Strength Archives

Christian-ish

A friend called me this week with a few questions about a Bible study app that she and her child were doing together. It is popular and very well done. But, there were a few flags in terms of what was taught, or rather, what was not taught. She just had a bit of a catch about some points of theology that were omitted rather than addressed.

There are some popular television shows called Black-ish and Mixed-ish. Truthfully, I’ve not seen either one, but I understand the premise has to do with children who are not fully one race or another and the cultural issues they have with their identity.

I think Christians have some issues in our culture as well. It is less common to take firm positions on theology today because we feel the need to blend well with our culture.

Christian-ish seems to describe a lot of God’s people today.

Confident or Christian-ish?

It’s difficult for people to navigate their faith in a world where the “correct” position is often an “ishy” position. In other words, it’s not fully the truth, but it’s not untruthful either.

Is it a good idea to position ourselves as people who are confidently Christian, or is Christian-ish a better way? Do we catch more flies with honey than vinegar?

Yes, if you want to catch insects.

But what if the game is baseball?

An outfielder is supposed to catch flies as well, but honey and vinegar have nothing to do with his job. So, the right answer involves understanding which game we are playing. We need to figure out if we ought to be catching bugs or baseballs.

The flies-and-honey saying is about popularity. We will catch more insects if we put together a mixture that sweetens the truth just a bit. So, we edit the Bible stories with a happier ending and leave out some of the tougher parts. We teach that God loves everyone, which is true, but we might choose to omit the Bible verses that point out the fact that God will judge everyone as well.

The problem is, bugs are pretty easy to squish. Faith based on partial truth might not hold up well under pressure.

The “flies” in baseball are really a better analogy for evangelism.

An outfielder knows that, if he drops the ball, it might cost a bunch of people the win. There isn’t a very large margin for error. An outfielder needs to know the entire field to do his job. There are other players, walls, wind, and the glare of the sun that have to be factored in. The whole truth of Scripture isn’t as easy to present or accept—but understanding the game and learning to play it well makes all the difference.

Catching baseballs requires a lot more effort than catching bugs, but baseballs are almost impossible to squish.

Christian-ish is a blended faith

The word Christian-ish describes a person who wants to blend the rules of their faith with other things.

It is easy to want to be Christian-ish because that kind of faith doesn’t usually offend, and we are less likely to be called narrow-minded.

But, Christian-ish isn’t a pure faith.

Most importantly, Christian-ish is not an option the Bible can support.

Truth-ish isn’t an option.

Psalm 119:160 says, “The sum of your word is truth, and every one of your righteous rules endures forever.”

Rewriting the rules of Scripture to try to make them “sweeter sounding” is not effective evangelism. God’s rules are “righteous,” and it is the sum total of Scripture that is the whole truth.

Paul told the early Christians in Ephesus “Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ” (Ephesians 4:15).

Christian-ish might suggest we blend biblical truth with what the culture believes is true. Paul taught the early church not to alter the truth because our faith needs to “grow up in every way.” We can’t soften the truth so Paul said we needed to soften our delivery of the truth.

We need to speak God’s word motivated by his love.

The Mixed-ish Samaritans

Jesus traveled through Samaria one day and stopped to get water at Jacob’s well.

The Samaritans were considered “mixed-ish” in Jesus’ day. Many were both Jew and Gentile, genetically and spiritually.

The woman was surprised when Jesus spoke to her. John 4:9 says, “For Jews have no dealings with Samaritans.” But, Jesus wasn’t interested in the woman’s “genetics.” He was interested in her soul.

So he led her to understand the truth about her identity with God, which had nothing to do with cultural perceptions. He told her that he wanted to give her and her family the water that would “become in [them] a spring of water welling up to eternal life” (John 4:14).

Jesus then told the Samaritan woman, “The hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father is seeking such people to worship him” (John 4:23).

I think Jesus would tell our Christian-ish culture the exact same thing.

Pure truth in worship

God is looking for true worshippers who will worship in spirit and truth.

Are we worshipping the God of the universe or a version of God that seems more acceptable to people?

Do we worship as we are directed by others or as we are led by the Holy Spirit within?

Are we learning truth or a “sweetened” version of the truth?

Going forward, we will all need to listen to what is said, and especially to what is not said, to determine if we are receiving a message that is Christian or Christian-ish. We might need to take every message back to God’s word to decide if it was true or “kinda” true.

And, when we want to share God’s word with others, we will need to share the pure truth, with pure love. We want to bring people to heaven who have matured into strong, “unsquishable” believers.

Playing the right game matters

Jesus said, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:6).

The game is not about catching insects with sweeter words; it’s about catching baseballs with truth and talent.

And playing the right game matters eternally.

Christian-ish seems like a sweeter, more popular way to evangelize, but it’s a game played on the wrong field. And “no one comes to the Father” through partial truth. His word is “the truth” that leads to “the life.”

Let’s all make sure we are trying to catch the right “flies” today using the right methods.

The game is clear—and the final score matters forever.

Truly Free

My husband, Jim, opened his most recent sermon with a poem by Kenneth Kaufman entitled Three Tame Ducks. I asked him to send me the text so I could share it with all of you.

This week we celebrate the freedom most days we are free to take for granted. It’s good to be reminded of and honor those for whom “freedom wasn’t and isn’t free.” A lot of people have sacrificed their lives for this country so the rest of us could “rest” each night, safe and fairly certain of what tomorrow will bring.

That is why I wanted to share Three Tame Ducks with all of you. I don’t really know what Jim spoke about, right after he shared it with us. My mind instantly headed down a different road, one I think I am supposed to write about this week.

Three Tame Ducks

There are three tame ducks in our backyard

Dabbling in mud and trying hard

Of the overflowing barnyard store.

To get their share and maybe more

Satisfied with the task they’re at

Of eating and sleeping and getting fat

But whenever the free wild ducks go by

In a long line streaming down the sky,

They cock a quizzical puzzled eye

And flap their wings and try to fly.

I think my soul is a tame old duck

Dabbling around in barnyard muck,

Fat and lazy with useless wings.

But sometimes when the north wind sings

And the wild ones hurtle overhead,

It remembers something lost and dead,

And cocks a wary, bewildered eye

And makes a feeble attempt to fly.

It’s fairly content with the state it’s in,

But it isn’t the duck it might have been.

God made us soar.

I was looking out of the windows at the beautiful view behind our chapel, right after Jim had read this poem to our chapel crowd. I saw a huge hawk flying, actually floating, on the wind. It barely had to flap its huge wings because the strong breeze was keeping it aloft.

That bird knew the only thing necessary was to face the right direction and it would be carried along. I compared that bird to those ducks in the barnyard I had just heard about.

They’d spent the day scratching on the ground for as much as they could find while that hawk barely flapped its wings, satisfied it had enough.

Are we satisfied?

I couldn’t help but wonder if Christians today are satisfied to “stay in their barnyards” even though they know God has called them to fly. Are we using our freedom of choice to choose complacency?

If you are like me, it’s just easier to scratch the ground with the other ducks than try to fly.

My thoughts went to the often quoted verse from the prophet Isaiah that says, “But they who wait for the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint” (Isaiah 40:31).

We see that verse on cards, plaques, and beautiful pictures to hang on our walls. It is meaningful as a “standalone” but so much more impactful when read as a conclusion to a crucial chapter of Isaiah.

Isaiah wrote to bring comfort to the Jews still held in captive in Babylon. He told them Israel’s sin had been paid for; that a voice was calling in the wilderness to prepare a way for the Lord; that the glory of the Lord would be revealed; that people are like grass that withers and fades, but the word of God endures forever. He told the people to lift up their voices and proclaim the Sovereign Lord’s power, and then he described the Savior that Jesus would one day be and the omnipotent God who has no equal.

Are we using our freedom well?

Isaiah 40 concludes with the words that crossed my mind after I’d heard the poem. I was watching that hawk soar and comparing it to the tame ducks described in the poem. I had been considering this blog post earlier that day and thinking about what I would say for the week of July Fourth.

We celebrate our freedom. But the same freedom that gives me the right to worship and write this blog post is the same freedom that “Gay Pride” parades were afforded. The same freedom that allowed me to sing praise to God on Sunday morning allowed for their speeches. The same freedoms God has afforded us allow each person the freedom to reject the One who created the concept.

The question I had to ask myself is the question I offer each of you: As a Christian, am I sharing my message as freely and as boldly as those who march in rainbow-colored outfits? Am I as passionate about my “cause” as they are theirs?

Isaiah wrote, “Why do you complain, Jacob? Why do you say, Israel, ‘My way is hidden from the Lord; my cause is disregarded by my God’? Do you not know? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom” (Isaiah 40:27–28).

We do grow tired, but he gives strength.

Did you find yourself complaining about the news this past weekend?

I did.

But I realize now that they are free to march, free to speak, free to rally, and free to sin. God gave them the freedom to choose, even if it meant they would misuse their freedom.

To complain is to be held captive by their sin instead of using our freedom for a better purpose. But don’t you just feel tired of the fight? Especially now that it seems we have lost the battle?

Isaiah says, “He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall” (40:29–30).

It’s okay to admit you are tired of trying; it’s just not okay to stop trying.

Why?

Because “those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint” (40:31).

If our hope is in God, we need to choose his strength for the journey. It’s the only way we will be strong enough to fly.

Our hope is our freedom.

God never promised we would win. He did, however, promise he would.

To complain is to be like the Israelites in captivity: living with the promise of freedom, unable to enjoy its benefits. It’s like watching the birds that fly overhead but choosing to scratch that barnyard mud.

To use our freedom—to share our gospel message—with a holy passion is to give up the barnyard fight and decide to fly instead. Our job isn’t to win. That is God’s job—and we already know how the fight turns out.

Live proudly.

We are free to live with pride as well. We just have to quit scratching in the mud for the victories this world has to offer.

We have better, higher ways to use our energies. Look up and speak up. And don’t grow weary. We are free to live above the barnyard, and he gives us the strength to fly above the mess.

Just remember, he also gives us the freedom to make that choice.

How will you use your freedom today?

5 Tips for a Stronger Summer Soul

I’m done teaching my Bible study for this year, and so I’m writing this article for my own sake as much as yours.

It’s a lot easier for me to stay close to the Lord when I have to teach his Word each week. I usually spend a lot of time studying and preparing lessons as well as praying for the wisdom to teach them. Then summer rolls around and I spend less time relying on God and more time enjoying my coffee.

I want to do a better job enjoying both!

Now, I’m all for a summer break. We need some downtime once in a while. I will start to write next year’s Bible study in a couple of weeks and that will help. But, there are a few things that I try to do, especially in these summer months, to keep my soul inspired and God’s direction front and center each day. I thought I’d share those ideas with all of you.

These are my ideas, but I would love to hear some of yours. Use the comment section or our Facebook link to share your thoughts.

1. Rise early.

“Joy comes with the morning” (Psalm 30:5).

The summer days are longer, but they will also get hot (especially in Texas). I like to have my first cup of coffee early, while I read The Daily Article, my husband’s morning essay, and the First15 devotional, written by my son.

Most of you probably get these already, but if you don’t, you should! Spending your time with these words about God will often inspire a word from God.

How do you take that word into your soul?

Put on comfortable shoes and start walking. Consider what God has spoken to you, and, chances are, God will speak words through you that day.

We all need to consume God’s thoughts if we want to have a well-fed soul.

2. Go to bed early.

“It is in vain that you rise up early and go late to rest, eating the bread of anxious toil; for he gives to his beloved sleep” (Psalm 127:2).

This is an obscure verse of Scripture, but it shouldn’t be!

Have you ever stopped to consider why we were created to need sleep?

God didn’t have to create us with that need, but he did. A ton of studies discuss the importance of sleep to our physical bodies, but have you ever thought about the benefits of sleep to our souls?

God can speak to us as we dream. Have you asked him to?

A good night’s sleep is healing to every aspect of our lives. We weren’t meant to work and toil all day. God wants us to rest, and to rest in him.

Give God your dreams, and, each morning, as you are thinking about what you have dreamed, ask God what he might be speaking to your soul.

3. Spend time on your friendships.

“Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their toil. For if they fall, one will lift up his fellow. But woe to him who is alone when he falls and not another to lift him up!” (Ecclesiastes 4:9–10).

There are so many people in this world I would love to know better. I wish I knew all of you, for example!

But there are only twenty-four hours to a day, and there are a lot more acquaintances in our lives than there are friends.

Heed King Solomon’s words: don’t just spend time with friends; spend some time on your friends.

Our friends should not just be good company. They should be people who strengthen our walk with the Lord and bless our souls—and we should be that kind of friend to them as well.

4. Experience God in an ancient, new way.

“The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness” (Lamentations 3:22–23).

These are familiar and favorite verses. God’s people have been sharing God’s wisdom for centuries. Add something to your spiritual journey that is ancient wisdom but new to you.

There are books of Christian quotes, websites with old sermons, and Christian novels written decades ago. There is something particularly refreshing to our souls to read words that God inspired in the past that are still his truth today.

God is timeless and timely. If he inspired truth one hundred years ago, it is still truth today.

5. Take time to enjoy God’s warmth.

“You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore” (Psalm 16:11).

I have to admit, I love the warmth of summer. I love warm weather, flowers, vacations, swimming, and long, lazy walks on a beach. I love the sun on my toes and a great novel in my hands. I love long days and a slower work schedule.

And I love that I have time to just love the One who provides it all.

Fall will arrive, if Jesus doesn’t. I would love for all of us to look back on these summer months with gratitude for the time we spent just enjoying our God. He would enjoy our enjoyment. Our souls were made to find joy in our Father.

Your soul was created to enjoy its Creator. And he wants to spend these summer days with you, joyfully present in your life.

Strengthen Your Summer Soul

Those are my tips, and you can go to my website or Facebook page to share yours.

The summer months will come and go. Don’t you want to use them to strengthen your soul?

If you are like me, then some weeks will probably be better than others—but I’d like to have more of those great weeks. God gave us the season we call summer. He had to have a perfect reason! Let’s plan to enjoy the days ahead because we trust that God has a plan to strengthen our souls with his joy.