Tag: Obedience

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The Extraordinary Joy of Picking up Rocks

Picking up rocks. I had lunch with a friend a couple of days ago, and he enlightened me about one aspect of Christianity I had taken for granted. It was picking up rocks. If you ever have the chance to visit rural Northeastern United States, you will notice that much of the acreage has stone walls around it. Some of these walls were miles long. I used to think it was an incredible job to collect all those stones to build a fence.

The Revelation

James 1:22, “Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.”

Then I had lunch this last week with a good friend. Being raised in a farm community, I have always liked the analogy of plowing the field, planting the seed, nurturing the seedlings, and then harvesting. It produced a familiar image of preparing someone to hear the Gospel, introducing them to the Gospel, mentoring them through discovery, and then bringing them to Christ. The idea was that we don’t achieve this by ourselves. Sometimes we plow, sometimes we plant seeds, we should always be nurturing, and then, if God is willing, we see the harvest.

My friend said I forgot about picking up rocks. Once he said it, It was obvious. Before you can plow virgin soil, you have to remove the impediments. Those stone walls are not the result of fence building; they are the resting place of those who pick up rocks.

Ephesians 4:32, “Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.”

Back on the Farm

Clearing a field of rocks is a hard job. You must dig them up out of the ground, wrestle them into your arms, and carry them to the field’s border; the border could be a half mile or more. The laborers picking up rocks typically don’t get noticed if they do a good job. They get noticed when the plow hits a rock. Plowing behind a mule or ox is backbreaking work on a good day; it is miserable when the field is full of rocks. Very seldom does the person responsible for picking up rocks get mentioned in the positive light of “Wasn’t plowing easy today?” They get mentioned when someone wants to know who is the so-in-so responsible for all the rocks.

 Ephesians 4:31, “Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice.”

I realized that most of my life is about picking up rocks. One of the most significant ways I can serve and be obedient is by removing obstacles in front of non-believers searching for Christ. How many times have we heard non-believers complain about the hypocrisy of Christians? How many times has a non-believer witnessed a self-proclaimed Christian acting poorly? These are the rocks we need to pick up. I do not always view everyday life as evangelism. Evangelism is a deliberate task of sharing the Gospel, usually in a “mission field.” The mission field could be your office or home; it is always someplace that is well-defined.

Back to Real Life

Many a professing Christian is a stumbling block because his worship is divided. On Sunday, he worships God; on weekdays, God has little or no place in his thoughts. — Dwight L. Moody

Picking up rocks is continuous evangelism exercised where you are in the moment. It is the consistency by which you live your life. Every time we encounter the temptation to set aside our commitment to Christ to vent about something that has just happened, we decide to either put a rock in someone’s field or pick one up. You can give a non-believer a reason not to believe or give them a reason to believe.

Philippians 2:14, “Do everything without grumbling or arguing.”

It sucks to have that responsibility all the time. The decision becomes even more challenging if you use secular criteria. My dad used to say, “Life isn’t fair; get over it.” Picking up rocks is hard work. You must be on point with every interaction. It is not letting your guard down; keeping Christ at the forefront of your decision-making. Let’s face it, it is impossible to be consistent, but we can try to do our best. Start to view evangelism as an action that starts when your feet hit the floor in the morning and doesn’t stop until you slide them under the sheets at night.

1 Peter 2:23, “When they hurled their insults at him, he did not retaliate; when he suffered, he made no threats. Instead, he entrusted himself to him who judges justly.”

The process seems to give gratification in reverse. Harvesting is the best; it provides closure and a sense of accomplishment. Nurturing brings gratification as we watch people grow. Planting seeds is a yeoman’s work; the results are hard to see. Plowing is even more challenging work, and there is no guarantee that anyone will follow up with planting. Picking up rocks sometimes is just picking up rocks. It is trying to be the best version of yourself and hoping that someone notices.

But picking up rock is what we are called to do.

1 Peter 2:12, “Live such good lives among the non-believers that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us.”
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The Haves and the Have Nots

The world is made up of haves and have nots. It has always been this way. The world rates humanity on a bell-shaped curve; to the far right are the haves, and to the far left are the have nots. Raising the standard of living across the globe would shift the values but not the distribution. We often think of poverty in terms of material values or geographic locations. It is hard to think of poverty in terms of lost potential.

1 Samuel 2:8, "He lifts the poor from the dust and the needy from the garbage dump. He sets them among princes, placing them in seats of honor. For all the earth is the Lord's, and he has set the world in order."

“Global poverty is one of the most pressing problems that the world faces today. The poorest in the world are often undernourished, without access to basic services such as electricity and safe drinking water; they have less access to education, and suffer from much poorer health.” – Poverty, by Joe Hasell, Max Roser, Esteban Ortiz-Ospina and Pablo Arriagada.

Haves and Have Nots

“In a country well governed, poverty is something to be ashamed of; in a country badly governed, wealth is something to be ashamed of.” — Confucius

The front end of the haves and have nots are the haves. In a wealthy country like the United States, the poverty rate is almost 18%. How does that happen? How does a country with the largest defense budget in the world still have poverty? World Population Review provides these numbers. The United States Defense Budget equals the next nine largest countries combined. This statement is not to shame the United States; it could be said the same for India, Russia, Great Britain, France, Spain, or any number of other countries.

Psalm 9:18, "But God will never forget the needy; the hope of the afflicted will never perish."

The other end of the haves and have nots; are the have nots. The poverty rate of underdeveloped countries is staggering. Here are some examples: DR Cong (64%), South Sudan (76%), Guatemala (60%), Kenya (36%), and South Africa (56%). I’ll bet that there are neighborhoods around you that mirror these numbers.

Alleviating poverty isn’t about giving handouts. Some may need a handout initially, but handouts only enslave the receiver. To truly alleviate poverty, we must invest in human potential, which is not easy. What holds down individual potential is systemic, meaning its root cause is deep within society. Solving it will not happen in a single election cycle; politicians won’t touch it. They will vote to raise the minimum wage because it’s good optics, it drives votes, but they will not attempt to tackle the root cause because it is generational. They will be too old to serve when the results are in.

Lost Potential

“Overcoming poverty is not a gesture of charity. It is an act of justice. It is the protection of a fundamental human right, the right to dignity and a decent life.”— Nelson Mandela

2 Corinthians 6:10, "Sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; poor, yet making many rich; having nothing, and yet possessing everything."

Why is this on my mind? It’s simple. I spend time in these environments trying to help people rise above poverty. I understand that I can only help one person at a time. What brings me to tears is the incredible young people I meet that have the potential to change the world but are lost to poverty. I find one or two each visit; not everyone has the fight and tenancy to prevail. These young people are the ones who could lead their communities out of poverty if they were allowed to achieve their potential. I fall in love with these young Titans. I want everything for them. My heart aches every time I think of one of them.

As we grow older, we learn to deal with disappointment. I watch my grandchildren grow up knowing that disappointment will come, and they must learn to deal with it. They need to toughen up. So many of the young people I meet are born tough. They never think about storing up for tomorrow; they are happy to make it through today. What God has given them that no man can take away are dreams. Their dreams shrink with time as disappointments build, but they still have them. They dream about never going without food or living in safety. They don’t dream about changing the world.

God’s Challenge to You

Luke 3:11, "John answered, "Anyone who has two shirts should share with the one who has none, and anyone who has food should do the same."

Here is what I’m going to ask each one of you. Please find one of these incredible human beings and invest in them. It will be hard because they need so much; it can be overwhelming. More than material things, they need someone who believes in them. But we are the only people that can do this. We are God’s chosen; you are blessed so that you can bless others. Give them a fish if they need it, but teach them to fish so that they can teach others. Make your efforts viral in the communities you touch; long after you are gone, it will pay dividends.

Proverbs 28:27, "Those who give to the poor will lack nothing, but those who close their eyes to them receive many curses."

When poverty has a face, it becomes personal. I’m not talking about a slick PR initiative to raise donations. I’m talking about looking into the eyes of a child. If you can not go, send someone with the compassion to change a life. The idea is to teach a skill that translates into meaningful change.

I Will Not Refuse to do Something

“I cannot do everything, but still I can do something; and because I cannot do everything, I will not refuse to do the something that I can do.” – Edward Everett Hale

We cannot change the world, poverty will always be with us, but we can change a life. And that life can change other lives. The generational change that grew poverty can be the exact one that alleviates it.

Proverbs 19:17, "Whoever is kind to the poor lends to the Lord, and he will reward them for what they have done."
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Believer or Follower

Are you a believer or a follower? You see the intricacy of nature, and you believe. Yet, how does a butterfly know how to paint its wings? How does a chameleon change its color? What lies in the deep of the ocean? You see the vastness of the universe, every expanding, but expanding into what? Billions of stars spread out over a seemingly endless space, and you believe, but do you follow?

Are you a believer or a follower? You touch a newborn child’s small, delicate hands and believe. In the dark of the night, you lay still, listen to your heartbeat, and believe. You see, hear, smell, feel, and believe. But do you follow? God’s creation is all around you, so you believe, but do you follow?

Colossians 1:16, “For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him.”

It is easy to believe because the mile markers are all around you. You don’t have to attend church to believe; even Satin believes.

Believing

Mark 16:16, “The one who believes and is baptized will be saved, but the one who does not believe will be condemned.”

Believing is the easy part. God created in us the desire to search for our maker. We can not rest until we find the answer to “What am I here for?” How did I get here? Our lives depend on meaning and purpose. Without it, we wander in the darkness, looking for light. The light we seek is direction, purpose, and value. Once we understand God’s true nature as the author of everything, we understand our place.

Mark 9:21, “Immediately the boy’s father cried out and said, “I believe; help my unbelief!”

We start to see a pattern and logic to man’s existence. But do we believe God knows and cares about us as individuals? It is one thing to try to grasp the enormity of creation and realize we can’t understand. It is another to grasp the enormity of God’s love for us; one is tangible, tactile, and rich in sensory feedback, and the other is a feeling that wells up inside us. It is a visceral reaction to an invisible power. Are you a believer or a follower?

Having Faith

The question becomes, who am I here for, not what am I here for? Our drive should be who I serve, not what I am to do. Knowing there is a God is not enough. Believing there is a God answers the what question. The bigger question is the who question. An unimpassioned God who spun the universe out in the ether to see what would happen is not the same God that would send His son to die for you.

This revelation is where the visible work of God becomes the invisible. First, we see the splendor of His creation; now, we must feel the love of His compassion for us. Do you believe that Christ died for your sins? If you do, what does that actually mean?

Salvation is by grace, not works, so that no man might boast. Christ’s death broke the barrier between God and us. His death on the cross opened the door to salvation. It is an invitation to spend eternity with the creator of the universe. Faith is about believing in something you can not prove. Faith invites the Holy Spirit into your daily life as a guide, companion, and comforter.

James 2:22, “You see that his faith and his actions were working together, and his faith was made complete by what he did.”

Faith is the next logical step. It is when you decide you are not big enough alone. Faith is accepting help to overcome the challenges of a broken world. Faith knows Christ loves you unconditionally and will fight for you.

James 2:26, “For just as the body without the spirit is dead, so also faith without works is dead.”

“You find that the things you let go of while following Jesus were the things that were going to destroy you in the end.” – Francis Chan

Following

Matthew 16:24, “Then Jesus said to his disciples, “If anyone wants to become my follower, he must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me.”

Now the hard part. Doing is a by-product of following. Doing in and of itself serves only the doer. Not all good deeds are works of the spirit. Good works driven by the Holy Spirit are the only ones that matter. Following is about obedience to God’s call. Following is about doing God’s will, not our own.

“Great moves of God are usually preceded by simple acts of obedience.” – Steven Furtick

James 2:14, “What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save them?”

Following God is about setting ourselves aside and doing what God had predestined for us long before He formed the universe. Following God is about achieving the fullness of God’s creation in us. That fullness does not conform to worldly standards. It doesn’t promise worldly prosperity or life without challenges. What it does promise is an eternity greater than anything you could imagine.

Jesus says, “I want you to follow me so fully, so intensely, so enduringly that all other attachments in your life look weak by comparison.” – Timothy Keller

Being a follower is the true sign of being a Christian. Live the life God has always wanted for you. Be a follower.

Titus 3:8, “This is a trustworthy saying. And I want you to stress these things so that those who have trusted in God may be careful to devote themselves to doing what is good. These things are excellent and profitable for everyone.”
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Being a Pencil in the Hand of God

I started to think about the significance of being a pencil in the hand of God. It started with this quote from Mother Teresa.

“I am a little pencil in God’s hands. He does the thinking. He does the writing. He does everything, and sometimes it is really hard because it is a broken pencil and He has to sharpen it a little more.” ― Mother Teresa, The Joy in Loving: A Guide to Daily Living

Once we start to understand that we are the pencil in the hand of God, we start to understand our position in life. Christ is the author of all stories, the writer, producer, financial backer, and hero of every story. We are His instrument. When we start to understand we are a pencil in the hand of God, we start to appreciate all that we can be.

Psalm 115:1, “Not to us, O Lord, not to us. But to Your name give glory Because of Your lovingkindness, because of Your truth.”

Authoring Your Story

Many of us go through life thinking that we write the story of our lives. We are the hero who saves the day. On the other hand, some of us see ourselves as the victim tossed by the waves of life. In either case, we are the central character that the story encircles. We assume the role of the one in control when we are actually an instrument of the creator.

Psalm 37:23-24, “The Lord makes firm the steps of the one who delights in him, though he may stumble, he will not fall, for the Lord upholds him with his hand.”

When we get to Heaven, if we get to Heaven, what will be God’s response? Will God look at His assortment of writing utensils and say I’ve never written anything with you? Will he see you and say that He remembers a story, but it was a short story once, or twice?

Will God beam with joy, grab you up and hold you close, remembering all the incredible adventures of your life? Will He laugh and cry with every turn of a phrase embodying a triumph or tragedy from your relationship? Will He weep because there will be no more new stories to delight Himself?

Jeremiah 10:23, “Lord, I know that people’s lives are not their own; it is not for them to direct their steps.”

Wasting Your Time

You are wasting your life if you are not an instrument of God’s story. There is no kinder way to say it; any good deed, or honorable act, that the Spirit does not drive is a wasted effort. All who flit from activity to activity in busy, misdirected lives are not building a legacy; you are passing the time. Forty or eighty years after our passing, others will faintly remember us, no matter our skill, intelligence, or accomplishment. But, there will be no eternal implication echoing through time, no great stories to be relived.

Proverbs 3:5-6, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways, acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.”

Even the great statesmen, who emboss their names in history, are just that, a name. We don’t know them; we might know of them. They are a name, a face, and a place, real only within the context of a subject. It is in Heaven that relationships last forever. It is in Heaven that angles relived, rejoiced, and regaled over God’s stories

Luke 15:10, “In the same way, I tell you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”

Refocus Your Storytelling

We spend too much time making our mark here, where time erases because another will supersede every earthly accomplishment. Our wealth will be left behind. The great stories about adventure, tragedy, victory, and love not written by God will fade away like a mist in the morning sun. Yet, those stories driven by the Holy Spirit will prevail. They ripple for generations as angles rejoice at their retelling.

“Seeking to perpetuate one’s name on earth is like writing on the sand by the seashore; to be perpetual, it must be written on eternal shores.” D.L. Moody

Don’t waste your life by doing good for the sake of doing good, thinking the story you write has merit. Anyone can do good and be kind; it’s called being human. Being Godly is to let God write your stories and guide your path. Remember, live your life so that when you meet Christ face-to-face, He will cry. He will cry joyfully at your meeting and sorrowfully that He will not write any new stories with you.

“The mere fact itself that God’s will is irresistible and irreversible fills me with fear, but once I realize that God wills only that which is good, my heart is made to rejoice.” – A. W. Pink

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Living a life Worth Living

Are you living a life worth living? Does your existence consist of going through the motion, or does it echo with impact? Have you ever asked yourself why you exist? Were you created out of passion, or was there a purpose? Are you living a life worth living?

Ephesians 5:15-16, “So then, be careful how you walk, not as unwise people but as wise, making the most of your time because the days are evil.”

The First Tragedy That is Not Ours

Today I was reading about two separate tragedies. The first was Duangpetch Promthep,  Dom to his friends.  He was the most talented of the Thai cave survivors. He had just won a football scholarship in London. The second was in the biographies of the Michigan State University students that died in the shooting last week; three college students were killed senselessly. My heart cries out for the children I don’t know, whose lives were cut short.  I think of the legacy that will never be realized and the wasted raw potential.

Matthew 5:4, “Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.”

Years ago, had I not been saved in the Emergency Room, what impact would that have had on the world? Afterward, would my name even be mentioned, except for dear, compassionate, loving friends who would have noticed, six days, six months, or six years afterward? These children and all of us face the same fate. What is our impact? Do we leave a legacy worth remembering?

At the time of my heart failure, I had not thought about who I was or what I was accomplishing. I was headlong into living life, focused on an abstract future created by others around me. I was competing for a prize that was foggy at best and undefined at worse. Yet, I had to have it, whatever it was, because that is what you do. Not for a single moment did I think this could be my last day.

The Second Tragedy That is Ours

These children do not get to achieve their potential. Dom will never get to go on to win a world football championship. Arielle Anderson will never perform pediatric surgery. Did any of these children give a moment’s thought to their eternity? Did any of them think this would be the day they would find out? That may be the biggest tragedy of all.

Matthew 16:26, “For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what shall a man give in return for his soul?”

With a heavy emphasis on We, we need to reassess what and who we are. I am concerned about two specific aspects of my life;  the first is who I am and what impact I am achieving, and the second is what I am doing for the young people around me to ensure their impact is both long-lasting and positive.  

I am not concerned about people remembering my name or my deeds, I am concerned that my actions are not creating a future beyond my years. Does my life echo over time? We owe this both to ourselves and to the God that created us. It is through His grace that we breathe. Everything we have to offer is a gift from Him to be shared.

1 Timothy 6:17-19, “Instruct those who are rich in this present world not to be conceited or to set their hope on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly supplies us with all things to enjoy. Instruct them to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share, storing up for themselves the treasure of a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of that which is truly life.”

The Final Tragedy That We Control

I don’t want any of you to wake up one morning to find out that someone dear to you lost their chance to achieve their potential. Some time ago, a friend of mine had a son, Ryan, who passed while in college. At the Celebration of Life service, a parade of young people spoke of Ryan’s impact on their lives. Many of the young people my friend had never met. My friend had mentored his son well. Today Ryan’s presence echoes, some twenty years later, through an organization called Christ in the Rockies.

Ryan left this quote behind:

And if I go, while you’re still here, know that I live on, vibrating to a different song. Behind a thin veil, you cannot see through. You will not see me, so you must have faith. I wait for the time when we can soar together again, both aware of each other. Until then, live your life to the fullest, and when you need me, just whisper my name in your heart; I will be there.

Colleen Corah Hitchcock

We have to learn to live our lives with urgency. In the end, we will realize we can do no more. What we have done is all there is. There will be no more chances for a kind word or compassionate gesture. That day may signify our end or someone close to us that we hold dear. On that day, will you rejoice? Were you living a life worth living?

Romans 14:8, “for if we live, we live for the Lord, or if we die, we die for the Lord; therefore whether we live or die, we are the Lord’s.”
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Faith with Absolute Assurance

Faith is the assurance of things we hope for but have not received. Our faith in Christ is grounded in His promise to us through Abraham. We believe because we can see the impact on our lives today that encourages us about our future. It does not mean today is puppy dogs and unicorns, but it does mean that today is leading to a better tomorrow.

John 16:33, “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world, you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”

Whenever I face a critical issue, I return to a simple truth; “Do I believe what I say I believe?”. Everything is condensed down to this one critical question. When I distill an issue down to the root cause, it always boils down to this; do I trust that Christ is who I say He is, and do I believe He cares the way He says He does?

RELIGIOSITY

Let me give you a real-life example from several years ago. I knew someone who owed me money. They asked me to do some work for them, I did it, they acknowledged that I did it, and their client was satisfied with the work. I asked several times over the next year about getting paid without a resolution. He is a professing Christian. He has plenty of money, so he shouldn’t be concerned. Now I am a huge commitment type of guy. I believe you say what you will do, then you do it. It’s not the money; it is the principle of the matter.

My first thought goes right to righteous indignation:
Proverbs 3:27, “Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due when it is in your power to act.”

I am owed; you, as a Christian, have an obligation to pay me. So, I start to build my argument. I start remembering bible verses that condemn him and justify me. I pray for the right (passive-aggressive) approach to make him feel guilty if he does not pay. It stopped being about money some time ago. It is now religiosity. I own the high ground. God is on my side.

There are a few things I should think about first:
Proverbs 16:2, “All a person’s ways seem pure to them, but motives are weighed by the Lord.”
Proverbs 20:22, “Do not say, “I’ll pay you back for this wrong!” Wait for the Lord, and he will avenge you.”
Proverbs 27:19, “As water reflects the face, so one’s life reflects the heart.”

What started as a quest to right a wrong has turned into a vendetta. My motivation turned selfish. It is not about getting my wages but proving my religious superiority. It has turned to punish him for not being as good as me. I stopped trying to let God work through this and started dictating the terms.

FAITHFULNESS

Living by faith requires a different approach. When we decide to follow Christ, we commit to allowing Him to lead. This commitment requires a certain level of trust. I believe Christ does not want us to suffer needlessly or without kingdom impact. Therefore, if we must suffer, there is a purpose in the suffering, and that purpose will positively impact His kingdom here on earth.

The next question that comes to mind is, at what cost? Who wins and who loses, and by how much? Does evil prosper? The ultimate answer to those questions is in Revelations.

Revelation 20:10, “And the devil who had deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and sulfur where the beast and the false prophet were, and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.”

And who does this apply to?

1 John 3:8, “Whoever makes a practice of sinning is of the devil, for the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil.”

There is an actual price to be paid by those who reject Christ. We must be assured that God will do what He said He would do.

APPLICATION

When we have been wronged, what should we do? The first thing we should all do when faced with a dilemma is to pray for guidance. It is through prayer that we gain assurance that our faith is rewarded. There are too many permutations of grievances to suggest a one-size-fits-all solution. But, the starting point is always the same. Prayer

It is also essential to determine where our ego is during this time. Is the grievance material or emotional? Is the wrong subjective or objective? Do I believe God has my best interest in mind, even if I don’t get what I want? Am I advancing my kingdom or His? What do I believe about Christ’s dominion over the world? These are the critical questions, not our perception of right and wrong. God will handle right and wrong.

LAST POINT

The last point is that there are times when we must take advantage of the authority God has established over man to help with worldly issues that broken man can not adequately address. We have laws and governing authorities for that purpose. These are tools for Him to use to help us. They are not tools he has created so that we can punish those we dislike or disagree with.

Romans 13:1-2, “Let everyone be subject to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God. Consequently, whoever rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves.”

Trials will come. That is part of being human in a fallen world. How we face those trials will determine our impact on His kingdom for Him. Our assurance of victory comes through our faith in the victor. We can win the battle but lose the war.

James 5:11, “As you know, we count as blessed those who have persevered. You have heard of Job’s perseverance and have seen what the Lord finally brought about. The Lord is full of compassion and mercy.”
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Impact

Does your life have the impact that you want it to have? Of course, everyone has an impact, but is yours what you expect?

According to the ancient Greeks, there are three components to a lasting impact. They are 1) logos; what you say; 2) Pathos; how you make the other person feel; and 3) ethos; the way you live. If we are going to have a positive impact on the world, we need to do it with a sense of completeness. We can not approach change with duplicity. We can not want others to be what we are not prepared to be. To impact the world for Christ, we must present a total package. The latest social issue, media sensations, or worldly crises cannot influence us.

That is a big ask. We live in a post-modern world where sensation and bias rule. The next shiny object influences us. Trendsetters and newsmakers surround us. Truth is subjective. Honesty is overrated. Much of the ground we stand on is quicksand, ever-moving, ever-changing, and ever-morphing into a new reality. Values etched in stone a few years ago seem outdated and anti-social today.

Ephesians 4:14, “So that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes.”

How can we be light in a dark world? Follow the Greeks.

Logos

Ephesians 4:25 “Therefore, having put away falsehood, let each one of you speak the truth with his neighbor, for we are members one of another.”

Remember that each of us is a part of something bigger than all of us. Like wavelets expanding out across the pond, what each of us does influences others. This is true not only of our actions but the actions of those around us. We are all on the same blue orb spinning through space. The more people are driven to please Christ, the better we all are.

That is the short-term incentive to speak the truth. If nothing else, we make this place more livable. The eternal impact is far greater, but for non-believers, hard to imagine. We can not shy away from the truth because it dramatically impacts us, individually and corporately.

The credibility in our words is demonstrated through consistency. We can not speak the Gospel in some aspects of our lives while retreating from the Gospel in other aspects. We can not only demonstrate the truth of our words by applying them to others, especially in situations in which we will not find ourselves. At the same time, we ignore the application of the Gospel to our shortcomings. Hypocrisy is contagious.  

2 Timothy 2:15, “Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth.”

Courage is an act of overcoming, not overpowering.

Pathos

Ephesians 4:15 “Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ.”

Compassion, what a powerful word and act. The ability to show compassion starts with confidence in who we are. We are children of God. And being such, we have overcome the world. We know it is not us who overcame the world, but Christ in us. We can afford compassion. Compassion is not from us but through us. The same God that showed compassion in us would use us to show compassion to others if we let Him.

One of my favorite quotes:

“At the end of the day, people won’t remember what you said or did; they will remember how you made them feel.” ― Maya Angelou

I remind myself of this often. I can have the best intentions in the world but deliver them with arrogance or disparagement, and I have lost. My message will be buried in ill feelings and resentment. I have to reflect the love of Christ to present the love of Christ.

Ethos

1 John 3:18 “Little children, let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth.”

Living out the Word in your daily life is the most challenging and effective evangelism you will engage in. Living your life according to Scripture adds credibility to your words and impacts people you will never talk with. If you proclaim to be a Christian, people will watch how you live your life to see if it is different. They will want to know if that difference produces positive results.

The pinnacle of sarcasm when parenting is telling your child, “Do as I say, not as I do.” Your friend, co-workers, and family are not children and shouldn’t be treated as children. Don’t hide behind the Christian badge of forgiveness unless you are prepared to extend it to others. Follow the adage – be the change you want to see.

1 Peter 3:10, “For Whoever desires to love life and see good days, let him keep his tongue from evil and his lips from speaking deceit.”

Impact

You must add ingredients, stir them thoroughly, and bake them when making a cake. It doesn’t matter what type of cake; the steps are the same. The same is true for sharing the Gospel. It doesn’t make any difference whom you will engage with or their condition; the steps are the same. So, study the Bible, pray for direction, and persevere. In all of this, walk the talk with compassion.

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Struggle

I struggle with a great many things when it comes to following Christ. I struggle with my ability to obey, my competence to do God’s will, and my sin. This morning it is my sin. Not a specific sin, just the abundance of sin in my life. The little nagging failures to demonstrate God to others.

Romans 3:10, “As it is written, “Not even one person is righteous.”

Odd things wake me in the middle of the night. Why is it that I struggle with the same things over and over? It started me wondering about the characters in the Bible of their daily struggles. God doesn’t tell us much about that. We know that Moses was a murderer and David dealt with lust, but we don’t know about their daily struggles.

1 John 1:8, “If we say that we do not have any sin, we are deceiving ourselves, and we’re not being truthful to ourselves.”

SIN IS NOT PROGRESSIVE

James 2:10, “And the person who keeps every law of God but makes one little slip is just as guilty as the person who has broken every law there is.”

The place I gravitate to is that sin is not progressive; it doesn’t get better or worse; it just is or isn’t. There is no sliding scale. God doesn’t try to provide a standard other than Himself. We all fall short. Did Solomon write Proverbs because he was constantly irritated at the folly of those around him? Did he feel superior to them at times? Were Proverbs his passive-aggressive vent? Did Moses struggle with the leadership responsibilities and the Israelites’ constant whining? Was He short-tempered and impatient? David loved his son, but did his son also cause him grief? Was he impatient with his demands? It is easy to read between the lines that Paul was not an easy guy to get along with. He saw life as black and white. Although God gave him the gift of compassion, I don’t think he received the gift of patience.

Romans 7:19-20, “When I want to do good, I don’t; and when I try not to do wrong, I do it anyway. Now, if I am doing what I don’t want to, it is plain where the trouble is: sin still has me in its evil grasp.”

I have no reason to believe that the characters in the Bible didn’t struggle the same as us. So why didn’t God provide us with these examples so that we could feel better about our struggles? I would guess it is because we should never stop struggling; we shouldn’t feel better. There is only one standard, and we all fall short.

SALVATION IS NOT WHITEWASH

When we accept Christ as our savior, do we see it as our get-out-of-jail-free card? The analogy that came to my head was citizenship. Some people study hard for citizenship so they can pass the test. But, once they pass the test and take the oath, do they see citizenship the same way? Do they treasure it, or do they start to feel entitled? Once salvation is ours, does it become a right? Our sins are forgiven yesterday, today, and tomorrow. We are made white as snow. Should that not give us a level of comfort?

My guess is no, it should not. On the contrary, I believe it makes us struggle more because we now know that our sin is unacceptable to God. We now know that things normalized in the world are unacceptable to God. This is a good thing.  Even with our salvation, we will stand before the Judgement Throne of Christ to account for how we lived our lives once we accepted Christ as our savior. God will want an accounting for the rants on social media, our discussion concerning politics, and our impatience with others who think differently than ourselves. This is about something other than being right; it is about doing right.

Lamentations 3:22, “his compassion never ends. It is only the Lord’s mercies that have kept us from complete destruction.”

REDEMPTION IS REAL

I would suspect that the day you stop struggling with sin is that day you need to start worrying. Sin is always with us; it never takes a holiday. No matter how hard we try, there will be something. That nagging sin is a constant reminder that we need Christ. It is a portal to God’s love, compassion, and understanding of our condition. So, as we fight sin, we cling to Christ.

Romans 8:1, “So there is now no condemnation awaiting those who belong to Christ Jesus.”

I want comfort and to know it is all right, but it isn’t. That is good news. The more I struggle with my shortcomings, the more I talk to God. The more I am disgusted with my behavior, the more I demonstrate that I care. The only standard is God Himself, and we will not achieve that this side of Heaven. To struggle is to gain.

I remember that the God of the universe that has forgiven all my sins is the same God that reminds me of His love through the ultimate sacrifice of His son. A God that would do that for a man as undeserving as myself is a God of infinite compassion.

Isaiah 30:18, “Yet the Lord still waits for you to come to him so he can show you his love; he will conquer you to bless you, just as he said, for the Lord is faithful to his promises. Blessed are all those who wait for him to help them.”

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Enter the New Year

Enter the New Year. It is the Chinese year of the rabbit, which is appropriate. As we enter the new year, time is fleeting. We must make the most of this new year before it’s gone.

So, as we enter this new year, I wanted to tell you a story that might help you set your objectives. It’s my story. Like David, Moses, and many other characters in the Bible, my life has had its bumps and bruises. But also it has a lesson. It starts with the first question I had to answer; “who am I?”. That was a tough question for me to answer. A lot of clichés’ came to mind. I also gravitated toward things that sounded grandiose but weren’t true. My true mission in life wasn’t admirable, but finding it and articulating it opened my eyes to what has happened. Writing this is cathartic.

Proverbs 1:8-9, “Hear, my son, your father’s instruction, and forsake not your mother’s teaching, for they are a graceful garland for your head and pendants for your neck.”

THE STORY

Who am I? I am the only son of a high-achieving “greatest generation” father. My mission in life was to be like him but better. I tried to achieve my mission by outworking everyone around me. My dad had one college degree; I have three. He worked full-time through college, and so did I, three times. I studied for every meeting and every engagement like it was a final exam. I had to be the smartest guy in the room. No one could be on my team if they didn’t have my work ethic.

THE JOURNEY

I tried to be this person by emulating my father. My father was a successful engineer; He was President of the City Council in my city and President of the School Board when I graduated from High School; his signature is on my High School Diploma.

He was well-liked, had a good sense of humor, and was a man of high character, brilliant and unassuming He could multiply two eight-digit numbers in his head to entertain my friends. I loved and idolized my father.

Romans 4:4, “Now to the one who works, his wage is not credited as a favor, but as what is due.”

I was driven to succeed in everything I tried. I was raised to believe that you didn’t appreciate anything you didn’t work for. This drive manifested itself in anger and frustration. I didn’t feel I ever measured up. My father seemed so natural at it, and it seemed so unnatural to me. I was constantly pressing. Although it did drive me to a high level of success, it didn’t provide any satisfaction in that success. It created relationship problems in almost every aspect of my life.  My life and ambition controlled me. I was a slave to whom I thought I must be. My ego and pride painted over all my insecurities.

“To love yourself is to know that your past does not change your worth.”

THE AWAKENING

I was divorced at a young age. I was running 10 miles every day to help deal with the stress. By the age of 30, I had to have a pacemaker. Caffeine and stress short-circuited my heart’s electrical system. Success was killing me; I knew I couldn’t keep this up; I either had to abandon my mission in life or find a better way.  

I couldn’t abandon who I thought I was, so I turned to the Bible for advice. I turned to the Bible because I remember it from my childhood days attending church. Going to church still wasn’t in the plan; I was a self-made man. The Bible proved to be an owner’s manual on how to live—changing my approach to working with people significantly reduced my stress. Knowing that I was part of a plan that could not fail gave me confidence, even when things didn’t go well. I started to relax but still lacked purpose.

Proverbs 22:6, “Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it.”

I decided I needed help from people who understood the Bible better than me, so I started attending church.

CLARITY OF PURPOSE

That was when I received my aha moment; it was the tangent point that changed the direction of my life. I was given a cassette tape of a one-person play called “The BEMA.” It was about what you have done for Christ since you met Him. I realized that life had never been about me. It had always been about others. My legacy was not in what I achieved to elevate myself in life but in what I was doing to help others elevate themselves. I found purpose with meaning.

The pressure was gone. The drive is still there, but it is focused on results that do not belong to me. Kingdom gain is the measure; material gain may or may not follow. My goal was to be obedient to Christ when He called.

I quit corporate America and started a couple of companies operating on Christian principles. I held Bible Study once a week in my business to show my commitment to Christ and hold myself accountable to my employees for living up to that commitment. In retirement, I now work with several Christian-based missions using the skills and resources developed in me by God through life experiences. Anger is long gone. I am at peace with the person God made me. And, I want for nothing materially that I do not have or can’t obtain. God is good.

THE LESSON

“Don’t let your past dictate who you are. Let it be the lesson that strengthens the person you will become.”

As we enter the New Year, answering the question of who you are, will open your eyes to what drives you. You might find that the wrong standard drives you. I didn’t realize my dad’s impact on my life until my sisters pointed it out. Unfortunately, that didn’t happen until I was over 60. I was driven by an aberration. I know my father would never have wanted that for me. But I didn’t know it was happening. Christ entered my life and fixed a problem I didn’t know I had. I could not have written my story this way ten years ago. Ten years ago, I still saw myself as Don Quixote saving the fair maiden. Like the fictional Don Quixote, I was tilting at windmills.

Psalm 103:13, “Just as a father has compassion on his children, So the Lord has compassion on those who fear Him.”

God has made us incredible creatures capable of amazing things. But when we try to control who we are or want to be, the wheels come off. Sometimes this control is subconscious. Give it to God. Why? God is good all the time.

Psalm 20:4, “May he give you the desire of your heart and make all your plans succeed.”

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Another Christmas Story

Christmas Story
Isaiah 7:14

The Birth of Christ is the greatest of all stories. Within that Christmas story, there is another story that comes to mind. This story within a story is about obedience and the ramifications of that obedience.

“Christmas is about change. It’s a time we open our hearts before we open our presents.” -Toni Sorenson.

Obedience

Acts 1:14, “Mary, the mother of Jesus.”

This time of year brings about introspection. It usually starts with me thinking about the Christmas story and Mary. It then progresses to my story, where I have been, and what I have done.

Mary was a teenager when Gabriel visited her with his alarming proclamation—alarming from the standpoint that Mary had no predisposition to believe that Gabriel would visit her. She certainly did not anticipate that he would turn her life upside down. I can’t imagine that a teenage girl would believe that the God of the Universe would choose her over members of the families of Sadducees and Pharisees, who certainly had to be more righteous. Gabriel dared to burden her with one of her culture’s biggest taboos while simultaneously stating that she would not be just an unwed mother with a child but a child who would change the world for all humanity. That had to be an overwhelming experience. Her response is priceless.

Luke 1:38, “I am the Lord’s servant,” Mary answered. “May your word to me be fulfilled.”

I wonder about the strength of her character, which flowed so easily into obedience. This thing that was asked of her was so foreign yet familiar. What is the biggest thing God has ever asked of you? That is one of the first questions I ask myself.  Not just what does He want now, but what has He always wanted from me? Do I flow so easily into obedience?

“Christmas is a season not only of rejoicing but of reflection.” — Winston Churchill.

The Launch of Responsibility

Obedience requires action. No response is a response. Mary’s Christmas story only started with Gabriel. Although Mary did not initiate her new responsibility, she accepted and nourished it. Again, I picture the teenage girl looking at her newborn child, helpless and defenseless, yet knowing he is the Messiah. Did she understand the power and majesty of that little bundle? She was now tasked with raising the Son of God. She would feed him, change His diapers, and teach him to walk and talk. Yet he, at that moment, probably knew more about her than she did Him.

God has asked a lot less of me. But He does expect a response. Not because He needs me but because He wants me to be part of His plan. Mary had a physical representation of God’s will in her life. She could not and would not ignore the needs of her child. The fact that He was the Son of God made the task more urgent but not more necessary. Can I say that I respond the same way to that which He has put before me? Is it both necessary and urgent?

“Christmas is not a time nor a season, but a state of mind. To cherish peace and goodwill, to be plenteous in mercy, is to have the real spirit of Christmas.” –Calvin Coolidge

Dedication to the Goal

Luke 2:19, “But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart.”

This Christmas story ended years later, but we will get to that another time. For now, let us enjoy the moment. Mary most likely knew the prophecy concerning her child. Also, like most people in her time, she might not have yet understood how the prophecy would be fulfilled. Her focus was on raising a healthy and happy child. She did not fully understand the significance of Jesus’ time on earth but knew it was world-changing. Mary spent over 10,000 days making meals, washing dirty clothes, and keeping Him safe before He revealed His ministry to the world. It was a long time of watching His every move and wondering. Thirty years is a long time to remember what Gabriel said. But, she trusted God. She never wavered.

Mark 6:3, “Isn’t this the carpenter? Isn’t this Mary’s son and the brother of James, Joseph, Judas and Simon? Aren’t his sisters here with us?” And they took offense at him.”

How dedicated am I when God’s results don’t track with my expectations; am I to forge a new path, create a new shortcut, or drop what I believe is an unproductive approach? How quick am I to give up, thinking I misunderstood the message?

Tenacity is found in hope, and hope is found in purpose. Once we understand that our only purpose in life is to delight our creator, then hope becomes a natural extension of our being. Hope in a promise made thousands of years ago. Hope is the fuel that drives the engine of obedience.

“Optimism is a wish without warrant; Christian hope is a certainty, guaranteed by God himself. Optimism reflects ignorance as to whether good things will ever actually come. Christian hope expresses knowledge that every day of his life, and every moment beyond it, the believer can say with truth, on the basis of God’s own commitment, that the best is yet to come.” – J. I. Packer

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