, but not out of HIS! He has a plan for you and all is not over, so hold on! He will be with YOU! It’s not over – there’s still time. He will see you through and ultimately to the Promised Land!

Is The American Dream the Promised Land?

We all have dreams and over time our unrealized dreams can seem distant and unattainable, maybe even impossible?
 
The long wait can bring us to a place of desperation and we may wonder does anyone care about my situation or about me? Although our dreams might be altruistic to us, but where do our dreams come from or for whom are our dreams for?

For a variety of reasons many have been confused between the biblical ‘Promised Land’ and the ‘American Dream.’ Over the centuries many have thought that America was the Promised Land, a land flowing with milk and honey, a place of fulfilled promise, a place of opportunity. For many it has been and can be.

The biblical Promised Land narrative is often related to the immigrant story in the founding of the United States.  Our forefathers rightly envisioned America as a land of religious freedom, opportunity, hope, and the pursuit of happiness from which we benefit today.

The idea that America is a kind of Promised Land is understandable, yet many people inside or outside the church have mistaken America for the biblical Promised Land. For many the view that America is the Promised Land of ultimate opportunity has become a pretext for the American entitlement of happiness.

If we think that we are entitled to happiness then we should get what we want when we want it and maybe for free. 
Could it be that this perception of the entitlement of the American Dream has shaped American's identity, lifestyle and vocation more than anything else? Our consuming habits can be just another step toward the Promised Land.

As Mark Labberton said, “The intertwining of Promised Land assumptions and consumer opportunities easily becomes a powerful economic, social and spiritual engine. Promised Land hopes fires American consumerism, and puts the “buyer” in the controller’s seat with expectations and demands, largely for personal ends.”

This approach makes pragmatic sense if you believe you’re in the Promised Land and assume it exists merely for your benefit, so you simply take what’s available, which is what you see everybody else doing. This can be seen in the cheapened view of relationships today in discarding a relationship for a new and improved one. It's my right to have... 

The concept of the Promised Land is a strong narrative in the Hebrew Scriptures.
The premise of the Promised Land defined Israel’s identity, but it was not meant to be a place to simply pluck God’s benefits. It was rather where God’s people were to thrive in the grace of ‘living out the call’ to be God’s people. Israel’s blessing from ‘the land flowing with milk and honey’ was the encouragement along the path of living according to God’s ways, not because they were entitled to it.

Our lives are not lived out in the midst of idealism, but in the midst of the real world as it is.A secular Promised Land spirituality expects it all and expects it now. Another Promised Land mythical assumption is to avoid hardships and separate ourselves from experiences of pain and leave suffering behind and move into our rightful blissful place. Escaping pain is neither reality nor God’s way.

Jesus says to all His disciples, “Take up your cross and follow me.” If we want to truly follow Him we need to start where we are, not where we wished we were whether it’s at work, home or in our neighborhood. As Christ followers we are to follow Him and live according to God’s ways regardless of what that may include.

Rest assured in knowing that there will ultimately be a Promised Land for Christ followers when, "There will be no more pain and no more sorrow and He will wipe away every tear."
Revelation 21:4

Being Free

When we lose or damage our dignity by philosophy, someone, something or by ourselves we can feel deeply humiliated. Several humiliated and oppressed people groups have developed from centuries of human slavery to the Taliban and have left their undeniable marks on our world.

There is an old story that Abraham Lincoln went down to the slave block to buy back a slave girl. As she looked at the white man bidding on her, she figured he was another white man, going to buy her and then abuse her. He won the bid and as he was walking away with his property, he said, "Young lady, you are free."

She said, "What does that mean?"

"It means you are free."

She said, “Does that mean that I can say whatever I want to say?"

Lincoln said, "Yes, my dear, you can say whatever you want to say."

"Does that mean," She said, "That I can be whatever I want to be?"

Lincoln said, "Yes, you can be whatever you want to be."

"Does that mean I can go wherever I want to go?"

He said, "Yes, you can go wherever you want to go."

With tears streaming down her face, she said, "Then I will go with you."

Like this young lady we are given a choice to be free. God want s us to be free.

Like the Hebrews we don’t want to go back to Egypt do we? Like the freed lion we don’t want to be reintroduced to the cage. We want to stay free. Free from the things that kept us enslaved and stuck.

We need to be aware of the subtle temptations to cave into the things that once kept us enslaved. What are you allowing to have control over you? What desire, activity, substance or environment has a tendency to lure you into its trap? What is it you cave into? Who is it? What is it? Name it. Why can’t you say no?

Biblical self-control is not self-mastery or your strong will power. Biblical self-control is empowered by God’s spirit who wants to heighten our determination to STAY FREE!

We need to fight for our freedom by making the choices that God wants for us. Most of us have the freedom to choose many things, but some of those choices are definitely not the best for us.

You say, “I am allowed to do anything”—but not everything is good for you. And even though “I am allowed to do anything,” I must not become a slave to anything.  1 Corinthians 6:12

You regain or retain your freedom and dignity by making two choices
Firstly, run when you need to!
Run from anything that stimulates youthful lusts. 2 Timothy 2:22

Nobody is exempt from going backwards,we all have weaknesses, character defects and blind spots. Whether it’s a person, place or thing that will take you to places you will regret later you need to leave. Don’t go there. Don’t rationalize or justify, just flee.

Secondly, allow God to change your heart

The story of our lives involves our hearts. True lasting change is a work of the heart not merely an outward appearance. As Solomon said, “The heart is the well spring of life.” So much of who we are originates from our hearts, whether it’s our dreams, passion, disappointment, genuineness, love or fulfillment.

When we are deeply hurt by betrayal, abuse or deep neglect our hearts become calloused, hard, stunted, resentful and defensive. Sadly, over time our hearts begin to close. As a result we can unintentionally disengage our hearts by medicating ourselves with empty trivial pursuits.

This elusive pursuit produces a kind of numbness in our hearts and we unknowingly miss out on God’s best for us.  We wonder where did the joy go and we become hindered to see ourselves and others realistically. As the blind Helen Keller said, “It is better to see with you heart than to have two eyes and see nothing.”

Join us next time for the other two life giving choices...

The Road to Freedom

A wild lion was enticed by a raw hunk of meat carefully disguised on a net and was quickly captured and imprisoned in a Cairo zoo.  Sadly, this is once proud king of the jungle who was once free to roam was now enslaved in a 100 by 100 cell and endured ceaseless jeering and junk food thrown at him.

Five long years later he was released into the wild to be free again. A few weeks later after losing several pounds and starving he once again sees a juicy hunk of raw meat.

Now, what would be your counsel to him? Now, Mr. Lion last time one bite cost you your freedom and your dignity, don’t you think you should consider…

All of us have areas in our lives that we would love to do better at or get under control.
No matter the issue millions have tried everything from self-help books to counseling, but to no avail. It was said of Alexander the Great that he could conquer the world, but not himself.

For some their character flaws, habits and hang ups have destroyed or damaged their relationships and their well-being. They can’t seem to stop or overcome that one thing they are enslaved to.
Don’t you realize that you become the slaves of whatever you choose to obey?  Romans 6:16

Our instant gratification culture doesn’t help either. It not only enables us to cave in, but makes it easy to quit. As Oscar Wilde said, “The only way to overcome temptation is to simply give into it.” The enemy of our heart knows our weaknesses and seeks to enslave us, but God desires to set us free.

A Lack of Self-Control Impacts Our Freedom In At least Four Areas
Physically
Whether it’s a substance or our lifestyle the physical choices we make can destroy the body God gave us and negatively impact our relationships (1 Corinthians 6:19). The problem for many is that they stop a destructive behavior far too late regardless of what it is. Like the executioner who asked the prisoner before his execution “Do you want a smoke?” “No thanks I’m trying to quit.”

Financially  Proverbs 24:30-34
The majority of Americans can relate to the woman who said, “I shop like a bull, I charge everything.” No need to elaborate any further here. We need to learn how to live within our means. Apparently hard to do, but we need to intentionally decide in advance the difference between what we actually need and what we want.

Relationally
From the internet to substances our lack of self-control has damaged and even destroyed our most important relationships. We pay dearly for the words we say. Rabbi Joseph Telushkln, author of Words That Hurt, Words That Heal, has lectured throughout country on the powerful and often negative impact of words. He often asks audiences if they can go 24 hours without saying any unkind words about, or to another person.

Invariably, a small number of listeners raise their hands with a “yes.” Others laugh, and quite a large number call out. “no!” The Rabbi says that, “If you cannot go 24 hours without saying unkind words about others, then you have lost control over your tongue.”See the Impact of Our Words.Our tongue has caused personal and international conflicts.

When words are many, sin is not lacking, but whoever restrains his lips is wise. Proverbs 10:19
The words of the reckless pierce like swords, but the tongue of the wise brings healing. Proverbs 12:18

Spiritually
During the wilderness wanderings when the Hebrews couldn’t wait any longer for Moses to return from Mount Sinai they corrupted themselves into a party atmosphere of golden calf worship.When Moses saw this spectacle in righteous anger he broke the original tablets of the commandments on the ground…

Our lack of patience can hurt our spiritual vitality and our relationship with God. There are consequences, as the ancient Chinese proverb says,“One moment of patience may ward off a great disaster, but one moment of impatience may ruin a life.”

Get Back Your Freedom and Dignity

To better understand the essence of self- control we need to see the connection between freedom and dignity.  When we lose or damage our dignity by philosophy, someone, something or by ourselves we can feel deeply humiliated. Several humiliated and oppressed people groups have developed from centuries of human slavery to the Taliban and have left their undeniable marks on our world.

There is an old story that Abraham Lincoln went down to the slave block to buy back a slave girl. As she looked at the white man bidding on her, she figured he was another white man, going to buy her and then abuse her. He won the bid and as he was walking away with his property, he said, "Young lady, you are free."

She said, "What does that mean?"

"It means you are free."

“Does that mean," she said, "that I can say whatever I want to say?"

Lincoln said, "Yes, my dear, you can say whatever you want to say."

"Does that mean," She said, "That I can be whatever I want to be?"

Lincoln said, "Yes, you can be whatever you want to be."

"Does that mean I can go wherever I want to go?"

He said, "Yes, you can go wherever you want to go."

With tears streaming down her face, she said, "Then I will go with you."

Like this young lady we are given a choice to be free. God want s us to be free.
Like the Hebrews we don’t want to go back to Egypt do we? Like the freed lion we don’t want to be reintroduced to the cage. We want to stay free. Free from the things that kept us enslaved and stuck.

We need to be aware of the subtle temptations to cave into the things that once kept us enslaved. What are you allowing to have control over you? What desire, activity, substance or environment has a tendency to lure you into its trap? What is it you cave into? Who is it? What is it? Name it. Why can’t you say no?

Biblical self-control is not self-mastery or your strong will power. Biblical self-control is empowered by God’s spirit who wants to heighten our determination to STAY FREE!

We need to fight for our freedom by making the choices that God wants for us. Most of us have the freedom to choose many things, but some of those choices are definitely not the best for us.

You say, “I am allowed to do anything”—but not everything is good for you. And even though “I am allowed to do anything,” I must not become a slave to anything.  1 Corinthians 6:12

Regain or retain your freedom and dignity by making four choices
Firstly, run when you need to!

Run from anything that stimulates youthful lusts. 2 Timothy 2:22

Nobody is exempt from going backwards, we all have weaknesses, character defects and blind spots. Whether it’s a person, place or thing that will take you to places you will regret later you need to leave. Don’t go there. Don’t rationalize or justify, just flee.

Secondly, allow God to change your heart
The story of our lives involves our hearts. True lasting change is a work of the heart not merely an outward appearance. As Solomon said, “The heart is the well spring of life.” So much of who we are originates from our hearts, whether it’s our dreams, passion, disappointment, genuineness, love or fulfillment.

When we are deeply hurt by betrayal, abuse or deep neglect our hearts become calloused, hard, stunted, resentful and defensive. Sadly, over time our hearts begin to close. As a result we can unintentionally disengage our hearts by medicating themselves with all manner of empty trivial pursuits.

This elusive pursuit produces a kind of numbness in our hearts and we unknowingly miss out on God’s best for us.  We wonder where did the joy go and we become hindered to see ourselves and others realistically. As the blind Helen Keller said, “It is better to see with you heart than to have two eyes and see nothing.”

God has so much more for you and me. He wants to change our hearts from the inside out and desires us to participate with Him by making life giving choices.

Don't become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You'll be changed from the inside out. Readily recognize what he wants from you, and quickly respond to it. Unlike the culture around you, always dragging you down to its level of immaturity, God brings the best out of you, develops well-formed maturity in you. Romans 12:2
Join us next time for the two other life giving choices.