It is unfortunate the truly great
stories in life start and sometime live in hardship. To truly be a great man of
God, when fighting injustice, means that tragedy, pain and isolation become
your traveling partners. Few of us, myself included, have the perseverance. But
those who do, leave a lasting legacy.
Today I was reading about the passing of John Lewis. I am not a fan of much of John Lewis’ politics. We differ on issues which do not impact salvation. But one must separate the man for the issues.
John Lewis was from Alabama in
the 60’s. Those were my formative years and I remember them well. Living in a
small farming community in Illinois, far from the violence of desegregation, I
felt its touch. I didn’t grow up around any African Americans, but I felt the
sting of their conflict. It wasn’t the riots and protests that left a lasting
memory, it was the anger on men’s faces from the picture on the news. It was an
extreme, visceral, fanatical anger. It was terrifying. I feared it would rock
my world.
What separates the man from his ideology is character. John Lewis graduated from American Baptist Theological Seminar in Nashville. He then received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Religion from Fisk University. At age 21 he was one of the original 13 freedom riders that travel from Washington DC to New Orleans to protest segregation in busing. He was beaten, bloodied, arrested and jailed (sounds a lot like Paul) for his efforts. Lewis was one of the few to make the complete journey.
“Hold only love, only peace in your heart, knowing that the battle for good to overcome evil is already won.” – John Lewis
By age 23 he was one the
organizers and speakers at the 1963 March on Washington. By 25 he was standing in
the oval office for the signing of the Voting Rights Amendment.
As a people, we should always
strive to separate the person from the politics. Politics are complicated by
environment. We do not all walk in the same shoes. We don’t experience life the
same way. Much of that experience crafts our positions. John Lewis was a man
who stayed true to his character when fighting for what he believed.
I think of this quote often when
trying to separate a man from his issues:
“The will of God prevails – In great contests, each party claims to act in accordance with the will of God. Both may be, and one must be wrong. God cannot be for and against the same thing at the same time. In the present civil war, it is quite possible that God’s purpose is somewhat different from the purpose of either party.” – Abraham Lincoln
As Christians we can disagree on
worldly issues while still holding to the character of Christ. We can have
passion for issues without losing our passion to live as Christ lived. I have a
tremendous fondness for those who have what it takes to suffer for what they
believe. The greatness in a life well lived is not the overcoming, it is the perseverance
until the overcoming happens.
As Christian let us pray that our
character overshadows our politics.
We live in busy times. We live in
a culture that keeps us moving forward. Benjamin Franklin said, “ When you’re
finished changing, you’re finished.” This constant need to innovate, to learn,
to grow, and to adapt saps us of time and energy. Praying seems like a luxury
we can’t afford. It causes us to stop doing what we are doing and focus. We
don’t; we’re too busy.
1 Thessalonians 5:17, “Pray
without ceasing.”
Jesus talked a lot about prayer. Prayer is the privilege to speak to the God of the universe, the author of all things, the King of Kings. God is omnipresent, omnipotent, omniscient, transcendent, and immutable. What could I say that He does not already know? Do I think I can influence His thinking? My problems are petty and small.
Remember, God is also just, good, faithful, wise, merciful, compassionate, and giving.
I use to treat God like any other
person in my life. They had limited time and resources and many demands. I had
to gauge my requests. I had to make sure my need was sufficient and worthy of
their attention. I didn’t want to abuse my friendship. If I need them to drop
what they were doing to assist me, I had first to make sure I had done all I
could do to help myself. And then there was reciprocity. I had to be prepared
to pay them back when they were in need. I didn’t call them to bring me coffee
or change the channel on the TV or help me pick out a t-shirt to wear. I only
asked for help when there was no other option. They were valuable to me, and I
treated them as such.
How to Pray
Matthew not only tells us how to
pray but further down, he tells us what to pray. Pray, with sincerity.
Matthew 6:5-8, “When you
pray, do not be like the hypocrites, who love to stand and pray in the
synagogues and on street corners so that others may see them. Amen, I say to
you, they have received their reward. But when you pray, go to your inner room,
close the door, and pray to your Father in secret. And your Father who sees in
secret will repay you. In praying, do not babble like the pagans, who think
that they will be heard because of their many words. Do not be like them. Your
Father knows what you need before you ask him.”
Prayer is not about informing
God; prayer is about having a relationship with God. We need to have that
constant interaction. We need accountability. We need the affirmation that we
matter.
Billy Graham said, “Prayer is simply a two-way
conversation between you and God.”
Praying is not about impressing
others or even impressing God; it is about communications. Trust me; you can’t
impress God. God wrote your story before you came into existence. He made you; He knows you better than you
know yourself. Prayer is what you tell your best friend over a coffee that
strengthens your friendship bond. Prayer is when you trust God with your
deepest secrets that will never be shared with others that show Him the depth
of your trust and caring.
Prayer is the chatter down the
hallway that lets Him know you are thinking about Him as He is thinking about
you. Prayer is a quick “thank you” for a door that is opened or faux pau
unnoticed. Prayer is the acknowledgment that He is at your shoulder at all
times. He is walking through life with you, not just dropping in from time to
time.
When to Pray
As we walk down the hall of our
school or office building, tell Him about our concerns. As we sit in a meeting
or a lecture, tell Him of our conflicts and emotions. As we hike, or bike or
run, talk with Him about scripture and temptation and anxiety. Be in continual
conversation with the most powerful being in the universe. Take advantage of
God, tap into His resources, and His wisdom and His compassion.
I have a friend that prays about
the silliest of things. It used to bother me, not in a critical sense, but a
practical sense. Did God have the time to help you find that right color of
paint or that right gift? God was working on the cure for cancer and world
hunger. Children are being kidnapped and sold into slavery. Why would he care
about the right gift to give a friend? My perception of man flawed my thinking
about God. God can do all things at once with equal ease. He is not constrained
by time or uncertainty.
God cares about the mundane and
the critical. God cares that your friend has cancer, He cares that the neighbor
just lost her husband and has two little children to raise, He cares that you
lost your job, and he cares that you had a bad day and need some
self-confidence. Nothing is too big or too small to discuss with God. (Matthew
6:25-34)
Max Lucado said, “Our prayers may
be awkward. Our attempts may be feeble. But since the power of prayer is in the
one who hears it and not in the one who says it, our prayers do make a
difference.”
What to Pray
First of all, we need to
recognize that all things come from God to be used for His kingdom. Outside of
God, we have nothing. Always let Him know, and in doing so, remind yourself
that your ultimate desire is to see His gifts to you used to bring about His
kingdom here on earth.
Matthew 6: 9-13, “This is
how you are to pray: Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom
come, your will be done, on earth as in heaven. Give us today our daily bread,
and forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors, and do not lead us into
temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.”
Thank Him for the little things that we so often take for granted, like food, shelter, family, friends, jobs, etc. Let Him know you trust Him to provide for you because of all He has done in the past. Then you need to ask for His protection. Not so that He will protect you, but as recognition that He does already.
God has a plan for you and everyone else. Pray is not about helping Him implement His plan. It is about recognizing that you recognize He has a plan and want to be part of it. You want Him to use you to bring about His glory.
Martin Luther said, “To be a Christian without prayer is no more possible than to be alive without breathing.” Don’t stop breathing.
Philippians 4:6-7, “Do not
be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with
thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which
transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ
Jesus.”
Joseph started out as an arrogant child. Jacob doted on him, and dressed him in extravagant clothes. Joseph tattled on his brothers and even proclaimed that a dream showed that they would some day bow down to him. Being right and doing right are two different things.
“Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility, value others above yourselves.”
Philippians 2:3
Later Joseph would find himself at the bottom of a pit listening as his brothers, his family, haggling with the traders for his sale into slavery. That had to be an “aha” moment in his life. It was a moment of recognition and comprehension of who he really was. It had to be humiliating and scary.
He would eventually become a slave to Potiphar, lied about by Potiphar’s wife and imprisoned. That dream he boasted about must have seemed like a distant memory. It wasn’t because Joseph wasn’t a man of God, it was because he was on a journey. Part of that journey required him to learn a few things. Some of these things can be painful if we let them.
Joseph’s life ended as a life of royalty, family love and peace with God. Because he learned humility, he went from the pit to the palace.
Our journey is about spiritually humility. It is about every aspect of our spiritual growth. It has to do with the way we interpret a bible verse, with the way we pray, what spiritual opinions carry the most weight, and how we perceive others spirituality.
“The will of God is not something you add to your life. It’s a course you choose. You either line yourself up with the Son of God…or you capitulate to the principle which governs the rest of the world.” ― Elisabeth Elliot
“How can you say, ‘We are wise, and the law of the Lord is with us’? But behold, the lying pen of the scribes has made it into a lie.”
Jeremiah 8:8
THE WAY WE THINK
One of the things God wants for us, is that we get the greatest amount of joy out of this life as we can, while chasing after Him. God wants us to enjoy our time here on earth as a testimony to others. He wants our joy to be magnetic, attracting others to Christ. How do we do that?
I believe that the essence of being a positive force for God is intent. Is our goal to truly see others find peace and joy, or is it to prove to them we are right. God wins, we know that, but they don’t. They may not even believe that God exists. We don’t convince with words; we convict with actions. We all know it is easier to see the speck in another person’s eye, then the plank in ours.
“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? How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.”
Matthew 7:3-5
How do we rise above the clatter of life and avoid religiosity in our everyday living? The challenge the Pharisees and Sadducees had was that they thought they knew the answers, when they didn’t understand the questions. We don’t convince people to live a Godly life, we demonstrate how to live a Godly life. We are a living testimony of Christ. We want them to want what we have.
Today’s generation weren’t at Calvary, they do not possess firsthand knowledge of Christ’s sacrifice. They didn’t see the whipping, the crown of thorns, or the nails in His hands. They have not experienced what Christ did for them. But they have us. They can see in us, a mirror image of that sacrifice, if we let them.
THE WAY WE ACT
How do I go about living that life? Do I seek solutions that I would want to see, or do I seek God’s will? Does a lack of spiritual humility make them seem to be the same when they aren’t?
“So do not be like them; for your, Father knows what you need before you ask Him.”
Matthew 6:8,
Is it my intent to further God’s kingdom on earth, or is it to further my vision of God’s kingdom? Can I humble myself and accept His will? That might mean that I don’t get what I want, but I will receive what is best. Do I try to tell God what to do, or do I express my desire, curried in accepting His will?
Do I pray that evil loses, or do I pray that evil finds Christ? Jonah had a big problem with his theology, reward the righteous and punish the unrighteous. God’s view is greater than my view. His wisdom is greater than my wisdom. He loves me and wants me to experience unimaginable love. He wants that for my enemies that turn to Him and repent.
“I will praise the LORD who counsels me— even at night my conscience instructs me. I keep the LORD in mind always. Because He is at my right hand, I will not be shaken.”
Psalm 16:7-8
FINALLY
Don’t be taken captive by your thoughts. We are experts at deceiving ourselves. We get this feel good feeling and think it is the answer. There is only one real source of understanding; it is not us. The actual answer might be better than we can imagine. Always be humble and seek the truth. Do not just seek information that supports our innate confirmation bias. Seek God’s will first and foremost and you will be an inspiration to others. That inspiration is a life filled with joy.
“All Scripture is given by God. And all Scripture is useful for teaching and for showing people what is wrong in their lives. It is useful for correcting faults and teaching the right way to live. Using the Scriptures, those who serve God will be prepared and will have everything they need to do every good work.”
I am tired. And I am tired of being tired. Both my morning meditation verse and today’s sermon was about being tired. God wants me to both know it and do something about it.
Proverbs 17:22,” A joyful heart is good
medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones.”
I am tired of the negative political campaigns that try to
divide us. I am tired of the conspiracy theories concerning who, what and why
of the pandemic. I am tired of the politicalizing of the message of hate. I
feel that the world is so hell-bent of distracting me from the truth, that the
truth no longer matters. I am tired of people who have been so brainwashed by
what they want the truth to be, that they think everyone else is lying. I’m
tired of the endless debates, the emotions, the hate.
This morning God reinforced that I was made for a time such
as this. This is not a time to lament; it is a time to rejoice that God has
opened the world to us. It is a time to
step back and let Him lead. God will fight the good fight for me.
Romans 12:12, “Rejoice in hope, be patient in
tribulation, be constant in prayer.”
What if every time we are tempted to enter the debate, we
chose to focus our conversation, not on what man has said, but what God says?
What if we quote scripture rather than the latest media post? What if we craft
our position on God’s word rather than our selected party or candidate? What if
we focus on the long view, not the short view?
Titus 3:9, “But avoid foolish questions, and
genealogies, and contentions, and strivings about the law; for they are
unprofitable and vain.”
In the end, God wins. He does not represent a political
party, ethnic group, or geography. He represents truth as dictated by Him. That
truth is grounded in love. If we are tired of all the chaos around us, take a
deep breath, and focus on love.
Proverbs 10:12, “Hatred stirs up trouble, but
love forgives all wrongs.”
What do you think it would do to your world view if your conversation were to heal the divide not expand it? What if you had so much confidence in God’s omnipotence, that you didn’t feel the need to fight this battle? Sometimes it takes more faith to not fight than to fight. The battle was already won, you can afford to rest in love.
2 Chronicles 20:17, “You will not need to fight
this battle. Set yourselves, stand still, and see the salvation of Yahweh with
you, O Judah and Jerusalem. Don’t be afraid nor be dismayed. Go out against
them tomorrow, for Yahweh is with you.'”
This time is a time specifically meant to divide. It is a
time to demonstrate to non-believers that God has lost control. It is a time to
prove that Christians don’t believe God is in charge; we have joined the fray.
We have allowed worldly distress to distract us from the truth. We have become
just as stubborn, just as headstrong, just as fearful. And I am afraid that we
have become just as hateful.
Now is the time to recapture what we believe. If you are afraid that God will not fight your fight maybe you should reassess either your faith or your battle.
3 John 1:4, “I have no greater joy than to hear
that my children are walking in the truth.”
We are all tired of trying to be heard. We are all tired of
fighting the good fight. Today’s world is exhausting. God’s word is a day off
from the fight. God’s word every morning, means every morning starts with a day
off from the fight. Our only job is not to convince others of our world view;
it is to show others God’s love and grace. Don’t get distracted.
1 Peter 2:1-25, “So put away all malice and all
deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander. Like newborn infants, long for
the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up into salvation— if indeed
you have tasted that the Lord is good. As you come to him, a living stone
rejected by men but in the sight of God chosen and precious, you yourselves
like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy
priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus
Christ.”
Finding peace in
challenging times is extremely hard. It is exhausting to filter out the
cultural chaos of the constant and sometimes conflicting media reports to
understand the truth. Making it more difficult is that we live in a time when
the truth is relative. There is so much information; you can prove almost
anything as true. The saying is: “Figures lie, and liars figure.”
Even as Christians, we
are on opposing sides. After Abraham Lincoln’s death, the following note was
found in his papers: “The will of God prevails – In great contests, each party
claims to act in accordance with the will of God. Both may be, and one must be
wrong. God cannot be for and against the same thing at the same time. In the
present civil war, it is quite possible that God’s purpose is somewhat
different from the purpose of either party.”
During the Civil War,
Lincoln met with a group of ministers at a prayer breakfast who tried to
encourage him. They told the president that they had prayed that “God would be
on our side.” Lincoln corrected them, saying, “No, gentlemen, let us pray that
we are on God’s side.”
Remember, God wins.
I rest on one simple
fact; God loves me unconditionally and wants the best for me. That is the
filter I use to judge all thoughts and actions. We have the Presidential
Election, the COVID-19 Pandemic, and the Black Lives Matter protests all
climaxing to distract us from our one real focus. Everyone who prays will not
get the answer they desire. Peace will not come from the right party winning or
the distribution of a vaccine or even resolution of centuries of bigotry and
hate. Something else will always rise to take their place. We will never live
in a perfect world this side of heaven.
So how do I stop my mind
from leap-frogging from issue to issue seeking peace? How do I convince myself
that just like the latest car or a better job or a bigger house won’t provide
long term peace, neither will solving worldly problems? It is paramount that we
continuously strive to eliminate injustice, famine, and disease, but that fight
will never end, it will just change venues, and we should change with it. It is
part of our Christian charter to fight evil on all fronts.
If you believe that you
can not achieve peace and joy until all of the world’s problems are solved, you
will remain an unhappy camper until your death. You have to find something
above that. You have to find something that is long-lasting and perfect. Folks,
it is not here.
No matter how any of
this flush out, I rest in the palm of God’s hand. He will not allow harm to
touch me. I may suffer, but it will not shake me. For me to put my peace in the
hands of non-believers doesn’t make sense. To have the world work out to the
benefit of those who do not love Him doesn’t bring me peace. The only peace I
will ever have is the peace I receive because I have accepted His way over
mine.
The truth remains that
had all of us, worldwide, chose to live according to God’s promise, little of
this would have ever come to fruition. We would have solved the problems before
they became problems; we would have treated each other with love and respect.
But we didn’t.
To expect to have peace
only after all have been blessed with peace is foolish thinking. My peace comes
from my relationship with Christ, and the world’s peace comes from their
relationship with Him. When I make my peace conditional to their peace, I lose.
Fight the good fight.
Make a positive difference in the world. Never accept inequality or evil. But
remember your strength does not come from the fight, but from the God, for whom
you fight. Fight for Christ to rule over all, and peace will follow. Both sides
can’t win, accept that God’s plan may not be our plan.
I have had a few tenuous days. At times I become
hypersensitive. I let small things become big things in my mind. Like a
petulant child, I stamp my feet and demand attention. I hold my breath until my
face turns blue, somehow thinking others will stop me. Mostly it entertains the
people around me as they await the body to overcome my silliness with its
natural desire to survive. Today, pure
joy has filled my heart.
How do we transition from self-centered hypersensitivity to
pure joy? Let me tell you about my journey. It started a few days ago when I
felt slighted. The curious thing about this act of betrayal is that the person
I perceived slighted me, had no idea of the event. You see, it wasn’t a
betrayal, it wasn’t even an oversight, it was a logical decision. But I took
offense.
The Takeoff
Now, because I see myself as a good guy, I wasn’t going to
draw attention to the offense. Really, why would I air my concern, talk it out,
realize my stupidity, and apologize? That doesn’t seem Godly. No, I
internalized it. I got whiny and selfish and self-centered. I prayed a lot, I
hiked a lot, and I didn’t sleep much. I wrote 2,314 words trying to understand
it. Emotions are peculiar things; they defy logic. You can absolutely know something
is right or wrong, yet feel the opposite. I know my place in the universe, yet
I keep getting lost. I feel God’s presence; I can almost feel his touch, but my
garbled inner thoughts are what I hear.
As I said, I’m an ordinary all-American good guy.
This quote ricochet through my mind ““Don’t ruin other
people’s happiness just because you can’t find your own.”
The Journey
The way I distract myself is to throw myself into a project.
This project gives my mind something to do besides vent. It puts distance
between me and the problem. The project I launched into was a project for the
very same person whom I thought had slighted me. You see, my father gave me an
overwhelming sense of commitment. You say you are going to do something, you do
it, end of the story. I don’t know if you noticed, but I am a really good guy,
so despite the slight, I will keep my commitment.
It is at this point God said, “Thank you for shutting
up; now I can talk.” You see, everything I had done up to this point was
to explain to God my righteousness. I was selling God from my point of view.
Remember, I am the good guy in this story. I am the offended party. I deserve
restitution. Job and I had a long talk about this and concluded I was right to
feel offended.
Galatians 6:4 “Let each one examine his own work.
Then he can take pride in himself and not compare himself with someone else. “
I needed the official company name to finish the project, so
I went to my friend’s website to find it. What I found was the friend I dearly
love. They have this incredible way of writing that shows the love of God that
is beyond description. At that moment, God settled me down and spoke to me. He
took the anxiety, fear, self-centeredness, and turned it to joy. I was
transformed in a moment.
James 1:22, “Do not merely listen to the word, and so
deceive yourselves. Do what it says.”
The Landing
Here is my advice for overcoming hypersensitivity. Find a
Godly author who truly speaks to you, that person, whose cadence, tenor, and
flow, is in sync with the beating of your heart. The writers in the Bible all
speak and think differently. Contemporary Christian authors each have their
distinct voice. When you find your voice in the words of another, treasure it,
protect it. In times when your own words fail, you can lean on them.
I have mine, and it is a privilege to know them as an author
and a friend.
Philippians 2:14-16, “Do everything without grumbling
or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without
fault in a warped and crooked generation. Then you will shine among them like
stars in the sky as you hold firmly to the word of life”
Acts 20:35, “In all things I have shown you that by working hard in this way we must help the weak and remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he himself said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’”
A hard lesson for me to learn is that life has never been about me. As a strong “A” personality, I never really thought about life being about me, as much as I thought it was about being all I could be. There is a slight nuance in that statement. The nuance is that I tried to optimize my performance with the resources God gave me, but not for the betterment of anyone else. I wasn’t narcissistic, just ambivalent. It was like God set the bar, and it was my job to jump over it. To me, this was a righteous attitude.
The Approach
My approach didn’t intentionally belittle anyone else,
although, in hindsight, it was probably a by-product. Other people had their
relationship with God, good or bad, and they had their bar. Their performance
was their issue unless it hampered my performance. Then I use biblical
principles to remove the obstacle, through mentoring or outplacement (I always
hated that term). My life was my little private war. We should all play to win,
that is the only way to play.
I know the moment it all changed. I had just given a
kick-off talk at our annual all-hands meeting. I was looking over the crowd of
employees; there were quite a few. The thought came to me, “What about them?”.
What about them; they have their private war to fight. Then the light came on.
It was never, ever, been about me. It has always been about them.
Hebrews 13:16, “Do not neglect to do good and to
share what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God.”
The Take Off
I don’t know how I could have been so stupid. If we back up
and look at this for a moment, we will see that it is intuitively obvious.
God’s greatest joy in life is to serve us. I know that sounds backward, but
hang with me a moment. God wants us to be utterly dependent on Him. By God
giving us what we need, He experiences joy in that we recognize we need Him to
accomplish anything. Everything we have, or ever will have, comes from Him. God
gets pleasure from us, asking, and then receiving blessings from Him. The
caveat to this, less we start to think of God as Santa Claus, our asking has to
be within His will. He will not give us things that are bad for us.
How does this translate back to us? It is not a matter of will I, but I will receive joy by blessing others. I started to recognize, in my little way, God had given me resources that I should use to bless others. I now try to do this at every opportunity and receive great joy because I do. Not that they should become dependent on me, they should always be dependent on God, but God could bless them through me.
Luke 6:38, “Give, and it will be given to you. A good
measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into
your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.”
Think of the good feeling you get when you help someone out
of a jam. That is a mild version of what God feels when we turn to Him in our
hour of need. Then think of a time when someone was too stubborn to accept our
help and how that made us feel. Do you not believe God may have some of that
same feeling? God heaps resources at our disposal; it may be material
resources; it may be spiritual resources; it may be experiential resources; we
have a storehouse of blessings waiting to be distributed. We are part of God’s
supply chain. If we hoard these resources, eventually, our warehouse will fill
up, and our supply will dry up. One of the silly visuals I have is someone
angrily running around reorganizing their warehouse so they can store more
things. I want to shout “Dude, give some of it away, then you can get more.”
Malachi 3:10, “Bring the whole tithe into the
storehouse, so that there may be food in My house, and test Me now in this,”
says the Lord of hosts, “if I will not open for you the windows of heaven and
pour out for you a blessing until it overflows.”
The Finish
God loves us. He wants everything for us. There is no limit
to the amount of joy He receives by blessing us if we will let Him. There is no limit to the joy we can
experience if we allow God to work through us. The bar in front of us is to
serve others in much the same way God helps us. Be a plentiful resource for
others. Get joy from their asking and your providing. Always remember to give
glory to the provider of all things.
2 Corinthians 9:8, “And God is able to bless you
abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you
will abound in every good work.”
In speaking, there is a handy tool called the silent pause.
This pause enables the speaker to fill their lungs with air, allowing the
audience to absorb what was said and create pictures in their minds. In Sales,
there is an adage, the first to speak after a silent pause loses; that is, they
have lost ground in the discussion. You see, people hate silence in a
conversation. These drawn-out moments that require us to absorb and think are
awkward. One of the reasons the “connected society” is so popular;
two people can sit at the same table in complete silence, focused on their
phone, and not feel awkward.
Lockdown
Lockdown has thrown the world into a silent pause. Thomas
Lecocq, a seismologist at the Royal Observatory of Belgium, stated the volume
of the earth’s noises dropped significantly once the lockdowns started. He said
it was a unique time in history because now they could study seismic events
that they could not in the past. It was like the world implemented a white
noise filter.
Trains and buses and factories shut down, people stopped
commuting to work, and concerts, sporting events were canceled. Airplane
traffic dived as destinations closed. The world went silent.
This pandemic pause created a unique opportunity for all of
us. Like many opportunities, it can have a good side and a bad side. The good
is a chance to pause and reassess; it is an opportunity to improve and move
forward. The bad is that we may have time to look too deeply at ourselves and
not like what we find. We may dwell too long in the awkwardness of it.
Listening to the Silence
It took me a while to adjust to the new normal. I usually
wake a 4 a.m.; I’m at work by 5. The early quiet in the office allows me to get
the bureaucratic tasks under control before the hum of the day starts. It
starts to crescendo by nine, and then it is off to the races. Now, well, it is
different. The crescendo never arrives; there is just a constant hum. So, I
sleep later and work later. I have trouble knowing what day it is. If I need to
take a break mid-day, I do. If I think of something in the middle of the night,
I get up and do it. I now run on a 24-hour clock. It is decidedly more
peaceful, less stressful, less urgent.
But it is filled with silence, at times, mind-numbing,
deafening silence.
It took a while to learn to fill that awkward silence in my
head with something meaningful. I had to shut off the random thoughts freely
flowing through my brain. It was like listening to a crowd of madmen spouting
anything and everything. I needed a new order for my thoughts. I had to set
goals and channel my thoughts to achieve them.
Hearing the Music
What brought me back to moving in the right direction was
scripture; It has great stories that entertain, it has beautiful poetry and
sound advice. When I get stuck in a cul-de-sac of lousy thinking, there is
always a verse that pulls me back.
When I’m thinking along the wrong lines, I go
directly to:
Philippians 4:8, “Finally, brothers, whatever things are true, whatever things are honorable, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report: if there is any virtue and if there is any praise, think about these things.”
I’ve gone there so many times I know it from memory.
When I start to think about my inadequacies, I think
of:
Moses– He was a murderer, and his people rejected
him:
Exodus 2:4, “The man said, “Who made you ruler and judge over us? Are you thinking of killing me as you killed the Egyptian?”
But in the end, God spoke to him face-to-face as a man
speaks to a friend:
Exodus 33:11 , “Thus the Lord used to speak to Moses face to face, just as a man speaks to his friend.”
David – The Bathsheba ordeal is mind-boggling:
2 Samuel 12: 7-9 ,”This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: ‘I anointed you king over Israel, and I delivered you from the hand of Saul. I gave your master’s house to you, and your master’s wives into your arms. I gave you all Israel and Judah. And if all this had been too little, I would have given you even more. Why did you despise the word of the LORD by doing what is evil in his eyes? You struck down, Uriah the Hittite with the sword and took his wife to be your own. You killed him with the sword of the Ammonites.”
And still, God thought of David as a man after His own
heart:
Acts 13:22 ,”And when he had removed him, he raised up David to be their king, of whom he testified and said, ‘I have found in David, the son of Jesse, a man after my heart, who will do all my will.’
There are more; this is just the start. There are great
passages that tell stories about great people, all of them flawed, all of them
a lesson in Character.
When I start to feel down, or I just need a lift me up:
Romans 8:38-39 ,”For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
Matthew 6:25-27, “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Can anyone of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?”
Joshua 1:9, “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged; for the Lord, your God will be with you wherever you go.”
Psalms 18:28, “My God turns my darkness into light.”
Isaiah 40:31, “But
those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings
like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be
faint.”
Silence is when God speaks. He won’t compete for your attention unless it is absolutely necessary. God will wait for us to calm down, relax, and start to listen. It is there that He speaks to our hearts.
Think of this as comfort food for my soul. Being human, and living on the great blue orb spinning through the space, I think in terms of what I know. We all have our personal view of Heaven. My view might help you paint yours.
1 Corinthians 2:9 “But, as it is written, “What no
eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man imagined, what God has
prepared for those who love him”
When I think of Heaven, I think of a vast expanse of glory.
It is covered in a brilliant white light that has no origin. The sky is azure
blue with puffy white clouds; there are streets with light posts that actually
work. There are tree-lined boulevards and gentle streams. There are beautiful mountains and rolling
pastures.
I don’t want a grand mansion. I want a small shack on the
wrong side of the tracks. I’m a guy who will be elated just to be there. I want
to walk down the streets and see the true greats of God’s kingdom. I want to
meet Agur and Jabez. I want to remember
people who did the small things in my life that kept me going in the right
direction, people whose names I have long forgotten or may have never known.
These people are pivotal to my being here. It is not only the strong, great
Christians that I will always remember for the years they spent mentoring and
modeling for me, but it is also the person who saw me in a single dark moment
and cared enough to lift me.
I want to go down to the Pearly Gates every sunset to
welcome the crowds of people coming home. I want to help them feel welcomed and
loved and appreciated. I want them to feel as I do.
What I want, more than anything, is to be sitting in the park by the lake, or maybe a small patio restaurant off the beaten track. As I eat my pizza or hot dog, I remember the great swell in my heart when God called my name. As I am lost in a memory too great to describe, a person breaks the silence to say, “Hey, are you, Tomme Stevenson?’. He’d say, we met in Kenya, or Kyrgyzstan, or prison, or Roswell Day of Hope, or on the street outside a MARTA station. Maybe we met in a parking lot in Asheville or a McDonald’s in Atlanta or the mountains along the Chattooga River. I had said something or did something that changed their heart. I want to know that I made a difference for His kingdom.
I want to know that there are people here, embracing the God
of the universe, reveling in all His glory, that I helped get a ticket. I want
to know that there are people who did not get left behind because of me.
I want my sidewalk café and my morning coffee. I want
Gracie, the greatest Springer Spaniel to ever live, by my side. Most of all, I
want God to call me His friend.
Revelation 21:1-4, “Then I saw “a new heaven and a
new earth,” for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there
was no longer any sea. I saw the Holy
City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a
bride beautifully dressed for her husband.
And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Look! God’s dwelling
place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his
people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. He will wipe every
tear from their eyes. There will be no more death’ or mourning or crying or
pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”
Proverbs 30:8-9 , “Keep falsehood and lies far from me; give me neither poverty nor riches, but give me only my daily bread. Otherwise, I may have too much and disown you and say, ‘Who is the Lord?’ Or I may become poor and steal, and so dishonor the name of my God. “
My Monday night bible study got into the discussion about wealth. God says a lot about wealth. But when you dig into it, I’m not sure we get the message about what He is saying. In a broad sense, the love of money is evil.
1 Timothy 6:10, “For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs.”
Ecclesiastes 5:10, “He who loves money will not
be satisfied with money, nor he who loves wealth with his income; this also is
vanity.”
Luke 12:15, “And he said to them, “Take
care, and be on your guard against all covetousness, for one’s life does not
consist in the abundance of his possessions.”
I got it, no brainer. But, does that mean that God wants us to give away everything? Is God opposed to wealth?
My guess is NO. God wants us to enjoy the experiences of life. He wants us to be content where He has put us. The love of money is not about having money; it is about putting your trust in it rather than God. Where do you look for contentment? When you wrap your future security up in your 401K, you’ve created an idol. That doesn’t mean God doesn’t want you to save money for your future. Just be aware that the future He is having you save for may not be your future.
Ecclesiastes 3:12-13, “So I concluded there is
nothing better than to be happy and enjoy ourselves as long as we can. And
people should eat and drink and enjoy the fruits of their labor, for these are
gifts from God.”
Let me put a fence around this discussion with a short story. In 2002 I promised a friend of mine I would go with him to a Champions for Life Prison weekend. I didn’t want to go. First of all, it was a full weekend, then there were the convicted felons, and I think there was an expectation that I should share the Gospel. Aside from the inconvenience, and the cultural abyss, I didn’t understand God myself, how could I explain Him to others.
I’m at the hotel in Columbia, SC waiting to register. I’m decked out in my usual work attire, professionally pressed Oxford button-down, worsted wool slacks, Cole Haan slip-on, no socks, hey I’m casual. In front of me is Danny. Danny came in from Tennessee on his Harley. He has on his jeans, t-shirt, leathers and what? Danny had a tattoo. Not your run of the mill tattoo. Danny was bald, like me, he had a tattoo of Christ on the Cross, three colors, forehead to nape of the neck, ear to ear. It was an amazing piece of artwork. All I could think was “Ouch!”. Danny turned around, and I blurted out, “Boy, that had to hurt.”. Danny had a checkered past, but was now completely sold out for Christ.
We talked about it being my first time and how unprepared I
was. I felt I had nothing in common with the inmates. Danny said, “you’ll
be surprised, there are people just like me, and there are people just like
you. The ones like you won’t talk to me, so I’m glad you came.”. That
stuck with me. On the way to the Level 4 Maximum Security prison, I did still
pray that it would be a win-win for God and me if He made me invisible. I
wouldn’t misrepresent Him, and He wouldn’t have to condemn me for eternity for
doing it.
( Side bar in case you think God might be wasting His time on you: I met Ricky Green in Broad River Correctional on April 13, 2002, he was a lifer. He was afraid his son, Bradley, would follow in his footsteps. He ask me to write to him. I did. Bradley accepted Christ in 2004. I keep the letter. God changed my perception of me. Preparation is God’s expertise, not yours. )
The more significant point is this. People feel comfortable talking to people more like themselves. It is human nature. God wants His people throughout the entire social-economic range so that we can interact with everyone. The point of having-or-not-having isn’t having-or-not having. The point is, what are you doing for Christ where Christ put you.
I don’t think we will ever agree when enough is enough. We know when we see someone way over the line, and we know when we see someone way under the line, but we aren’t sure where the line is. God doesn’t care about the line. If you can afford to live in a posh neighborhood, move there, start a bible study and share the Gospel with the rich. They need it too. If you can only afford to rent an apartment, ditto. It is not about what you have, it is about who you are.
1 Timothy 6:6-8, “Now there is great gain in
godliness with contentment, for we brought nothing into the world, and we
cannot take anything out of the world. But if we have food and clothing, with
these we will be content.”
Wealth is just one of God’s many tools for expanding His Kingdom. Money is a crutch that man came up with that God doesn’t need. But it is there, so He uses it. Our issue has two parts. Part one is how much time do we give to thinking about money? Part two is when we do think about money, does the thought glorify God?
I don’t have an answer. I do know, just like Ester, you are
where God wants you for a time like this. If you don’t do it, God will raise
someone in your place.
