Common-sense Christians live what they believe

I asked the Google AI how often the groundhog got it right. Google’s response: “Punxsutawney Phil, the famous groundhog from Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, is right about 39% of the time when predicting the length of winter. This is based on his predictions since his first recorded prediction in 1887.” 

Common sense tells us that the odds of getting it right would be greatly improved if the mayor of Punxsutawney simply tossed a coin!

I’ve enjoyed the news reports that say things like, “It’s just common sense” for Americans to think this or that or choose to do this or that. Americans enjoy hearing about the groundhog’s shadow. Still, I think most of us know not to actually believe the reports and make any choices based on a groundhog’s shadow. Who wants to plant a bunch of flowers only to see them ruined later by a heavy frost?

Common-sense Christians understand that Scripture has provided timeless teaching and wisdom for every generation of God’s people. Yet, why have so many people refused to follow God’s teaching throughout history?

I think Billy Graham answered that question when he told Christians, “We are the Bibles the world is reading; We are the creeds the world is needing; We are the sermons the world is heeding.”

In other words, if Christians don’t live what they believe, people won’t believe what is necessary to live eternally in heaven. As we continue to look at the book of James, let’s notice that James and Billy Graham taught the same lesson.  

Hearers need to be doers

I was teaching my Bible study last week using 1 Corinthians 2. In many ways, Paul, James, and every Spirit-led preacher before and after, have all taught this very important truth to their congregations: It is always going to be a spiritual challenge for God’s children to live their faith.

We are often content to know God’s word. We often measure a person’s spirituality based on the amount of Scripture they know. We are often more impressed with a preacher’s delivery than we are with the actual results of their message. We often rank faithfulness by attendance rather than obedience. We are human beings and tend to function with human judgment, even in spiritual matters. Paul taught the Corinthians to value the Holy Spirit’s leadership in their lives. Simply said, we must submit our common-sense judgment to the uncommon wisdom of God’s Spirit. Paul asked those in Corinth, “For who has understood the mind of the Lord so as to instruct him?” Then Paul reminded them of a crucial fact: “But we have the mind of Christ” (1 Corinthians 2:16).

It is overwhelming to consider that every Christian has been given God’s Holy Spirit, and we are, therefore, able to think, judge, and discern with the mind of Christ. So, what hinders us from utterly changing the world because we have the ability to think like Jesus?

James answered that question, saying, “But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror. For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like. But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing” (James 1:22–25). 

Common sense tells us that if we look in a mirror and see a problem, we ought to fix that problem before we head out. I liken it to someone who is at an important dinner table and excuses themselves from the table for just a few minutes. Before leaving the bathroom, a quick glance in the mirror reveals that their front tooth is covered with a piece of Brussels sprout they just enjoyed. Common sense tells them they ought to fix that before returning to the table.

All of us have heard an important truth in a sermon or Bible lesson, realized that the Holy Spirit was talking to us, and knew we needed to obey the Spirit’s leading. But an hour or two later, we just walked away from the church the same way we walked in. We heard God speak, looked in a mirror, and left the church with a big ol’ piece of Brussels sprout on our front tooth.

No wonder people can’t hear our words of witness! Our lives are distracting their thoughts. It isn’t what we know about God that will impress people with our faith; our lives preach our faith.

Pure religion is preached with a pure mouth

It isn’t just the Brussels sprout stuck to our front tooth that matters. It’s also the fact that people can’t see past it to hear our words. If our lives are a distraction to our message, common sense tells us to fix the problem.

James said, “If anyone thinks he is religious and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his heart, this person’s religion is worthless. Religion that is pure and undefiled before God the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world (James 1:26–27).

In full confession, I really hate those verses from James. I never read them, teach them, or write about them that I’m not required to throw myself, yet again, under that really big bus. Teaching is one of my spiritual gifts. Teaching is the thing I do that most allows God to use my life for his Kingdom purpose. The same mouth that teaches God’s word is the same mouth that sometimes teaches something less. 

My greatest spiritual failures usually come from words that fly out of my mouth. The only verse I like less than the verses above is James 3:1, which says, “Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers, for you know that we who teach will be judged with greater strictness.” 

The good news is this: I own a “spiritual mirror” through the Holy Spirit. I can teach with some Brussels sprout on my front tooth or clean it off ahead of time. When I live and speak through the power and wisdom of God’s Holy Spirit, he can change, encourage, and direct people’s lives. The same mouth that can distract people from my religion is the same mouth that God has been able to purify and then use to teach his word. I try to live with a spiritual mirror because I “presume to teach.” But I also know that I can teach people how to know God when I teach using “the mind of Christ” rather than my own thoughts. I consider that my highest calling, and being used by his Holy Spirit is definitely my great joy.

How can you purify your religion today?

I would ask a blunt question that requires you to look in your spiritual mirror. What in your mirror requires some clean up before you head out into the day and preach your religion to the world? None of us will ever be perfect this side of heaven. All of us can hear James remind us to keep ourselves, “unstained from the world.”

I would teach all of us, myself included, to pause before heading into our day, choosing not just to hear or read God’s word. What will you do today differently because God’s Spirit, the actual “mind of Christ,” is changing your thoughts into his and changing your actions as a result?

Common sense tells us that Christians live what they believe. Our witness to the world is changed when we live as both hearers and doers of his word. Have a blessed and fruitful day!

How is your 401“e” doing?

I’m not sure why the tax season coincides with the Easter season, but it seems a prophetic correlation. Jesus said, “In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world” (John 16:33). 

I’ve been surrounded by forms, receipts, payments, household improvements, medical bills, donations, and a bunch of tax documents that say how much we spent, how much we earned, and how much we still owe. 

Tribulation comes in a lot of ways and the tax season is in my top twenty! 

As much as I hate messing with the tax season, it is a good review each year. All of the paperwork and number crunching is a good reminder of our choices and priorities. Easter, however, is the ultimate review of all that God feels is most important. 

In a word, it is “us.” 

What does God spend?

John 3:16 is the best description of what God spent for our sakes. “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). 

That one verse describes God’s priorities. God loves “us.” He loved his creation. He loved this world. He loved his Son. He loved us with that same perfect love because he can’t love us with less than his best.  

God didn’t just spend; he gave. 

When I compared the money we spent to the money we gave, the two totals were very different. We enjoy supporting God’s work in the world and giving what we don’t need to people who do need it. 

But, the things we gave away were mostly the things we didn’t use or need anymore. When it comes to our income, God asks for a tithe and lets us have most of it for ourselves. But God gave his Son for our eternal salvation and sanctification. 

If we gave everything we owned, our offering would still not come close to the gifts we have received from our Lord.

What does God value?

God gave us Jesus so that whoever believes in him would never die. Whoever believes in Jesus will have eternal life in heaven. God values things that are eternal. God values everyone so he gave Jesus to everyone. God values our eternal lives; therefore, God gave what was necessary for us to live eternally. 

Now, God values our earthly lives with an eternal perspective. We are loved as his children. We are encouraged, led, and gifted to spend our earthly lives with eternal priorities. He wants to “store up” those things that will be treasure in heaven. 

Your 401“e” – are you planning for your eternity?

My taxes are done and the checks are in the mail. Another year, another return, and another thick file for our records. Whew!!! It is a GOOD FEELING to shut that drawer. 

It would be easy to focus on all that it costs to live in this world. It’s more important to remember that this life is temporary and if we have all that we need to send those checks, we are blessed! 

I remember our first years of marriage when paying taxes meant we had to be careful with our grocery shopping and gas money. We learned how to save for the future, and, while it still isn’t “fun” to write the checks, it is fulfilling to know we are able. 

As we get older, it is also fulfilling to know we have planned for our future. We have been blessed to serve several churches, and now our current ministry, that have wanted to help us save for retirement. There is a sense of security to have invested money toward those years. Thank you, Lord, for things like a 401(k) and other investments. That said, we are hopeful the “roller-coaster” graph will start that uphill climb again sometime soon. The “drops” do make my stomach turn just a bit! 

That’s why our 401“e”s need to be the most important investment we make. The “e” stands for eternity. The “k” in 401(k) stands for a specific IRS code that describes earthly retirement money. We work hard to invest in our 401(k)s, and we should work much harder to invest in things that will matter for all eternity. 

How do you invest in your 401“e”?

God made sure we would know how to invest our earthly lives in eternal priorities. We don’t have to wonder if our 401“e”s are doing well on that roller-coaster graph. 

Consider these verses: 

  • “He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lᴏʀᴅ require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?” (Micah 6:8).
  • “Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life—is not from the Father but is from the world. And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever” (1 John 2:15–17).
  • “As for the rich in this present age, charge them not to be haughty, nor to set their hopes on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly provides us with everything to enjoy” (1 Timothy  6:17).
  • “The point is this: whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully” (2 Corinthians 9:6).

There are so many verses in Scripture that define right, eternal priorities. I can sum them up by saying that when you have filed your last tax return here on earth, you will be presented with your treasure in heaven. 

Your 401“e” will take care of you for all eternity, and every day the Lord gives you on earth will provide the chance to make deposits that will benefit you forever. 

We can live with Easter priorities all year long

I’m glad our taxes are done and we can put that thick file in the drawer! But I’m also glad the annual reminder comes during this time of year. 

I am still grateful for our government and this country, even though it seems to get costlier each year. I honestly don’t want to call any other country home. So, I will pay taxes until I go to heaven and look forward to the day I live in my eternal home.  

If we can live with an Easter perspective all year, we will live more invested in God’s priorities than this world’s. We will file our last tax return one day and we will exchange this life for our lives eternal.  

How is your 401“e” doing? 

Easter is a good time to consider that graph line and make any necessary adjustments to send it or keep it on that steep upward climb. 

Your eternal investments will last forever. 

God’s GPS requires humility

Who caught my mistake last week? 

If you did, give yourself a pat on the back, and be grateful for your VBS lessons! 

I told the story of Zacchaeus in last week’s blog post. The problem was I called him Nicodemus (I’ve since edited it for the website). A couple of people sent emails to alert me of my mistake. I read, reread, had edits, and somehow never caught the error. I sent that blog out to all of you using the wrong name! I’ve taught Bible for a while now, and I have become too overconfident in my memory! 

So, I had to smile when Trace, my friend and assistant at work, reminded me that the blog topic for the month of July was humility. My first thought was, “Well, I’m off to a good start!” 

I’ve often said the best way to be right with God is to “claw your way to the bottom.” I’ve never enjoyed eating humble pie, but that is often the best take-out food for the Christian journey. 

Why is that? 

GPS MIGHT HAVE SAVED MY MARRIAGE 

When Jim and I go on a vacation, I drive and he does the directions. But, that has only become our way of travel since the advent of the GPS. A lot of us are old enough to remember when a vacation required a map in order to get around. I still remember trying to figure out where we made the wrong turns. 

I had a MAPSCO in both of our cars. When we moved from Midland, Texas, to Atlanta, Georgia, our family outings in the car used to worry our kids. We got lost every time. 

Midland is flat, and all the streets are arranged to go North/South or East/West. Those streets were either numeric or in alphabetical order. We would occasionally get lost, but it was easy to find our way home. I don’t think Atlanta has a street that runs a straight line. The same street can begin in a northbound direction and then go east or west in just a few miles! And, there are huge trees all around that block whatever location you might have been looking for.  

We would have had a better time in the car if GPS had been invented when we moved to Atlanta. Now, Jim is in charge of using his phone to provide our directions while I drive. The only time we have a problem is when I’m pretty sure the GPS (or Jim) is wrong. 

And, I have made several U-turns of shame as a result! I’ve had a few “Zacchaeus/Nicodemus” moments behind the wheel. 

The phone’s GPS isn’t perfect, but it is a lot more perfect than I am. Jim uses the GPS voice of a man with an English accent. I should have more respect, but I’ve nicknamed him “Dweebus.” Dweebus is the voice of direction in our car.  

I wish I could recognize the voice of God in my life as easily as the voice of the GPS. I know the Spirit speaks, but too often I’m convinced I know where I’m going and don’t need the help. I need to humble myself and have total respect for that voice. I would make fewer wrong turns as a result. 

Accurate advice is perfect advice even when it isn’t the way we most think we should go.

KING DAVID’S WISE COUNSEL 

Our theme verse for the month of July comes from Psalm 27, a psalm of King David. When a king teaches the importance of humility, we should pay attention. Granted, David had some mistakes, but we all do. King David learned a lot about God, and those lessons enabled him to be one of the greatest heroes of the faith, “a man after God’s own heart.” 

David’s lessons for humility: 

  • Know that Jehovah is God, and we are not. David wrote, “Good and upright is the Lord; therefore he instructs sinners in the way” (Psalm 25:8). There is the Lord, and everyone else can fall into the category of “sinner.” Yet, because God is good and upright, he can point us to “the way.”
  • God points the way, but only some will walk in it.  David continued his psalm saying, “He leads the humble in what is right, and teaches the humble his way” (Psalm 25:9). The only way to walk in “the way” is to walk in humility. 
  • God’s paths are “the way,” but only the obedient walk them.  If we want to live a godly life, we have to allow God to chart our course.  David said, “All the paths of the Lord are steadfast love and faithfulness, for those who keep his covenant and his testimonies” (Psalm 25:10).

IF THE ADVICE IS GOD’S, IT’S GOOD 

King David’s words are in Scripture because God wanted them to be known by all of us. We serve a God who is good and upright and wants to instruct us in the ways that are best for our earthly lives. So why does it seem like God is silent sometimes? Why do we struggle to know his will and his direction for our lives? 

David tells us that God leads the humble and teaches the humble his way. The God we serve is also the One who created us in his image. God has a will and so do we. God waits for us to humble our own wills and submit them to his. 

We are called to submit in humility because God knows what is best for us, all the time, for all time. If there is one thing I could shout to the world, it would be: “God’s laws have been right, forever—let’s not think the new ideas are somehow more evolved or accurate.”  

We are not able to know everything and be perfectly good and upright like God. God wants what is best for our entire lives, which occasionally means it doesn’t feel like what is best for our moments. 

David said that all the paths of the Lord are steadfast love and faithfulness. God never wants something for us that is wrong for us. That is why the Lord made certain we would have David’s wisdom, as well as countless others, in our Bibles. God leads the humble, those who keep his covenant and his testimonies, because they act in faithful humility instead of pride and self-sufficiency. 

God’s advice is always good. In fact, God’s advice is always perfect. And those who humble their own ideas can discover God’s.  

CLAW YOUR WAY TO THE BOTTOM 

“Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you” (James 4:10). James, the half-brother of Jesus, wrote those words and they are in our Bibles today.  

I’ve often said the “Janet Denison version” of that verse is, “Humble yourself, or God will do it for you—because he wants to exalt you—eventually.” That is why I often say, “Claw your way to the bottom, if you need to be lifted up.”  

Human nature wants to reach the top rung of the ladder. We work hard, struggle in our own strength, and reach the highest rung possible—only to look over the fence and realize we didn’t really want to get where we have arrived. So we claw our way to the bottom and find Jesus waiting. He takes our hand and tells us, “So, I guess you figured out that you were leaning your ladder on the wrong wall? Let me show you the wall that will take you where you want to go.” 

Let’s humble ourselves so God can lead us. His ladder is leaning on the wall of heaven. That’s the ladder that is worth the effort because perfection is on the other side.  

King David and James both understood their need for humility, eventually. We will too. 

In fact, why don’t we pray and make certain we are heading up the right ladder today? God’s GPS is trustworthy guidance for all those who will humble themselves and trust that he always knows the way.

I might have been a Pharisee

Except for the fact I’m a woman, I might have been a Pharisee. 

I’m a big fan of rules, but one of theirs was “no women allowed.” 

Other than that, there is a lot about their lives I might have appreciated. But Jesus didn’t appreciate much about them at all, and that gives me food for thought this week.

This article comes out on St. Patrick’s Day. St. Patrick wouldn’t have been a great Pharisee, but he was a good friend and disciple of Jesus. 

WHO WERE THE PHARISEES? 

I read an interesting article on the Pharisees. They are mentioned ninety-eight times in the New Testament. The name Pharisee probably is related to the idea of being separate or detached, similar to the meaning of the word holy. 

The article described the religious leaders by saying, “In many ways, the Pharisees were the worst people in the world. They were cold and legalistic. At the same time, the Pharisees were the best people in the whole country. They were the holy men who kept the law; they pursued purity with a passion and wanted nothing more than to live lives that pleased God. They were sincere, albeit sincerely misguided.” 

So, where did the Pharisees go wrong? 

They wanted to please God but did the opposite. They took their eyes and thoughts away from God by idolizing rules as their god. It was the most prevalent sin throughout Scripture and remains a significant temptation for God’s people today. 

You have to admit, it is confusing. God told Moses to, “Speak to all the congregation of the people of Israel and say to them, You shall be holy, for I the Lord your God am holy” (Leviticus 19:2). The entire book of Leviticus is full of rules for God’s people. The Pharisees took God’s rules and turned them into thousands more. 

God gave us a framework of laws and standards in Scripture so we would know right from wrong. God’s people have always wanted to know what rules to follow because we want to make sure we are following God. The problem: it’s tempting to start following rules instead of God. 

God told Hosea, “For I desire steadfast love and not sacrifice, the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings” (Hosea 6:6). At some point, the people began to think God wanted the lamb or the wheat instead of their repentant heart and their love. 

That’s one reason Jesus was angry at the Pharisees. He told them, “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you tithe mint and dill and cumin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faithfulness. These you ought to have done, without neglecting the others (Matthew 23:23). 

ST. PATRICK GOT IT RIGHT 

An interesting article on St. Patrick said that, as a boy, Patrick was kidnapped and taken to Ireland. He was forced to work in the fields under terrible conditions. 

One night, in a dream, God led Patrick to escape to the coast, where he was rescued by some sailors and returned to his home. Years later, after becoming a Catholic priest, God called Patrick back to Ireland as a missionary. Patrick is credited with bringing the gospel to that country. He converted thousands of souls and started hundreds of churches throughout the country. Tradition says that he used the Irish clover to teach people about the Trinity. 

In his book The Confession, St. Patrick wrote: “The love of God and his fear grew in me more and more, as did the faith, and my soul was rosed, so that, in a single day, I have said as many as a hundred prayers and in the night, nearly the same. I prayed in the woods and on the mountain, even before dawn. I felt no hurt from the snow or ice or rain.” 

Patrick learned to love God, and that priority enabled him to love even those who had once enslaved him. 

IF YOU WANT TO PLEASE GOD . . . 

Do we serve God hoping to appease him or because we love him? 

We can try to please God like the Pharisees, or follow the example of St. Patrick. 

Why did the Pharisees fail to please God while Patrick was named a Saint? 

The Pharisees served the letter of the Law and St. Patrick served the Lord of the Law. Pharisees felt like they grew spiritually as they learned to understand and obey more laws. St. Patrick wrote, “The love of God and his fear grew in me more and more, as did the faith.” 

If we want to please God, we need to examine our motives. 

When last did you obey a law simply because you loved and trusted the Lord of the law? 

TRUE LOVE IS NEVER AN ACT 

Jesus called the Pharisees “hypocrites,” the literal word for an actor. Jesus told them they only acted like they loved God. Jesus knew their hearts and said, “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you clean the outside of the cup and the plate, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence” (Matthew 23:25). 

I confess there have been many times I have worried more about the outside of the cup too. There were many Sunday mornings I got ready for church and spent more time thinking about what I would wear, who I would see, and what I would teach rather than Whom I was to worship. 

I might have been a Pharisee in the past, but I don’t want to be one now. 

There is a reason Easter is my favorite holiday and my least favorite day at church. The church was filled with new clothes, fresh flowers, a live orchestra, and a lot of people who only came that day because it was a holiday. 

In a way, I think I felt about Easter Sunday like Jesus felt about the Pharisees. It was more an act than an act of love. 

THIS EASTER, IF YOU WANT TO PLEASE GOD . . . 

Last Easter, we were stuck at home, with churches shut down. A lot of people felt like we missed Easter. But, I think God enjoyed much of last year’s Easter worship. There was no reason for people to act like they had Easter joy. Those who worshipped did so because they truly loved the God they sang to, prayed to, and were grateful for. 

It is the Lenten season, the days to prepare spiritually for Easter worship. It isn’t our “works” that please God; it’s our love and devotion. When last did you kneel at the cross and gratefully grieve the sacrifice Jesus made for our redemption? 

We can spend Easter acting like we love God or actually loving God for all he has done. The difference between a Pharisee and St. Patrick is that one knew how to please God, the other loved to please him. 

I might have made a good Pharisee, except for Easter. It is easier to serve God’s rules, but Jesus said, “Whoever would be great among you must be your servant” (Matthew 20:26). Let’s remember the example of St. Patrick and make this a great day.

God’s People Need a Time-out

All kids need a time-out once in a while. 

We had a chair in the utility room that served that purpose. The only things to look at back there were the washer and dryer. The “fun” was a few yards away, and the offender could hear it but not be part of it. 

Fifteen minutes on the time-out chair seemed like an eternity to a young child, but it was usually enough time to think about their mistakes and how to ask for forgiveness. The discipline served as a reminder that the bad behavior just wasn’t worth repeating. 

All of us need a time-out chair in our lives if we want to live a life of obedience. 

What should God’s people look like? 

God’s people aren’t quite as easy to distinguish in our world today. 

Years ago, we were told to be “seeker friendly” instead of “holier than thou.” We didn’t want the people in the world to think they didn’t belong in our churches. We wanted them to know that we didn’t think we were better or more loved by God than anyone else. We wanted everyone to know that they could bring their sin to the altar just like we did.  

We stopped dressing up for church because we didn’t want people to feel uncomfortable or be able to say they didn’t have the proper clothing for worship. We stopped singing hymns because visitors to our churches didn’t understand them and it was difficult to sing them. We wanted to make non-Christians feel more welcome, and they did.  

A lot of good things happened when we “relaxed the rules,” but some wrong things happened as well. 

Our churches look more like the world these days, but so do God’s people. We didn’t want to look “holier than thou” so we stopped trying to look holy. 

The problem is, that was never a biblical idea. 

The Bible says God’s people are supposed to look holy to a world that isn’t. 

What does “holy” look like? 

Recently, I gave myself a time-out. I just sensed that God wanted to make some adjustments in some of my behaviors. The time-out chair wasn’t particularly comfortable. It felt a bit isolated from what everyone else was doing. And, I wanted down before God said it was time. 

I hope I spent enough time to think about the mistakes, think about how to ask for forgiveness, and remember that the bad behaviors just weren’t worth repeating. 

I became particularly fond of 1 Peter during my time-out. 

Peter knew about “misbehaving” and he knew how to fix it 

Peter told the early Christians, “As obedient children, do not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance, but as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, since it is written, ‘You shall be holy, for I am holy’” (1 Peter 1:14–16). 

So, what does “holy” look like? 

Actually, the rest of 1 Peter describes it. The next time you sit in your time-out chair, spend some time in those words. It isn’t hard to know what holy looks like; it’s just hard to look holy. 

Peter had made his share of mistakes, so his words are the voice of experience. 

We all need a spiritual time-out chair once in a while 

When we sat our kids in time-out, we usually told them to think about what they had done and what they needed to do in the future. That’s the purpose of a spiritual time-out as well.  

Christians wanted to be more seeker friendly, but the result was that many of our churches started looking more like the seekers than the One we were supposed to be seeking. 

We need to take some time and think about our most important purpose. God said we were supposed to be holy. Jesus said we were supposed to “make disciples.”  

Consider these questions in your spiritual time-out chair: 

  • Does my life indicate that I am a holy child of God?
     
  • Is my calling about making friends or disciples? 

Hopefully, we can make disciples and friends. However, practically speaking, some friendships will suffer if we choose to be holy. Holy and popular don’t always run in the same circles. 

If our churches and our people want to be holy, some of the seekers won’t think we are very “friendly.” 

When the fifteen minutes are up

The time-out chair usually did the trick. I could put a wailing, misbehaving three-year-old in the time-out chair and, after fifteen minutes, he was like a different child. 

Sadly, he might end up back there later in the day. Consistent good behavior requires a lot of maturity, but there is grace for the growing. 

Spiritual time-outs take time, but the goal is maturity. Thankfully, there is a lot of grace for the growing. 

And Peter told us what to do when we are ready to get out of time-out. He said, “Preparing your minds for action, and being sober-minded, set your hope fully on the grace that will be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ” (1 Peter 1:13). 

When the fifteen minutes are up, we should be wiser and ready to go. 

We have prepared our minds to fulfill our purpose. We are sober-minded, knowing our goals are more like God’s. And we have been recipients of the grace that we are to give to others. We are focused on the revelation of Jesus Christ and ready to live the holy life “our Dad” wants us to live. 

We are called to be holy

Why did God give his children such high standards for our lives? 

Why did God think we should be, or could be, holy?  

Peter answered those questions like this: “You are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light (1 Peter 2:9). 

He loves us and wants us to be holy 

I imagine my kids thought I was too hard on them at times. But, I adored my boys and had really high standards for their behavior. 

So does God. 

My boys learned a lot sitting in time-out—and so will we. 

If you need an “attitude adjustment” or some changes in your behavior, head to the time-out chair to think. God will tell you when you can get down. 

We are all on the road to spiritual maturity, and those rest stops come in handy. Holiness is hard, but it has been promised that we will grow up one day. 

We will be holy because he is holy. 

Where were you that day?

I dropped my sons off at school and was back home, cleaning my kitchen. I chose to watch Good Morning America for some company but quickly noticed something big had happened. 

I walked over to the back of the sofa with a dish towel in my hands so I could see the television better. The show had switched to a live broadcast, and the two commentators were trying their best to fill the airtime with conversation. 

No one understood yet what the fire meant. 

About that time, I saw the airplane fly into the second tower, and I knew we were in trouble. 

I ran to the phone, called Jim at the church, and told him to turn the television on.

Another plane crashed into the Pentagon and then another, near Philadelphia. 

What did you do that morning? 

I tried to call my folks and then remembered that my parents were in Philadelphia that day, on vacation. They didn’t own a cell phone, and I didn’t know where they were staying. I felt sure they would be fine, but I couldn’t be certain. 

I wondered when my boys would hear the news. I remember wanting to drive up to the school and bring them home. I also remember telling myself that would be the wrong thing to do—so I stayed home, glued to the television, wishing the school would call. 

I watched the news for the next couple of hours until I couldn’t watch any longer. 

I didn’t know what else to do. I just knew I needed something else to do. So, I filled my car up with gas. I went to the bank and withdrew some cash. I went to Sams and bought plenty of canned protein, fruit, and water. I remember the hushed lines, the worried looks, and the uncertainty of those hours. 

Doing those things didn’t alleviate my fears, but they refocused my thoughts for a little while. 

What were you most afraid of? 

9/11 was a day of uncertainty. There were a lot of reasons to feel afraid, angry, concerned, powerless, and deeply sad. 

But, the strongest memory I have of 9/11 was my first and greatest fear of the day. 

I watched the plane fly into the second tower and was overwhelmed with the thought that I had two teenage sons and our country might be at war. I didn’t know what the news that day would mean to our family in the future. 

There were other thoughts, but none more consuming than that one. 

What did you pray for? 

I stood behind my sofa, wringing the dish towel in my hands and begging God to stop our enemies. I prayed for God to protect us and give wisdom to our leaders. And I pled with God to protect my family. 

As the days moved forward, I prayed hundreds of prayers. But, I don’t think any of those prayers were offered with the same intensity of those first moments. 

I begged God for his divine protection on 9/11. I was truly afraid for the future. 

What did you learn? 

God never stops teaching us. God never stops caring. God is always in control and at work remodeling the moments of this life for his greater good. 

But, God takes his time. 

We all wanted answers, but sometimes there was only information. 

We all wanted peace, but all these years later, we are still at war. 

We all wanted miracles, be we didn’t get all the miracles we wanted. 

We all wanted the Bible verses to comfort, but sometimes reading those verses disappointed instead. 

Did you wonder what God was doing on 9/11? 

I learned something about God during those days, weeks, and months of uncertainty. That lesson has been one of the most valuable spiritual lessons of my life. I struggled to trust a verse, so I learned to pray it instead. 

Those prayer times with God gave me comfort. Knowing the verse was only the first step. It was praying the verse that made the difference. That lesson has changed and strengthened my spiritual life more than I can say, mostly because it was a lesson I thought I already knew. 

Truthfully, I didn’t really learn it until I lived it. 

My life verse for fear 

If you have read my blog for a while, you know I sometimes refer to a “life verse.” Most of the time, I call it a life verse because it changed my life. 

I will probably always watch the videos of 9/11 with tears in my eyes. I feel those news reports. But, the Lord retaught me a verse during that time, and I have carried his lesson ever since. 

The verse I prayed and learned to obey because of 9/11 is the life verse that carried me through my son Ryan’s cancer—and I truly mean the word carried. 

Psalm 56:3 says, “When I am afraid, I put my trust in you.” 

  • This verse says “when” not “if.” Fear is part of living on this side of heaven. We will all live with fears, but there is something all of us can do.
  • The action words are “I put.” Fears involve our free wills, our right to choose. I don’t really ask God to “take my fears away” anymore. I believe the Lord has instructed us to make a choice when we are afraid. God asks us to put our fears down, at his feet, and back away. He won’t “take” them because we are supposed to give them.
  • We try to control our fears, but that is the opposite of what God intends. He wants us to trust him enough to put them down and step away from them. When Jesus said, “Do not fear” (Matthew 10:26, 28), he said it as a command. Our best choice is to obey Psalm 56:3.
  • Knowing this verse won’t calm your fears as much as praying and obeying its words. It is obedience to knowledge that makes all the difference. 

When you are afraid . . . 

Are we waiting for the next 9/11? Maybe. 

Are we waiting for the next senseless shooting? Yes. 

Are we waiting for the next hurricane? Yes. 

Are we waiting for the doctor to call? Someday. 

The best time to get ready for moments of fear is before those fears come. 

Do you really believe God’s instruction in Psalm 56:3? 

You will know it the next time you are truly afraid. For now, pray that verse until you know and trust the words. Then, when the “when” happens—make your choice. 

For now, make your commitment: “When I am afraid, I will put my trust in you.” 

I hope that verse will change your life too.

‘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?”

God Knew It Would Take Effort

Three of my favorite words in the Bible are found in the book of Hebrews. Whenever I see them, I breathe a sigh of relief because those words reveal God’s expectations. Those three words are found at the beginning of Hebrews 12:14.

The NIV version says, “Make every effort . . . .”

The Lord knew that living our faith was not going to come naturally. It would take effort.

Who wrote those words?

We don’t know who authored Hebrews, but I would like to meet him one day in heaven.

Theologians think it was probably Barnabas or Apollos, and that would make sense. Those men spent a lot of time with Paul, learning Christian doctrine, traveling from city to city, and teaching Christianity to people from many different backgrounds.

If you study the life of Paul, you’ll learn that he was highly respected, was loved and appreciated by many, but probably was not the easiest person to live with. He burned everyone’s candles at both ends.

Barnabas and Paul argued over John Mark and went their separate ways for a time. First Corinthians seems to reveal that some tension existed between Paul and Apollos. No one was better at Christian doctrine than Paul, but no one caused quite as much trouble as Paul either.

Is that why theologians think the author of Hebrews was Barnabas or Apollos?

God expects us to make an effort

Whoever the Holy Spirit inspired to write the book of Hebrews really understood the Christian life in a non-Christian world. God has very high standards for his children, and all of us are going to struggle to live up to his expectations. But, then again, God expects us to struggle.

What God is really asking us is to “make every effort.”

The New International Version of Hebrews 12:14–15 says, “Make every effort to live in peace with everyone and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord. See to it that no one falls short of the grace of God and that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many.”

Our salvation doesn’t depend on living up to God’s standards. We were saved by his grace through Christ because we couldn’t live perfectly. Our witness, however, does depend on our efforts. And a LOT of Christians are making a great effort to “live in peace” and be “holy” because they want people to see the Lord.

A different way to view the news

I decided to look at the news a bit differently and was surprised by the thoughts that followed.

There was another mass shooting, this time in Virginia Beach. I was appalled at the pain that one man’s massacre left behind. I was impressed by his coworkers and the law enforcement who risked their lives to stop him from killing more.

I also wondered if, in the aftermath, there were Christian coworkers who were wishing they had made “every effort” to lead that man to the Lord.

After those thoughts, I decided to consider the story from a different point of view. I wondered how many news stories do not exist today because of the Christians who have made every effort to make sure that “no one falls short of the grace of God.”

The unreported news

We normally hear about the failures, but, one day in heaven, we will learn of all the successes.

If I see things from a new perspective, I’ll realize that there are hundreds, thousands, and maybe tens of thousands of people who have lived full lives because somewhere, sometime, a person made every effort to live like God requested his children to live.

I know there are countless millions of people who will live eternally because Christians made that effort.

For every shooter, there are billions of people who are not evil. For every human being who falls short, there are humans who don’t. There are a lot of people making an effort to live in peace with others and be holy. As a result, there are a lot of people who will get to meet their Lord one day.

Growth that isn’t good

There is one more word from the author of Hebrews. He knew what comes naturally for Christians who make an effort to live holy lives while surrounded by people who don’t.

Hebrews 12:15 says, “See to it that no one falls short of the grace of God and that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many.”

Do stories like the Virginia shooting increase your efforts to share God’s grace or do they feed the “bitter root” that grows up and causes trouble?

I know I’m guilty of the latter. I almost can’t watch the news these days without my “bitter root” growing another few inches. I need to make a greater effort not to fall short of living with the presence and power of God’s grace. I need to make every effort to help others find that blessing in their lives as well.

Praise God for the news we don’t see

It is a different way to view the news. Most of the news does not reflect holy living. Praise God for all we don’t see on the news that does. There are people who are making every effort to live with God’s standards, and people come to know God’s salvation every day.

Does your bitter root need a little tending to?

If so, make every effort to live a holy life and lead others to faith. That effort will be rewarded here on earth and in heaven. People are rarely bitter at a baptism!

Today, you will have the opportunity to be an example of God’s grace to someone. It was an effort for the author of Hebrews, and it will be an effort for us. But someday the good news will be known.

Let’s joyfully and faithfully be part of those headlines.