Photo by 지원 최 on Unsplash

Have you joined Theo’s bench club?

“Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you” (1 Thessalonians 5:16–18).

Jim and I stop to sit on a bench almost every morning. It’s at the pond near our home. We love taking a few minutes to pause in our walk and enjoy the calm, the changing seasons, and the beauty of the sky above reflected in the water. 

This morning we ran into our friend and her daughter. This friend and her husband actually placed the bench by the pond that the neighbors enjoy. As we talked,the subject of the very popular book, Theo of Golden came up. We have all read it and discussed the important role his bench had in the book.

That prompted the title of this article. Have you joined Theo’s bench club? It’s not a real club, but it’s one all of us should consider joining. Theo’s bench was essentially his place of ministry.

Theo of Golden

I hope all of you have discovered this book. Allen Levi’s first and only novel miraculously spent fourteen weeks in the number one slot on the New York Times bestseller list. Tom Hanks is apparently in discussions about playing Theo in an upcoming movie, which will likely bring it back to the number one slot. If you have been on a plane, in a waiting room, or walked by a park bench, you probably have noticed someone reading Theo of Golden. And no respectable book club has failed to include the title on their list of books to discuss.

But this article isn’t about the book’s popularity. (Although fair warning: If St. Peter really does meet us at the gate . . .he might ask if you have read it!) Just teasing, kind of. 

This article is about Theo’s bench and about how each of us should consider finding our own.

What was the purpose of Theo’s bench?

Theo sat on his bench to:

Do you have a place, a spot in this world that is designed to take your thoughts to a deeper place with God, a place that is about his purpose for your day, your gifts, and your ministry with others?

Are you a member of the bench club?

Our friend’s grandson is a priest in the Catholic faith. He has enjoyed benches all over the world. He has used benches in some amazing spots to think, pray, and pursue the deeper thoughts of life. I think he and my husband would get along well!

All of us will have moments in our lives when we hit a rough spot and pray to God with desperation, earnestness, and need. Those are important prayers, and God is pleased when we come to him during those times. But Paul taught us to “Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you” (1 Thessalonians 5:16–18).

Theo’s bench was a place he enjoyed each day, much like our bench at the pond. He sat there expecting that his life and the lives of others would be impacted.

To become a member of the bench club, you simply need to consistently pursue the presence and purpose of Christ in the moments of your daily life. How do we pursue Christ? We live constantly aware that Jesus has a purpose for our entire day. We live ready for Jesus to interrupt our thoughts with his. He wants to guide our lives and will bring people into our path whom he would like us to minister to, and who will often become ministers or blessings to us as well. 

To become a member of the bench club is to find a place where you will choose to quiet your personal, self-focused thoughts and plans in order to be open to God’s instead.

Your bench club agenda each day:

  • Watch the world go by and think about the cultural issues and needs of your community.
  • Meditate on the Lord’s purpose for your day. Jeremiah 29:11 makes clear God has a plan.
  • Pray for and care about others that happen by, and those you will need to seek out.
  • Bless other people’s lives with something you can give, like a word of encouragement or help. 
  • Enjoy the beauty of God’s creation, and you will joyfully worship the Creator.
  • Consider things other than yourself, and your faith, joy, and ministry will expand as a result.

Life’s a “bench”

My friend’s daughter said that, and I laughed out loud. Yes, I know it’s a take on another phrase. But shouldn’t we change that phrase if we can!

I decided to write about Theo of Golden again to encourage others to find their own bench. I honestly believe that this book will impact anyone who reads it. The reason for its enormous success is because God has blessed it in miraculous ways. It’s also a success because people who read it want to share it with their friends. This book didn’t have a huge marketing budget or sales plan. It was number one for all those weeks because of word of mouth.

Tom Hanks is an amazing actor and I will see the movie if it comes out. But the movie will be a shadow of the experience received by reading, thinking about, and remembering the words of the novel. Reading a book in the quiet of your life gives you the time to think about the words.

Thinking with God takes time and effort. Maybe it also takes a bench.

A goal

I think I want to take more notice of the benches in this world. Most of them were put in place for a reason. Someone thought it would be a good idea for people to stop, sit here, and think.

What if for the rest of our lives we made it a goal to notice the benches in this world? How would things change, and who would we speak to if we were to stop, pray, and then allow God to bring his plan and purpose into those moments? What if you found a bench that you chose to sit on most days with that purpose in mind? I think that choice would likely become one of your favorite decisions, too! I would love to welcome you to the bench club.

Life’s a bench . . .or at least it could be!

Photo by Numan Ali on Unsplash

What Joshua would remind us about Ai and AI

“Consecrate yourselves in preparation for tomorrow; for this is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: ‘There are devoted things among you, Israel. You cannot stand against your enemies until you remove them.’”’” —Joshua 7:13 

AI remains a leading news story, but there was an Ai in the Bible that we should consider today.

Joshua, son of Nun, had been a faithful companion of Moses for many years. He was one of the twelve spies sent into the promised land to bring back news and information about the people there. Joshua and Caleb were the only two spies who encouraged Moses to take the land because God would be with them. The other ten spies spoke of giants and other things they had seen. They warned Moses not to go because they were sure many, most, or all of them would die if they did.

Moses should have listened to Joshua, but he didn’t. Many years later, Joshua would lead the Israelites into the promised land, safely crossing the Jordan River at flood stage. The men were circumcised after crossing, and then several days later, they and their families were marched to an area near the city walls of Jericho, where they set up camp.

For six days, the Israelites marched around Jericho in the morning and then returned to their camp. God gave Joshua and the people very specific instructions for day seven. Joshua told his army to march around Jericho six times. Then, “The seventh time around, when the priests sounded the trumpet blast, Joshua commanded the army, ‘Shout! For the Lord has given you the city! The city and all that is in it are to be devoted to the Lord. Only Rahab the prostitute and all who are with her in her house shall be spared, because she hid the spies we sent. But keep away from the devoted things, so that you will not bring about your own destruction by taking any of them. Otherwise you will make the camp of Israel liable to destruction and bring trouble on it. All the silver and gold and the articles of bronze and iron are sacred to the Lord and must go into his treasury’” (Joshua 6:16–19).

What were the devoted things?

Oftentimes in Scripture, the words “devoted things” meant items that had been sacrificed or used in the worship of false gods. In Joshua 6, it simply meant the items made from silver, gold, bronze, and iron; things that were valuable and sacred to the Lord. These items were intended to be placed in a treasury and used for the good of all the people.

The people did just as Joshua told them, except for a man named Achan. Achan did not “keep away from the devoted things” he found in Jericho. Instead, he took them and buried them under his own tent back in the camp. Achan had treated Joshua’s words of instruction as a mere suggestion rather than as God’s command.

All was well until Joshua told the Israelites to take Ai.

How do the lessons of Ai speak to God’s people today?

The Israelites, confident after their miraculous battle with Jericho, decided there were not enough people in Ai to require the whole army to do battle. So, they decided for themselves to send only 3,000 men to do battle. That day, thirty-eight of Israel’s men died at the hands of their enemy. That night Joshua tore his robe and grieved. He called out his grief to God, disappointed that God had let them down, and their enemies were no longer fearful of them. God’s answer to Joshua is a word to Christians today.

God told Joshua that an Israelite had sinned and taken what belonged to the treasury. He told Joshua, “That is why the Israelites cannot stand against their enemies; they turn their backs and run because they have been made liable to destruction. I will not be with you anymore unless you destroy whatever among you is devoted to destruction” (Joshua 7:12). 

“Then God told Joshua how to fix the problem. God said, ‘Go, consecrate the people. Tell them, “Consecrate yourselves in preparation for tomorrow; for this is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: ‘There are devoted things among you, Israel. You cannot stand against your enemies until you remove them.’”’” (Joshua 7:13). The devoted things that had been taken were returned, but the unfaithful were punished. Achan and his entire family were taken out of the camp and stoned. 

Is there still harsh punishment for the unholy?

The word “holy” means “set apart.” The Israelites had been given the promised land and all of its blessings for their lives. They just needed to live a holy life, set apart and obedient to God, and his blessings would sustain them. We know the rest of the story. The Israelites had it all, but eventually exchanged God’s instructions for their own desires.

President Trump has created a website called “AI.gov,” which, according to a recent Forbes article, is designed to “navigate government services using artificial intelligence.” It’s supposed to be a one-stop shop to help protect Americans by providing them with all they need from the government. It’s just difficult to trust AI for the important things in our lives.

Has anyone considered that only God is perfectly true? Has anyone asked God his opinion of today’s AI? Will God’s people consecrate themselves to God so that every truth is measured against the truth of God’s Word? The world’s truth has always been adapted or subjected to men’s ideas. God’s unchanging, perfect word has endured and transcended every generation, every culture, and every country.

Ai can teach us about AI

After the death of the unfaithful Achan, God gave Joshua new instructions. God told Joshua, “Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged. Take the whole army with you and go up and attack Ai. For I have delivered into your hands the king of Ai, his people, his city and his land” (Joshua 8:1).

This time, the people of Israel sought and obeyed God’s leadership, and they succeeded. Ai fell, and the Israelites were able to continue to take the promised land for their own.

As you consider the unknowns about AI, do you then consider the power of the God who actually knows all things?

As the news fills our minds with possibilities, do you trust God’s biblical promises instead? 

I wish I could hear someone on my television quote Romans 8:31: “What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?” 

Jesus promised we would win

Jesus told his disciples in Matthew 24 that there would be wars and rumors of wars. He told them there would be famines and earthquakes. He also told his disciples, “I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world” (John 16:33).

Ai won the first battle against the Israelites because the Israelites had sinned. They consecrated their lives, purged the sin from the camp, and Joshua led them to take the promised land for their home.

The world will swirl around us, but we can stand firm in the knowledge that we have a great and perfect God. If we follow his word, live holy lives, and walk with him, we can count on his peace, his guidance, and his invitation to a home in heaven.

AI can be like the first battle for Ai or like the miraculous battle with Jericho. We just need to choose whether we will be like Achan or like Joshua. Later, Joshua set that example when he said, “As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord” (Joshua 24:15). 

I wonder if Joshua was remembering Achan when he said that? We probably should think of Ai whenever we hear about AI. I wish the people working on AI today would take the time to pray and dedicate their thoughts and ideas to God’s Word. It looks like AI is going to play an important role in our country and our culture. Ai reminds us that success belongs to those who will walk with God as their King.

This is a good day to once again consecrate our lives, our families, and our minds to our holy God.

Photo by Travis Walser on Unsplash

How do you know God has spoken?

“The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. ‘The Lord is my portion,’ says my soul, ‘therefore I will hope in him.’ The Lord is good to those who wait for him, to the soul who seeks him. It is good that one should wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord.” —Lamentations 3:22–26

I just came home after a beautiful walk this morning. We were out just as the sun was beginning to rise. I took one look at the sky and the verse, “his mercies are new every morning” (Lamentations 3:23) floated through my mind. 

One of the most frequent jobs of the Holy Spirit is to bring Scripture to our thoughts. Jesus told his disciples, “But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you” (John 14:26). When a Bible verse floats through your mind, it is likely Jesus speaking his message into your day. 

God’s voice is one of my favorite things to write about, speak on, and teach from Scripture. We all need to develop a sensitivity to his voice so that he can “direct our paths.” When last did God speak into your life? That is not a rhetorical question. You should have an answer now, but if you don’t, please finish reading this article.

Jesus often whispers to us

Jesus talks to us all the time. I have often quoted Frederick Faber, an English theologian who said, “There is hardly ever a complete silence in our soul. God is whispering to us well-nigh incessantly. Whenever the sounds of the world die out in the soul, or sink low, then we hear these whisperings of God. He is always whispering to us, only we do not always hear because of the noise, hurry, and distraction which life causes as it rushes on.” 

I’ve shared that quote so often with my readers that if you Google “well-nigh incessantly,” the first two things that pop up are my articles. Go AI!

That verse from Lamentations floated into my mind as I looked at the pinks, corals, blues, and purples of this morning’s sunrise, and I knew it was Jesus speaking. I have worked hard in my life to pray for discernment to recognize his voice. 

The first step to discerning God’s voice is an understanding that he “is whispering to us well-nigh incessantly.” I looked at the beauty of a sunrise that only the Creator could provide and acknowledged the power of God. It was then the Spirit reminded me of the daily, never-ending mercies and blessings of God. I often call moments like that a “good morning hug” from my heavenly Father.

God speaks his thoughts into our thoughts

My husband and I “do ministry.” Maybe it is easier for us to run to God for help because our “calling” requires his direction. But I don’t want anyone to think that our “calling” has different requirements than anyone else’s. Every child of God has been called to serve him, and every Christian has a spiritual gift and calling for their life. Every Christian needs to develop discernment and a need for God’s voice of direction. Otherwise, we will live self-directed lives influenced by the culture and people around us. We all need to recognize God’s voice when he speaks directly into our lives.

God led my husband to start a ministry before we had ever heard of “AI.” Now, AI is regularly pulling up our articles. God always knows the future and directs our lives accordingly. What are you doing today because of God’s leadership decades ago? If you take some time to meditate about that answer with God, he will likely surprise you with the answers.

God wants you to know his plan for your life even more than you want to know it. In fact, God often wants to bless our lives in ways that don’t feel like blessings at the moment.

A personal story about the personal voice of God

My dad was struggling with dementia and physical pain at the end of his life. I had been begging God for his direction because my mom was declining rapidly, trying to take care of him. I wanted to help, but that didn’t give me permission to instruct their personal choices. It was becoming a significant challenge, and one day, my dad’s neck started to swell. Mom took him to the doctor, who ran tests. Later that day, the doctor called them back to her office. 

I remember that day vividly. While my parents were at the doctor’s that morning, I finished writing the next year’s Bible study and joyfully hit “send” to deliver it for edits. Later, Mom called to tell me the doctor had called them back into the office, and I just knew I needed to take them. I was there when we found out Dad had lymphoma, and it was a terminal diagnosis. 

Mom and I were stunned by the news, but watched and listened as my dad, who normally struggled to have a conversation by this point, began to speak with a clarity we had not heard in years. Dad told the doctor that he was a Christian and had lived a good life. He told her that heaven was his future. He told the doctor that he wanted to refuse the treatments that would make his life difficult because he knew they couldn’t save his life. He comforted the doctor, me, and most importantly, Mom. 

I had to hurry back to the doctor’s office later that day because, in all the emotion, I had forgotten my iPad in her office. The doctor had instructed her staff to seat me in her office when I arrived. I waited for her, and when she entered the room and looked at me, she shook her head and said she had never seen anything like that. I was able to tell her that we had all witnessed the Holy Spirit take over that day. 

She was a Christian and worked with older people in her practice. I was really sad but felt the Holy Spirit author my thoughts and words to her that day. I shared with her a lesson that someone had shared with me decades before: The Holy Spirit is never limited by dementia or any other illness. He is always perfectly whole within a Christian life. I’ve wondered if that brief conversation in her office had a larger purpose in her calling as a doctor. God’s plans often have a greater purpose than we can know.

I want you to depend on God’s voice

I doubt you are drawn to enjoy the book of Lamentations in your Bibles. It’s a tough read! But the riches of chapter 3 are so worth the effort. I want to close with a few of those verses today. The entire passage that God reminded me of this morning holds these promises: “The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. ‘The Lord is my portion,’ says my soul, ‘therefore I will hope in him.’ The Lord is good to those who wait for him, to the soul who seeks him. It is good that one should wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord” (Lamentations 3:22–26).

God is so good to care for our souls. Seek him often each day.

God speaks

I started writing this morning with a very different article in mind than the words you just read. So, I close now knowing that God wanted to speak these thoughts into someone’s life today. If you are thinking right now, “This is what I needed today,” know that the Holy Spirit is responsible for your thoughts. God’s mercies are so good…and they are new mercies each day. His personal work in our lives is as unique as every sunrise. 

Listen to your thoughts and learn to recognize his voice. God whispers to us “well nigh incessantly.” Don’t miss his voice and his morning hugs.

Photo by Dele Oke on Unsplash

Where should you sit?

“Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.” —Psalm 46:10

I’m looking forward to attending a  CeCe Winans concert in a few weeks. She is a favorite of mine, and I was quick to sign up and choose great seats for the evening. Most performances, sporting events, and similar events are more enjoyable with a great seat. 

Good seats take some planning and tend to cost more, but definitely make the whole experience more memorable. My husband and I were talking about a popular quote from Luciano Pavarotti’s dad the other day. Pavarotti said his dad’s words made a huge difference in how he chose to live his life and in the seat he chose to use.

I thought my readers would enjoy his perspective because the choices we make in this life impact our eternal lives as well. 

Luciano Pavarotti’s life lesson

I was reading a Kennedy Center article that described Pavarotti saying, “Blessed with the sort of voice that comes around perhaps once in a century, Luciano Pavarotti placed his unique tenor instrument at the service of the great composers, revitalizing opera in our time and bringing beauty to generations of music lovers.” 

Pavarotti had a great instrument to work with, but it was hard work and personal choices that contributed to his success and fame. His dad was a baker by trade and the man who introduced his son to opera. Pavarotti studied voice with Arrigo Pola, a professional tenor in his hometown. In addition, Pavarotti went to a teacher’s college and earned his degree. Upon graduation, he had an important discussion with his dad. The tenor was struggling to choose which career to pursue. He considered pursuing a career in performance music while also seeking a more “steady” job as a music teacher. 

Pavarotti’s dad gave him this advice: “If you try to sit on two chairs, you will fall between them. For life, you must choose one chair.” An article in Bible.org quotes Pavarotti saying, “I chose one. It took seven years of study and frustration before I made my first professional appearance. It took another seven to reach the Metropolitan Opera. And now I think whether it’s laying bricks, writing a book—whatever we choose—we should give ourselves to it. Commitment, that’s the key. Choose one chair.”

A fresh look at multitasking

I grew up in the generation that invented the term “multitasking.” IBM was the first to publish the term in 1965, but multitasking became a popular buzzword in the 80’s and 90’s. It began as a term describing a computer’s ability to perform multiple tasks, even though the process slowed the machine down. 

In the 80’s and 90’s, it was applied to human efforts and meant “to juggle multiple tasks or responsibilities” simultaneously. I remember when “multitasking” was widely regarded as an attribute of success. 

Today, people have come to realize that our brains are a lot like those early computers. We are able to multitask, but it causes us to function with a lower degree of success. Pavarotti’s dad was right. “We can’t sit in two chairs at the same time without falling between them.” Pavarotti’s amazing success as a professional tenor is proof of dad’s advice: “Commitment is the key. Choose one chair.”

The advice of Scripture

The Bible has a lot to say about maintaining faith as our highest priority in this life. We live in a busy culture, and we have multiple responsibilities. Distraction and busyness seem to be the greatest dangers to our spiritual efforts. That’s been true since Adam and Eve were sent out of Eden and required to work hard for their food, shelter, family, and faith. What does Scripture say about “choosing one chair, spiritually”?

  • Jesus said, “But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you” (Matthew 6:33).
  • God commanded Moses, “You shall have no other gods before me” (Exodus 20:3) and “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might” (Deuteronomy 6:5).
  • The psalmist prayed, “teach us to number our days that we may get a heart of wisdom” (Psalm 90:12).
  • In the Revelation, Jesus warns the church in Ephesus, “But I have this against you, that you have abandoned the love you had at first” (Revelation 2:4).

If cell phones had been around in the first century, Jesus might not have owned one. Jesus walked through every day of his life focused on his God-given purpose. He came to earth to be the Messiah. His sole purpose was to save souls. I can’t see Jesus holding a finger up in the air and telling his disciples or those he was preaching to, “Sorry, but I need to get this.” Jesus isolated himself from everyone and everything at times just so that he could focus solely on God, his Father.

Human beings were created to know God. Satan does whatever he is able to keep that from happening.

Embrace aging and “be still”

There is a good article on multitasking in the elderly. We might take vitamins for brain health, but we still can’t multitask like we used to. According to the article, “doing two things at the same time isn’t always as productive or safe as focusing on one thing at a time.” The statement in the article that spoke most to me was, “Multitasking can sometimes sap our reserves and create stress, raising our cortisol levels, especially when we’re time pressured. If such performance is sustained over long periods, it can leave you feeling fatigued or just plain empty.”

God created human beings to know him, and he created us to age. It is good to slow down and focus our lives on the task at hand. God said, “Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth” (Psalm 46:10).

When was the last time you stopped everything just to be still and exalt in God? Jesus died so that we could know God and live with him forever. We can’t chase the world and chase God at the same time. If we try, it’s like trying to sit in two chairs at the same time. We shouldn’t be surprised when we discover our souls have fallen to the ground.

Let’s find the time to sit quietly at the feet of God. Be still and know he is God. Be still and know that everything else can become a god in our lives. That singular, undistracted focus will provide peace and joy God intends for his children.

Where should you sit? Choose the chair located at the feet of Jesus. As the hymn says, “Look full in his wonderful face. The things of earth will grow strangely dim; in the light of his glory and grace.” 

getty-images-8sdmlrfAZ4E-unsplash (1) https://unsplash.com/photos/blur-and-defocus-earth-futuristic-technology-abstract-background-illustration-8sdmlrfAZ4E

Our existential “treats”

“Then will appear in heaven the sign of the Son of Man, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. And he will send out his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.” —Matthew 24:30–31

We are hearing that AI could be an existential threat in the next decade. Maybe AI is an existential “threat” to our world, and maybe it isn’t. Either way, there isn’t a whole lot most of us can do about that today except turn off the technology and give our world some good news. The gospel provides the existential help everyone will need.

What does the phrase “existential threat” mean? AI quoted the Cambridge dictionary, which says, “Existential Threat: A hazard that threatens total survival, such as a major war or climate catastrophe.”

COVID was an “existential threat” until it wasn’t. So were World Wars I and II. In fact, every time I drive in Dallas traffic, I am experiencing a personal “hazard that threatens” my survival! So, in the midst of all the AI threats, I wanted to write about the existential treats that might improve our outlook.

An existential perspective from The Terminator and the Giver of Life

The news has been warning that we might have only a decade left on earth. Does that mean the “Terminators” are coming? I never watched that movie, but I’ve seen several clips. I would like to compare some wisdom from both the movie and God’s Word. I asked AI for some famous lines from the movie, and I will compare them with the truth of Scripture.

“It can’t be bargained with. It can’t be reasoned with.”

That line belongs to the character of Kyle Reese in the movie The Terminator. It is his now-famous description of the AI capacity of the relentless cyborg in the 1984 film. I’ve seen the clips of Arnold Schwarzenegger with his metal suit, red eyes, weapons, and cyborg vocals. I didn’t see the movie, but apparently, his cyborg personality is trying to help. Truthfully, I wouldn’t hang around long enough to try to reason with a cyborg!

On the other hand, God told Isaiah, “Come now, let us reason together, says the LORD: though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall become like wool” (Isaiah 1:18). 

Your existential treat: Whatever might threaten a Christian’s life on earth is actually an avenue to their eternal mansion in glory. Our sins are forgiven. We have been washed as white as snow. We can look at a cyborg and say, “Go ahead. Make my day.” Different movie wisdom, but that line works!

“Come with me if you want to live.”

Arnold’s character told the frightened people in the movie to come with him for protection. They followed The Terminator and kept their lives on earth, but what did their lives look like? People were shot at, injured, blown up, and lived in constant fear. They were hungry, thirsty, in pain, and in need of just about everything, including a shower and a good night’s sleep! They were breathing, but were they really living?

Our existential treat: Jesus said, “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28). I’ll take that offer any day and every day! Jesus said, “Come with me if you want to live,” and offered us life eternal where there is no fear, no illness, no pain, and an eternal home with him. Christians are never really “at home” here on earth. By God’s grace, we don’t belong here forever.

“Hasta la vista, baby.”

The most famous line from The Terminator is my favorite. “Hasta la vista” means “see you later.” We are human beings, and we can’t help but cling to our temporary lives on earth. It’s what we know and much of the time, love. We don’t want to miss moments with family and friends. We might miss our beautiful sunrises and sunsets. So, we take medications and exercise, trusting that a healthy lifestyle will give us more time on earth. 

We need to think more often like Paul. He realized his earthly life was coming to an end. Rome was an “existential threat” to Christians of his day. He had been faithfully serving God, and now, he was in prison awaiting his termination. 

His words to Timothy are our existential treat: Paul told his protégé, “For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure has come. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that day, and not only to me but also to all who have loved his appearing” (2 Timothy 4:6–8).

Have you ever considered why God made certain that people would age? Aging is a daily existential threat to life on earth. God wanted us to look forward to life eternal. God wants us to witness to people we know and love so that they will be in heaven with us someday. God allows our steps to slow, our knees to ache, and our thoughts to turn to a home in heaven. 

Our existential treat: God wants us to look forward to life eternal and joyfully say “hasta la vista,” or “see you later” to those we love. Everything on earth is temporary, except the souls of the people around us who choose the grace of God that faith in Christ provides. 

If we only have ten years before the Terminators arrive . . .

People are saying that AI is an existential threat, and we might have only a decade of life before the cyborgs take over. If we want to get ready for the Terminators, then we should buy a set of encyclopedias for our shelves. We will also need really good books on gardening, hunting, and other practical survival needs. We will need to get a tent, a bicycle, a wheelbarrow, and some really good garden tools. We can also stockpile cans of beans and vegetables, and buy some chickens, cows, and pigs. 

Mostly, what we will need is our Bibles. We will want to remember that faith in Jesus is the only means of survival that will last forever.

Our existential treat that transcends all threats

Jesus encouraged his disciples, saying, “Then will appear in heaven the sign of the Son of Man, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. And he will send out his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other” (Matthew 24:30–31).

The Bible commands us, “Do not worry.” Scripture also commands us to “go and make disciples.” Whatever AI decides to do is only a temporary threat to Christians. We just need to remember our job is to help people find faith in Christ and be ready for whatever happens in this world. Everyone deserves to know they have the hope of heaven.

Our existential treat: We will only say “hasta la vista” to our brothers and sisters in Christ. Jesus promised we would “see them later.” 

Photo by Vince Fleming on Unsplash

My grandson is also my brother

“But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a guardian, for in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God, through faith. For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. And if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s offspring, heirs according to promise.” —Galatians 3:25–29

Last Sunday morning, I was privileged to watch my grandson announce his faith and be baptized. Sometimes it’s easy to recognize a moment in life that will easily become a special memory. I am proud of my grandkids often during the year, but I especially value the spiritual moments that have eternal value.

My relationship with my “grands” changes when they step into the Christian faith. I think I will always see them as my grandchildren this side of heaven. Spiritually, I now know that Merrick is also my “brother” as well as my grandson. But I can’t imagine thinking of him as a brother today. In Jesus, we are born again, which gives us a unique relationship with God and with everyone else in this world. 

Everyone on earth is either a member of your eternal family or they are not. It’s not something I think about as often as I should. What will it be like when every relationship is with a family member in heaven?

Heaven’s family

Paul was trying to teach the Galatians the truth that our faith in Jesus changes everything. Jesus was born to earth and sacrificed himself on the cross for everyone’s sins, and through faith, they were “born again.” He taught about our heavenly relationships, saying, “But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a guardian, for in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God, through faith. For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. And if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s offspring, heirs according to promise” (Galatians 3:25–29).

Heaven’s family will not be defined by hierarchies of:

  • Race
  • Status or profession
  • Gender

Heaven’s family will be defined by:

  • Faith in Jesus Christ
  • Having the same Father as everyone else
  • Knowing we are all equally and perfectly loved

Jesus told us we were to think of our fellow Christians as our brothers and sisters in Christ. I have to believe that is just for our time on earth. I think in heaven we will simply think of everyone there as a beloved member of our family. Everyone will simply be another of God’s children. Everyone in heaven will be someone who is greatly loved by their Father, and everyone else there.

Paul’s family on earth

It’s difficult to know what kind of family relationships Paul experienced while living on earth. We know that he had a nephew, his sister’s son, who exposed the plot against him, thereby saving his life (Acts 23:16–22). Otherwise, the Bible never mentions his brothers, sisters, parents, or cousins. Some believe that because Paul was a Pharisee, he likely had a wife. Most Pharisees were married. If Paul did have a wife, did he also have children? The fact that we don’t know is not unusual. When Paul became a Christian, he would have been declared “dead” in his Jewish faith and therefore dead to his fellow Jews. If he had a wife and family who didn’t want to leave their Jewish faith, they would have been free of any legal ties to Paul.

Or Paul could have been a single man with no other close family ties. Maybe that is why Paul felt free to leave Jerusalem and hunt for Christians in Damascus. Maybe Paul didn’t feel what most fathers would feel if they were torn from their wives and children to be thrown in prison. Maybe Paul didn’t understand the horrors of his actions until later. Did Paul’s family relationships on earth impact his volatile relationships later?

Paul was single during his Christian life and ministry (1 Corinthians 7:8). That fact could have enabled him to be a missionary, entirely devoted to his calling. But Paul led a jailer to faith and then guided his entire family to faith in Christ. Paul saw women come to faith in Christ even when it threatened their relationships on earth. Paul led Timothy to faith even though Timothy’s father wasn’t in the picture. Paul saw families come to faith together, and he saw family relationships that were broken by the Christian faith. 

We can only guess about Paul’s family relationships on earth, but we know he understood and taught that our most important family was eternal. Paul wrote to the Galatians saying, “And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, ’Abba! Father!’ So you are no longer a slave, but a son, and if a son, then an heir through God” (Galatians 4:6–7).

Paul saw his fellow Christians as his family on earth, maybe his only family on earth. He wanted Christians to understand what he knew about our eternal family. Paul taught that because of the Holy Spirit, we are a family of faith and God is our Father, our Dad. We will all inherit the promises of heaven and see everyone in heaven as our family for all eternity. We might be slaves on earth but we are joint heirs with Jesus in heaven. 

Can we live and think today like we will live and think eternally?

As I thought about the fact that my grandson is also my brother in Christ, I realized how difficult it is to actually comprehend heavenly relationships. I have not met most of the people who read my words every week through this article, yet each Christian reader is already a member of my family. 

How should that change the way I see the people around me? Should I just expect not to comprehend eternal realities? Or, should I live, think, and pray for people as who they will one day be in heaven, or soberly, think of them knowing that the only other eternal destiny is hell?

If we consider relationships from an eternal perspective, how would they change?

My grandson is also my brother in Christ. We will have an eternal relationship as fellow children of God, our Dad. Jesus provided that relationship to us through faith. I think Jesus would like us to consider people today from that eternal perspective.

Here is what I think about our eternal relationships. Paul wrote to the Ephesians with praise to God, saying, “Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen” (Ephesians 3:20–21). 

Our relationships in heaven will be abundantly better than we could even ask for or imagine on earth. Until then, let’s work hard to experience heaven on earth as often as possible. Amen?

Photo by freestocks on Unsplash

A tale of two novels

“Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways!” —Romans 11:33

I enjoyed a few weeks off from writing this article to focus on other things. I was able to complete my work for next year’s Bible study and outline a new book project. But I also spent time reading and being still to think. I’ve often said it is an effort to separate our thoughts from the normal daily things that fill our minds. It takes time to think at a new level and in new ways. I’m always amazed by the thoughts and ideas that God introduces when I set aside the average moments and make the effort to think with God and seek his thoughts. Those God-thoughts came in some unexpected ways this time!

Over my break, I read two novels that were excellent, in completely different ways. God used both novels to make me think differently about many things and to stretch my worldview. He gave me answers to the divisions in our culture, and each book also produced (or gave me) some new ideas. 

Two novels that can make a reader think

The first novel was The Calamity Club by Kathryn Stockett, and the second was Theo of Golden by Allen Levi. You’ve probably heard of Kathryn Stockett. She wrote the now-famous novel, The Help, which also became a popular movie. She fell off the radar, however, and lost her contract with her publisher, because it took her fourteen years to write her second novel. She said she just couldn’t write anything she felt had value during those first years. Then, she created and came to know her fictional characters. Stockett credits the dialogue and circumstances we see in The Calamity Club to each of them. A book review in The New York Times is titled, “A Raucous Tale of Found Family by the Author of ‘The Help.’” That is an accurate description of the characters Stockett came to know and write about.

Most people have never heard of Allen Levi, a seventy-year-old lawyer, judge, musician, and now author. Theo of Golden is his first and only novel. A Wall Street Journal article was titled, “Theo of Golden Broke Every Rule in Publishing. It’s an Unprecedented Bestseller.” The article describes the novel as, “a nearly 400-page story of an old man who travels to a fictional Southern city where he mostly sits on a park bench.” Theo of Golden is one of the best novels I’ve read in a long time. It became a national bestseller simply because so many people shared it with their friends.

Great novels have great characters

I have enrolled in several writing seminars over the years, and the fiction-writing classes I attended always emphasized the importance of “character development.” Great novels cause you to engage with and care about the characters. The characters have to be interesting and believable, and the reader has to be drawn into their lives. Kathryn Stockett’s description of “getting to know” her characters and allowing them to write the dialogue was fascinating. Both novels featured rich character development. But the authors had very different purposes for their characters. As a result, the two novels create different worldviews for the reader.

I listened to a Southern Living podcast with Kathryn Stockett, where she described the thoughts that eventually led to her characters. She said she was inspired by history to write a novel about “the underestimated women” of a particular period. Fair warning: The New York Times was accurate to use the word “raucous.” I actually questioned some of the language and subject matter in this book until I read the epilogue at the back. I realized the book, while very one-sided, was based on historical facts. Let’s just say “the church” is not appreciated in this novel, and the street savvy of the characters is how they overcome oppression from people and politics in their lives.

Allen Levi’s characters were as diverse as the line at the coffee shop where the story begins. His novel isn’t limited to a particular period or a specific category of people, and as a result, Theo of Golden offers a broader view of the world. According to the Wall Street Journal article, Levi created his characters from “people he’d encountered over decades in his multifaceted career.” His novel doesn’t deny the difficulties and differences in the culture but points to the strength of people who embrace those realities. His characters learn to value others and extend grace to those around them. Levi wouldn’t allow the book to be listed as a “Christian” novel because he said that would limit his audience. The church is valued in his novel, but only when the Church, the true family of God, becomes people who are careful to live with biblical values.

Two different worldviews created two different novels

I read The Calamity Club first, and a couple of days later, Theo of Golden. I enjoyed both novels as well-written stories, but was struck by the very different approaches they took to their worldviews. I grieved the historical realities described in The Calamity Club, and it was a window into the way our culture still needs to improve and grow. The racism of the past was evil and, truthfully, is still evil today. Racism has always existed in our world, and it always will because it is an aspect of our sin natures. People are different, and unless our values reflect God’s, we will fail to understand how to love and serve others. 

The Calamity Club teaches that a person’s success depends on their ability to out-smart and out-wit those around them. The characters are rather one-sided, as the New York Times articles described them: “portraits of good and evil, of rich and poor, of women with class and those who can’t afford it.” The men in this novel seem “universally pathetic” and “comically impotent in more ways than one.” The women, in contrast, use the men’s weaknesses to justify their own behavior, and their strength and cunning are what enable them to overcome the odds. The New York Times described Stockett’s characters as “cartoonish,” but the end result is a story of “hell-raising entertainment.” I found those words both accurate and sadly true. 

Theo of Golden takes a very different approach. The characters develop slowly in this book, and the reader gets to know them slowly, much like we come to know people in our own lives. One quote in the Wall Street Journal article said, “Reading this book, you feel like, ‘If I just sit down with my neighbor and talk to them, I can effect change,’ and that’s a very powerful message.” Katie Couric did a podcast with the author, Allen Levi, and said, “To have this gentleman who just exuded kindness and compassion was like an antidote to all the tumult and vitriol in the world.”

Both novels were “good reads” with very different outcomes. If your current worldview is “us against them,” Stockett’s novel will likely be your preference. If your worldview is biblical, you will probably enjoy the complexities, the quiet values, and the realities described in Levi’s book. Reading both novels back-to-back provided a very accurate account of why worldviews clash in our world today. 

Both novels reflect and reveal truth. The question is, which novel do you want as your example for living in this world today?

We need to think as Isaiah 55 teaches

I want to close this article with the words of Isaiah 55. The entire passage is the best biblical conclusion I could write for each of us. That passage encourages us to submit our own thoughts to God. The two novels speak to human strength and weakness, and each of us has both. Isaiah 55:9 is God’s advice for our thoughts. God told the prophet, “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.”

It was wonderful to have a few weeks to think with God. There is a quiet in my soul as a result. God used two extraordinarily different novels to broaden my worldview and to recommit me to the pursuit of God’s thoughts. His are the only perfect ideas in this world. God’s ideas have the power to change our world. That could be the theme of Theo of Golden.

I encourage you to read both novels, back-to-back. (Remember: The Calamity Club is “raucous” and NOT Christian literature.) It is the stark differences between the two novels that make them real and important, and that speak to the divisions in our world today. I honestly think God can use most anything to turn our thoughts to his. We can’t make a difference unless we care about everyone. I think that is the tale of two novels. Theo of Golden is the novel that best explains how caring can become the Christian’s way of life. 

How and why do we seek God’s face?

My dad often traveled for his work. My sisters and I were always excited to go to the airport and pick him up. Those were the days, before 9/11, when we could enter an airport and walk to the gate to wait. 

My sisters and I would look out the airport windows and try to guess which plane landing was Dad’s. Eventually, one of us was right. 

That plane pulled near, the stairs were rolled out, and the door would open. We’d watch every person get off the plane, trying to be the first one who spotted Dad’s face. 

He’d often glance up at the windows looking for us and smile when he saw us jumping up and down and waving. 

That’s a pretty good picture of what it means to “seek God’s face.” 

Seeking God’s face is synonymous with seeking God’s presence. 

How badly do you want to see God’s face?

We often equate seeing God’s face to those moments we enter heaven. That is when we will see God face to face. 

But Scripture teaches that we are supposed to seek God’s face, his presence, every day, all day. Psalm 105:4 says, “Seek the Lord and his strength; seek his presence continually!” 

My favorite beatitude is Matthew 5:8. Jesus taught, “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.” 

C.S. Lewis wrote, “It is safe to tell the pure in heart that they shall see God, for only the pure in heart want to.” 

One time I got a “U” in conduct on my report card. My teacher had warned me to “stop talking,” but I didn’t take her warning seriously enough. (My friends and family are probably grinning right now. I still might get a “U” on occasion.) 

The point is this: I wouldn’t have been quite as excited to see Dad if I knew I had to show him that report card when we got home from the airport. 

Sometimes we don’t seek God’s face because we don’t know we are supposed to. Most of the time, we choose to avoid God’s presence because we know what we are going to hear when we do. 

How badly do you want to see God’s face today? 

Is there something in your life causing you to avoid his presence? 

If so, take some time and consider 1 John 1:9: “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” 

My dad saw the “U” in conduct, and I’m sure I had some extra chores to do as a result. I also had to promise him I would try harder to do better. And, if I remember correctly, that was the only time I got a “U” on a report card. 

God’s discipline and direction are for the purpose of making us better people. 

When we seek God’s face, we are likelier to want to please him. We are blessed when we can approach God with a pure heart. Why? 

Because that is when we “see God.” 

That is when we come into his presence. 

Seek God’s face in the crowd

It’s probably a good idea that we can’t go to the gates at the airport any longer. I remember the crowds of people, all trying to meet up with someone. I’ve always been a people-watcher, and my favorite greetings always involve a few tears or a few kisses. 

My dad used to give all of us a hug, but it was my mom who got the kiss. Even today, I enjoy standing at the baggage claim, watching a wife meet her husband. I especially enjoy watching the soldiers greet their families. In those moments, the rest of the world fades away because the person who matters most is the one they have been waiting to see. The loved one feels loved. 

That is the way the Lord would like us to treat him each day. That is one way we can choose to love him. The apostle Paul wrote, “If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth” (Colossians 3:1–2). 

We need to seek the face of God, knowing we are seeking the face of Jesus. We need to seek his face like there is nothing else that matters more. God’s face, his holy presence, needs to stand out from every other in our crowded lives. 

The church, God’s people, are referred to in Scripture as the “bride of Christ.” Look for his face like my mom looked for my dad at the crowded airport. Understand that Jesus is looking for you like my dad looked for my mom. 

If my people . . .

This is a chaotic season in our history, for all kinds of reasons. 

We can find ourselves looking at others in order to place blame or find solutions. We might watch the evening news thinking that is the information we most need. But Christians have a higher calling and higher standards. 

The reason I wrote this post today is that I thought about a familiar verse from 2 Chronicles in a new way. I read the words like a teaching lesson for how to seek God’s face. God told Solomon, “If my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land” (2 Chronicles 7:14). 

God spoke those words to King Solomon at the dedication of the temple. The most important place in the world was the Temple Mount in Jerusalem. The temple was built around the Holy of Holies that contained the Ark of the Covenant, the Presence of God. People came to that temple for centuries in order to find forgiveness and seek God’s face. 

If our culture improves, it won’t be because a person is elected. The eradication of a virus isn’t going to cure the problems in our cities. What our culture needs most is the holy presence and priority of God. 

They need to seek his face. 

We are called to be God’s presence

You and I live in the promises of the New Covenant. We no longer visit a temple because Christians are a temple. The Holy Spirit, the same Spirit that indwelled the Holy of Holies, is present in every person who has made Christ their Lord and Savior. 

When you walk into a room today, you will bring the face of God into that place. Not everyone will be looking for you. They may have come to the crowd to find someone else. 

Here’s my point: My sisters and I always drew smiles at the airport. Picture three little girls, often with bows and ringlets, jumping up and down because their dad was smiling at them and giving th›em hugs. People couldn’t help but notice. 

And God said, “If my people”—if my kids—would “humble themselves, and pray and seek my face,” they would need to turn from evil in order to face what is holy. 

Today, let’s seek God’s face in this crowded, noisy world. 

People are in the crowd for all kinds of reasons. But it is difficult to ignore a child who is excited to see their dad. And our heavenly Dad is excited to see us. We are greatly loved, and we are called to help others know his love in their lives. 

Who will see God’s face today because they have seen yours? 

This blog post was originally published on October 14, 2020.

Photo by Jakub Żerdzicki on Unsplash

Convenience and character

“Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.” —Romans 12:2

We recently had to do a complicated update on our home’s technology system. The company thought it would take a day. They showed up Friday morning, spent the day, and let’s just say our technology was a hot mess when they left at seven that evening. It was an unpleasant weekend as a result.

Our televisions didn’t work properly, we couldn’t stream our favorite shows, and I couldn’t change the channels, the source, or the sound with my remote. We had to use the TV’s audio instead of our surround sound. 

Are you feeling sorry for us yet? If yes, thank you. Then again, the whole weekend taught me that I’ve become incredibly spoiled with all the benefits of technology and incredibly impatient with all the flaws that inevitably come with complicated systems. 

I wanted the young men who were here guessing to pick up their cell phones and ask for help. They finally did check, but it was too late in the day on Friday to do anything about it. That was Friday, and this is Monday morning. Those same young men just arrived, and I’m hopeful they will have it figured out today. My attitude, interestingly, is so much better now than it was on Friday evening. I’m just grateful I held my feelings inside so that I didn’t have to apologize to them this morning for anything I said on Friday. 

I’m writing about it this morning because I did a lot of thinking this weekend. (I didn’t have television to distract me!) I often thought about how our entire culture has become increasingly dependent on our conveniences. We have high expectations, and it has become easy to feel angry, troubled, short-fused, and even wronged when our conveniences are taken away! 

I tend to value things like my technology as necessities, and there isn’t much biblical advice on computers, large-screen televisions, surround sound, and various streaming services. You have probably heard someone say, “This is a first-world problem.” How have the conveniences of our first-world culture robbed us of the first-century Christian character revealed in Scripture? How do we work hard not to develop a character that depends on convenience?

Biblical truth transcends culture

Paul wrote his letter to the Colossians while he was under house arrest in Rome. He was writing to the first-century Christians in Colossae, whose faith had cost them almost everything. They had been alienated from their culture, their families, and their friends. Many had lost their jobs as well. The Romans were beginning to place significant pressure on Christians, and compromised theology was becoming a reasonable solution for many in the church. Many believed that the compromise with the culture was a safer, more effective way for the church to survive. Paul wrote to correct that way of thinking. He wanted them to know that pure truth, pure faith, and pure living were the only options for God’s children and the only truth to teach.

Paul taught the Colossians, “Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him” (Colossians 3:12–17).

My point: Friday evening when those nice young men left our home for the weekend, leaving our technology a hot mess, my character was not the character Paul insisted upon. Later, I had to wonder, when did all my conveniences begin to feel like important necessities?

Conveniences can rob us of our character and more

I’m old enough to remember the days when we had three channels on our TV. If we wanted a different station, one of us had to walk over to the television set and turn the channel. The entire family had to negotiate and then watch the same program because we only had one set in our home. 

If we didn’t want to watch what the rest of the family chose, we had the options of picking up a book and reading, listening to our radio or record player, playing a game, putting together a puzzle, or, if it wasn’t too late in the day, playing with the kids in the neighborhood.

We had one phone we had to share. We were excited to eventually purchase a VCR player, even though it meant driving to a Blockbuster store to choose a movie from the shelf. We had a McDonald’s, a Taco Bell, and a Burger King, but Jack-in-the-Box was the only fast food with a drive-through!

You probably know where I’m going with this. Our conveniences today are so GREAT!! We can download a movie we want to watch at any time. We have more than one TV, we each have a phone, a computer, a tablet, and literally thousands of convenient options for our entertainment. 

People today don’t read as many novels. Most of us don’t cook as often because we can drive through or have whatever we want delivered, whenever we want to eat it. We feel inconvenienced if there are long lines or the delivery runs late. 

Have we exchanged our values for something more convenient, but less worthy?

What can we do about it?

I have no idea what we can or should do with all these changes. But join me in thinking about possible solutions. Our culture of convenience is creating some cultural weaknesses. I read a really great novel this weekend. Jim and I had some great conversations. (Most of those began with a complaint about our televisions, however!) We had time with our family, time with one another, and time to enjoy the quiet. We spent our time differently this weekend, but in many ways, it had greater value.

They are going to fix our technology, and we will be SO GLAD to have it all working again. Jim and I admit we are spoiled people who love our conveniences. I just want to be careful not to value my first-world conveniences more than I value God’s eternal blessings. 

Faith and a Christian character are inconvenient at times. In fact, exercising our faith and putting it into practice is almost always an interruption and inconvenience to our own choices. That’s why Paul told the Colossians, “Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ” (Colossians 3:23–24).

We are a spoiled generation of Christians. My grandparents once thought of owning a phone or a car as a luxury. Eventually, those things became conveniences and are now considered to be necessities. It was good to be reminded this weekend that conveniences shouldn’t feel like necessities. That perspective can protect our character, our culture, and our companions. 

Dear Lord, focus our hearts on things eternal. We know that your inheritance will matter forever. 

Photo by Anastassia Anufrieva on Unsplash

A Pearl of great price

“Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls, who, on finding one pearl of great value, went and sold all that he had and bought it.” —Matthew 13:45–46

My readers have learned by now that I’m not a dog owner. My friends and family have tried over the years to convince me of all that I am missing. So far, I remain staunchly unconvinced. I know very few people who pursue and value quiet and stillness as much as I do. I’ve been that way my whole life, so I don’t think it will change. I’m sitting on my patio right now, enjoying the serenity of these moments to write. I don’t need a dog’s head on my feet or a dog’s bark in my ears. I’m enjoying the solitude.

There have been a few dogs over the years, like a white lab named Pearl, that I have imagined I could enjoy. Jim and I see Pearl and her owner quite often while we are out walking on the trail. Pearl’s favorite moment of the week is when her owner takes her to the pond, and she is free to jump in the water and chase her toy. Other days, she just walks next to the pond with wishful eyes.

It struck me today that all of us could learn a lot from Pearl’s God-given instincts. Jesus told a parable often titled “Parable of the Pearl of Great Price.“ The lesson of that parable teaches that a wise person is the one who, on finding one pearl of great value, went and sold all that he had and bought it”
(Matthew 13:46).

Watching Pearl is like watching a lesson in growing old gracefully with God’s wisdom. God has given animals instincts that those of us created with the ability to choose could learn from. Pearl no longer chases everything she used to chase. She has learned to ignore most squirrels; she waits at the street corners; and she rarely tugs on her master’s arm. Pearl has defined her “pearl of great price” as life at the feet of her master.

We can ignore the squirrels, too

Ecclesiastes 1:14 is pure wisdom. Solomon said, “I have seen everything that is done under the sun, and behold, all is vanity and a striving after wind.” Solomon had it all according to the world’s values. He is thought by many to have been the wealthiest man ever to have lived. (Although Elon Musk seems to be pursuing that title now!) As an older, wiser man, Solomon understood that chasing the temporary stuff of this world was like chasing the wind, or a squirrel.

Pearl used to love chasing squirrels, and when she was young, she actually caught one or two. Her youthful instincts used to tell her to chase every squirrel she saw. Now, she is older and wiser and understands she doesn’t really want the squirrel anyway.

What were the things you used to chase in your younger years? One of the great lessons for growing older is the realization that the squirrels in our lives have become less enticing. The temporary, earthly stuff we used to chase tends to lose its appeal. What are the possessions, titles, priorities, awards, and even relationships that just seem to be chasing the wind?

God wants us to lay the squirrels in life at his feet. We will be much more peaceful and content with our lives when we are finished with those chases.

Stop at the streets

There is one corner where the trail crosses the road, which is often the spot we run across Pearl and her owner. We usually enjoy a brief conversation and later walk away grateful that God allowed us to become friends. Pearl would rather be continuing her walk, but she quietly sits and waits for her master to finish the conversation.

I’ve never seen Pearl tug on the leash or try to cross the street without her owner. She has been kept safe; she has been well loved and well fed. Pearl wants to be at her owner’s feet because that is where she is most content. The psalmist wrote, “Make me to know your ways, O Lord; teach me your paths. Lead me in your truth and teach me, for you are the God of my salvation; for you I wait all the day long” (Psalm 25:4–5).

I love to picture God holding a retractable leash (a leash with a button that controls the length of the leash). God can give us more room to wander and explore, but when we are not safe, he can push the button that gives us less leash and draw us back to be closer to him. God’s ways are perfect, and when he wants to talk, he will bring us near him. The only mistake we can make is to pull or tug on that leash because we want a different direction. God is strong, but his leash allows for our free wills as well. If we keep trying to run into the street, one day we might end up there. The psalmist told God, “For you I wait all the day long.” Are we willing to do the same?

When God wants to talk, we should be quietly patient until he finishes the conversation. It helps to remember that we can be content, safe, and loved at his feet. The stop signs of life are simply to protect us from the rush of this world.

When do you chase and tug on the leash? When are you quietly content?

God’s perfection is not ours yet. Pearl’s owner still uses a leash most of the time. She knows that Pearl is a wonderful dog, but she also knows she is still a dog. And now, you probably know what I’m about to say. Yep, we are all still dogs on this side of heaven. Our instincts have not been completely perfected yet, and this world will never be a perfect place. On the other hand, if we have lived our lives with God’s teaching, God’s love, and God’s direction, we have learned a LOT during our walks.

Pearl is a great dog, but we pass a lot of dogs on the trail who aren’t! I saw one young woman who practically fell into the street trying to hang on to her pet! We pass other dogs each day who still, three years later, bark at us like we are their enemy. There are also three Dobermans who are allowed to run freely in an area next to the path. Those dogs used to make me nervous because they are fast and chase everything they see. Yet, when the master calls, they come instantly to sit obediently at his feet. I’ve learned a lot watching them as well.

I’m a huge fan of Pearl. I didn’t know her as a puppy, but she has grown into a beautiful, peace-filled Labrador who is loved by her owner and knows how to love in return. I enjoy watching those Dobermans, but I want to be more like Pearl.

God has provided us with many lessons to learn throughout our lives. Pearl has taught me a lot about sitting quietly at the feet of the One who loves me most. I want to praise God for the leash he provides for my safety until I reach heaven. We know there are a LOT of squirrels here on earth! 

I like to imagine what it will be like to run free in heaven, joyfully chasing the perfection around us. I like to imagine the voice of God calling me to sit at his feet. Until those eternal moments, I will work to wait patiently at the feet of God, submitted to the leash of his guidance. 

I still don’t want to own a dog, but I realize that I have a lot to learn from the dogs around me. I want to remember there is a “Pearl” of great price to value and obtain! 

Lord, help us to submit to your leash and enjoy the fact that at the end of our walk, it is you who will bring us safely home.