Warmer times

In many ways, Texas recently became a parable for our culture. 

During our long freeze, the weatherman promised the sun would return in a week, but the news anchor couldn’t predict when the power would be restored. Most of us were much more interested in the electricity than the weatherman’s promise for the coming week. 

And that is a parable for those of us who want to share our faith. 

Our best answer, the one we could count on, was a week away. Even still, we were less interested in the long-term answer because that power didn’t make promises for the moment, just the future. And, we need to hear many of God’s promises with that same perspective. 

It was a tough week, and now things are better. The weatherman was right, and we are glad. I’ve spent the month writing about God’s voice and our need to listen. 

What are the lessons from last week’s parable? 

GOD OFFERS PERSPECTIVE 

All of us go to God for today’s needs. Jesus taught us to pray for “our daily bread” (Matthew 6:11). But Jesus also taught, “ 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).  

Jesus promised us his peace, but he also promised we would need it. This world is going to freeze again. Spring is coming, but so is another February. 

It is so important to seek God’s voice for our lives, not just our days. His answers sometimes take years to receive or realize. Listening for God’s wisdom requires God’s perspective. Scripture, prayer, and God’s Holy Spirit can provide strength for the moments of our lives, but often his most important instruction is for eternal—not present—circumstances. 

GOD WILL ALWAYS CONSIDER EVERYONE 

The people in charge of the Texas power grid cut power to millions for a time so that everyone would have power in the future. Texas reserved power for those who needed it most. And those of us who did without were reminded of all we tend to take for granted. 

But even when it got down to forty-something degrees in my kitchen, I was glad that my kids, and their kids, were warm. I was glad the hospitals had power. I was glad the cold was only for a week. And I was especially glad that the people who knew a lot more than me were responsible for making the tough choices. 

I imagine it was a tremendously difficult decision for those who cut the power to people’s homes, knowing it was freezing outside. But, they did what was best, not what was easy.  

God has a unique love for each of us. He has a plan for every life. And only God has the ability to take care of everyone forever. “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16).  

Ash Wednesday got lost in the snow. But Cynthia Izaguirre, a Dallas newscaster, did her best to remind people things would get better and why. She closed the broadcast on Ash Wednesday, not with words of hope about electricity, but with words of eternal hope. 

GOD’S WARMTH 

I felt much warmer and much safer when our power was restored. I still wake up and smile because I know my coffee pot is out there and ready to go! I took a lot of things for granted, and I know I will likely take them for granted again. 

But today, I am grateful. 

The people in charge of the grid should have been better prepared. Hopefully, by the time February rolls around again, they will be. A lot of us in Texas had a bad week. Others will have a bad year trying to repair the damage. Still others lost their lives. The Texas power grid couldn’t thaw the snow or protect us, but the sun did. And that might be the biggest lesson from last week’s story. 

The warmth God brought through the sun is what caused the snow to melt. Electricity kept us safe in our homes, but God’s provision is what enabled us to get back to normal. Last week was rough; this week is wonderful. And so goes life on this side of heaven. 

The power grid restored my heat, but it was God who brought warmth. The weatherman knew what he could promise last week and he did. The news anchor couldn’t promise electricity, but she could promise hope.  

LESSONS FROM THE GREAT THAW 

I can promise God is speaking, guiding, and directing the path of those who trust in him. I am like the weatherman who can make promises that depend on the truth of God’s creation and character, found in the truth of God’s word. It would have been wrong for those in the news to promise our heat would return quickly. That depended on people being able to fix the problems.  

What can we learn about God through what we have experienced?  

We should never underestimate the power of warmth. For many years, we have been making strong arguments by using strong language to share God’s truth. We have been trying to present a powerful, united front to the world and hope our politics would legislate morality. We have been trying to build bigger and better churches, thinking that such an effort would attract people to God.  

But, the end result is a power grid that failed. Our ideas and best-laid plans might provide a momentary fix, but it isn’t God’s solution. Our culture needs warmth because our culture needs disciples. People aren’t left in the cold when they are led to the Son.  

We are like the weatherman. We can’t create God’s answers; we only report his hope. We have to be careful not to promise for this life what God has not promised.  

JESUS PROMISED 

Jesus promised tribulation. Jesus promised his peace. Jesus promised we could live with hope. Jesus promised our hope would one day be our reward.  

Until then, we are to accept the storms, endure the cold, and wait for the warmth. It always returns. Mostly, we are to use our lives to lead as many people to the Son as we possibly can.  

One last “report” from a “weatherman”: “Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him” (James 1:12). 

Don’t just read that verse today; hear Jesus speak his promise to you. 

God speaks to servants who listen. 

Allow God’s truth to warm your soul until your hope becomes his reward. 

God spoke and everything changed

I peeked out the window and everything was pure white. Snow in Dallas is uncommon. This much snow in Dallas is . . . wait for it . . . unprecedented! 

(For those who read my blog each week, that was intended to be a joke!) 

Yep, there is that word again.

I am still a California girl at heart. I like it to snow, and then I like the snow to melt off that same afternoon. This long, cold stretch of snow isn’t just unprecedented; it’s unwelcome. 

My friend in Houston had a Facebook post about choosing not to “coddle” his outdoor plants by spreading blankets on them. Another friend, who lives in Casper, Wyoming, is probably reading those words, rolling her eyes and laughing. Today’s Dallas weather is her definition of a spring day. 

The good news is that a week from now we should see much warmer weather. After all, this is still Texas, and the cold will disappear. Our weather is unpredictable—and a great analogy for God’s voice in our lives: there are moments we expect to hear from him and other times his voice is a surprise. 

Either way, when God chooses to speak, we should be quick to listen. 

“AND GOD SAID”  

“And God said let there be light, and there was light” (Genesis 1:3). Those are familiar words, but they are also incredibly profound. God spoke this world into existence. He said “let there be” light, darkness, oceans, plants, animals, and people. God spoke and everything changed, except him.  

God spoke the world into existence and has continued to speak into his creation. Take a moment to consider the fact that the same voice that created our entire world is the same voice that speaks to your soul. 

When we consider the full power of his voice, what keeps us from hanging on his every word? 

WHAT HAS GOD SPOKEN TO YOU RECENTLY? 

Do you know what God recently said to you? 

I can ask that question of every Christian because God is in constant communication through his Holy Spirit. Is that why you are reading these words right now? You are God’s child. Never doubt his desire to guide you in his good ways. 

Frederick William Faber, a British theologian and hymn writer, 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.” 

God has spoken his word and his will to you. Has the noise and distraction of this culture or even this crazy weather caused you to doubt or ignore his voice? 

The same voice that created the world speaks to you “well-nigh incessantly.” 

We have to learn to listen devotedly. 

JESUS SPOKE WITH GOD’S VOICE 

Paul was talking about Jesus when he wrote, “He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together” (Colossians 1:15–17). 

The voice of Jesus is the same voice that created all things. When we hear Jesus speak in Scripture, in our hearts and souls, and through our dreams and prayers, we are hearing the same voice that will one day call us home to heaven.  

If we learn to listen to the voice of Jesus in our lives today, his voice will be easy to recognize on the day Jesus returns. His should be the voice of a good friend, our counselor, our guide, and, most importantly, it is the voice of someone we love. 

WHAT CHANGES WILL GOD SPEAK INTO YOUR LIFE? 

I’m wrapped in warm clothes and fur-lined boots, and I’m watching it snow. It is unprecedented cold today, but it won’t be long before this outfit gets packed up and put away. This is Dallas, Texas. The sun will soon melt the snow, the snow will water the earth, and the bluebonnets will blanket the roadways. 

God didn’t have to create seasons, but he did. Do you ever wonder why? 

I think our changing world has always existed to remind us of our unchanging God. The apostle Peter was quoting from Isaiah when he wrote, “‘The grass withers, and the flower falls, but the word of the Lord remains forever.’ And this word is the good news that was preached to you” (1 Peter 1:24–25). 

Throughout our lives, God will speak changes he wants us to make. He will guide us to see things in a new way or follow a new path. If we know God’s word, we should expect change. But, we can also expect his unchanging voice to guide us as we listen.  

The world has seen a lot of change since God spoke it into existence. It’s comforting to realize that God is still the same. “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever” (Hebrews 13:8). 

GOD SPEAKS UNCHANGING TRUTH TO OUR CHANGING LIVES 

Frederick Faber said that God spoke “well-nigh incessantly” and that we could hear that voice if we don’t allow the noise and distraction of this life to drown out God’s word to us. So why is it that so many people in our world today don’t even consider the voice of the One who spoke all things into existence? 

Frederick Faber had that answer as well. He wrote, “There are no disappointments to those whose wills are buried in the will of God.” It will be difficult to hear God’s voice unless we are ready to follow his will. It will be difficult to hear God speak through his word unless we are convinced that his word is truth. And it will be difficult for God to interrupt our plans if he is not Lord of our choices. 

God’s will is not hidden, but it is often ignored. 

God’s will is spoken, but it is often heard as a suggestion rather than a command. 

Remember, God speaks. 

But God speaks to servants who listen. 

WHEN GOD SPEAKS, EVERYTHING CHANGES 

We have been plagued with power outages and freezing temperatures. Those plagues follow the changes that occurred because of a virus. I am so ready for spring! 

Everything changes, and it always will, but not God. The voice that created the world continues to speak. His voice is knowable and his truth is unchanging. His voice offers consistent truth, offered in different ways, at different times, to different generations—until one day, this world changes one last time. 

One snowstorm will be our last. 

One day his voice will call us home. 

That day will be unprecedented for us but completely consistent with the truth of God’s word. 

From now until then, the goal of every day is to listen for him to speak, ready to walk with his direction. 

When God speaks, everything changes—except him.  

Look backward to move ahead

I worked at a toy store during my first years of college. 

One day, I watched a little boy stray from his dad. Dad was feeding baby sister, and big brother was asked to wait on the bench with him. He promised his son they would go into the toy store as soon as sister was done eating. 

Suffice it to say that waiting was just too tough for the four-year-old. 

Eventually, he found his way to the Matchbox cars, just inside the door of the toy store. (Yes, we put them there to be a temptation.) The boy would glance back at his dad, then inch closer to the display. Once he got to the rack of cars, Dad was quickly forgotten. 

I watched to see what the man would do. He picked up baby sister and moved to the side of the store where he could see his son, but his son didn’t see him. 

A few minutes later, the boy glanced up to find he was alone. He stepped out of the store, looked around, and was scared. The little boy was about to burst into tears when Dad stepped around the corner. The boy rushed to his side. 

The dad hugged his son, then promptly told him he wouldn’t be getting a new Matchbox car that day. 

The little boy knew why. 

Smart dad. 

In just a few moments, he’d taught his son a lesson about patience, self-control, temptation, and what it means to feel lost. He’d also taught him that his choices have consequences. 

I thought, “I need to remember this for the time I have kids someday.” 

Truthfully, I still need that lesson each day. 

WE GET LOST

I love hiking—as long as there is a well-marked path. I want to know there is a beginning to the journey and, if I stay on the path, I will be able to get home. 

I wish I were as careful with my spiritual journey as I am with my hikes. 

I’ve taught the Bible for more than thirty years. I know the path is well-marked, but for some reason I don’t mind wandering occasionally. 

Thankfully, one of the things I have learned is that when I realize I’m lost, I need to start looking for Dad. 

He is ready to be found. 

GOD’S ADVICE FOR THE JOURNEY 

I found a verse in Scripture when I was a young Christian. It has literally come to my mind hundreds of times during my adult years. I have used it for making important decisions and for parenting. Now the words provide perspective for our changing culture. I want to remind all of us of that verse again today. 

The verse is Jeremiah 6:16, and it is some of the best advice Scripture has ever provided my spiritual journey.

JEREMIAH 6:16 

Jeremiah is one of my favorite prophets. That seems a funny thing to say given that Jeremiah is often called “the prophet of doom.” I like Jeremiah because he was blunt and honest with his preaching. He knew God, and he knew God’s word. But, more than that, he was a man who was able to discern God’s voice. 

I always teach my classes that when you read words like “Thus says the LORD” pay careful attention. The words that follow are God speaking. If you want to learn to discern God’s voice, learn to hear these verses as you read. 

Jeremiah told the people of Judah, “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 6:16). 

JEREMIAH 6:16 FOR TODAY 

If Jeremiah preached today, I think he would repeat this same message. 

Jeremiah knew what God could bless and what God would judge. Jeremiah knew God has always wanted his people to know his will, his direction, and his warnings. 

What did God speak to the lost culture of Jeremiah’s day? 

“Stand by the roads, and look, ask for the ancient paths, where the good way is.” 

God wants his people to stop and assess their journey. God wants us to ask where the good way is. It is an ancient path. The good way is the truth that has always been truth. 

God’s word hasn’t changed. The interpretation of God’s word, the importance of God’s word, and the perception of God’s word are what is changing. 

His word is an ancient path, and it is a path that has been well-marked. A lot of people have walked it for a long time. If we walk it, we find our way home. The ancient way is the good way. There is only one path, because one is enough. 

God said to ask where the good way is and walk in it. God wanted us to find rest for our souls. The only time I’ve ever been afraid on a hike is when I couldn’t find the path and felt lost. 

All of us have been that little boy, looking around a crowded mall, unable to find our dad. Thankfully, Dad is always watching and quick to find us. But, those are the times I missed the blessings I could have owned. There are consequences to making wrong choices. 

God doesn’t want us to worry. God doesn’t want us to live with the anxiety that comes from feeling lost. He wants us to rest in the fact that the ancient path has always led people home. That path always will. 

I teach this often: If it was biblical truth one hundred years ago, two hundred years ago, two thousand years ago—it is still truth today. 

God’s word describes some behaviors and prescribes others. It’s important to study the totality of God’s word to understand that difference. 

There was a time when a lot of people thought God’s word endorsed slavery. God’s word described slavery as a reality of our fallen world. Some people say that God’s plan for a sexual relationship has changed. From Genesis to Revelation, across thousands of years and many cultures, God only endorsed one sexual relationship. A lot of churches have left the ancient path of truth to adapt to the opinions of the culture. Those of us who teach the Bible know that there will be consequences. God has always judged those who “misrepresented” him to the world. 

THE LAST FEW WORDS ARE THE POINT 

Most of the time, when Jeremiah 6:16 is quoted, the last few words are omitted. But, the last few words make the point. 

Jeremiah told his people that God wanted them to ask for the ancient path, the good way. God wanted them to walk that path and find rest for their souls. But, Jeremiah’s people said what a lot of God’s people are saying today: “We will not walk in it.” 

The little boy didn’t get the car because he wandered off. His dad wanted to bless him, but teaching him was more important. His dad wanted to keep him safe, so he allowed him to experience what lost felt like. 

In many ways, that describes our culture today, but it doesn’t have to describe you. 

Ask for the ancient path, the good way. 

Walk in the truth that has always been truth and you will find rest for your soul. 

The next time you feel lost, look backward and you will know how to move ahead. 

Dignity. There’s no getting around it.

When I hear the word dignity, I picture a top hat or pearls, worn by someone who speaks with an English accent drinking tea from a bone china cup, pinkie extended. 

I never thought dignity was a crucial goal because it felt like I would need to pretend to be someone else to achieve it. 

The word dignity has recurred in my mind and life a dozen different times recently so I finally asked God if he was trying to tell me something. 

Let’s just say that the answer was “Yes, absolutely.” 

I googled “What does the Bible say about dignity?”. After reading the Bible verses that came up, I knew I had to write on the subject. We don’t have to look past our television sets to recognize we need more dignity in our culture. 

But the point of this blog post is to help us define the word as God has defined it. 

WHAT IS CHRISTIAN DIGNITY? 

Merriam-Webster’s defines dignity as “the state of being worthy or honorable; elevation of mind or character; true worth; excellence.” 

That seemed perfectly Christian—until I looked at the passages I had googled. 

Jesus defined Christian dignity saying, “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another” (John 13:34–35). 

The apostle John wrote, “But if anyone has the world’s goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God’s love abide in him?” (1 John 3:17). 

Christian dignity is not just about how we behave with others. It is mostly how we behave for the sake of others. 

UNPRECEDENTED DIGNITY 

I wonder how many times we have heard the phrase “unprecedented days” in this past year. As I look back on my fairly long life, I think only 9/11 and this season of COVID seem to fit the word unprecedented. Truthfully, I had grown tired of hearing the overused phrase until I used it with dignity in mind. 

If you are like me, getting the COVID vaccine is a very high priority. The second dose represents renewed freedom to live like we want to live. But, I had to have a lecture with myself (authored by God) before I wrote this blog. 

We are in “unprecedented” days for our spiritual lives too. We need to live these moments with Christian dignity. How difficult will it be to make that choice? 

Christian dignity involves how we behave for the sake of others. We need to live with unprecedented Christian dignity during these days, and I really don’t want to be dignified. 

I genuinely like the world’s standards a little better than God’s right now.

CHOOSING CHRISTIAN DIGNITY 

I saw a woman interviewed who had just received the vaccine from one of the large auditorium locations. When a reporter asked why she was able to get the shot, she was nervous about answering. She was obviously not elderly. She looked to be in great shape. She was shifting from one foot to the other and said defensively, “I have underlying conditions.” 

Maybe she did, but maybe she lied and took a vaccine that should have gone to someone else. In that moment, I realized that I kind of wanted to lie if it meant I could get a vaccine sooner. 

Not a very dignified thought for a Christian blog writer! 

Titus wrote, “Show yourself in all respects to be a model of good works, and in your teaching show integrity, dignity” (Titus 2:7). We all need to wait for our vaccine, honestly. We need to wait with dignity. We need to put others first. 

I can confess: I don’t want to wait any longer. I want to try to get ahead, pull some strings, get it sooner. But, how would I feel about myself a year from now if I did? 

The choice to live with dignity isn’t about the next few months. This choice is about how we will live the rest of our lives. Will we earn God’s favor or do ourselves a favor? Waiting seems a lot easier with that perspective. God has called us to make the dignified choice. 

I’d rather give up a few months of freedom than live the rest of my life knowing I made a selfish choice. 

DETERMINED DIGNITY 

I wanted to write this blog post because I probably needed the accountability. 

We know people. We could possibly work it and end up with a shot. I feel embarrassed to admit that. Or, maybe I should say, I feel completely undignified to admit that. 

We are all walking a road that has become an uphill, dusty climb. Keep going! It can’t be good to choose the wrong road just to make life easier. 

Paul wrote to Christians who were living in days much more challenging than our own. He understood things were hard for the people who had chosen Christ as their Savior. They probably weren’t feeling rewarded or lucky in their daily circumstances. 

But, Paul told them (and us) why Christian dignity is always the right choice: “For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die—but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:6–8). 

We need to live with determined dignity or we will be tempted to live apart from Christ’s example. Christ gave everything, and not just for those who would appreciate or accept his sacrifice. Christ lived with dignity, then gave his life away for everyone, even the ungodly. 

PRE-LIVE EASTER SUNDAY 

I want to sit in a crowded church and sing Easter praise to Jesus for his great sacrifice. 

I want to shop for spring colors in a crowded mall. 

I want everything to be normal and joyful again by Easter. 

But it might not be the Easter I imagine and hope for. I might still be waiting for my vaccine. 

As I close this blog post, there is an Easter celebration I feel called to choose now. Jesus was determined to carry a cross for my sake. I can be determined to walk in his example and wait for a vaccine, with dignity.  If Christian dignity is what Jesus wants for our lives, there is no getting around that calling.  His favor is our reward.

Please, Jesus, help us to be determined to live with dignity. We owe it to ourselves and to others. Mostly, Lord, we owe you that choice. For your highest glory . . . Amen. 

‘For Such a Time as This’

This week, my husband and I celebrated our thirty-ninth anniversary. Next year, for the fortieth, there will be balloons!

I’m not going to tell you how we “gifted” one another this year, but it screams, “Gosh, you guys are getting OLD!”

The funny thing is, after thirty-nine years, we don’t need anything more. And we really wanted what we bought.

Curious?

I’m not telling!

Let’s just say we should be healthier for our fortieth next year because of it. It was the right gift for “such a time as this.”

I love Esther 4:14. That verse taught me that God puts us in situations, circumstances, and opportunities we didn’t plan for but are, nevertheless, our “appointments” with God.

Marrying Jim in 1980 was just that: God’s appointment for our lives. I’m glad we kept that one.

Queen Esther said yes too

Queen Esther was encouraged by her uncle to approach the king and beg him to spare the lives of the Jewish captives.

Her uncle said, “For if you keep silent at this time, relief and deliverance will rise for the Jews from another place, but you and your father’s house will perish. And who knows whether you have not come to the kingdom for such a time as this?” (Esther 4:14).

Esther was not the person people would have nominated to save a nation, but she was the person God chose to use.

Why did Esther save her people?

She sacrificed her own plans and kept God’s appointment instead.

Is that the theme of your favorite Bible story as well?

Keep God’s appointments

  • Abraham packed up his family and left the only home he had ever known. He didn’t know where he was going, but he knew the One who had told him to go.
  • David could have made himself king much earlier but waited in exile until God said it was time.
  • Peter left his lucrative fishing business under the administration of others in order to follow Jesus.
  • Paul was on the Pharisees’ ladder of success when he met Jesus on the road to Damascus.

There are also stories of people who didn’t keep God’s appointment:

  • Moses brought the people to the edge of the Promised Land, but fear and listening to the wrong advice kept him from making it his home.
  • The rich young ruler chose to keep his “stuff” instead of his appointment with God.
  • Countless Jewish religious leaders chose to teach their ideas about the Messiah but didn’t follow him when they had the chance. In fact, most wanted him to die. Instead of keeping their appointment with God, they created their Messiah’s appointment with a cross.

One of the central themes of Scripture is worth noting: God sets appointments for people.

Those appointments are our greatest opportunities to obey God, fulfill his plans, and earn his favor and blessings. Those opportunities will provide fulfillment and joy for our earthly lives.

But, we have to choose to keep our appointments.

Choose whom you will serve

Jim and I both had other “options,” but thankfully we chose one another.

Jim could have chosen someone who loved touring every church and every museum on vacation. Jim could have chosen someone who loved reading every word of every display in those places.

He didn’t.

I could have chosen someone who loved to dance or loved the beach. I could have chosen someone who enjoyed parties and movies with a plot instead of aliens and explosions.

I didn’t.

Instead, we both chose to keep the appointment God arranged. We chose each other and, as “iron sharpens iron,” we are blessed as a result.

We have been able to serve God together, and we have helped each other recognize and keep other “God appointments” as well. (Unless those appointments were at a random museum . . . . I might have kept Jim from a few of those.)

Listen for God’s appointments

None of us ever would have heard of Queen Esther if she had said no to her appointment with God.

She had a choice and she made it. She chose to be brave. She chose to change her plans. She chose to risk everything in order to keep God’s appointment. She chose well!

Another of my favorite Bible verses says, “And your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, ‘This is the way, walk in it,’ when you turn to the right or when you turn to the left” (Isaiah 30:21).

This life is a journey, but none of us walks it alone. God is there and he speaks. Through his Holy Spirit, we can recognize the many appointments he wants us to keep. They will be different than what you have planned. They will probably interrupt whatever you wanted to do. They might even require you to make a sacrifice.

But, if the voice behind you, or within you, says, “This is the way, walk in it,” choose to go. God wants to guide you through your most important decisions.

I’m grateful that when I considered marriage, I asked God for his direction. That choice made all the difference.

God’s forgiveness is available when we don’t ask. God’s favor is promised when we choose to obey his voice. Desire his favor instead of depending on his forgiveness and your life will be blessed now and eternally.

Are you reading these words “for such a time as this?”

If Elvis Had Lived

Last Sunday, NBC aired the fiftieth-anniversary show of Elvis Presley’s 1978 comeback show. Jim and I caught the last hour.

Blake Shelton hosted, and it was packed with a lot of today’s most popular musicians, each singing a song Elvis made famous. I couldn’t help but think how much Elvis would have enjoyed watching it.

The music was great, and it looked like people in the audience were enjoying the show. But the flashback clips and the interviews with his family told the real story. Elvis might have lived—if he had lived his genuine life instead of the manufactured version Hollywood produced.

If Elvis had lived:

He would have known his family

There was something about Riley Keough that looked familiar. I couldn’t place it until she said, “My grandfather would have . . . .”

Riley Keough’s grandfather is Elvis Presley. They have the same eyes.

Maybe it was because we had spent the long weekend with Wes, our grandson, who looks just like our son Craig. Maybe it was because Jim and I had remarked dozens of times how much Wes reminds us of Craig. But, I listened to Riley Keough talk about her grandfather, a man she never got to meet, and I felt sad. Elvis Presley missed many of the most important moments of his life.

Jim and I watched the rest of the television program.

The fame caught him up

The show celebrated the amazing career of a man who was an unlikely star. Elvis was born a twin, whose brother was stillborn. He lived in a two-room house where his dad eked out a living doing odd jobs. As a boy, Elvis attended an Assembly of God church with his mother, his favorite person in life. His parents moved to Memphis, where his love for a blend of blues and country music was formed.

Presley’s music career quickly morphed into Hollywood movies. He told the Saturday Evening Post in 1956, “I just fell into it, really. My daddy and I were laughing about it the other day. He looked at me and said, ‘What happened, E? the last thing I can remember is I was working in a can factory and you were drivin’ a truck. . . . It just caught us up.”

But, Elvis Presley died at the age of forty-two, a drug addict and a sick man with a wasted life. He missed watching his daughter grow up, and he missed knowing his granddaughter. In fact, he missed most of what his life could have been if he hadn’t been “caught up” in the wrong things his life afforded.

God would have caught him

The reason I chose to write this blog post is not that I am a huge Elvis fan. There was a moment in that tribute show that caused both Jim and me to stop and take note. Carrie Underwood and Yolanda Adams were given the opportunity to share the gospel music Elvis sang. And boy, did they “share.” Their tribute was amazing.

A USA Today article began with this surprising information: “Elvis Presley may be called the King of Rock ‘n’ Roll, but the only Grammy Awards he ever won were for his gospel music.”

The article describes the importance gospel music had in defining Elvis’s career. Friends said he used to warm up at the recording studio by singing sacred songs. The reporter stated, “He invited people back to his penthouse suite in Las Vegas for all-night gospel singalongs during his stint of performances in the late 1960s and ’70s at the International Hotel.”

Why didn’t the faith Elvis sang about become the faith that controlled his life?

We are supposed to use our gifts for God’s glory

I feel the same sadness for Elvis that I do for Whitney Houston. She passed because of drug addiction as well. Both of those gifted musicians missed out on living their lives because they misunderstood and misused their God-given gifts. They both got caught up in the world and lost what mattered most.

In Sunday’s show, Carrie Underwood sang “Amazing Grace” as a tribute, not so much to Elvis, but to the God Elvis knew. Gospel singer Yolanda Adams sang “He Touched Me,” and then both women sang a duet of “You’ll Never Walk Alone.” The videos are on YouTube and worth watching. These two women had the finest vocal performances of the evening, but that wasn’t the only noticeable difference. They both sang from a personal relationship with God. They were using their gifts for his glory.

They ushered the presence of Christ into the arena. It was much like the performance of Carrie Underwood and Vince Gill at the 2011 CMA awards. I hope you will take the time to watch that video from beginning to end, paying close attention to the faces in the audience.

At the time of this writing, the video has been viewed 17,701,114 times. Why?

Your giftedness can be the presence of Christ

When we use our spiritual giftedness for the glory of God, Jesus is ushered into the room. That’s what happened on both of those shows. Everyone watching knew something was different during the performance, but I hope they recognized that the something was really Someone.

I imagine Elvis would give up his earthly rewards for the chance to sing for Jesus again, like those other musicians. His earthly glory was a dead-end road, literally. And that is something all of us should consider for our own lives as well.

When last did your spiritual gifting reveal the presence of Christ to others?

You have a gift, and that gift is the way we reveal Jesus to others.

Are you using your gifts for the purpose they were given?

Your gift doesn’t have to be a performance. In fact, it probably isn’t. Your gift is simply who you are in Christ Jesus. We need to live in such a way that, when we enter the room, we bring the presence of Christ Jesus with us. His Spirit is tangible, but we have to be cautious.

Elvis and many others would warn us about using God’s gifts for our own glory. Success is using our gifts for God’s kingdom purpose. The apostle Peter said, “As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God’s varied grace” (1 Peter 4:10).

How will you share your giftedness with others today?

That is how we share God with the world. We don’t share something; we share Someone.

And to him be all glory!

The Solid Rock Isn’t a Comfortable Place to Sit

I watched two boys swimming in the pond and wondered what to do. The younger boy wasn’t as good a swimmer as his older brother, and, when he was halfway across the pond, I started to worry about him. I was relieved to see him finally stand up and walk to the edge.

A few minutes later, the two boys were standing on their surfboard-like raft. The older boy was trying to take away the oar from his younger brother. He jerked at it and sent the younger boy into the pond with a splash, his head just missing the big rocks near the edge.

Added to that, my husband had told me a few weeks earlier to be watchful because he had seen a cottonmouth snake slither into that same pond. I looked all over for an adult who might be watching over these two, but, after several minutes, I still didn’t see anyone. So, I made a choice. I called out to the boys and suggested they should get out of the pond because we had seen a snake in there.

About five minutes later, my doorbell rang. The boy’s mom was polite, but I could tell she was “not pleased” that I had interfered with the situation. She informed me she had been watching from the balcony several doors down. I responded politely and told her about the cottonmouth snake. She said she was aware there were snakes, but that those snakes were afraid of people and she didn’t think that was a problem. I told her that I was glad to know the boys were being watched, introduced myself, and made a lame excuse, saying, “Once a schoolteacher, always a schoolteacher.”

I still don’t know if I did the right thing or the wrong thing speaking to those boys, but it didn’t feel right to just stand there and watch either.

I’ve always loved Edward Mote’s hymn that says, “On Christ the Solid Rock I stand, all other ground is sinking sand . . . all other ground is sinking sand.” The unsung truth about a solid rock is that it really isn’t possible to sit on one for very long. Solid rocks don’t make for comfy places to rest for long periods of time. After a short time, the only way to feel good is to stand up and move around a bit. I spent some time applying the wisdom of the hymn to my situation with those two boys.

My hope is built on nothing less
Than Jesus’ blood and righteousness;
I dare not trust the sweetest frame,
But wholly lean on Jesus’ name.

I wish I had said a quick prayer and asked Jesus if I should have spoken to those boys. I might have done the same thing, or I might have been led to just watch them for a while longer. I didn’t take time to trust the situation to Jesus, so I don’t know if I did the right thing. I didn’t lean on Jesus because I was too busy thinking I should fix it myself.

When darkness veils His lovely face,
I rest on His unchanging grace;
In every high and stormy gale,
My anchor holds within the veil.

I didn’t know the right thing to do, so I acted out of fear for those boys. How often have I made decisions from a place of unknowing darkness only to find that it would have been better to wait? Sometimes the storms of life produce fear, and fear is rarely a right motivation for action.

His oath, His covenant, His blood
Support me in the whelming flood;
When all around my soul gives way,
He then is all my hope and stay.

I didn’t see anyone watching those kids, but it didn’t mean there was no one watching. Sometimes it seems like God isn’t there or isn’t enough, and so there is nobody else to fix it. Scripture, and the words of this hymn, would argue that point. God has promised he is always there and always enough — and that should always be our hope.

When He shall come with trumpet sound,
Oh, may I then in Him be found;
Dressed in His righteousness alone,
Faultless to stand before the throne.

I doubt that will be the last time I jump in to fix something that probably didn’t need to be fixed. I just hope that the next time I see something I think is a problem I will ask God what to do before I think I know what to do. I’m grateful for the grace God has offered me in Christ Jesus, and I look forward, with joy, to the day I enter eternity and no longer need it. I look forward to being “faultless” before his throne.

In closing, I will say this. I function with the philosophy that once a person knows the right thing to believe and do, they should think it and do it. Whatever consequences come with a right choice are the consequences we should accept. Christ truly is our Solid Rock. But that rock isn’t a place where Christians are supposed to rest and do nothing.

I am trying to learn my lessons along the way about how to stand. I’m just hoping the next time I “jump” is because Jesus told me what to do and how to do it. Once we know we are supposed to jump, the only questions are how far and how high.

Enjoy your week. But one word of wisdom from the teacher in me: I still think it’s best not to swim with the snakes. Think about that and you will understand the deeper thoughts behind this blog post.