Month: June 2015

What problem are you dealing with today? What issue has you all worked up? Is it an argument with your spouse? Did you make a mistake at work? Did you lose some money or have you missed a great opportunity? Are you feeling ill and needing to take some time off? Has someone disappointed you? All of these issues can seem so important in the heat of the moment. But ask yourself, “Will this matter a year from now?” Playing what Richard Carlson calls the “time warp” game can be very helpful in bringing us much needed perspective. Imagine that whatever you are dealing with today isn’t happening right now but a year from now. Then ask yourself, “Is this situation really as important as I’m making it out to be?” There may indeed be occasions when it is – but usually it isn’t all that significant. The other day I sat beside a river and watched some ducks and a couple of swans as they swam around. A passage from the Sermon on the Mount about how God cares for birds came to mind so I looked it up. Here are Jesus’ words to us: “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life? And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith?  So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’  For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.  Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.” (Matthew 6:25-34) That passage brought me much needed perspective and peace. I struggle and fight against things I have no control over because I’m worried about many things. But my heavenly Father is in control of all things. So whatever it is that’s bothering me today, I need to trust that God has it all under control. And a year from now – I will have probably forgotten about it.

Asking good questions can lead to great personal insights and learning. Asking good questions can challenge our assumptions and affect our actions. Asking good questions can be hard work. My children often ask me for help with their homework. They hope that I might just give them the answers so they can complete the assignment. But I know they need to figure out the solution for themselves. They need to wrestle with the questions on their own if they are going to master the content. So it is with the questions we ask ourselves about life. Last Sunday our guest speakers talked about four questions that had significant influence on their lives. The questions were: Who is my neighbor? Can anything good come out of Nazareth? What is in your hand? What is your weakness? They mentioned that in the gospels, Jesus asked hundreds of questions. That got me thinking and looking up some of his questions. Good questions can lead to spiritual examination which can be helpful but also painful. I’ve picked ten questions to share with you. I’ve been thinking about them. Take your time to consider the question, the context in which Jesus asks it, and what your answer might be. I will warn you. You may stumble to understand the question. You may not like the responses you come up with. But don’t let that stop you from working on your answers. God wants to transform you through asking some good questions. 1. If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? (Matthew 5:46) 2. Why do you worry about clothes? (Matthew 6:28) 3. Why do you entertain evil thoughts in your hearts? (Matthew 9:4) 4. What good will it be for a man if he gains the whole world, yet forfeits his soul? Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul? (Matthew 16:26) 5. Are you so dull? (Mark 7:18) 6. Could you not keep watch for one hour? (Mark 14:37) 7. Why do you call me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do what I say? (Luke 6:46) 8. Where is your faith? (Luke 8:25) 9. So if you have not been trustworthy in handling worldly wealth, who will trust you with true riches? (Luke 16:11) 10. Do you love me? (John 21:17) If you are like me, these questions raise new questions that I need to consider. But that’s a good thing. It’s stretching me and that’s how I grow.

A couple was travelling across the country and got hungry. They decided to stop at a truck stop and have supper. They weren’t sure about eating at that type of roadside diner but they were hungry enough to give it a go. As they approached the door, a truck driver walked out of the restaurant. They asked him if the food was any good. The driver said he had eaten in this restaurant many times. He discouraged them from doing so with the following words: “The food is terrible, the mashed potatoes are watery, the meat is tough, the coffee is stale, and the pie is like cardboard. Oh, and one other thing – the portions are too small!” I guess that despite the awful food the driver wanted to get his money’s worth. It’s amazing how professional we can be at complaining. For some people it’s a full-time occupation. Thanks to comment sections on websites and blogs we can even make sure our complaints reach a worldwide audience. But complaining isn’t a harmless activity. It affects our spirit and relationship with God. The children of Israel were famous for complaining about their situation. Paul tells us not to “grumble, as some of them did” because they died for it. (1 Corinthians 10:10) If we are anxious, concerned or frustrated about something, we are encouraged to pray about it. “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.” (Philippians 4:6) Better yet, we are told to “do everything without grumbling.” (Philippians 2:14) Most of the time we think this is an impossible command. And it is tough. But Paul’s theme in Philippians is all about the joy of the Lord. One of the reasons we lose that joy is because of our grumbling and complaining. In reality, we live in a day and age of great abundance and blessing. We need the Spirit’s help in training our minds to see God’s goodness in the world around us. “Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.” (Philippians 4:8)

In his book entitled “Respectable Sins”, Jerry Bridges talks about one of the most widespread and subtle sins among Christians: ungodliness. How is it possible that good Christian people can be called ungodly? Ungodliness and unrighteousness are not the same thing. Unrighteousness is sinful action in thought, word or deed, whereas ungodliness is an attitude that we express towards God himself. As Bridges defines it, ungodliness is “living one’s everyday life with little or no thought of God, or of God’s will, or of God’s glory, or of one’s dependence on God.” We can be nice, helpful, church-going people and have no thought of God in our daily activity. As someone else has said, “Many Christians live as functional atheists.” Two passages of scripture come to mind when I think about this sin. The first has to do with the farmer who was doing well but wanted even more. In Luke 12 Jesus tells the story of the man who wants to build even bigger barns for his surplus so that he can “take life easy; eat, drink and be merry.” (Luke 12:19) That night he died and Jesus said, “This is how it will be with whoever stores up things for themselves but is not rich toward God.” (Luke 12:21) James also cautions people about living without regard to God’s will or glory. “Look here, you who say, ‘Today or tomorrow we are going to a certain town and will stay there a year. We will do business there and make a profit.’ How do you know what your life will be like tomorrow? Your life is like the morning fog—it’s here a little while, then it’s gone. What you ought to say is, ‘If the Lord wants us to, we will live and do this or that.’” (James 4:13-15 NLT) While planning for the future is not sinful – the Bible encourages thoughtful planning – both passages are condemning planning that doesn’t acknowledge dependence on God. We get so busy with our plans and daily activities that we go about all our duties without pausing to ask God what his desire is. The Christian life isn’t about attending church on Sundays and saying a prayer when we need help. It’s about surrendering our lives, each and every day, to the King of heaven. It’s about living the life that he calls us to. We can only discover what his plans and purposes are for us when we stop and listen. Pray that God will make us more conscious of the fact that every moment of every day is lived under his all-seeing eye.