Wishing you a Mary Christmas

Thanksgiving came late this year, so it feels like Christmas is just around the corner. Between grocery shopping, cooking, and enjoying our crowd last week, I was late getting to this blog post. I prayed for the Lord to give me his thoughts as we drove to church. 

Traffic was low, and we arrived early. I struck up a conversation with a woman who mentioned a really good Christmas message she had heard once. The speaker talked about having a “Mary” Christmas instead of a “Martha” holiday. The wheels started turning, and I realized I needed these thoughts today, so maybe you do, too!

I want all of us to have a “Mary” Christmas in this “Martha” world!

Is this a Mary or Martha kind of week?

Typically, when Thanksgiving runs late in November, the next week is crazy busy. School is out in just a few weeks. Travel plans, shopping, parties, Christmas cards, and all the other details start piling up. Those are all good things, but sometimes they come at the expense of the better things.

You know the story. Martha was in the kitchen trying to figure out how to feed the extra mouth that had been added to the table. She had probably planned to serve leftovers; now, the company required a better meal and more effort. Luke tells the now-familiar story:

“Now as they went on their way, Jesus entered a village. And a woman named Martha welcomed him into her house. And she had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet and listened to his teaching. But Martha was distracted with much serving. And she went up to him and said, “Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Tell her then to help me.” But the Lord answered her, “Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things, but one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen the good portion, which will not be taken away from her” (Luke 10:38–42).

How do we, like Mary, choose the “good portion” this Christmas season?

Are you distracted with much serving?

Consider yet another Mary. This was a favorite verse among our church staff: 

Mary had a little lamb who would have been a sheep.

But she joined the local megachurch and died from lack of sleep.

It’s so easy to get overbooked with the good things of the Christmas season that sometimes we can miss the moments spent at the Lord’s feet. How do we balance the need to serve with our need to worship?

Answer: Make sure you spend time at the Lord’s feet before you head out to serve.

This one thought could make a big difference in our Christmas season. We are going to attend parties. We are going to give gifts. We are going to see friends, enjoy conversations, and do a LOT of planning and preparations. We can do all those things with a Martha attitude or a Mary perspective.

Martha was “troubled and anxious about many things.” So, what did Jesus tell her?

Only one thing is necessary

If Martha had understood what mattered most to Jesus, she would have worried less about what to serve. Jesus would have preferred to eat leftovers if it meant he would have the chance to speak a word of spiritual encouragement to a friend.

The food will be consumed, the dishes will be washed, and the next meal will soon happen. The gifts will be purchased, wrapped, and then put away or used until broken, worn out, or set aside. Almost everything about our Christmas season is only for a season.

The “one thing” that is “necessary” is the One whose priorities have eternal outcomes.

The one thing is the One

Mary chose the “good portion” because she chose to make Jesus her priority. 

Every day of the Christmas season should require a cup of coffee, tea, or cocoa by the fire at the feet of Jesus. Scripture says, “Be still and know that I am God” (Psalm 46:10). I usually teach that verse saying, “Be still and know he is God. If we don’t get still, other things become gods.” Christmas is a season that will simply come and go unless we use the season to serve Jesus as we serve others.

How does Jesus want to spend time with you as you serve others this Christmas season?

  • As you wrap a gift, pray for the person who will receive it.
  • As you cook a meal, pray for the conversations you can have around the table.
  • As you prepare for a party, ask the Lord for the chance to be a spiritual encouragement to someone there.
  • As you shop, pray for and then seek the opportunity to shop for someone who can’t shop for themselves.
  • Instead of storing leftovers, consider taking them to an elderly neighbor.
  • As you drive or stand in line, let someone who is rushed get ahead of you.
  • As you give, pray for the opportunity to give Jesus too.

The “one thing that is necessary” is time with the One who calls you to his feet. We need to know what Jesus wants to do in our lives this Christmas. We need to know how we can best serve him and impact others during this holiday season.

Will you have a Mary Christmas or a Martha Christmas?

That’s an easier question to answer than to live. 

Things need to be accomplished, but we will do them differently if we spend some time at the feet of Jesus first. People need to be helped, thought about, and prayed for. The Martha moments will mean we are troubled and anxious about many things. The Mary moments will be spent with an ear toward Jesus, doing our tasks with his spiritual priorities in our hearts and minds. 

Christians who choose to have a Mary Christmas will have a merry Christmas. We need only to choose the “good portion” that will “not be taken away.” The priorities of Jesus have an eternal purpose.

Will you choose to serve the One, the Christ of Christmas, this Christmas season? 

Being Thankful

“And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful” (Colossians 3:15).

You probably still have a lot to do before you’re ready for Thanksgiving. Thank you for taking a moment out of your busy day to read and consider this short message. I am so grateful to share this life, our spiritual journey, with each of you.

Zig Ziglar was an inspirational Christian speaker who said, “Gratitude is the healthiest of all human emotions. The more you express gratitude for what you have, the more likely you will have even more to express gratitude for.”

As God’s children, I hope we will spend some time before and after the rush of this Thanksgiving holiday to pause and consider all that we can be grateful for in this life, and God’s promise of our lives eternal. 

My wishes for the holiday are many. I hope our turkeys are moist and the pies don’t burn. I hope the salads stay cold and the vegetables stay hot. I hope the glasses don’t tip, and neither do the chairs! I hope your Thanksgiving table will be surrounded with joy, laughter, and the love of family and friends.

I pray Zig Ziglar’s wisdom will become our own today. I pray that our grateful hearts will be ready to offer the Lord’s best to those around us. Gratitude is the healthiest of emotions, and we should look for ways to share our gratitude with those around us.

So, before we get back to work, let’s take a minute to pray for this special holiday . . .

Lord God, we thank you for the blessings we can count and those yet unknown.

We surrender our plans to yours, and our thoughts and words to your Spirit.

Help us find favor with you and others today; then help us renew that goal for each tomorrow.

We praise and thank you, God, for Jesus and offer our prayers in his holy name. 

Amen.

May the Lord bless your Thanksgiving with his perfect joy.

That Printer of Udell’s: A book that changed Reagan’s life, and mine

My husband Jim and I hadn’t seen the new Reagan movie yet. We thought we were just watching another film until it became more than that. The movie is well done and worth seeing, but the book I read after watching the movie is what most impacted my thoughts, and hopefully my choices in the future.

In the movie, Reagan’s mom and her preacher give a young Ron the book That Printer of Udell’s by Harold Bell Wright. It is such a brief moment in the movie that it would be easy to miss, but I was fascinated by the idea that a book changed Reagan’s life. I asked Jim to back up the movie and hit the pause button so I could write the title down. When the movie was over, I downloaded the book.

That Printer of Udell’s

This is what President Reagan’s presidential library said about the book: “After reading this book at age 11, Ronald Reagan said it had a lasting impact on his life, shaping his own moral sense.” 

Ronald Reagan wrote a letter to Harold Bell Wright’s daughter-in-law in 1984 and told her, “I found a role model in that traveling printer whom Harold Bell Wright had brought to life. He set me on a course I’ve tried to follow even unto this day. I shall always be grateful.”

John Fund, a Wall Street Journal columnist, said, “Many of Reagan’s accomplishments, as well as his outlook on life, can be traced back to that dog-eared copy of That Printer of Udell’s.”

Why did this book change Reagan’s life?

I have always been a fan of President Reagan. He is the president who shaped my ideas of what an American leader should be. After hearing that this book changed his life, I knew I wanted to read it.  This is a synopsis of the book from his presidential library:

Ronald Reagan noted that this book provided a lasting impact on his life, shaping his own moral sense. He identified with the central character, Dick Falkner. Falkner’s childhood was one of poverty and abuse from an alcoholic father. Recognizing his life for what it was, he ran away from his home, but he could not run away from all of his problems. Sixteen years later he found himself hungry of body and empty of spirit in a small Midwestern town.

Eventually, he is taken in by George Udell, a local printer and a kind-hearted man. George Udell gives the young man a job, and something more important: spiritual support. Through hard work and Christian morals, the man who becomes known as “that printer of Udell’s” rises above his past to a new life with God, doing what he could to change the lives of the town people.

Why did this book impact Ronald Reagan as it did?

The library says this about Ronald Reagan’s mom and dad, Jack and Nelle:

Jack was born in Fulton, Illinois on July 13, 1883, and raised in the Catholic Church. Nelle was born in Fulton, Illinois on July 24, 1883. The two were married in November 1904. Jack worked as a salesman most of his adult life and suffered from alcoholism. Nelle was deeply religious, and active in the Disciples of Christ Church.

The movie depicts Reagan’s mom and her pastor giving him the book so that he can understand he has choices to make about his future. He can follow in his father’s footsteps, or he can follow in his heavenly Father’s footsteps.

Ronald Reagan would be the first to say that he did not live a perfect life. Neither does the main character of the book. But, as the book makes clear, God and his true followers offer the grace we need to make mistakes and then move forward with better choices.

The book kept me home from church

That statement may seem like an odd thing for me to put in my blog post. Did I make a wrong choice after reading a book about making God-driven choices?

It was Sunday morning, and I woke up at 4:30 a.m. because I wanted to finish reading the book before church. I finished the final page at 6:30 a.m., leaving me plenty of time to get ready. People who know me know that I am a stickler for defining “on time” as five minutes early. In contrast, one of the most frequent arguments I have with my husband is because I married a man who thinks, “I can get one more thing done, before I have to leave.” I hate to be late. He hates to waste even one minute of time being early. We have been married for forty-four years so I don’t think either of us will change on this subject, so we now try to accept our differences.

Interestingly, on Sunday morning both of us were having the same struggle. He was rushing through some important moments with God, trying to be ready for church. I was also struggling with a multitude of God–driven thoughts about the book I just finished in order to get to church. Jim and I sat down together, talked, prayed, and both agreed we were supposed to stay home that morning. 

Sunday mornings are sacred times for worship. Why did God lead us both to stay home?

I want to recommend to you That Printer of Udell’s

If you have been a reader for a while, you know that I believe there is only one perfect Book. I would never say that a work of fiction should be considered in the same way as the Bible. However, That Printer of Udell’s is an inspired novel, even in its imperfection. It was published in 1902, and there are words and phrases about people that would not be acceptable today and might keep some from recommending the book. I recommend the book anyway because if you read carefully, you will see the author is often commending the character of the people, using words that were considered acceptable in 1902. It would be a shame to miss the message of this book because of when it was written. 

C. S. Lewis was referring to the wisdom of timeless literature when he said, “It is a good rule after reading a new book, never to allow yourself another new one till you have read an old one in between.” This “old” book is one of the best books I’ve read in my lifetime.

This week, I will teach some of my favorite verses in the Bible. I often quote Colossians 3:23–24, which says, “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.” Sunday morning, serving Jesus meant to sit quietly at his feet and listen. I’m still processing all that came from that time of spiritual worship and meditation.

Sometimes worship is about being alone with God and allowing his Spirit to author your thoughts and ideas. I can honestly say I hope everyone who reads this blog post will download That Printer of Udell’s. The book changed Ronald Reagan’s life, and I believe it will likely change each of our lives as well. It is a book about practical Christianity and the hard work it takes to live in this world with God-authored priorities. Living with those sacrificial Christian priorities is “our spiritual act of worship” (Romans 12:1–2).

Your life has infinite possibilities

In the book, Udell’s printer, the son of an alcoholic, works his way from homelessness to spiritual strength because of God. One of my favorite quotes comes from Udell himself. He greatly admired his employee’s difficult yet successful journey in life and said, “Truly, the possibilities of life are infinite. The power of the human soul cannot be measured, and no man guesses the real strength of his closest friend.”

This book is about the strength each of us has available to us through our closest friend, Jesus Christ. That Printer of Udell’s is literature, a work of fiction. But it is a work of fiction that God used to change a man like Ronald Reagan and a woman like myself. “The possibilities of life are infinite.”  

Have any of us reached our God-given capacities yet? This book can help us consider that question and then aim for God’s answers. 

God’s word for America from Paul and Barnabas

One of the best things about God’s word is that it never holds back or softens truth. The Bible tells us David was a man after God’s own heart, but it also tells us about David’s sin with Bathsheba. Scripture tells us about Noah’s faithfulness and the shame he experienced later in life. Paul was quoting ancient truth when he wrote to the Christians in Rome, “None is righteous, no, not one; no one understands; no one seeks for God. All have turned aside; together they have become worthless; no one does good, not even one” (Romans 3:11–12). A few sentences later, he told them everyone sins and falls short of God’s glory (Romans 3:23). 

Paul was stating the ancient biblical truth that because of the Fall, human beings will never be good enough for heaven without a saving faith. Jesus died because we needed him to pay for our sins. The Bible doesn’t withhold truth about even our greatest heroes of the faith because every one of the heroes needed to have a God who would save them. No one is born a saint, and everyone is born a sinner except Jesus.

Who are the winners and the losers?

The news media has discussed that question extensively in the past week. What is the biblical response and the thought every Christian should strive to remember?

“But God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8). The winners in this world are the people who have accepted the free grace gift of salvation. The losers are the lost, those who have rejected Jesus. Christians live with the Light of the world so we can live as the light of the world. We are called to be one in Christ and one with each other.

Why, then, do we have so much trouble getting along?

Paul and Barnabas offer some advice

Paul would not have been able to do all he did for the Lord if not for Barnabas. The Bible doesn’t tell us about Barnabas’ sins, but we know he had some. When Barnabas spoke up for Paul in front of Peter, James, and the other church leaders in Acts 15, his words about Paul were received and respected. Obviously, Barnabas was a man who lived with a high and holy reputation.

On the other hand, Paul had a reputation that needed to be overcome. The early church accepted him largely because men like Ananias and Barnabas said they should. Paul and Barnabas traveled together, establishing churches and leading others to a saving faith in Christ.

They did this until they got into an argument over John Mark. The Bible makes it clear that Paul and Barnabas thought they were right about John Mark, even though they disagreed. Bible history points out that they were both right and wrong.

These two saints were about to take their second missionary journey together. Barnabas thought they should take John Mark, even though the young man had abandoned them on the first missionary journey. Paul didn’t want John Mark to come, thinking they might repeat the same mistake twice. 

The Bible says, “there arose a sharp disagreement, so that they separated from each other” (Acts 15:39). Two devout Christians, called and gifted by God, couldn’t agree and decided not to work together. You might say they “agreed to disagree.” The result? Barnabas did missionary work with John Mark, and Paul took Silas.

God redeemed the disagreement and used all these men for his higher purpose. We know that Paul later reconciled with both Barnabas and John Mark because he mentions them in 1 Corinthians 9:6 and 2 Timothy 4:11 using words of praise.

If Paul and Barnabas could give Christians in America some advice today, it might stem from their own experience. These two men might remind us that every Christian on earth is still a sinner. We should expect to disagree, even with our brothers and sisters in Christ. But our disagreements shouldn’t stop us from serving God’s kingdom purpose. When we “sharply disagree,” God can redeem our sins for his greater good.

If we ask a wrong question, we will get a wrong answer

When Christians disagree, it is rarely over who is right or wrong. Instead, we should ask ourselves, “How are we both right and wrong?” We should also ask, “What does God say is right about our point of view, and what is wrong?” 

Sometimes, we remain at a place of sharp disagreement. If so, agree to disagree and move forward, together or separately, with God’s calling. 

The modern trend in our culture is to take a side and defend it. The problem is both sides can make some good points. None of us are perfectly right or completely wrong. We are just a bunch of sinners who likely want to “feel right” more than we try to “be right.”

What is the first question to get right?

What has God said about it? If we care more about what God thinks and wants than what we might feel is best, the correct answers will likely follow. 

If Paul and Barnabas can sharply disagree, so can we. The truth is found at the end of their lives and ministries when they once again thought highly of one another. All of them, John Mark included, knew that God had redeemed their disagreement for his greater good.

Since Adam and Eve were kicked out of the garden, God has been doing great things through a bunch of sinners. We can expect God to continue doing the same until we join him in heaven.

Paul and Barnabas were both passionate about serving Christ, and they did serve him well. We should be less worried about conflict and more confident about God. Truthfully, the absence of conflict often indicates the presence of apathy.

Christians need to become as passionate about God’s word as others are passionate about their point of view. We are called to be the “light of the world.” We can disagree with the world and one another, but we must agree with the humility that comes from knowing only God will get it perfectly right.

How do we walk carefully with God today?

I’ve taught Bible for a LOT of years, and I continue to be amazed at the newness of the ancient words. The Bible is a book like no other because its Author is the all-powerful, all-knowing Creator God. There is a reason the Bible is a best-seller every year.

The Bible tells us everything we need to know God and truly understand ourselves. Scripture teaches us how to become children of God and live with his Presence now and one day, eternally in his Presence in heaven. 

One Sunday, I followed along in my Bible as our pastor led us through a passage. We read a verse that I have read and taught many times. My eyes were drawn to the verb, and my thoughts were brand new. Then, as I was preparing to teach, that same verb presented itself again. The idea for this blog post soon followed.

As I sit here, you probably know something I cannot know today. When you read these words, you will likely know who won the election and who will be president of the United States for the next four years.

Many news programs will discuss the “differences” between our nation’s people. The Bible teaches us that every person born in this world has one need in common: We all need to know God and draw close to his Presence. The best way to do that is to understand why Peter and others chose to use the verb “abstain.”  

We all have an important choice to make today

Sunday morning, the sermon addressed the various divisions politics can cause in our culture today. Those divisions exist in people’s homes, jobs, friendships, and social settings. It’s the day after the election. How are you feeling about the results? As you walk past people today, what might you say if people feel differently about it than you do?

As the congregation read through 1 Peter 2, we discussed that our highest calling as Christians is not politics. Instead, our highest calling is to lead people to a knowledge of God and his power to save their souls. Peter told his fellow Christians and us today, “Dear friends, I urge you, as aliens and strangers in the world, to abstain from sinful desires, which war against your soul. Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us” (1 Peter 2:11–12 NIV).

According to Peter, we have a high calling for this day after the election. Your candidate may have won or lost, yet our high calling as Christians remains the same. The most important message you will speak today is the sermon your choices will preach. As people study your life today, will they see a Democrat or Republican or good deeds done by someone whose life glorifies God? Whoever won the election, we are still going to be “aliens and strangers” in this world.

Our highest calling today is to “abstain from sinful desires” because they are at war with our souls.

Today, Christians from all around this country are wanting to gloat, complain, celebrate, or be depressed. God’s children can be Democrats or Republicans. Regardless of which candidate won, a lot of people are happy, and a lot are upset. Maybe we need to “abstain” from our personal feelings today and remember we have a higher calling from God. The way we converse and react with those around us will either display our lives as “pagan” like the world or as children of God who are “aliens and strangers” on this planet.

Why did Peter use the word abstain?

A good article I read said that biblically, the word abstain “comes from the Greek word apecho, which means to deliberately withdraw from, stay away from, or put distance between oneself and something else.” To abstain from something means to make a deliberate choice for a higher purpose.

I’d often heard the word used as part of fasting. A person “abstains” from food to hunger for God. People “abstain” from alcohol to always keep their minds clear, listen for God’s voice, and be ready to serve him at their best. 

So, when Peter said, “abstain” from sinful desires, he was saying to avoid those desires, put them entirely out of mind, and put distance between us and those things that might be sinful. What is the end result of this abstinence? Our souls aren’t at war with what we might desire and what God desires for us.

What did Paul teach?

Paul had to defend the faith in many of the churches he started. As soon as Paul left and moved on, others, like the Judaizers, began to attack the original gospel message that Paul taught using their own thoughts, ideas, and values. Paul’s letters were often written to keep the new Christians, often from Gentile backgrounds, from being misled. 

Paul wrote his letter to the mostly Gentile church in Thessaloniki, saying, “For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you abstain from sexual immorality; that each one of you know how to control his own body in holiness and honor” (1 Thessalonians 4:3–4). 

Paul often taught these new Christians how to live in a Gentile culture with Christian values. He, too, used the verb “abstain” so that they would understand God’s will for their sanctification. We are made holy, “sanctified,” when we abstain from the sins of this world, especially the sins the world understands, accepts, or even rewards.

What will you need to abstain from today?

Are there conversations you will need to avoid or walk away from? Are there conversations you can redirect to a higher message? Are there people who don’t understand your vote who will be surprised to learn you want to understand theirs?

Today can take many different directions. Why not abstain from some of those directions so that we can point people in the direction of God’s higher goals for this country and for our lives?

Matthew Henry was a well-known theologian who lived from 1662 to 1714. He once said, “Men’s neglect of God’s commands in smaller matters often leads to their disobedience in greater matters.” Let’s remember not to think of the jokes, complaints, and conversations we are around today as “smaller matters.” I hope it is a good day today because it is a day we have decided to live carefully and obediently with God and allowed his highest calling in our lives to matter most. 

You probably know who won the election and who lost. More importantly, you know the One that needs to win every moment of this day and each day to come. 

Paul’s advice for those who are weary of the eerie and feeling a bit grinchy

Tomorrow is Halloween, and I am glad it is finally here. I’m always okay when October flies by, and this one has. Halloween has become increasingly popular—and increasingly eerie. But I’m not a fan of this holiday’s ghoulish, dark festivities, commercials, and programming. You could call me the Grinchette who stole Halloween. Still, I understand and appreciate how many churches try to use Halloween to do some good outreach while passing out candy. 

Nevertheless, I’ll be glad when all the eerie inflatable decor is exchanged for air-filled turkeys, pumpkins, and pilgrims. Then, those will be set aside for all the Santas, Christmas trees, and sleighs. I’d prefer to skip Halloween and just celebrate Thanksgiving, Christmas, and a new year.

Eerie is big business

I don’t think I will be able to wish away Halloween any time soon. According to one news story, “The National Retail Federation’s annual Halloween consumer survey found total Halloween spending in 2024 is expected to reach $11.6 billion, with $3.8 billion of that going to costumes.” The same report said that some costumes this year cost almost $200. I still remember the year I cut holes for my arms and legs into a big box and went trick or treating as a computer. I used up some of my mom’s aluminum foil, but otherwise, the costume was free.

You can probably spend a bit more on the eerie Halloween decor and costumes this year because Thanksgiving turkeys are supposed to cost 13% less this November. However, if you also serve ham at your meal, you will pay 5.2 % more for that.

The best part of this Thanksgiving will be watching the football games without the numerous political ads. The election will have been decided before the holiday arrives. That said, you may want to throw an extra bottle of Tums into your grocery cart just in case the family gets into a heated conversation over the election results while consuming that turkey and ham. 

I won’t even mention the Christmas season yet, even though we’ll begin to see some of those decorations next week! Weary of the eerie leads to being thankfully rushed into the busiest and most festive season of the year. We do love our holidays!

This Grinchette will look for her heart

Dr. Seuss’ story of the Grinch is famous. At the end of the story, the townspeople’s joy causes the Grinch’s heart to grow three times its size. His new, larger heart leads him to return all the toys, food, and decorations he stole from Cindy Lou and the rest of the town. Everyone has a wonderful holiday after all.

What can we do when we become weary of the eerie? Are you tired of turkeys on the table and on the tv? And what do you do if you have become a Grinch or a Grinchette about the Christmas season and schedule?

The next couple of months will happen, and we need to be ready emotionally, financially, and most especially spiritually.

Seek God, and you will find him

I was teaching from the book of Philippians when I read a familiar passage in a new light. Paul wrote these words while being held under house arrest by the Roman government. We have a lot of profound Scripture today because Paul spent almost two years confined to a house, able to think, pray, and write. 

When Paul wrote to the church in Philippi, he told them why he was content even though imprisoned. He said, “I can do all things through him who strengthens me” (Philippians 4:13). That is a well-known and often quoted verse, but when read in its context, it is rich with biblical advice for every Christian.

Right before Paul spoke about being content, he taught the church how to live in a way that pleases God. If we heed Paul’s advice to the Philippians, we will know how to seek God and find him. Paul would tell us that this is how we live our faith for the upcoming season of holidays and every day that follows in the new year. Paul told the Philippians (and us), “Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice. Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me—practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you” (Philippians 4:4–9).

The God of peace will be with us, too

Paul taught us what to do if we want “the God of peace” to be with us. Joy is our reward. Christian character is our choice. The peace of God is our strength. The presence of God is his gift. If we choose to live with the holy character Paul described, we will enjoy these next months and years filled with the peace of God through his Holy Spirit.

The eeriness of Halloween reminds us that we live in a dark world without God’s light. Our deepest gratitude at Thanksgiving is grounded in the eternal hope that Jesus has provided us through our salvation. How we “practice” our faith is the best way to seek and find the God of peace, especially as we kneel before the holy infant of Christmas.

“If there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.” That is how we overcome being weary of the eerie and all the other stress of the holidays and celebrate each day ahead with joy. (And, by the way, your heart could grow to be three times its original size according to “Seuss 12:1–2.”).

Let me be the first to wish you all happy, holy holidays ahead and encourage you to spend each coming day knowing the God of peace has filled your life with his presence, peace, and joy. Christians have a LOT to celebrate . . . especially after tomorrow.

Become a spiritual billionaire

Each time the news reports a person has just won millions of dollars in the lottery, I wonder what I would do if something like that happened to me. My car has a LOT of miles on it so the first thing I would probably do is buy a new car. I have a list of places I would love to donate, and after that, I’m not really sure where the rest of the money should go.

I don’t know much about the world of investments. My adult life has been spent in the ministry, and managing money usually meant making sure we tucked some away and only spent what was left over after that. There were months when the money ran out before the month did, but thankfully, that didn’t happen often. But if I were handed millions of dollars, I would need great advice from someone considered an expert. 

I’ve always been interested in knowing more about Warren Buffett. He seems to have the Midas touch when it comes to investing money. I like that he lives in Nebraska, not New York City. I like that his commonsense approach has worked for him. I ran across an article from the Harvard Business Review written by a good friend of Warren Buffett that made me like the billionaire even more.

Warren Buffett is brilliant at picking companies to invest in. As the article’s author said, Warren Buffett “is a longtime investor in Berkshire Hathaway, the company that under Buffett’s guidance has seen its share price rise in 33 years from $7.60 to approximately $30,000.” 

Buffett didn’t win the lottery. He used his brilliant mind and did much better than that! That caused me to consider how Buffett’s investing theories would apply to our spiritual lives. How do we take all that God has given us and invest those gifts and talents in a way that would make us “spiritual billionaires?”

Applying Warren Buffett’s sound advice to our souls

  • We don’t have to guess about spiritual wisdom. God makes his will known. Warren Buffett “likes to say that there are no called strikes in investing. Strikes occur only when you swing and miss.” Spiritually, there are no called strikes either. If God has said it, God is still saying it. We don’t have to guess which pitches to swing at. We swing at the pitches God sends over our plate. God’s word says, “The sum of your word is truth, and every one of your righteous rules endures forever” (Psalm 119:160). When we study and learn God’s word, we gain the truth that will make our spiritual lives wealthy now and eternally. 
  • We don’t need to expect perfection. We do need to expect failures. Buffett’s advice: “You should invest in a business that even a fool can run, because someday a fool will.” We will not make perfect choices until we live in heaven. Until then, we should expect to make a few foolish decisions. Scripture says, “The law of the Lord is perfect, reviving the soul; the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple” (Psalm 19:7). Even Warren Buffett has made a few investments that have not worked out. We should invest our lives in the word of God, knowing that there will be days we allow God’s word and will to lead and other days we will follow some fools (often ourselves). Thankfully, God will keep working to redeem our mistakes and make us wise. Our spiritual lives will increase and prosper as we make more wise decisions than foolish ones.
  • God’s word will protect us from wrong ideas. Buffett’s friend wrote, “Warren likes to say that a good business is like a castle and you’ve got to think every day, ‘Is the management growing the size of the moat? Or is the moat shrinking?’” John 14:26 says, “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.” As we study, learn, and memorize Scripture, the Holy Spirit can bring to mind what we have learned when we need it. In many ways, God’s word is the moat Buffett described. We surround ourselves with knowledge of the truth, and there is a hedge of protection against the ideas and suggestions of the world. It’s much easier to detect a counterfeit bill if you hold a real one simultaneously. The Bible is a most important treasure, and we should surround our lives with its protections.
  • God’s word will help us manage and prioritize our spiritual calling. The article says this about Buffett: “Managers are expected to concentrate on the businesses they know well so that Warren is free to concentrate on what he does well: investing.” Christians need to remember Paul’s words to the church in Corinth. Chapter 12 of 1 Corinthians makes it clear that we need to be thoughtful to manage our time using the umbrella of God’s gifting. Paul wrote, “Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; and there are varieties of service, but the same Lord; and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who empowers them all in everyone. To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. For to one is given through the Spirit the utterance of wisdom, and to another the utterance of knowledge according to the same Spirit, … (1 Corinthians 12:4–11). God has a plan and a calling for our lives. Obedience to God’s plans will result in our spiritual blessings. We have individual gifts which manifest the Holy Spirit’s work and result in the common good. In other words, God didn’t gift us to do everything. If we do not manage our lives under the leadership of God’s word and Spirit, we will be busy doing things God didn’t call us to do. In fact, we will do things that God has called someone else to do, and we might keep them from experiencing and receiving the blessings God had planned for them. We don’t prosper spiritually if we fulfill someone else’s calling instead of our own.
  • Spending time in God’s word is investing time well. Buffett’s friend said, “One habit of Warren’s is that he keeps his schedule free of meetings. He’s good at saying no to things. He knows what he likes to do—and what he does, he does unbelievably well. He likes to sit in his office and read and think. There are a few things he’ll do beyond that, but not many.”  John Stott was a wise theologian who said he needed an hour a day, a day a week, and a week a year alone with God. Now granted, Stott never married or had children, so he was able to invest more time with God. Nevertheless, if we don’t keep our schedules free of some lesser things, we won’t find the time we need to invest in God’s word and will. It takes lots of time to think, pray, and listen for the guiding voice of God’s Spirit. What do you want to be the best at? Interestingly, if we will aim to be the best we can be spiritually, we will want to invest our time in God, for his glory. The returns on that investment pay off eternally.

What does your spiritual portfolio look like?

Warren Buffet is known for giving good advice, most of the time. God’s word is perfect advice all of the time. I’ll close with some valuable truth from God’s word about our spiritual investment portfolio. If you will wisely invest your thinking in these words—God’s truth—you are guaranteed eternal wealth and rewards. Peter wrote:

“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, who by God’s power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, so that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ” (1 Peter 1:3–7).

I hope you feel like a spiritual billionaire today. If not, just change your investment strategy, and you can become one. Genuine faith is more precious than gold, and the returns are riches forever.

Masked blessings

I have to confess, sometimes I’m a prayer whiner. Admittedly, things have to get pretty tough before I slip into the “whine mode,” but it happens.

I’m supposed to be on a fun girl’s trip this week, but I decided to stay close to home. (And I promise. . .I won’t use this blog post to whine about that—at least not anymore.)

I was almost home from a glorious walk watching the beautiful sunrise through the tall East Texas trees, and I almost missed my blessing. I was still whining to God when I passed a neighbor’s home with cute Halloween characters in the front yard. His quiet answer to my self-centered, immature prayers caught me off guard. 

Sometimes, life sends us into toddler mode spiritually. Our loving Father puts up with our whining, but only for a time. He’d rather bless us instead.

The cute Halloween display

Generally, I’m not a fan of Halloween. I decorate for fall, but my decor reflects the season instead of that holiday. That’s why the display caught my eye and surprised me. I actually liked it. I wouldn’t usually enjoy a Halloween display, but this little grouping of witches, each dressed in cute little dresses and masks, made me smile. Why would I write about that? Because in that moment, God taught me something about my prayers.

Sometimes our blessings wear masks, too.

I have good reasons to whine, but no excuse

Here is a quick list of the reasons I was whining.

  • I missed a fun girls’ trip.
  • Most of my adult life has included the responsibility of taking care of an aging or dying parent. First, Jim’s mom. Then my dad. Now, my mom.
  • I’ve missed trips, vacations, sporting events, and other moments that felt important to me.
  • Craig, my youngest son, was going into kindergarten when Jim’s mom got cancer for the first time. She was diagnosed and treated for cancer twice more after that. 
  • Two years after Jim’s mom passed, Craig was planning his wedding when my mom called to say they were moving to Dallas to be nearby. She needed help with my dad. After my dad died, my mom began to decline and needed help. Now, a decade later, my mom is entering her last days.

I was whining to God about how much time I have spent going to doctors, paying bills, handling funeral arrangements, closing out estates, etc., etc., etc. Then, I passed a Halloween display that made me smile. Why?

The Halloween display stopped my whining, and God was able to insert his answer into my prayers. I looked at those cute little witches and heard, “You have no reason to whine. Those moments are your blessings.” As with all the “God thoughts,” I knew it was truth the second I heard that quiet, very clear God voice within.

I knew but needed to remember and rely on the truth of God’s answer to my prayers. I finished my walk thinking about how Satan loves to put a “mask” over God’s truth, especially the truth about the hard times in our lives. Sometimes, we have to quit whining long enough to allow God to get his word in edgewise!

We all have reasons to whine when we pray. Spiritually, though, we don’t have an excuse because of God’s word to us. Every reason that causes us to pray will be redeemed as our blessing.

God would rather bless our prayers than just listen to them

God’s voice is a blessing that too often gets masked by the world’s messaging. There are some tough times right now. I’m slowly losing my mom. A LOT of people have lost their homes, a family member, their jobs, their pets, their finances, and almost everything they had come to value in their lives because of a hurricane. They have so many reasons to whine to God, but spiritually, there is no excuse. Why is that?

God understands our struggles and hears us every time we cry out to him in pain, exhaustion, fear, anger, and grief. But God would rather heal us than just hear us. He wants to bless our prayers with his answers. 

Do we spend more time telling God what we think, feel, and need than listening for him to give us what we need? Some thoughts about prayer:

  • Our whining isn’t necessary, but his answer is. “Before they call I will answer; while they are yet speaking I will hear” (Isaiah 65:24). God already knows what to do and how to direct your life toward his answers.
  • Our circumstances may feel too difficult to endure, but they aren’t. “No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it” (1 Corinthians 10:13). If God allowed it, you are equipped and able to handle it with his help.
  • Every difficult time is an opportunity to help people know God and give him glory. “And call upon me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you shall glorify me” (Psalm 50:15). People are watching, and you can show them God’s amazing grace.
  • God will hear us, help us, and bless us throughout our trials. “Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need” (Hebrews 4:16). You will also receive God’s amazing grace when you ask.

Unmask your blessings

I rediscovered Psalm 66 as I was putting together this blog post. That psalm is the eternal truth we all need for life on this side of heaven. It is a psalm of praise for God’s compassionate character, especially his care and compassion for us during the tough times.

The psalmist gives some crucial advice toward the end. He wrote, “If I had cherished iniquity in my heart, the Lord would not have listened. But truly God has listened; he has attended to the voice of my prayer” (Psalm 66:18–19). 

I wouldn’t have heard God’s voice if I hadn’t stopped whining to him. If I had “cherished” my self-centered thoughts, I wouldn’t have been reminded of my blessings. God attended to the voice of my prayer by giving me new thoughts that unmasked his truth. 

What has God said to you as you read this blog post? What prayers do you need to pray, and what prayers do you need to re-pray with a new perspective? Choose to spend more time listening than talking. God already knows what you want, need, and hope for. Will you allow him to get a word in edgewise? I hope his answers will make all of you smile, too!

Finding the peace we need for the turbulent times

I think my television remote’s “mute button” is beginning to wear out. By this point in the political season, I just don’t want to listen to the rhetoric or the ugly ads any longer. A mute button brings a refreshing silence into the room and our lives.

God recommends we find a mute button for the world if we want to experience his peace in our lives. We need to pursue silence so we can listen for his peace-filled voice instead. The prophet Isaiah praised God, saying, “You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you because he trusts in you. Trust in the Lord forever, for the Lord God is an everlasting rock” (Isaiah 26:3–4).

The moment we realize that the world’s angst is controlling our thoughts and choices, we need to focus on God and trust him. That trust in God is our “everlasting rock” and our source of peace for the turbulent times of life.

The peace of God

There are so many important news stories right now, any of which would carry a normal news cycle. I check on Israel throughout the day as tensions in the Middle East continue to remain a significant crisis. I’m grieving for the thousands of people along the East Coast, especially in North Carolina, who have had their entire lives upended by the hurricane. I like to keep up with the ever-changing news about the presidential election. I don’t think I’ve watched this much news since 9/11 and 2020.

Each day, I have to remind myself to pursue God and his word more than I pursue the news of this world. I was reading a long list of Bible verses about God’s peace when I saw Jesus’ words to his disciples. He was sending them out into the world to do ministry when he said, “Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I have not come to bring peace, but a sword. For I have come to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law. And a person’s enemies will be those of his own household” (Matthew 10:34–36).

Jesus told us not to expect the gospel message to give peace to the world. In many cases, sharing the gospel will divide us from others. But Jesus also promised his disciples, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid” (John 14:27).

The peace of God we need for the turbulent times of life is a gift from God through Jesus Christ. God’s peace is not something we can create for ourselves or discover in the world. Instead, it is something we receive from the Creator of the world.

How do we receive the peace of God?

Again, God’s peace is a gift we must receive. How can we open our hearts, hands, and lives to allow God to pour out his peace?

  1. Position ourselves to receive his peace. Paul told the church in Rome, “For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace” (Romans 8:6). When the world seems volatile or our lives are stress-filled, we can set our minds on the reality of the Spirit’s work in our lives and trust that God’s perfect peace will follow.
  2. Trust we need God’s peace more than the peace the world offers. As Christians, we should love God’s word more than we love the promises of the world. “Great peace have those who love your law; nothing can make them stumble” (Psalm 119:165). We are hearing a lot of “promises” from politicians and others these days that we might like to believe, but common sense tells us those are goals or possibilities rather than promises. God’s word contains promises that we can trust as truth. If we will love his word that promises our peace, we will not “stumble” over our disappointments.
  3. Understand that God’s peace is our blessing as we acknowledge and follow his guiding Presence in our lives. The church in the city of Corinth experienced a number of turbulent times. Some of their troubles came from within the church, while others came from without. Paul wrote to the Corinthian Christians saying, “Finally, brothers, rejoice. Aim for restoration, comfort one another, agree with one another, live in peace; and the God of love and peace will be with you” (2 Corinthians 13:11). When God is invited to join you in your tough times, he arrives with his gift of perfect peace.

Live with God’s peace as our visible witness

Over the years, I have seen the reality of God’s peace in the lives of his children. As a minister’s wife, I have sat and prayed with people who were going through the worst moments of their lives. The moments can be painful and the future is unknowable, but the Presence of God in those turbulent moments can be a tangible reality. When God was invited into those moments, his Presence brought a peace that truly was beyond understanding.

I have been blessed to witness the work of God’s Holy Spirit in the lives of his children, and I have seen God’s power. I don’t question God’s peace because I have witnessed it. 

That’s why God allows those moments to be part of our earthly lives. Because, as James wrote, you should, “Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing” (James 1:2–4).

Let’s make the effort to mute the world’s news and the world’s promises this week. Let’s choose instead to enjoy the quiet peace of God’s promises and the reality of his Presence in our lives. There are so many things to care about right now, but nothing is more important than trusting God’s word and receiving his peace for each day.

Will you find and use that mute button today? May his perfect peace be your great reward.

 

A new strategy for ancient truth

My husband and I were walking one morning when our conversation turned into this blog post. He had just returned from speaking to a group of city leaders, all interested in the different directions that our American culture and the city were heading:

  • Who is going to win this election? 
  • What will the consequences be to our nation? 
  • Is unity possible, or will division eventually divide the nation? 
  • Are there ways to bring such different people and different ideals together?

Christians live with standards and values that no government would adopt. Governments are designed to serve the people. When people divide, so does the government. Christians are called to serve God. He defines our highest values and gives us the standards we need to govern our lives. 

I’ve mentioned before an article I read where the author wrote about a future election that is supposed to alter the course of our culture. I can’t link to that article because it was written over a decade ago, and I have exhausted my efforts searching for it. To sum it up, the article said the most important generation of Americans was sitting in the second grade (at the time the article was published). The author said that when that generation reached voting age, it would change the nation.

This election is quite likely that election, which led to Jim and me talking about where we go as a ministry and as teachers/ministers of God’s word.

Ancient truth that is still truth today

Jeremiah 6:16 is a favorite verse that I often quote: “Thus says the LORD: ‘Stand by the roads, and look, and ask for the ancient paths, where the good way is; and walk in it, and find rest for your souls.’ But they said, ‘We will not walk in it.’”

Jeremiah was known as the “weeping prophet.” He spoke to the nation of Judah. Some of them remained in the country, and others had already been taken captive by the Assyrians. That verse above was Jeremiah telling his people what God had told Israel, over and over again. God had told them what they would need to do to return to his path of blessing. They were at a crossroads, and they needed to go back to ancient truth, ancient priorities, ancient paths. Those paths were good and the paths that God had told them to walk. Those paths led to the best, most peace-filled life they could have. But the people of God didn’t listen to their prophets. Instead, they heard but then chose not to adjust their lives to walk the ancient paths God had shown them.

Jim and I talked about the need to keep teaching the ancient paths, but possibly with a new strategy. The prophets who wrote to the exiles had a different purpose than the prophets who had written hoping to prevent what was coming.

A new strategy for ancient truth

Jim and I talked about what it’s like to share the gospel to a culture who doesn’t understand that the gospel is “the power of salvation to everyone who believes” (Romans 1:16). Our culture teaches us to value everyone’s choice to believe if they want to believe it. The tension for Christians is knowing that the outcome and consequences of a person’s beliefs will often inspire their idea of truth.

Jim talked about the divisions and stress that exist among our leaders these days. Every one of them seeks to serve people with opposing values. As Jim was talking, I began to picture the division in our country as a raging wildfire. Some people this week would picture it as a raging hurricane! Is the division in our nation more like a fire or a hurricane? The reason that matters is because the strategies to survive are very different.

If the division is a hurricane, we either move out of the way or hunker down and ride out the storm. That strategy describes a lot of Christians these days. Some don’t put their kids in public schools where they will be exposed to teaching or values they disagree with. Others try to influence the schools or fight the decisions they disagree with. Christians are likely to spend time at church or in social groups that share the same values. A lot of Christians are escaping the storm to protect themselves and their families. Others are boarding up their lives hoping to ride out the storm and just clean things up as they are able.

If the division is a wildfire, the strategy is different. We used to own a piece of property that was out in the country. We had the place insured, but we always knew that our greatest threat was a wildfire driven by strong Texas winds. No one stays home hoping to ride out a wildfire. Ranchers know to free their animals to run and then pack up the things they own that are most valuable, and just get out of the way. The fire that is coming can’t be stopped, it has to be planned for.

There are two ways that a raging wildfire can be controlled. God can send the rain or change the direction of the wind, and that’s what we pray for. At the same time, there is a strategy we might need to plan for. If you know the direction the winds are going and you realize there is no rain in the forecast, you can plan where to place a firebreak.

What will end the fire and stop the damage?

The ancient prophets told the people to repent and they would escape the fire, but the people wouldn’t do it. So, the fire arrived, and the ten northern tribes of Israel were taken captive by the Babylonians and never existed again. Judah, the southern tribes, lasted longer, but eventually, they didn’t choose the ancient paths, and many of them were taken captive, too. God’s people were not teaching and living as his word commanded, and the fires came. 

But God planned for and built a firebreak that took eight hundred years to create. God so loved the world he sent his Son (John 3:16). The gospel of Jesus Christ became the firebreak that every wrong way of thinking and all the sinful ways of living could run up against. The gospel truth became the firebreak that removed the lies that fueled the fire. Without the lies, the fire burns itself out.

The people of God can pray for the winds to shift and the rains to come. We should pray without ceasing. God’s miraculous work could be the easiest way to stop the fire. But we should also understand that sometimes God allows the storms to blow and the fires to rage. If that is his will, we must get to work and build a firebreak.

It will take planning and hard work to slowly clear out the ideas, values, and opinions that feed the fire. Some people will think it is odd that we spend our time and efforts working in places that seem far away from the fire. Building a firebreak takes a lot of work, and it is always miles away from where the fire is raging now. When the flames arrive, they will die out without fuel to keep the fire going.

In other words, consequences will likely come. People tend to believe what they want to believe until they have good reasons to know better. As Christians, it’s our job to fight the fires. God will have some on the front lines, fighting the flames, while others will be called to move away or hunker down to ride out the storm. All of us will be called to move to that road of ancient truth and allow it to become the firebreak our culture needs. We need to vote our values, but more importantly, we need to live them each day. The ancient paths of the gospel truth will always be the firebreak the world needs to run up against.

Jeremiah’s words are still our word for today. His question for each of us would be, “Will you walk it?”