Articles by Dr. Jeff Lee at Heartlight

A Father I Never Had

Tue, 14 Jun 2005 00:00:00 -0500

"The last time I saw my father, I was 2 ... He called me once 20 years ago and now I am 50. I feel so incomplete because I never spent any time with him, or even got to know him. All I want is a letter from him and a picture of him if God is willing ..." a friend shared.

Many fathers have not lived up to their roles and expectations. So, why has God chosen to portray Himself as our Father? When Paul speaks of the Holy Spirit residing in us, the father and child relationship was not merely an illustration.

For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship. And by him we cry, "Abba, Father." The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God's children. Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory. (Romans 8:15-17 NIV)

Being a child of God and co-heir with Jesus Christ is a relationship very few of us fully comprehend. It is the promise we will share with Christ in his Father as well has his glory!

See how very much our heavenly Father loves us, for he allows us to be called his children, and we really are! But the people who belong to this world don't know God, so they don't understand that we are his children. Yes, dear friends, we are already God's children, and we can't even imagine what we will be like when Christ returns. But we do know that when he comes we will be like him, for we will see him as he really is. (1 John 3:1-2)

Is God the Father I never had? Am I comfortable calling out to Him as my Abba Father?

"So he returned home to his father. And while he was still a long distance away, his father saw him coming. Filled with love and compassion, he ran to his son, embraced him, and kissed him. ... his father said to the servants, 'Quick! Bring the finest robe in the house and put it on him. Get a ring for his finger, and sandals for his feet. And kill the calf we have been fattening in the pen. We must celebrate with a feast, for this son of mine was dead and has now returned to life. He was lost, but now he is found.' So the party began." (Luke 15:20-24 NLT)

Wear Jesus' Hat

Sat, 08 Jan 2005 00:00:00 -0600

"May I have your hat when you leave?" my host asked politely.

"Oh, certainly!" I replied. The unusual request surprised me a bit, but I was forewarned that it was a culturally accepted practice here. "Sure, you can wear my hat, but can you think like me?" I tried to humor him. To wear one's hat implies to have the same attitude or the thinking process in this man's culture.

Jesus most likely wore no hat, but the apostle Paul insisted that all believers "wear Jesus' hat":

Your attitude should be the same that Christ Jesus had. Though he was God, he did not demand and cling to his rights as God. He made himself nothing; he took the humble position of a slave and appeared in human form. And in human form he obediently humbled himself even further by dying a criminal's death on a cross. (Philippians 2:5- 8 NLT)

Many of us have several different roles that we play. Some of these roles even come with quite impressive titles. Yet one hat we need to wear all the time, and the most important role we live, involves "wearing Jesus' hat."

Though this "hat" is invisible, our servant attitude and humility should be plainly demonstrated to all around us. The humility of Christ brought Him down to us and took Him up to the Cross for us. He gave up the glory, the prestige, and the security of heaven to be one of us.

How will others know I wear His hat?

When they can count on me to serve them as Jesus did!

Audience of One

Wed, 20 Oct 2004 00:00:00 -0500

"How many showed up?" I asked, referring to the Bible study.

"Just a few," he replied.

"But you've prepared so much material. Kind of wasted," I suggested. "You didn't have to work so hard!"

"Well! I did prepare for 20. But, I would have prepared it the same way for an audience of one." He smiled.

All too often, we forget there is always someone who is watching our performance. One person in the Bible was keenly aware that he was always in the presence of the audience of One. His boss's wife made advances to Joseph day after day.

One day Joseph went into the house to do his work as usual and was the only man in the house at that time. His master's wife grabbed his coat and said to him, "Come and have sexual relations with me." But Joseph left his coat in her hand and ran out of the house. (Genesis 39:10-12 NCV)

True integrity of character does not change whether one is alone or in public. Joseph's conviction and desire to please the audience of One was there long before he entered into her house.

Does the intensity of my effort, the degree of faithfulness and commitment fluctuate because I know I am being observed?

Is my level of excitement and participation tied to the size of attendance?

To the audience of One, faithfulness has only two kinds -- "total" or "lack of" faithfulness.

In Jesus' Shoes

Thu, 17 Jun 2004 00:00:00 -0500

"No, no! I don't want your shoes," I said as my host turned puzzled. "To be in your shoes, means to put myself in your place. To think and feel like you," I explained as his anxiety lifted and smile returned. "It's only an expression!"

Such is the danger of using idioms, especially when we communicate cross-culturally. However, the ability to be in someone else's shoes is truly a unique gift from God to us.

Time and time again, Christ taught the disciples the important lesson of wearing His shoes:

Jesus called his disciples to him and said, "I have compassion for these people; they have already been with me three days and have nothing to eat. I do not want to send them away hungry, or they may collapse on the way." His disciples answered, "Where could we get enough bread in this remote place to feed such a crowd?" (Matthew 15:32-33 NIV)

After days of teaching, the disciples could have felt justified to send everyone home. The ministry of Jesus was spiritual. It could be easy for them to divorce physical problems from their responsibilities and to feel that they had no obligation to provide for the physical needs of those Jesus taught. Moreover, the people did not pay for a meal. "Send them away to get some food in the towns," was their solution. Jesus had another plan. "You give them something to eat!"

It is always easier to look away and even become selectively blind to the needs of those around us. Wearing Jesus' sandals will help me know and anticipate the needs of others who were previously invisible to me. Having the compassion of Christ should not be only a Christian idiom, it also must be our way of life.