"Raising a Standard"

 

Last Sunday I woke up tired and discouraged. I had woken suddenly twice earlier in the early morning hours from violent and dark dreams. I was tired from a busy holiday weekend of travel and time in the sun. The fear and oppression of my two bad dreams was occupying my mind as I started my day.  I began thinking of what I needed to do that day and about some of the issues and decisions that are yet unresolved within my family of 6. I felt overwhelmed.

Sundays are full, exciting and rewarding days for a pastor. This particular Sunday I was hosting the service, but not preaching. I wanted to arrive early, but wasn’t leading the pre-service prayer time. I do not allow myself to consider the question, “do I feel like going to church today”. I have already decided that I want to be there. While I also have a responsibility and role, I don’t want to go out of obligation or duty. I want to be joyful and expectant, fully present and engaged. If I don’t have hope while there, I have nothing of value to offer those who I will see and can impact. On days like this past Sunday, I want to take the time and be intentional about encouraging myself and getting to a place of peace and hope before I go to church. I believe that God will meet me and that it is in fact His desire that I not remain in a place of being overwhelmed or discouraged.

So, this past Sunday, I began by focusing on God and praising Him. I listened for His voice and surrendered all the heaviness to Him. I waited for Him to speak and fill me with His love, goodness and peace. This is His grace – to meet me in my weakness by pouring out the things I lack; peace, comfort, strength and joy.

In the process of waiting on God I heard a distinct challenge from Him; “I am raising up a standard over you and the church today. You can receive according to your standard, or you can receive according to mine.”

I first thought of how we typically use the word “standard” to mean a set of expectations by which something is evaluated. But then I quickly also thought of how a standard is also a banner, or flag that was used to represent a people group. I was challenged by the immediate awareness in my spirit that my “standard” is far less than God’s. He was giving me an invitation to increase the level of my faith and believe for MORE! I think the invitation of this word applied to both definitions of the word “standard”.

God’s standard for what is possible and likely is far greater than my typical standard. His standard for what I deserve and what blessing looks like in my life or in the life of my friends and church is higher than mine. As I continued to think of all the ways that God’s standard exceeds mine, I began to feel hope and expectation rising within me.

The same was true when I considered the other definition of “standard” as well. The view God has of Himself: His power, His love, His good will and grace towards people is so higher than mine. His view of me: my worth, my potential, my destiny, my impact – that too is greater than my standard. God views identity and value based on His redemptive view of humanity. We are seen through the purity and sacrifice of Jesus! He sees us according to how He made us and it is His power and perfection that fills every void or weakness.

“I am raising up a standard over you and the church today. You can receive according to your standard, or you can receive according to mine.”

          It was in invitation to surrender my standard in exchange for His. An invitation to increase my hope and faith to match His. As I prayed, I thought of the response of Mary, the mother of Jesus, to the angel in Luke 1:38b “may it be done to me according to your word”. I believe that our desire and willingness to surrender our will and trust God’s will is faith.  That choice is the evidence that we place our selves within the control of a loving, but unseen God. Mary trusted the words of the angel, even though she did not understand how God would accomplish what the angel was saying He would. She put her faith in His word to her and surrendered to it. Romans 10:17 says that faith comes from hearing God’s word. Like Mary, our faith can increase when we hear God’s word to us.

“I am raising up a standard over you and the church today. You can receive according to your standard, or you can receive according to mine.”

          The choice to believe this word and surrender to it is a choice to increase faith. We agree and align ourselves as best we can with the standard God has set. Our faith rises to meet His standard and then we are able to receive more and more of what He has for us!