February 9, 2022

 

Slow Down

 

Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God.

– 1 John 4:7

 

“I don’t belong here.” Those were my first thoughts as I waited for the nurse. I was just getting a shot. That was all. But as I looked around, all I saw were people with chemo drugs running into their veins. My heart swelled up with compassion and, honestly, with thankfulness. I know how easily I could have been one of them.

 

Timing is everything. How often have we heard that? My cancer was caught early. Their cancers were more invasive, further along, maybe the type that is aggressive. What my cancer would have become had it not been for an early diagnosis. What it could become should it ever return.

 

We talk a lot about being kind. We know kindness is a Fruit of the Spirit but, honestly, we get so caught up in our lives, our own agendas, our own timetables, that we push past those who are struggling. We don’t know what others are going through and deep inside we really don’t want to know. Our lives are filled to overflowing and we don’t want the burden of carrying someone else’s sorrow.

 

Jesus carried our sorrow. He died for our sins, which includes our selfishness. We know life isn’t about us but we so desperately want it to be. We know we’re supposed to love others but that requires time and attention and compassion. How can we manage it all?

 

The Bible tells us to love others. It doesn’t tell us to focus on the cares of this world. It tells us to slow down and focus on what’s important. People are important. Sometimes all anyone really needs is a hug, a card, a heartfelt prayer or simply to be seen. When was the last time you really looked at someone and saw their heart? Slow down. Pay attention. Love others like Jesus loves you.

February 3, 2022

 

Look in the Mirror

 

‘“Why has the LORD dealt thus with this great city?”

And they will answer, “Because they have forsaken the covenant of the LORD their God and worshipped other gods and served them.”’

-- Jeremiah 22:8-9

 

They cry out for God to intervene. They loudly ask people to pray for God to return, to turn our nation around and back to Him. They point fingers and spew hard words at anyone who disagrees. They pray even as they harden their hearts toward others. They fail to see themselves as they really are.

 

Our nation is so very polarized. We have those who proclaim their faith even as they hold up individuals as saviors. They demand laws to protect themselves from those who aren’t like them. And they use the Bible to justify their actions. Can’t they see who they really are?

 

You can’t truly love God while you hate others who were made in His image. You can’t love like Jesus while demanding that others stay out of “your” country. You can’t minister to the poor while your words and hardened hearts blame them for their poverty.

 

We have become a nation that worships ourselves and our own agendas. We are a people who proclaim our rights even as we demand that others get out of our way so we can do as we please. We are more interested in our possessions – money, cars, homes – than people. We have filled our churches with modern-day Pharisees who claim to know God intimately but who have missed Him amongst all our rhetoric.

 

Why is our country torn apart? Because we have made gods of ourselves rather than worshipping the one, true God. Look in the mirror. Examine your own heart. Stop justifying yourself with lies.

February 17, 2016

Put Others Above Yourself

Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others. -- Philippians 2:3-4

I’m fairly certain that the Apostle Paul wasn’t referring to television programming when he wrote this bit of wise advice in Philippians. Nevertheless, it surely does apply in our present world.

The other day our state experienced severe weather. Tornadoes, strong winds, hail. Well, you get the picture. One station preempted regular programming in order to stay focused on weather coverage. In the midst of telling people to get to their safe places and warning of funnel cloud sightings, the chief meteorologist had to tell people not to call the station and complain about their soap opera being preempted. Seriously?!

Let’s see if I get this: People’s lives are in danger and the meteorologists are staying on air in an effort to keep people informed. Other folks -- presumably not impacted by the weather at that moment -- complained about a soap opera. Where are their priorities? With themselves. It is just the worst kind of selfishness.

When did we become so self-focused that we have stopped caring about other people? It’s not the only time I’ve witnessed this type of thing but it still just makes me so angry.

Years ago I saw a four-year-old boy hysterically running through a mall. He’d lost his parents. I found out later that he’d run the entire length of the mall. No one helped him. No one. Including all those parents with their own children in tow. When I knelt down and opened my arms, he ran straight to me. A store employee called security and he was soon reunited with his parents. But the callousness, that notion that we somehow don’t have an obligation to help, left a sick feeling deep inside of me.

As God’s people, we weren’t called to sit on the sidelines and focus on ourselves. We are to focus on what is good and right, what is noble and admirable. That means sometimes giving up something we enjoy so that someone else can have information that can keep them safe. It means taking time to help a child and keep him safe. Selfishness has no place in the kingdom of God.