A couple of nights ago, I was out in the dusk playing with my son. He ran around with my football and tried his best to throw it to me. Then, as any little boy would want, he begged me to throw it to him. I tried to lob the ball, skip it to him, or any way that would help him catch it; however, he is just not developmentally ready to catch a football.
Well, the inevitable happened, footballs, as you see every weekend watching the sport on television, take interesting bounces. This one clanged him pretty hard in the ribs. He paused, looked at me, stuck his lip out, and then began to cry. I motioned for him to come to me, which he did running, and gave him a hug. That simple attention was all he needed. In a flash, he quit crying and took off running again. He turned around and wanted that football tossed to him. It really was getting dark and cooling off; so I said no and took him inside. He screamed worse than he did when he took the nose of the football into his ribs.
After his bath, Bible story, and a couple of songs to put him to bed, I sat down with my Bible and opened it to continue 1 Corinthians. Chapter 12 and 13 really went well together; so I read them. It as amazing how the events of the evening with my son paralleled what Goad was teaching me in my devotions.
Chapter 12 deals with spiritual gifts and chapter 13 is the famous "love chapter" of the Bible. Paul argues, in chapter 12, that we all have spiritual gifts bestowed upon us by God and that we are uniquely positioned to accomplish His will with those gifts. Verses 11 and 18 tell us those gifts are "as He wills" and "just as He pleased." He is in control and gives us exactly what we need. That realization is vital for us to remember as we go through life. We have exactly what God wants us to have. What we may view as bad for us, in the eyes of God, is precisely what we need at that moment.
As Paul concludes his argument about gifts, he does so, in verse 31 by saying: "yet I show you a more excellent way." In other words, desiring gifts and using them are great; however, there is something better. Then, we turn to the love chapter. Here is my take on how these two work together -- gifts then love. God gives us gifts out of love but we may not view it that way. Chapter 13 describes love for us, but the only person that could ever reach that standards is Jesus Christ. He alone perfectly exemplified love.
I drew my son close to me when he was in pain from the football for the same reason that I upset him by heading inside -- LOVE. Love will get you through the pain in life because you realize that God has a purpose and a plan for everything. For instance, right now as I type, my daughter is whacking herself in the head with a long wooden spoon. Why? She is developing her motor skills -- that's good for her -- but sometimes pain comes along with maturity.
Step back and learn from children as their simple lives show us the complexity of our own. We protect them out of love but push them, sometimes leading to pain (i.e. falling off a bike), because we know what is best for them. If we are that way to our children, just picture how much that applies to our Heavenly Father. As the song says: "Trust and obey, for there's no other way to be happy in Jesus."
Sunday, October 31, 2010
Tuesday, October 26, 2010
Why??
That word, although short, is implemented frequently in conversations. It is used as a cry of despair as someone does not understand what is taking place in their life (think of when you lost a loved one suddenly or experienced a natural disaster). It is used demonstratively as an obstinate term to question another person's motives or actions (ever been in a meeting when someone disagreed with a decision and demanded to be told why?). It is used to press someone when you do not get your way (think of a toddler that is told "no").
As I face my own uncertainty and odd circumstances, this question seems to emerge. So, let's ask the question and explore the answer. Why? So that God can get the glory! I Corinthians 10:31 says: "Whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God." Why pain? Why uncertainty? God will get the glory in everything; so, we have to trust in that during those times.
Let's take that word "why" and apply it in different situations. Chely Wright, a country singer, has a song with the following line: "Why do I do what I do when I don't know what I'm doing?" Go back and re-read it because I missed it the first time. Why is it that I react in a particular fashion when I am confused and have no clue what I should be doing? That is the essence of our human behavior. Christians should answer that question by saying -- when all is unclear, I specifically seek ways to glorify God and not myself.
Really answer this question here: why do you try to do your best at work? Is it to make money? Is it for recognition? Is it to gain a promotion? The answer should be no. We should be seeking to glorify God with our actions at work and that will mean doing our best. Our motives reveal what or Who we serve; so the key is to ensure that we live I Corinthians 10:31 everyday.
Focus on glorifying God and the rest will fall into place. He is in control anyway; so rest in Him and glorify Him.
As I face my own uncertainty and odd circumstances, this question seems to emerge. So, let's ask the question and explore the answer. Why? So that God can get the glory! I Corinthians 10:31 says: "Whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God." Why pain? Why uncertainty? God will get the glory in everything; so, we have to trust in that during those times.
Let's take that word "why" and apply it in different situations. Chely Wright, a country singer, has a song with the following line: "Why do I do what I do when I don't know what I'm doing?" Go back and re-read it because I missed it the first time. Why is it that I react in a particular fashion when I am confused and have no clue what I should be doing? That is the essence of our human behavior. Christians should answer that question by saying -- when all is unclear, I specifically seek ways to glorify God and not myself.
Really answer this question here: why do you try to do your best at work? Is it to make money? Is it for recognition? Is it to gain a promotion? The answer should be no. We should be seeking to glorify God with our actions at work and that will mean doing our best. Our motives reveal what or Who we serve; so the key is to ensure that we live I Corinthians 10:31 everyday.
Focus on glorifying God and the rest will fall into place. He is in control anyway; so rest in Him and glorify Him.
Sunday, October 24, 2010
I "Know" I am Right, but I am Really Wrong....
I Corinthians is peppered with references to Christian liberty and how a Christian should govern their lives. Chapter 8 is entirely devoted to this topic and we will see again what God, through the Apostle Paul, has for us.
To deal with Christian liberty, Paul takes up the issue of eating meat offered to idols. This practice sounds a little odd to us, but we need to consider ancient culture to gain a better understanding. Had I lived in Corinth and did not believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, I would buy an animal and take it to the temple. The animal would be sacrificed and some of the meat offered to my "god" and the rest available for resale or consumption at the temple. Archaeologists have uncovered temples in Corinth with what seem to be large banquet halls. These would be used for consumption of the remaining meat while some other was sold by the temple to fill its coffers. Paul takes us either practices in this short chapter.
The opening verse contains the underlying theme of this entire discussion: "Knowledge puffs up but love edifies." Huh? Think about it just a bit. When we attain a little bit of knowledge, we believe we know it all and start showing just how much we know. Yet, if you ever find yourself in the presence of a true genius, they do not try to showcase their knowledge. They are some of the most humble people you will ever meet.
Paul specifically takes on those Christians that believe eating meat in the temple or buying meat that was sacrificed is acceptable. They "know" they are right and will disputed that fact with anyone. Verse 11 implies that fact in that Paul questions them: "and because of your knowledge shall the weak brother perish?" Instead, Paul says that these individuals need to realize they are not as right as they believe -- verse 13: "if food makes my brother stumble, I will never eat it again." In other words, our love for others needs to be so strong that we sacrifice what we believe are our "rights" to make their benefit paramount.
This type of teaching is considered strange by our culture, because we have become so steeped in the pursuit of our own rights and desires. This age is called the "Me Generation" and that is so true. We want what WE WANT and could care less about others and their needs or best interest. That mentality is post-modern existentialism and not Biblical thought. How do I know? God makes it abundantly clear in I Corinthians 10:24 - "Let no one seek his own, but each one the other's well being." When choices must be made between what will only benefit me and what may bring others closer to Christ because it reveals our love for Him, we must choose others.
The phrase "let your conscience be your guide" is widely promulgated today; however, that phrase needs modification. If the Holy Spirit lives within me, then He will guide as we should go; yet, there are times when issues are less than clear. If two people do not agree on an issue, the compromise toward the more stringent conscience is needed. For instance, my history colleagues at UNC-G would go to a bar after class to fellowship; but I never went. When asked, I explained my position to the folks (what if one of my kids in the youth group saw me going into a bar? what would they assume I was doing?). These classmates understood and changed their location to a coffee house -- they allowed my conscience to guide there conscience. Our choices, if they cause others to stumble, are pride-based and, therefore, wrong; so to counteract this tendency, we need to love others more than our personal desires.
Is this easy? No. God never promised that doing the right thing would be easy; however, He has promised that we can do "all things through Christ" who provides us strength (Philippians 4:13).
Someone is probably reading and saying: "Wait a minute!! This is my life and I get to live it how I want to." Is this really your life? Did you give yourself life? No. Paul's foundational argument in I Corinthians 6 is that we are not our own because we were bought with a price (6:20). If we are not our own, that means someone else owns us, thereby, making us slaves. If we are slaves of God, then our entire life must be focused on bringing Him glory (10:31). So, in sum, if you call yourself a Christian, then you must live like it by following these principals. This last paragraph, and your beliefs about it, determine whether any of the previous information is of value.
I am not my own, so I do not have "rights" that I have to protect. Let go of pride and embrace the humility of God. He offers the best for us but we have to be "wrong" in order to see it.
To deal with Christian liberty, Paul takes up the issue of eating meat offered to idols. This practice sounds a little odd to us, but we need to consider ancient culture to gain a better understanding. Had I lived in Corinth and did not believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, I would buy an animal and take it to the temple. The animal would be sacrificed and some of the meat offered to my "god" and the rest available for resale or consumption at the temple. Archaeologists have uncovered temples in Corinth with what seem to be large banquet halls. These would be used for consumption of the remaining meat while some other was sold by the temple to fill its coffers. Paul takes us either practices in this short chapter.
The opening verse contains the underlying theme of this entire discussion: "Knowledge puffs up but love edifies." Huh? Think about it just a bit. When we attain a little bit of knowledge, we believe we know it all and start showing just how much we know. Yet, if you ever find yourself in the presence of a true genius, they do not try to showcase their knowledge. They are some of the most humble people you will ever meet.
Paul specifically takes on those Christians that believe eating meat in the temple or buying meat that was sacrificed is acceptable. They "know" they are right and will disputed that fact with anyone. Verse 11 implies that fact in that Paul questions them: "and because of your knowledge shall the weak brother perish?" Instead, Paul says that these individuals need to realize they are not as right as they believe -- verse 13: "if food makes my brother stumble, I will never eat it again." In other words, our love for others needs to be so strong that we sacrifice what we believe are our "rights" to make their benefit paramount.
This type of teaching is considered strange by our culture, because we have become so steeped in the pursuit of our own rights and desires. This age is called the "Me Generation" and that is so true. We want what WE WANT and could care less about others and their needs or best interest. That mentality is post-modern existentialism and not Biblical thought. How do I know? God makes it abundantly clear in I Corinthians 10:24 - "Let no one seek his own, but each one the other's well being." When choices must be made between what will only benefit me and what may bring others closer to Christ because it reveals our love for Him, we must choose others.
The phrase "let your conscience be your guide" is widely promulgated today; however, that phrase needs modification. If the Holy Spirit lives within me, then He will guide as we should go; yet, there are times when issues are less than clear. If two people do not agree on an issue, the compromise toward the more stringent conscience is needed. For instance, my history colleagues at UNC-G would go to a bar after class to fellowship; but I never went. When asked, I explained my position to the folks (what if one of my kids in the youth group saw me going into a bar? what would they assume I was doing?). These classmates understood and changed their location to a coffee house -- they allowed my conscience to guide there conscience. Our choices, if they cause others to stumble, are pride-based and, therefore, wrong; so to counteract this tendency, we need to love others more than our personal desires.
Is this easy? No. God never promised that doing the right thing would be easy; however, He has promised that we can do "all things through Christ" who provides us strength (Philippians 4:13).
Someone is probably reading and saying: "Wait a minute!! This is my life and I get to live it how I want to." Is this really your life? Did you give yourself life? No. Paul's foundational argument in I Corinthians 6 is that we are not our own because we were bought with a price (6:20). If we are not our own, that means someone else owns us, thereby, making us slaves. If we are slaves of God, then our entire life must be focused on bringing Him glory (10:31). So, in sum, if you call yourself a Christian, then you must live like it by following these principals. This last paragraph, and your beliefs about it, determine whether any of the previous information is of value.
I am not my own, so I do not have "rights" that I have to protect. Let go of pride and embrace the humility of God. He offers the best for us but we have to be "wrong" in order to see it.
Tuesday, October 19, 2010
Freedom is NOT a Free for All
So, we turn to the topic of Christian liberty. Before we delve into the paragraph, we need to understand that freedom is not free. Typically, this statement refers to the military in the sacrifices they must make. As Christians, the same could be said of our liberty. While our spiritual freedom is free to us, it cost Christ His life. He died on a cross to shed His blood and atone for our sins. Our freedom came at tremendous cost to someone else.
With that understood, we need to examine Christian liberty. Verse 12 tells us that "all things are lawful for me, but not all things are helpful." So clearly here, we can do anything that we want; however, our desire needs to be balanced by what is helpful to us. Just because I can do something does not mean that it is the best thing for me. Jim Collins, in his seminal work Good to Great, attacks our culture for its acceptance of good when we could be great. That same principal applies in the Christian life.
Think of it this way: I really want a red Dodge Dakota 4x4 pickup and there is no Scriptural mandate against buying it. It would be good because I would have more space to take my entire family instead of only being able to take my son. Yet, is it best for me? No. The new vehicle means a car payment, higher insurance costs, an increase in fuel costs, and the fact that vehicles immediately depreciate before the ink is dry on the contract. Good and lawful but not best or helpful.
Our lives are filled with difficult and often unclear decisions. We have wants and desires but need to balance them with what is best and right. The latter part of the verse states that Paul "would not be brought under the power of any." In other words, he did not want to yield control of his life to anything other than God. That is an essential consideration in spiritual liberty -- is the "good" choice going to be one that will enslave me, thereby, taking me away from God?
Remember, we are to glorify God in everything we do. He wants what is best for us, but we need to avoid distractions by settling for good when we can have greatness provided by God. Seek Him. Love Him. Trust Him. Serve Him.
With that understood, we need to examine Christian liberty. Verse 12 tells us that "all things are lawful for me, but not all things are helpful." So clearly here, we can do anything that we want; however, our desire needs to be balanced by what is helpful to us. Just because I can do something does not mean that it is the best thing for me. Jim Collins, in his seminal work Good to Great, attacks our culture for its acceptance of good when we could be great. That same principal applies in the Christian life.
Think of it this way: I really want a red Dodge Dakota 4x4 pickup and there is no Scriptural mandate against buying it. It would be good because I would have more space to take my entire family instead of only being able to take my son. Yet, is it best for me? No. The new vehicle means a car payment, higher insurance costs, an increase in fuel costs, and the fact that vehicles immediately depreciate before the ink is dry on the contract. Good and lawful but not best or helpful.
Our lives are filled with difficult and often unclear decisions. We have wants and desires but need to balance them with what is best and right. The latter part of the verse states that Paul "would not be brought under the power of any." In other words, he did not want to yield control of his life to anything other than God. That is an essential consideration in spiritual liberty -- is the "good" choice going to be one that will enslave me, thereby, taking me away from God?
Remember, we are to glorify God in everything we do. He wants what is best for us, but we need to avoid distractions by settling for good when we can have greatness provided by God. Seek Him. Love Him. Trust Him. Serve Him.
Monday, October 18, 2010
The Court of Providential Opinion....
As we continue to move through I Corinthians, chapter 6 was a rather interesting read. The chapter opens with an explanation that Christians should not sue other Christians. While I am familiar with this passage, I saw something tonight that I had never seen before. Verse 7: "Why do you not rather accept wrong? Why do you not rather let yourselves be cheated?" OUCH!!
Our society is the swiftest on the draw when it comes to suing others or taking them to court for small matters. Paul here is not addressing criminal issues but civil ones that focus on where someone wronged someone else. These matters could and should be resolved in other fashions, and Paul was urging Christians -- those that love God and are considered His servants -- to ignore those slights. He does not explain why other than that others are watching our actions.
Let's go deeper here. Why do most people go to civil court? Civil court consists of compensatory damages whereby one party must "pay" the other party for a wrong that was enacted. Ultimately, this action is a legal way to prove that "my right" or "my way" was was just and to make the other person pay. In a sense, these types of cases are all about personal pride. Truthfully, that hurts.
I admit that I have a significant ego and lots of personal and professional pride; however, as a Christian, I cannot allow that to rule my personal or professional choices. Proverbs 16:18 says that "Pride goes before destruction and a haughty spirit before a fall." I may use my pride to prove a point, and win in the short term; however, I will eventually lose the war. Pride is the oldest of all sins and, honestly, is the root of all sins too because it is all about me and my choices.
Paul offers the solution to this when he urges Christians to accepts wrong or to give up what they perceive as "rights" for the cause of Christ. Since our major purpose is to glorify God in everything we do, then our choices must reflect what will bring Him the most glory. Will standing on personal pride to get what we want bring Him glory? Hardly. Will surrendering our wills to His, even when it stings, show others that something is different about us? Yes.
The world needs to see a difference in our lives. We may talk about being different and what Christ has done for us; but until we live our words, they have little meaning. Remember what verse 11 tells us: "but you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God." My opinion does not matter because He cleaned me up, set me apart for His purpose, and paid the price for my sin. If He paid a price that I cannot pay, then I owe Him my life because He has purchased me. Being owned by Him means that I enact His dictates willingly - even when it means being slighted by others.
See, it has nothing to do with me but has everything to do with Him. OUCH! I've got some changing to do. Do you?
Our society is the swiftest on the draw when it comes to suing others or taking them to court for small matters. Paul here is not addressing criminal issues but civil ones that focus on where someone wronged someone else. These matters could and should be resolved in other fashions, and Paul was urging Christians -- those that love God and are considered His servants -- to ignore those slights. He does not explain why other than that others are watching our actions.
Let's go deeper here. Why do most people go to civil court? Civil court consists of compensatory damages whereby one party must "pay" the other party for a wrong that was enacted. Ultimately, this action is a legal way to prove that "my right" or "my way" was was just and to make the other person pay. In a sense, these types of cases are all about personal pride. Truthfully, that hurts.
I admit that I have a significant ego and lots of personal and professional pride; however, as a Christian, I cannot allow that to rule my personal or professional choices. Proverbs 16:18 says that "Pride goes before destruction and a haughty spirit before a fall." I may use my pride to prove a point, and win in the short term; however, I will eventually lose the war. Pride is the oldest of all sins and, honestly, is the root of all sins too because it is all about me and my choices.
Paul offers the solution to this when he urges Christians to accepts wrong or to give up what they perceive as "rights" for the cause of Christ. Since our major purpose is to glorify God in everything we do, then our choices must reflect what will bring Him the most glory. Will standing on personal pride to get what we want bring Him glory? Hardly. Will surrendering our wills to His, even when it stings, show others that something is different about us? Yes.
The world needs to see a difference in our lives. We may talk about being different and what Christ has done for us; but until we live our words, they have little meaning. Remember what verse 11 tells us: "but you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God." My opinion does not matter because He cleaned me up, set me apart for His purpose, and paid the price for my sin. If He paid a price that I cannot pay, then I owe Him my life because He has purchased me. Being owned by Him means that I enact His dictates willingly - even when it means being slighted by others.
See, it has nothing to do with me but has everything to do with Him. OUCH! I've got some changing to do. Do you?
Sunday, October 17, 2010
You are God's Field...
In addition to the nightly reading of a Bible story with my son, I have added a short passage reading from my devotions the night before. Since I have started studying Corinthians, we are plodding through this book. I have my son say short snippets from each section (i.e. I Corinthians 1 -- "God is faithful") to help him retain much of this information. After all, God's Word, according to the Lord, "shall accomplish what I please" (Isaiah 55:11).
When we reached chapter 3, my son's short statement was from I Corinthians 3:9 -- "you are God's field." They metaphor is demonstrated in a different way later in the verse as we are told "you are God's building." Sitting in the deer stand this past weekend, I pondered those statements and the result is this blog. This short phrase opens for us because we see ownership, obligation, and opportunity.
The ownership is rather simple -- we are God's. We like to use language that indicates that life is ours to live; however, that viewpoint is faulty (see I Corinthians 6:20). If God owns the field, which we are, then He has bought us because ownership can only be claimed by a written deed. That deed was purchased as Christ shed His blood on the cross. While people may not believe they are owned by God, the written deed says otherwise. The paper record, due to a paid price, can be rejected; however, the legal standing remains.
Obligation originates because of ownership. God was to see His land blossom; so He will take steps to ensure that takes place. For a field to produce fruit, the land must be tilled, thereby, breaking up the hard soil. At times, the soil needs additional nutrients added to it; but once again, those soil additives can only be added through breaking up of the soil. So, when we are going through difficult times and wonder why, remember, we are God's field; and He, as the owner, is shaping the land to place us in a position to produce fruit. Maybe these difficult times are nothing more than God pulling weeds so that the seed gets all of the nutrients needed to produce what God intends.
Since the owner is obligated to the land and prepare it, He reveals His expectation, or opportunity, for the land. He wants fruit, and it is our responsibility to produce it. The land does not produce fruit of its own because it requires nutrients, sun, water, warmth and work. Yes, the land will grow what is planted; however, it takes a gardener to shape it. For instance, my yard can grow vegetables but that requires me to till the land, plant the seed, provide water, incorporate compost, trim the plants, pull weeds, and keep other "nutrient thieves" like grass from creeping into the garden.
In sum, God is in control. He knows what He is doing. Our role in this process is to accept His ownership, the nutrients provided to us through His obligation, and then take the opportunities, through His strength, to produce fruit. Remember, we are His field. He gets the credit for whatever is produced -- He purchased, He planted, He protected, and He produced. It is all about Him - to God be the glory!
When we reached chapter 3, my son's short statement was from I Corinthians 3:9 -- "you are God's field." They metaphor is demonstrated in a different way later in the verse as we are told "you are God's building." Sitting in the deer stand this past weekend, I pondered those statements and the result is this blog. This short phrase opens for us because we see ownership, obligation, and opportunity.
The ownership is rather simple -- we are God's. We like to use language that indicates that life is ours to live; however, that viewpoint is faulty (see I Corinthians 6:20). If God owns the field, which we are, then He has bought us because ownership can only be claimed by a written deed. That deed was purchased as Christ shed His blood on the cross. While people may not believe they are owned by God, the written deed says otherwise. The paper record, due to a paid price, can be rejected; however, the legal standing remains.
Obligation originates because of ownership. God was to see His land blossom; so He will take steps to ensure that takes place. For a field to produce fruit, the land must be tilled, thereby, breaking up the hard soil. At times, the soil needs additional nutrients added to it; but once again, those soil additives can only be added through breaking up of the soil. So, when we are going through difficult times and wonder why, remember, we are God's field; and He, as the owner, is shaping the land to place us in a position to produce fruit. Maybe these difficult times are nothing more than God pulling weeds so that the seed gets all of the nutrients needed to produce what God intends.
Since the owner is obligated to the land and prepare it, He reveals His expectation, or opportunity, for the land. He wants fruit, and it is our responsibility to produce it. The land does not produce fruit of its own because it requires nutrients, sun, water, warmth and work. Yes, the land will grow what is planted; however, it takes a gardener to shape it. For instance, my yard can grow vegetables but that requires me to till the land, plant the seed, provide water, incorporate compost, trim the plants, pull weeds, and keep other "nutrient thieves" like grass from creeping into the garden.
In sum, God is in control. He knows what He is doing. Our role in this process is to accept His ownership, the nutrients provided to us through His obligation, and then take the opportunities, through His strength, to produce fruit. Remember, we are His field. He gets the credit for whatever is produced -- He purchased, He planted, He protected, and He produced. It is all about Him - to God be the glory!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)