Author: web_cicb

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

Sue Markham really wanted a dog. Her husband wasn’t so keen on the idea. He finally relented and agreed that they could get a dog if it was a small one that wouldn’t take up too much space in their home. Sue began looking for a puppy at animal shelters and when she saw little Yogi she just had to have him. She brought Yogi home and told her husband that he was a Jack Russell Terrier and would not likely ever be over twenty pounds. Then Yogi started to grow and Mr. Markham became concerned over the amount of food that Yogi was eating. Mrs. Markham had to confess that Yogi wasn’t really a Jack Russell. She was hoping that her husband wouldn’t notice her little “white lie” until it was too late to change his mind. She hoped he, too, would love their new pet. In reality, Yogi is a Great Dane. And not just any Great Dane but a Boston Great Dane, which just also happens to be one of the single largest breeds on the planet! A news reporter writes: “Today, Yogi is weighing in at about 200 pounds, and is around six feet, ten inches from tip to tail. Much bigger than your everyday Jack Russell, that’s for sure. He’s a neighbourhood favourite as well, gaining tons of attention for his very large size and gentle giant manner.” Mr. Markham must be the forgiving type because he and his wife are still living together and he has come to love the small pony that now lives in his home. The story has a happy ending but not all little white lies end so well. King Solomon offers advice to all of us in the Song of Songs: “Catch us the foxes, the little foxes that spoil the vines.” (2:15) Solomon tells us that it is the little foxes that spoil the vines – the little things that can have a big impact. This appears to be a warning to you and me. We need to watch out for subtle dangers of so-called “little sins”. It is often the “little sins” that grow into larger problems if they go on unchecked. God’s word is clear that sin is sin. We try to excuse these “little sins” by saying something like, “It was just a little white lie. It won’t hurt anyone. No one will really notice. It’s not like I murdered anyone.” Indeed, the consequences of certain sins may be more serious than others. What we need to guard is the attitude of our heart. We don’t want little things growing into big problems. It’s better not to start with any “little sins” but rather to stop them from starting. Most of us don’t have room for a Great Dane in our lives.