June 27, 2023

 

Focus On Jesus

 

Not many of you should become teachers, my fellow believers, because you know that we who teach will be judged more strictly. – James 3:1

 

I respected him. He seemed called by God and someone who would always follow Jesus. Then he stumbled and became the human he always was. It was I who had placed him on an impossible pedestal.

 

Perhaps the truth is that he hadn’t changed. I just didn’t want to see him as he is and chose to view him as I desperately wanted him to be. Isn’t that how it works with our religious leaders? We need them to live righteous lives of truth and integrity. And when they don’t, it’s as though we ourselves have stumbled.

 

Recent months have been filled with disappointment. A pastor who vowed to remain United Methodist suddenly changing course and taking the big payday and, in his mind, the guaranteed job. The pastor who said he supported one thing and yet took the easy road of job security. The church leader who lied to sway votes. The council president who used political talking points to whip those who never check facts into a frenzy. And those who said none of it really mattered.

 

Hatred and failure to love everyone equally is alive and well in God’s church. We’re so busy using the Bible as a weapon that we neglect Jesus’ words about love. We’re so focused on winning the day that we ignore Paul’s warning not to cause conflict within the body of Christ.

 

James tells us that those of us who lead and teach in the church will be held to a higher standard. I understand why. We should know better. We should be well acquainted with God’s Words so that we don’t sin in our own words and actions. We don’t get a pass caused by ignorance.

 

I condemn myself for judging what’s not mine to judge. God will repay because He alone knows the heart. Selfish ambition and greed are sins. His wrath is bound to come. My heart cries for mercy, for conviction, for outward change of behavior. I don’t want people I once cared for to suffer greatly. I am thankful that God handles all of that – for them and for me.

 

My heart still struggles to grasp what I have witnessed. Some moments in time are directors for where we have been and where our course now heads. We are different. Maybe that’s a good thing. Maybe it’s a warning for us all.

 

Be very careful of those who appear on a higher religious plane. Everyone stumbles. Stay focused on Jesus, who alone is perfect. He will never lie, never stumble, never cast His church aside for a bigger payday or a more powerful position. Hold tightly to Him. Worship Him. All praise and glory to Jesus Christ, our Lord!

September 1, 2021

 

What’s Your Excuse?

 

There is a path before each person that seems right, but it ends in death. – Proverbs 14:12

 

It’s been a sad week. A sad mon Ph really. So many people I know have loved ones fighting for their lives. Others are deep in grief for someone gone too soon. The reason? Covid. That’s the simple answer. The rest of the answer is way more complicated.

 

Every person that I know who is sick or dead refused to get the vaccination. Every single one. They had a choice and they said no. Those who are alive are fighting to regain strength and abilities lost during the long hospital stay. They will never be fully okay. Others are dead. Gone. Leaving behind husbands and wives and children.

 

I struggle to understand their refusal. I listen to the excuses from those who have yet to be diagnosed and I am astounded at their answers. The shot implants a chip. It hasn’t been fully approved. It decreases your immune system and you have health issues. It makes you spread the virus. Covid isn’t real, just manufactured by the government. I was in the military and had to take vaccines so now I refuse to take any vaccine. Need I go on?

 

Most of us have always taken vaccines. They were required before we started school. We take the flu vaccine and the shingles vaccine. It’s part of life that helps keep us healthy. But suddenly we’re finding some who are adamant that they have a “right” to not take a vaccine. They have a “right” to infect whoever they want, to get sick and overwhelm the hospitals and to leave their families grief-stricken.

 

Your “freedom” to choose comes with consequences that go far beyond your choice. It means people who need surgery can’t get it because there are no hospital beds. It means someone who has a heart attack or accident could be sent hundreds of miles away to a hospital with a vacant bed. It means that healthcare workers are overwhelmed and exhausted with no end in sight. It means all of us are back to wearing masks because you refused to do your part.

 

I struggle not to become hard-hearted toward those who are so busy being right until it happens to them. Then it’s too late. Then, if they live, they know that Covid is real. Then, if they die, they leave family and friends behind. Surely a vaccine was better than a coffin.

 

Lord, please, open their eyes before it’s too late. Please soften my heart to those who are creating such sadness.

July 10, 2019

What Do You Want?

When Jesus saw him lying there and learned that he had been in this condition for a long time, he asked him, “Do you want to get well?” – John 5:6

The answer seems obvious to us. Of course, someone who is sick wants to get well. Really? Maybe we assume what isn’t really there.

There are different types of sickness. Some people are fighting for their lives. Our hearts break for them as we fervently pray. But we all likely know people who seem to enjoy being sick, whether it’s a physical illness, drama at its highest or unhappiness that never ends.

One woman complains because a co-worker appears to be assigned more hours than she is assigned. A few hours later she’s complaining about working too many weekends. She never seems to be happy, whether it’s hours or management or customers. She’s a fault-finder. It’s something she chooses.

Or there’s the man who refuses to do the exercises the doctor ordered. He’s rather sit in his recliner, watch television, and be waited on. He can’t see what’s around the corner. He doesn’t care. He’s enjoying the attention of today too much to understand that his future looks grim. Pretty soon he’ll be an invalid who can’t fight his way back to good health.

Each day we make choices that determine the course of our lives. Are you unhappy? Then stop making excuses and take a different path. Do you want to get well? That’s a question only you can answer. If you answer yes, then prove it by making the changes necessary to turn your life down a different path.

May 10, 2019

Choose Friends Wisely

For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened. – Romans 1:21

Who are your friends? Are they drawing you toward God or are they pulling you away? That’s the question our pastor asked last Sunday and it’s something that has really been on my heart this week.

There are obvious people we should avoid. They are those who abuse alcohol or drugs, those who are abusers or thieves. Those who use foul language and bully those around them. We can certainly be kind and witness to them but, really, we must be careful not to let them draw us into their world. We know that.

But what about the others? What about the Christians who go to church on Sunday – when it’s convenient – then do as they please the rest of the week? What about the Christians who say a quick prayer every morning and that is the extent of their focus on God? What about those who are active in church but have hard hearts toward the poor, the immigrant, those with a past. (And don’t we all have a past?)

It is those pseudo Christians who can cause us the most harm. They go through the motions. Maybe they really are saved but they live their lives on their own terms rather than God’s. Without our even being aware of it, they pull us away from Him. They encourage us to be lazy in our time with God. They tell us through their actions that we don’t have to put God first. Except we do.

Who are your friends? Look around you at the people you spend the most time with. Are they drawing you toward a deeper relationship with Christ or are they showing you how to make excuses and linger in a shallow faith? If they aren’t pulling you toward Jesus, then maybe you should find friends that do.

April 15, 2019

Choose Well

The high places were not removed from Israel. Nevertheless the heart of Asa was loyal all his days. – 2 Chronicles 15:17

Are you a good Christian? Do you know Jesus as Lord and Savior? Do you wear a cross around your neck? Maybe pray before meals? And you attend church when it matters – Easter, Christmas, when your children are involved in something special?

Here’s a hard truth: We all fail Jesus. Every. Single. Day. We choose a ball game over a church service. We put ourselves before someone else. We cling to money, calling extras a “need” and refusing to tithe because we don’t have “enough.”

We do good. We do. Well, we do good when we like the person and consider them worthy of our time or money. We set ourselves up to judge and condemn others while making excuses for ourselves.

We love Jesus but His ways and our ways aren’t always the same. Each day is filled with choices. Those choices may seem small but each one shows the world how much you truly love Jesus. Choose well.

January 4, 2018

Take the Step

By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going. – Hebrews 11:8

The New Year is calling to us. It is inviting us to new places, new adventures, new roads to travel. Are you heading out or hunkering down?

Abraham didn’t have to go when God called him. Abraham could have said no. God gives us the freedom to make choices, good or bad, as we live life on this earth. Abraham chose to follow God, even though he had no idea where he was going or what challenges he might face.

In a very real sense, Abraham took a chance on God. He believed God and the promises God had made to him. We look at those passages in the Bible and, still, we hesitate on the calling God has made on our own lives. We explain that times were different then. We rationalize that Abraham was a very special person and, thus, much more qualified to follow God.

Except that we’re really no different than Abraham. We’re special because God made us. We’re qualified because God provides all that we need to accomplish the task He sets before us. The difference between us and Abraham? Faith.

Somewhere along the line we’ve gotten the notion that following God should be easy. We’ve come to believe that stepping out in faith should come without hardship and doubts. We truly think that God’s calling doesn’t involve actual work or sacrifice on our part. Where in the world did we get that belief? Certainly not from the Bible.

Jesus promised that in this world we would have trouble. I know. It’s not what we want to hear. We want an easy life filled with blessings and little to no heartache. That’s not the life Jesus promised. That’s just not reality.

Faith means we trust God when we can’t see the way forward. Faith means we trust God when doubts set in and naysayers abound. Faith means we trust God in the storm, certain that it will pass and God’s blessings will come in abundance.

Faith also means understanding that our journey here is not about us. Sure, God wants us to enjoy life. But this life He’s granted to us really isn’t about us. It’s not. But we sure do have a hard time with that, don’t we?

Putting God first doesn’t fit with who society tells us we should be. Isn’t life supposed to be about us? Isn’t it supposed to be fun, filled with blessings, with little to no sacrifice on our part?

This isn’t our home. We know that but sometimes we have a difficult time wrapping our minds around it. We are restless, hungry for something more but we can’t seem to understand that we’ll never really be content so long as we live on this earth.

So, what has God called you to do in this New Year? It’s probably won’t be an easy journey. It might not be something you particularly want to do. It might require sacrifice and hardship and skills you never thought you had. Do it anyway.

December 28, 2018

Consider the Consequences

Once when Jacob was cooking some stew, Esau came in from the open country, famished. He said to Jacob, “Quick, let me have some of that red stew! I’m famished!” (That is why he was also called Edom.)

Jacob replied, “First sell me your birthright.”

“Look, I am about to die,” Esau said, “What good is the birthright to me?”

But Jacob said, “Swear to me first.” So he swore an oath to him, selling his birthright to Jacob.

Then Jacob gave Esau some bread and some lentil stew. He ate and drank, and then got up and left.

So Esau despised his birthright.

– Genesis 25:29-34

Area Boy Scouts gather each year for what is termed an authentic camping trip. They dress in period costumes and seek to relive life as it once was. One of the more popular events happens on the trade blankets, when the kids barter items with each other.

It’s easy to see what each boy’s priorities are. One might give away something valuable, such as a knife or deer antlers, for a piece of candy. Another might hold on to those things, waiting for something like a mounted fish or pottery.

Some can only see what they want in that moment and they react accordingly. Others are willing to wait for the right thing to come at the right time. We aren’t any different.

Esau and Jacob were fraternal twins who had battled to be first even in the womb. They had emerged with Esau as the elder, and his father’s favorite, and Jacob as the younger, and his mother’s favorite.

Being the firstborn male came with additional privileges and responsibilities. He would one day inherit a double portion and be the leader of the family. But birth order didn’t always reveal the best man for the job.

Esau didn’t value what was given to him by chance of birth. He was focused on the moment and didn’t consider what he was giving up. So he sold his birthright for a bowl of stew.

Jacob was certainly not without sin. He, with help from his mother, later tricked his dying father into giving him the paternal blessing rather than allowing it to go to Esau. In the end it wouldn’t have mattered anyway. Selling his birthright wasn’t the only mistake Esau made. He also married two foreign women, something that simply couldn’t happen to Abraham’s descendant. Though Esau later married an acceptable woman, it was too late to undo what he’d already done.

We reap the consequences of our actions. It’s a sad truth. We can’t undo what we’ve done. We can’t always rebuild what we’ve destroyed. We can’t change what our actions reveal about our priorities.

The child who trades something valuable for a piece of candy can’t come back and change his mind when he realizes what he’s done. And we can’t come back later and undo the consequences of what we’ve done.

A sweet man I know once remarked that if he could change one thing it would be letting his wife go. She’s fine. She remarried a wonderful man and is happy. He, on the other hand, now realizes what he destroyed with his words and actions. He is alone and living with the consequences of what he can’t undo.

What’s the lesson in all this? Think about the consequences before you do something that can never be undone. Consider your words and actions before you destroy a bridge that can never be rebuilt.

December 22, 2018

Let It Go

“Pick me up and throw me into the sea,” he replied, “and it will become calm. I know that it is my fault that this great storm has come upon you.”

Instead, the men did their best to row back to land. But they could not, for the sea grew even wilder than before. Then they cried out to the LORD, “Please, LORD, do not let us die for taking this man’s life. Do not hold us accountable for killing an innocent man, for you, LORD, have done as you pleased.” – Jonah 1:12-14

It’s an awful situation. She has been to doctor after doctor. She has taken medication after medication. The sad truth is she is happy to live in her misery.

He has done all that he can. His life revolves around her doctor appointments. He has become her caregiver. He shops, cooks and cleans their home. He tenderly wraps a jacket around her shoulders. He caters to her every whim. She doesn’t appreciate what he does. If anything, she shoves him away.

He wants desperately to “fix” her, to turn their life back into what it once was. They are at a stalemate, neither happy, but neither able to change what is or let go of what could be.

The hardest part of life can be releasing expectations and accepting what you can’t change. The biggest hurt can come when you watch someone you love choose things that ultimately will kill them. If you aren’t careful, bitterness will take root as others point fingers and cast blame for a situation you are powerless to change.

Jonah had brought God’s wrath on all of those on the ship. He was determined to run from the task God had called him to. But you can’t run from God and there are consequences when you try.

Still, those on the ship wanted to save Jonah. I suppose it was more for themselves than for him. They didn’t want God’s wrath to fall on them if they tossed him overboard. Yet, that’s exactly what they did. It was necessary to save themselves.

The blunt truth is that those on Jonah’s ship couldn’t save him. God was determined to force Jonah to His will and Jonah would suffer until he submitted to God. Oftentimes, we try to force our will on someone else. We try to “fix” them and become heartbroken when it doesn’t work. We can’t seem to accept that it’s not our job to save people or change them.

One of the hardest things I’ve ever done is let go of someone I couldn’t fix. I gave this person to God. I walked beside them for as long as I could, helping and loving and caring. But in the end their tussle was with God.

It’s easy to think that if we try hard enough, love deep enough, work hard enough, we can fix the lives of those we love. We can’t. Let it go. Do what you can and trust God with the rest. The alternative will destroy you both.

December 18, 2018

Light Exposes Darkness

“For there is nothing hidden that will not be disclosed, and nothing concealed that will not be known or brought out into the open.” – Luke 8:17

But their evil intentions will be exposed when the light shines on them. – Ephesians 5:13 (NLT)

Each of us has darkness that lies inside of us. We pretend it’s not there. We ignore the truths rather than face it and let light destroy it. But in the end, it still finds a way to reveal itself.

We are sinners. There’s just no way to get past that on this earth. We can’t ever be good enough, wise enough, blameless enough, to enter God’s Presence on our own. That’s why we so desperately need Jesus.

We try to pretend that we’re good enough. God knows our hearts. He knows we’re trying. Except we somehow find a way to pick and choose where we’ll do better and where we’ll keep on being who we are.

Sometimes the sin is great. Sometimes the sin is gathered together with many parts, none of which seem too bad, until the great multitude reveals a pattern of darkness. We don’t blame ourselves. It’s this society, this world, this media, that leads us to things we wouldn’t otherwise do, see, or hear.

Except we are to blame. We make choices, then attempt to justify ourselves. We allow our sin nature to control us and that, in turn, leads us places we never really intended to go.

It’s the excuse pattern that allows us to fudge a little here or a little there. It’s that wink that lets us think we’re sliding by without any consequences for doing what we know is wrong.

I’m always amazed at how we do what we know is wrong. We watch a movie or television show that we know has inappropriate content. We blame Hollywood for our choice. We listen to music with lyrics that idolize drinking and wild parties and sex without marriage and we blame the record labels. We do whatever we can to get that raise, even if it means telling lies or putting someone else down. It’s a game we didn’t create but we participate in it just the same.

After all, it’s all about us. It’s about what we want. It’s about what’s best for us and for our family. It’s about making choices that entertain us and help us get ahead. It’s about looking at the world through eyes that only see what we want them to see.

Except the light has a way of penetrating through the darkness, exposing the heart of an issue. It reveals our true motives. The light tells the world, and us right along with it, what we truly believe. What do you believe?

Do you truly believe God loves everyone? Then why do you put others down in a vain attempt to build yourself up?

Do you truly believe all people are equal? Then why do you think you’re better than people of other nationalities?

Do you truly believe things don’t matter? Then why do you race to keep up with or surpass the things your friends and family purchase?

The light exposes darkness. It tells the real story of your values and your faith.

November 15, 2018

All Are Welcome

For you are not a God who is pleased with wickedness; with you, evil people are not welcome. – Psalm 5:4

She was pushing every one of my buttons. I struggled for patience. I wanted to be welcoming. I wanted to be inclusive. I wanted to be kind.

Later, I struggled with my own response to this woman. It was the first time I’d seen her at church. It was her first time in our Sunday school class. I am usually glad to have anyone join us. We have so many who have come from brokenness, myself included. All are welcome. So why did I respond so differently to this woman?

It took me much of the afternoon until I finally realized what it was. I was shocked. I usually pick up quickly on such things. My only excuse is that I wasn’t expecting to find it in church. I certainly wasn’t expecting to see it in a Sunday school classroom.

She was high. I don’t know her story. Her body could have been filled with prescription drugs. Or maybe it was something illegal. I don’t want to judge her based on the condition of her mouth, which is a signal for someone who has or was a meth addict. But her body language was so obviously that of someone who was on drugs.

My ability to read body language is both a blessing and a curse. It causes me to see the real meaning behind words. It helps me to understand when someone is hurting, even as they protest that they are fine. But it also causes me to see when someone isn’t being who they’re proclaiming to be.

I reminded myself again and again, in prayer and thought, that she is God’s child. God loves her just as much as He loves me and every other person in that class and in that church. But it’s so hard to come face to face with someone in the throes of addiction.

As I said, our class is filled with broken people. I’m sure that’s why someone led her to this class. We are a group of misfits, if you will. We are people who understand heartache and addiction and depression. We are a people who understand grief and being alone and that makes us more compassionate, more welcoming, more forgiving. People who have walked through a tough valley or two truly understand what it means to be saved by grace.

I struggled with this. How can I reject, even if only in my heart, someone God loves? My heart, of course, is where it matters. What does that say about me? What does that say about my faith? Do you understand what I’m saying? Have you been there? Have you struggled to love someone as Jesus does? Have you struggled to welcome someone who is in the throes of addiction?

This was different for me. I have gladly welcomed those who are homeless, even when their own choices led them to that place. I have opened my arms to those who are in recovery for addiction, for anger, for brokenness. But I seem to have no tolerance for someone who shows up, disrupts the class (and, yes, she was disruptive), and thinks it’s okay.

I don’t know if she’ll be back. I won’t turn her away if she comes. Jesus wouldn’t do that and I won’t either. But I will alert our security team, many of whom are also in law enforcement. I will make sure her movements are monitored. My first priority is to love like Jesus but that means making sure the children in our church are safe.

God welcomes us all. He loves every person, no matter what their circumstances. And, certainly, it’s okay to bring your brokenness to the body of Christ. But it’s not okay to be high on drugs. It’s not okay to show up drunk. If you need help, we’ll help you. We’ll love you. But we won’t enable you. We won’t tell you it’s okay to be disruptive because you’re too high to function.

There’s a time and place for everything. Church isn’t where you come to feed your addictions and pretend no one notices. It’s where we all come to heal. It’s your choice. But when you bring that into our midst, it becomes ours.

September 25, 2018

Are You Wise?

Who is wise and understanding among you? Let them show it by their good life, by deeds done in humility that comes from wisdom. – James 3:13

Are you wise? How do you know? Do you make good choices? Are you sure? There’s a difference about being wise in the world’s eyes and being wise in the eyes of Jesus.

Think about the Sermon on the Mount. Jesus didn’t teach a lot about common sense, did He? The rich are poor. Those who are persecuted are blessed. Those who mourn, are poor in spirit and are meek will all be blessed. Doesn’t sound too much like what the world would consider “wise” teaching, does it?

The world says it’s all about us. It doesn’t matter who we hurt. So what if someone else pays the price for our selfish ambition? Who cares about the cost so long as we get what we want?

Here’s what James says about this earthly wisdom:

But if you harbor bitter envy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast about it or deny the truth. Such “wisdom” does not come down from heaven but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic. For where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you find disorder and every evil practice. – James 3:14:16

Ouch. We may convince ourselves that our motives are pure but God sees right through to our heart. The saddest thing is that the more we tell ourselves the lies, the more we believe it. Eventually we convince ourselves that we were right and that is dangerous. Something our pastor noted the other day.

So, what is good wisdom. Well, James talked about that too.

But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere. – James 3:17

Let’s use a few words from my pastor. A wise person has no hypocrisy in him. No partiality. A wise person is willing to yield to what the Spirit says. A wise person is filled with mercy for others. A wise person reveals good “fruit” in his life. A wise person is peaceful.

That sure doesn’t sound like someone who would be respected these days, does it? Where’s the part about success and money and upbeat sermons? Where’s the part about more for me and less for everyone else? Where’s the prosperity talk? I don’t want to do for those who can’t do anything for me. Let them do for themselves. Isn’t that what we’re all supposed to do?

Uh, no. It’s not about us. It’s about Jesus. We as His church must model something different that the world. We must be content. We must be merciful and loving and kind.

Church has become a recreational activity we participate in when we’ve got nothing else to do. It’s an option. Except when we make God an option, we have denied Him. We have denied His Presence in our lives. We have chosen the world over Him.

Wisdom comes to those who ask. But when you ask, you must obey. Are you asking? Are you obeying? You can’t live as part of the world without denying Jesus. You have a choice to make. Will you choose Him?

August 26, 2018

Are You Truly Changed?

For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith – and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God – not by works, so that no one can boast.

– Ephesians 2:8-9

He surrendered his life to Christ just a few years ago. He’d lived a life of church participation but in his 80s he finally realized that attending church and actually being saved really aren’t the same thing.

He had good intentions. After his baptism, he planned to attend church regularly. He was going to read his Bible. He was going to live right. Well, it’s easy to backslide into old ways. It’s easy to put off what you should do until another day, then another, until years have passed. Until you lose the one person you loved above all others.

His wife died today. He is lost. He is determined to live up to her standards. He vows to live for Jesus. I know he sincerely believes his own words. I hope he does live differently in the days to come. I also know that the numbness will end before he’s ready. A deep soul-shattering grief will grip his heart tightly. He will either turn to Jesus in the darkness or he will turn back to the self he knows.

One thing that bothers me is how insistent he is that he must live right so he can get to where we all know she has gone. We keep telling him that his salvation, Jesus’ promise of eternity in heaven, isn’t dependent on what he does or doesn’t do. He says he understands. Sometimes I wonder if he does.

James tells us that we aren’t saved by works but that there should be some evidence in our lives that we are saved. We should live right because of what Jesus has done for us. We should make wise choices, extend compassion and mercy, and do good to others because we are the hands and feet of Jesus on this earth. But none of that alters our status as children of God.

Death brings an emptiness that causes us to reevaluate everything. We realize we can’t wait for another day. We understand that we might not have another opportunity to get right with Jesus. We know that the only real promise in life is that death will one day come. Are you ready?

There is one way to heaven and that is through the blood of Christ. You can’t earn your way there. You can’t buy a ticket. Jesus paid your fare if you’ll only accept His gift. Have you?

Look around and take stock of your life. Do a self-exam on your heart. Are you different because of Jesus or are you just the same as you always were? While works won’t get you anywhere near the Kingdom of God, truly saved people want to do good because of Him.

When the day is done, we won’t have a chance to do things differently. Don’t wait. Accept Jesus’ gift of salvation and live a life of gratitude and service for all He has done.

August 24, 2018

The Choice is Yours

Whether it is favorable or unfavorable, we will obey the LORD our God, to whom we are sending you, so that it will go well with us, for we will obey the LORD our God.”

– Jeremiah 42:6

I have told you today, but you still have not obeyed the LORD your God in all he sent me to tell you. – Jeremiah 42:21

We tell ourselves and others that we’ll do whatever it is God calls us to do. We mean it. Sort of. We’ll gladly step out in faith on a journey of our choosing. But when God calls us to a place we’d rather not go, well, thanks but no thanks.

Faith isn’t for wimps, that’s for sure! God rarely calls us to go someplace nice and safe. He doesn’t usually ask us to do something that is so routine we can do it without even trying. God is all about growth and change and bringing us closer to the imagine of His Son. He can’t do that when our feet are stuck in the sameness of today.

We like our routines, don’t we? We like our days to go smoothly. If we crave excitement, it’s of our choosing. We love vacations, maybe a game or motorcycle ride. We want to be in control. We want to do what we want to do when we want to do it.

But God knows we’d never grow without change. How can unchallenged faith ever grow deep roots? How can we learn compassion if we never experience heartache? How can we learn to trust Him when we only stay where we can take care of ourselves?

It was a bad time for God’s people. They had disobeyed and God had allowed Babylon to take most of them. There was a remnant left. They sought out Jeremiah, the prophet who’d warned them about God’s anger. This was the same prophet they’d imprisoned, the same prophet they’d ignored.

This time they were determined to heed whatever God told Jeremiah. They promised. Until Jeremiah told them what God said. They had a choice. They could do as God commanded and remain where they were or they could head toward what they saw as safety in Egypt. They chose Egypt – and death.

We make choices every day as to whether we will follow God or our own wisdom. For example: You feel the Holy Spirit telling you to leave your secure job and move to another. You think about it. You pray about it. But you just can’t trust God enough to take that leap. Several months later your company downsizes and you’re laid off. If you’d followed the Holy Spirit’s promptings, you’d still have a good job. It’s a missed opportunity and heartache you needlessly suffer because of your disobedience.

Maybe it’s something totally different. You’re hanging out with people who sometimes skirt God’s laws. They gossip. Maybe they go out drinking every now and then, then leave the restaurant a little bit tipsy. Maybe they fudge on their expense reports. Maybe they flirt with strangers even though they’re married. Maybe they tell little “white” lies. Nothing big. None of it is big. You are confident you won’t become like them. You’re confident you’ll stay righteous. Until the day you don’t.

We have an uncanny ability to become like the people we hang around with. While we may want to be a positive influence on them, oftentimes it doesn’t work that way. The gossip is too juicy. The crowd is too influential. Before we know it, we’ve become one of them.

It’s not like God didn’t warn us. We just didn’t want to listen. We head down a path toward a place we never expected to go. We’ve pulled away from God. We want Him – but we also want to be part of this world. We can’t have both. Trying to walk that line of obedience when surrounded by the pull of sin, well, we’re bound to fall.

God’s people had to make a choice: follow God or follow their own wisdom. They chose what they believed was the “safe” choice and paid for it with their lives. In a very real sense, we do the same thing when we do what we know we shouldn’t do, hang out with people who are bad influences or we stay where we are when we know God is calling us to something different.

Every day you have a choice to follow God or the world. Choose wisely.

June 19, 2018

Life Isn’t Guaranteed

Do not boast about tomorrow, for you do not know what a day may bring.

– Proverbs 27:1

Three people died yesterday morning. Three others are hospitalized, one in critical condition. They were just living their lives, traveling down a highway. Two vehicles hit head on and, in that instant, lives were forever changed.

We make plans as though tomorrow is a sure thing. We collect stuff and maneuver our lives to gain power and prestige and money. We get so busy living the lives of our choosing that we lose sight of the most important thing: This world isn’t our home. We won’t be here forever.

The highway was closed for a while. People were scrambling to find alternate routes. It is a well-traveled road. The closure was a major inconvenience. No one wanted to mention that. It seemed too ugly to think about self when people had died.

I wonder how many people who said they would pray for those involved, for the families and friends, for all the emergency responders, actually did pray? Do we fully realize the impact of what happened? Do we even care? It wasn’t someone we knew so we move on with our lives while theirs lay shattered where dreams and plans once lived.

Priorities shift when your life implodes. You either draw closer to Jesus or you slide down a steep slope with the devil. It’s impossible to go through trauma without it changing the core of who you are.

Some people become furious at God. We expect His protection over our own lives and the lives of those we care about. We believe somewhere deep inside that we are immune from such happenings. We’re good people, good Christians. It’s not supposed to happen to us. Until it does.

None of us are immune to tragedy. We live in a fallen world where people make bad choices. We live in a darkness that clouds the vision of people who believe they can see when they can’t. Sometimes God protects us. Most of the time He stays clear, allowing us and others to make choices that sometimes bring great heartache.

Illness, disease, unhealthy lifestyles were never part of God’s plan. Adam and Eve sent us all on a path of destruction. For those of us who believe in the resurrected Christ, there is hope. There is eternal life with Him. There is a place with no more tears. But we aren’t there yet. We’re still traveling through a broken world.

God is with us. He promised to never leave us or forsake us. He promised to bring good from every bad thing if we will just turn it over to Him. We can lean on His strength or we can face the struggle alone. One way leads to healing and the other to destruction. It’s our choice.

I don’t know if those involved in that wreck knew Jesus. I hope so. Life is short and uncertain. Don’t wait to dedicate your life to Him. Don’t wait to look toward home and live accordingly. We make lots of plans but the truth is we don’t know how long we’ll be here. Live your life fully, placing Christ at the center of it all. Be ready when He calls you home.

June 18, 2018

Surrender Your Stubbornness

But they did not listen or pay attention; instead, they followed the stubborn inclinations of their evil hearts. They went backward and not forward.

 – Jeremiah 7:24

It was the story of Molly the Mule. Molly wouldn’t obey anyone until the day she tore her lead loose and ended up tangled in barbed wire. She had to lay there patiently as the wire was cut away from her, the blood was rinsed from her body and all her wounds received ointment. Molly changed when she realized her people were only trying to help her. She gave up her stubbornness and became obedient.

God’s people would eventually learn the same lesson. Again. We’re no different. God asks us to obey and we do until we get overconfident in our own abilities. Then we slowly drift toward doing things our way instead of His. When our lives are in shambles, we turn to God again and repeat the process.

Why are we so stubborn? Why won’t we listen to the One who knows what is best for us, the One who loves us unconditionally? Why must we continually make bad choices that go against His best for our lives?

My youngest dog had a really bad day. He got into trouble again and again. It’s like he couldn’t help himself. Destroying something was awful. Trying to do it again was infuriating. But when he didn’t come when he was called? That’s scary. He doesn’t see the danger. His coming when I call, whether he wants to or not, can determine whether he remains safe or not.

That’s how it is with us. God wants to keep us safe and happy. But we continually make bad choices and refuse to honor Him with our lives. We let things slide. We make excuses. We all do. And we pay consequences we never expected for what seemed like simple choices that wouldn’t make a difference.

Life has a way of snowballing, doesn’t it? One small choice leads to another larger choice. My little fellow wasn’t thinking about getting hurt. He wasn’t thinking about danger. He simply wanted to run and play where he wanted to run and play. I knew that one encounter with a new calf could result in serious injury. Mama cows, especially those with newborns, are extremely protective. He would only want to play with the new calf but mama cow wouldn’t see it that way.

That’s how we are. We only want to play. And have fun. What’s one night out in a bar with our co-workers? What does it matter if I fudge a little on my taxes or text while I’m driving? Surely no one cares if I miss church to go to the beach or a ballgame. Let someone else volunteer, and tithe, and visit the elderly or sick.

Except we aren’t here to serve ourselves. We are here to do God’s will and to serve others so that He might be glorified through us. In turn, we end up happier and more satisfied when we’re focused on God and others instead of ourselves.

It’s hard to relinquish our stubborn need to control. It’s not so easy to step aside and put others before ourselves. And it surely doesn’t feel great when God asks us to do something we really don’t want to do. Do it anyway.

As Molly the Mule learned, true freedom comes when we surrender control and let God lead us.

June 13, 2018

Stand Out

Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is – his good, pleasing and perfect will. – Romans 12:2

Most of us don’t like to stand out in a crowd, as the cliché goes. We want to fit in, to belong, to be like everyone else.

Think about it for a moment. We want to wear the same brand of shirt as all our friends. We want to drive a new car like our neighbor’s do, whether we need it or not. We want our kids to participate in sports and dance and all those things other kids do. And we want them to do it well, I might add.

If we stand out, we want it to be because we excel at things everyone else is also doing. We don’t want to stand alone, either because we have voiced a different opinion or because we have made a different choice. Yet, that’s exactly what we are called to do.

How can we be a light in this dark world when we’re trying so hard to fit in to the darkness that surrounds us? We can’t. Because when we do that, the darkness slowly extinguishes the light. It’s not supposed to be like that. We’re to use our light to slowly illuminate the dark.

It’s never easy to be the person who says no, is it? We don’t want to miss out. We tell ourselves this one time won’t matter. So we go with the boys to a rowdy bar. Or we have a gossip-filled lunch with our girlfriends. Or we scream at a child who makes a mistake on the ballfield. We become one with the world.

We never consider that refusing to go to that movie might cause someone else to hit pause and rethink their choice. We don’t imagine that offering positive encouragement to a child who made a mistake might bring more of the same from other parents. We assume that our voice won’t matter.

That’s what we tell ourselves anyway. We make so many excuses. The truth is we don’t want to make the hard choice. We don’t want to face ridicule or be labeled prudish. We don’t want to defend our beliefs. It’s just easier to stand on the fence. God didn’t call us to stand on the fence.

We are to be part of the world but, at the same time, separate. We are to stand out and let our light show people a different way. We’re to use Christ’s strength to remain strong when the attacks come. And they will come. Jesus said we would have trouble in this world. He also reminded us that He has overcome the world.

However, don’t be misled to believe your way is always the only way. Or even the right way. Be careful not to condemn, to criticize, to twist God’s Word to fit your own agenda. That pushes so many people away from Christ. Love people and trust that He will show them a different way.

It is possible to rightly walk with Jesus in this fallen world. It’s hard. The attacks are brutal. Spiritual warfare is real. But we don’t walk alone. We have Christ with us and the Holy Spirit within us. We have resources to fight back.

I don’t know what you’ll face today. I do know that you’ll likely see temptation everywhere. You’ll have choices to make, sometimes with little time to weigh it all out. God knows. He’s right there. He will help you.

Use your light to make a difference. Sometimes it only takes one voice to prompt a change that turns the multitudes toward Jesus

June 8, 2018

Good or Bad Fruit?

“Yes, just as you can identify a tree by its fruit, so you can identify people by their actions.” – Matthew 7:20

The other day I found a peach tree loaded with big, fat peaches. I was amazed and delighted. I gathered an entire basket and consider myself beyond blessed.

It’s not that I didn’t know the peach tree was there. Obviously, I did. It’s been around for many years. It’s just that every year it makes very few, very small peaches that are almost always either rotten or with worms. Over the years we have gathered only a few that were edible.

I wasn’t expecting anything different this year. Why would I? Can a tree that has never produced good fruit suddenly produce such a beautiful abundance? Apparently so.

People aren’t that much different. As Jesus noted in this parable, a good tree can’t produce bad fruit and a bad tree can’t produce good fruit. But, and it’s a big but, sometimes we judge without really knowing what a tree, or a person, is capable of doing.

My parents were wonderful people who didn’t think too much of me. They loved to tell what I couldn’t do. Sometimes I lived down to their expectations. Sometimes I forged ahead anyway. And sometimes I didn’t even try. It was a constant battle between who I could be and who they needed me to be.

It was never about me. Not really. It was about their need to control me and to feel good about themselves for “helping” me. They did help me sometimes. And I helped them too. It’s funny how that all works. Sometimes the person you like the least becomes the person you need the most.

Lately I’ve become more observant about the people in my life. There are those dear friends who accept me as I am. And there are those who need to remake me to fit their needs. We all have people who fill both those categories. And we all fill both of those descriptions for others.

We may say we accept and support someone, even though we’re doing all we can to influence them to our way of thinking. We’ve all done it. Maybe even laughed about it. Maybe tried to justify our actions.

And maybe our desire comes from all the right reasons. We don’t want to see someone we care about make a mistake. But what does a mistake look like? Obviously, excessive drinking or drug use qualifies as a mistake. So does uncontrollable anger.

But what about when someone changes jobs and you don’t agree with the switch? What about when someone moves and you don’t think they should? What about when someone takes a different path and you’re certain they should remain the same? When does their right to choose become your right to force?

We can’t fix people. We can’t turn people into who we’ve decided they need to be. And the harder we try, the more we push them away. Sometimes a bad tree will continue to produce bad fruit. God is the only One who can change their hearts to do good. And sometimes a good tree will surprise us with producing really good fruit. It’s amazing what someone can do when we get out of the way and let them bloom.

May 5, 2018

Make a Different Choice

I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do. As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me.

– Romans 7:16-17

He was in the pasture, where he wasn’t supposed to be. I called him back. He looked at me. He looked at the gate I gestured toward. And then he looked at the branch area nestled beside the pond. My youngest dog had a decision to make. He knew what he should do. He knew that returning to the yard would make him obedient and earn him praise. He just couldn’t seem to help himself. He raced into the wooded area.

Can anyone relate? We know we shouldn’t be eating that ice cream. We need to lose weight, not pack on the pounds. But, well, it has been a rough day and we deserve a treat. Right?

Or maybe we know that the best course of action is to keep a firm hold on our tongue. We want to say something. We really, really do. But God tells us to be good to our enemies, the people who would harm us. We are to trust God to handle it. You consider how good the words would feel spewing from your mouth. A battle wages inside. Those words come out even though you know that isn’t what God wanted. The consequences will last far longer that the moment of satisfaction you felt as you spoke the words.

Do you need any other examples? Think back on your day. I doubt anyone gets through a day without having a battle of some sort over what we should do verses what we want to do. Sometimes the “should” wins out. And sometimes it doesn’t.

We all know about our sin nature. Some of us realize that spiritual warfare is all around us. We know. We should be prepared. We should expect it and pray without ceasing until we’re strong enough to withstand the temptation to make a wrong choice. Then we do it anyway.

Sometimes it’s something small. We tell ourselves that anyway. Who cares if we buy one more pair of shoes that we really don’t need? We’ll cut back on something else so we can afford it. Except small choices with seemingly little consequences tend to add up. How long before we can’t pay our tithe or our bills?

Maybe your sin has you working 80 hours a week, neglecting the relationship you need with your family, so that you can provide them with all the things you believe they “need.” Maybe your sin is wasting time in front of a television, telling yourself you did your part for God earlier in your life. Now you’re retired. Let someone else serve. Or maybe your sin is gossip in the form of prayer requests. Do you really need to know the sordid details in order to lift someone up in prayer? Of course not. But you just can’t seem to help yourself.

I could go on and on. Each day is filled with choices. We mean well. We do. We tell ourselves we’ll do better next time. But it’s just so hard to resist the temptation to sin.

My youngest dog can’t seem to help himself either. The other night I walked into the room to find the stuffing from his sister’s bed scattered all around. He lay in the middle of it all, quiet and content. Until he saw me. Then he noticed what anyone could clearly see. He’d once again done something he knew he shouldn’t have done.

It was too late to undo it. He crept over to me and hung his head low. He didn’t even try to deny his guilt. Do you do that with God? Do you feel His conviction? Do you refuse to change your behavior? We are all guilty. The difference comes when we admit our guilt and change our course. That is true repentance.

May 1, 2018

We Can Say No

Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the LORD God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God really say, ‘You must not eat from any tree in the garden’?” – Genesis 3:1

We are good at rationalizing our choices, aren’t we? It’s a trap that leads us to a place we never intended to go. We fall for it all the time.

First, it’s the voice that asks us if the Bible really says what we think it says. Surely the pastor didn’t mean we should deprive ourselves of something we really want. God wants good things for us and we would really enjoy a new toy or vacation or outfit.

We could take it to the Bible. We could pray and ask God to reveal to us what He really said. We could seek His wisdom. But we’d really rather not. Why? Because what if God doesn’t tell us what we want to hear?

We want to follow God when it comes to blessings. We want to seek His will so long as His will conforms to ours. We aren’t so quick to follow His plan when we don’t really understand or agree with Him.

Ah. There it is. We don’t always want what God wants for us. We want to be the god of our own lives. We want to do what we want to do and we want God to, in turn, bless it all and give us loads and loads of riches and great success.

Did you feel just a twinge of conviction when you read that? Good. It’s a first step in getting your life in complete alignment with God’s will.

Notice that the serpent (Satan) didn’t directly attack God when he first approached Eve. She would have seen right through that. His words were subtle, seeds planted to make her question if God really had Eve’s best interest in His mind.

The conversation continued. Eve told the serpent what God had said. And Satan responded. Satan always responds when we try to resist.

“You will not certainly die,” the serpent said to the woman. “For God knows that when you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”

– Genesis 3:4

We want to be like God, don’t we? We want to know what’s best for us. We want to control our own destiny. We want our will to be our first priority. We want what we want when we want it. Surely God can see that we deserve only good in our lives.

When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it. – Genesis 3:6

Eve got what she wanted. Her eyes were opened, as were Adam’s, and life changed forever. I wonder how much time she spent wishing she’d never listened to the serpent. I wonder if she truly regretted a decision she couldn’t undo. I wonder if she ever thought she’d just give anything if she’d said no and walked away.

How many times in your life have you thanked God for saying no? Sometimes hindsight reveals that what we thought we wanted, what we just knew we had to have, wasn’t really good for us. It could be a relationship, a job, an opportunity that looked so very enticing.

When God says no, there’s a reason for it. When we push forward anyway, there are consequences. Sometimes there’s nothing really wrong with what we want – it’s just that God has something better planned for us. Sometimes God sees how we’ll get tangled up in something we never intended and that mess will lead us where we really don’t want to go.

Here’s the thing: We can say no. We can walk away. We can follow God even when the world tells us to go a different way. It’s your choice. What are you going to do?