Month: September 2015

A young mother found her four-year-old son crying as he was tying his shoes. “Why are you crying?” she asked. “I have to tie my shoes,” he sobbed. “But you just learned how. It isn’t that hard, is it?” “No, but I’m gonna have to do it the rest of my life!”  Sometimes ordinary, everyday tasks seem too overwhelming. There are those moments when the thought of doing the same things every day for the rest of our life seems devastating. We don’t want to become boring old people.  While our lives can be filled with exciting and fun activity, most of our time is taken up with routine tasks that just have to be done. We need to keep the house clean, fill the car with gas, pay the bills, do the grocery shopping and replace light bulbs among our many chores. A few years ago, writer Gordon MacDonald noted that we must learn to “make peace with the ordinary.” That phrase has stuck with me over time. I have often found it difficult to stay interested in my everyday chores. Making peace with the ordinary is really about living a disciplined life. We can’t accomplish our dreams and desires if we can’t master the basics of everyday living. Like Mom used to say, “Make your bed before you go out and play.” There are lots of exciting and challenging things to do in this world. There are plenty of dreams to pursue and we shouldn’t make excuses as to why we can’t make progress. However, it’s necessary that we make peace with the ordinary. In order to make a difference in this world – to have an impact on others – we must first be disciplined in the ordinary areas of our private world. Go to the ant, you sluggard; consider its ways and be wise! It has no commander, no overseer or ruler, yet it stores its provisions in summer and gathers its food at harvest. (Proverbs 6:6-8)

Benjamin Franklin once said, “It takes many good deeds to build a good reputation, and only one bad one to lose it.” Volkswagen, the world’s largest car maker, found that out this week. Their stock price has plunged by at least 20% on the news that they found a way to fake good results for emissions testing in their diesel cars. No word yet on why they did it or what they hoped to accomplish. Clearly this wasn’t well thought out. It’s a disaster for the company. The actions of several individuals who approved of this form of cheating have damaged the reputation and value of a firm that has been, until now, held in high regard. It’s just another reminder – as if we need one in this world – of how easy it is to lose trust. In his book The Speed of Trust, Stephen M.R. Covey argues that isn’t just about character. Sure, character is important and essential: if our personal honesty and integrity is compromised it can cause a lack of trust. But trust is also a function of competence: your capabilities, skills, results and track record. What you do is important. Your actions matter. The Psalmist Asaph wrote this about King David: So he shepherded them according to the integrity of his heart, And guided them by the skillfulness of his hands. (Psalm 78:72) David was far from perfect. His sins and shortcomings are in prominent view throughout Scripture. But he understood that his leadership depended on both his heart condition and his actions. As we share life with others we need to keep watch over our integrity. But we also need to ensure that our actions are helpful and don’t bring harm. It’s easy to lose the trust of others. I’ve done it many times. You have too. More often than not it has been a result of our actions or lack of action. We need to think about our behaviours and how they affect others. Are we building trust through our conduct or are we harming our reputation? The heart and the hand go together in building a legacy.

This coming weekend I turn 50 years old. Part of me doesn’t even understand what that means. The other part of me is ready and willing to accept it’s part of life. I’m not sure what one is supposed to feel or do at this age but I’m sensing two key emotions at this time. A Sense of Gratitude – Naturally, I find myself looking back at my life and feeling very thankful for all that I have received. I was born into a privileged family with parents and sisters who were loving and supportive. Our home lacked nothing, it was safe and secure. I had the opportunity to receive a good education and I have a love of learning that continues. I married well, really well. My amazing wife loves me despite all that she knows about me and has to put up with. She’s my treasure in life. It’s hard for me to describe how I feel about my four children. They are healthy, beautiful, bright, active, loving individuals who have ensured that the last 21 years have never been dull. It’s my greatest honour and most sacred duty to be their father. I’ve lived in five different countries on four continents and have travelled to some of God’s most beautiful places. It has been my privilege to be the pastor of three churches – all in different countries. I am blessed with close friends of many years. I’ve had excellent mentors and role models. All in all, it feels like an embarrassment of riches and at 50 I can’t help but feel grateful for it all. Like the Psalmist I can say, “Bless the Lord, O my soul; And all that is within me, bless His holy name!” (Psalm 103:1) A Sense of Anticipation – Once upon a time I thought people who were 50 were very old. Now I know better. Rhonda and I don’t really talk about retirement. It’s not something that is very close in our future. Lately, we’ve been talking about how to spend the next 25 years of life together. We don’t believe that we have peaked yet and we don’t plan to slow down too soon. There’s just so much more we want to do. We are excited about what lies ahead. In this next stage of life I want to focus more on giving back and helping others. I’m looking forward to writing more and perhaps doing some teaching here and there. I want to use what I have learned to assist others. Passing on our faith to a younger generation will be important. The world is changing rapidly and people need to understand how the timeless truth of the gospel makes a difference in society. I want to help others learn to walk out their faith in their generation. It will not look like my generation and that’s okay. What is important is that they follow Jesus – being guided by the Word and his Holy Spirit. There are definitely concerns for our world on the horizon. Yet I am not one to fear for the church, the cause of Christ or my own future. I believe more than ever that He is at work in the world and His purposes cannot be stopped. I want to be a part of what He is doing. So bring on the next 50 years! Like the prophet says, “But as for me, I will watch expectantly for the Lord.” (Micah 7:7)

What’s better than victory? Better than achieving a goal? We all love victory. We love to win. Whether it’s a sport, a board game or a personal goal, we love accomplishment.  Bookstores and social media sites are full of advice on how to win or how to achieve our goals. Why shouldn’t we seek to win? In our Christian life we are often discouraged by the lack of progress we make. So often we don’t feel like we are living victoriously. We struggle with a variety of sins. We wrestle with our attitudes and desires. When we realize how we fall short we feel defeated. One of my favourite Christian authors, Jerry Bridges, writes: “It is time for us Christians to face up to our responsibility for holiness. Too often we say we are ‘defeated’ by this or that sin. No, we are not defeated; we are simply disobedient! It might be well if we stopped using the terms ‘victory’ and ‘defeat’ to describe our progress in holiness. Rather we should use the terms ‘obedience’ and ‘disobedience’.” (The Pursuit of Holiness, p.84) We aren’t helpless in our daily struggle to live a holy life. God’s Holy Spirit was given to help in moments of weakness. Too often we just decide not to obey what we know to be God’s will. It’s a simple choice we make over and over again. God is concerned about our personal growth and development as a believer. He desires that we live holy lives. But we also have a responsibility. We don’t simply overcome because we are now Christians. We face a daily choice of obedience or disobedience. We are told to “put to death” the sin in our life and to stop walking in the way we used to go. (Colossians 3:5-8) Now that we have new life in Christ we are expected to act like it. We are required to do something about holy living. Obedience to the things of God is valued more than victories and accomplishments. God said he desires obedience even over sacrifice. (1 Samuel 15:22) If we are obedient in the things that God calls us to, then we will have victories. But if we simply try to be victorious we’ll keep on failing. Work at obedience and these other things will be added.

For part of his homework this week my son asked me about the difference between “migrant” and “refugee.” I explained that while all refugees are migrants not all migrants are refugees. That wasn’t really very helpful to him. So I said that we are migrants (or immigrants) because we have left our home country but we did so willingly. Refugees (are also migrants but) leave their home because they have to – in order to avoid violence, oppression, starvation or some other danger. The refugee crisis is big news here in Europe. The shores are overwhelmed with people fleeing dangerous situations in Syria, Afghanistan, Iraq, parts of North Africa and elsewhere. As the tragedy unfolds many are risking their lives in order to reach the European Union. Yet there is no guarantee they will be safe once they arrive and unfortunately they aren’t getting a warm welcome. As Christians we need to hear what the Bible says about such people – refugees and foreigners in our midst. Here are just five points to ponder: 1. Many figures in Scripture were refugees. The early patriarchs often had to leave home due to famine. The story of Ruth is all about displaced people. Even baby Jesus and his parents were refugees for a time in Egypt. Seeking refuge and safety is a theme throughout the Bible. At times I wonder how much has changed in the last few thousand years. 2. God loves refugees and gave commandments that they were to be cared for. Passages like Deuteronomy 10:18-19 are pretty clear: “He defends the cause of the fatherless and the widow, and loves the foreigner residing among you, giving them food and clothing. And you are to love those who are foreigners, for you yourselves were foreigners in Egypt.” 3. In the Old Testament a portion of one’s income was to be given to those in need. See Leviticus 19:9-10: “When you reap the harvest of your land, do not reap to the very edges of your field or gather the gleanings of your harvest. Do not go over your vineyard a second time or pick up the grapes that have fallen. Leave them for the poor and the foreigner. I am the Lord your God.” When the phrase, “I am the Lord your God” is used it’s a reference to the second commandment. Do this – because I am God. 4. Jesus tells us in the gospels (Luke 10:25-27) to love our neighbours as ourselves. So, who is our neighbour? Take a guess. The parable Jesus tells doesn’t give us any excuses. It’s the foreigner. 5. When we get to heaven we will give an account of our actions towards those in need. “‘I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.’ They also will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?’” (Matthew 25:42-44) Now all of this doesn’t really help us in developing a refugee policy or answering tough questions about who should or shouldn’t get refugee status. It doesn’t bring us to any quick conclusions about how this current crisis needs to be handled. And while it doesn’t spell out what the government should do, it does talk to us about our attitudes towards those in need. It does challenge us to do something when we see those in need. “For whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.” – Matthew 25:40