Matters of Faith – Page 13

CONVICTION WITH COURTESY

Why is it that some folk in their attempt to defend what they consider to be a Godly view of something, act so ungodly in their support of it? Why do they choose to be discourteous and crude in the affirmation of their convictions? To hear some church folk talk it sounds like they would half kill anyone who disagreed with their views. What has happened to the spirit of Jesus who taught us to be wise as serpents and harmless as doves and would not permit Simon to fight for Him?

Personal views are weak, no matter how correct they are, when they have to be defended by ugliness and a spirit of contention. Such harsh argumentation reveals not so much an interest in God’s view but in promoting the pride of one’s own thought. A sinful ego cannot face another point of view without a fight. Insecurity of thought will always create an argumentative attitude. Someone who is comfortable in his or her own theological skin will be courteous in the presentation of his or her convictions. There will be kindness in disagreement.

The truth of the matter is when one has a Godly viewpoint he or she will also have a Godly attitude. When one is thoroughly immersed in the truth of God he or she has nothing to prove only something to share. A Christian witness is one whose disposition verifies the accuracy of stated convictions. It will always be open, however, to other revelations as the Holy Spirit leads. Our earnest prayer, therefore, is for meekness even as He gives us courage.

Driving Through Life

sign, paths, directions, roads, which way Life is like driving a car. There are many, many things vying for your attention, some of them important, some of them best ignored. Knowing which is which is key.

Among the most important is the road ahead. Look as far down it as you can and watch for signs of trouble. By seeing a potential problem ahead of time you can slow down, look it over, and steer around it safely.

Watch for the signs and signals posted along the way. They are there to guide you. When you reach a cross-road, be alert for traffic which may not yield to you, and know which way you need to turn. Driving around aimlessly is not likely to get you to your destination.

It is good to glance in the rear view mirror from time to time to keep tabs on what’s behind you, but don’t focus on it. Becoming fixated on analyzing the past will only blind you to what’s ahead and cause a collision with something you could have easily avoided had you been paying attention.

God is the trustworthy traffic reporter hovering high above. He sees all the roads and crossroads, knows where the trouble is and how to get around it. Tune Him in and He’ll advise you on how to avoid the snarls and frustrations of life. Tune Him out and you won’t know you’re heading for trouble until you’re caught up in it with no way around.

If you remain aware of what’s behind you, but focus on what’s ahead and stay open to advice from above, life will be much more simple and you’re more likely to arrive at your chosen destination safe and sound.

Spiritual Athletes

Sports are a big part of the American way of life. We admire athletes for their drive, their determination, their dedication to the game, and the contribution they make to their team and to the sport as a whole. And these are good things.

Christians Are Like Athletes

The Christian life is a lot like the life of an athlete. In fact this comparison is drawn several times in the Bible. I Corinthians 9:24, Galatians 2:2, and 5:7, and Hebrews 12:1 all use running a race as an allusion for the Christian life. Let’s look more closely at one of these. Continue reading “Spiritual Athletes”

GROWING OLDER

The poet made a healthy observation when he wrote, “Let me grow lovely growing old.” He understood that life can become either bitter or better as our years advance. We are created with a capacity to adjust to whatever circumstances life imposes upon us. If we develop a positive disposition toward negative situations we can find the poet’s beauty in growing old. On the other hand, if we allow negativity to dominate we will develop a sour disposition. The years will take a terrible toll if we allow circumstances to defeat us. The poet implies that it is possible to have an aging attractiveness. We can turn the scars of life into beauty marks. Our wrinkles can produce smiles instead of frowns. Our experiences can be used as a tender tool to encourage the next generation. As the years transpire, we can develop the gift of growing lovely as we age.

It is important that we monitor the aging process in our lives to see what is happening. Sometimes it is helpful to make a comparative study of those who precede us. Some folk remain vivacious and kind to the end of their days. Others become disgruntled and hateful in their twilight years. They develop frowns on their faces. They appear angry and sad. We do well to work on our faces, not so much with cosmetics, but with some smiles and laughter that let our inner beauty show. Expressions on our faces reveal a lot about us. It might surprise us to know what others think about our countenance. Does our appearance reflect the joy of life or the sadness of growing old?

The kind of person we are has a way of emerging to the surface. Character cannot be camouflaged indefinitely. Our true person comes to the surface by how we look, what we say, and how we say it. The attention we give to our soul’s development adds more to our beauty than any kind of face-lift we receive. If we want our cosmetics to really work, then we add some love, joy, peace, and hope to our outward appearance. Personal radiance is the product of good grooming and personal hygiene from the inside out.

How well do you smile? Do you reflect God’s love or the devil’s disposition? Is your attitude one of complaint or encouragement? Charisma, charm, and grace belong to the same word family. Remember we can grow lovely as we grow older. It is a matter of make-up within and without.

SCARS

The scars of the past reveal two things about us. For one thing, they remind us we have been injured. Secondly, they indicate healing has happened. The important thing to note here is that we are free to focus our attention on either of these two facts. If we choose, we can allow our scars to keep our injuries ever before us. We can permit them to nag us with repeated anxiety. We can rapidly recall all those folk who have caused us pain. We can continually curse the circumstances that have hurt us. If we get angry enough, we can even shake our fist at God for allowing us to have troubled times.

Bathing ourselves in self-pity, we may find a few people who will join us in our tub of tears. Some, whose scars are fresh and wounds open, may find our whining attractive and surround us with an insidious pity party. Yes, scars can be a terrible reminder of the bad things which have happened to us. Yet, if we surround ourselves with folk who keep us focused on the hurt, we will never learn the lesson of our scars.

On the other hand, however, our scars can help us focus on healing rather than hurt. If we choose, we may gratefully remember the processes of healing as our wounds were repaired.

From physical injury to spiritual pain we saw forgiveness and grace at work. The scars of both instill memories of hope as we trust God’s healing power.

We may finger lovingly the pages of scripture that brought health to our souls. In love, we may rejoice over the growth that came through our painful chastisements. In faith, we may place the scars of our past into the nail-scarred hands of Jesus, as we celebrate the future. Yes, scars are signs that healing has happened. How do you see your scars?

RECONCILIATION

How well do you handle reconciliation? Do you dread the process of making up? Do you enjoy clinging to the pain of past hurts? Does pride prohibit your assuming any responsibility for the conflict? Perhaps it is the discomfort of having to initiate the opening of old wounds and the cleansing of festered relationships that frightens you away from the peace table. Your hesitancy to apologize or suggest improved relationships may stem from your fear of being rejected. There are numerous reasons why reconciliation is avoided. Yet, it is one of life’s most rewarding experiences. There is no joy like the joy of being friends again. There is no love like the love from someone who has been estranged. There is no peace like the peace of being accepted and restored.

How strange that something as beneficial to our emotional and physical health as reconciliation is postponed or ignored altogether. Sometimes we are our own worst enemies because we never allow our enemies to become our friends again. It is not so much that we keep returning evil for evil. It is the fact that we do nothing to aid the peace process. We suffer in silence and build up tons of unnecessary anger. When a relationship is strained we read into every conversation and action the worst possible interpretation. We sin against our own spiritual health by keeping a conflict alive in our imaginations when, in reality, a conflict no longer exists.

Jesus understood the dynamics of reconciliation and good relationships. In essence He said if someone hits us on one cheek do not hit back but turn the other cheek. In other words, someone has to take the last blow. Someone has to say, “Enough is enough. Let us stop hurting one another and begin to build a better relationship.” The truth of the matter is that life is not always fair. Everything does not come out even. Sometimes we have to give more than it seems we get. However, when friendships are restored we all get more than we deserve. It is a grace rebate and a bonus for having the courage to go the second mile.

Godly Growth

mustard tree fully grown — Photo credit: cccdailygear.blogspot.com

We are creatures created for growth. This process starts at conception and continues throughout our lives. Even when our bodies seem to be growing backwards; as we lose our hair and our bodies wither, our minds and our spiritual lives continue to grow and develop.

Christians are part of God’s growing process, His tools in perfecting and completing His creation. The more we grow personally, the more useful we are to God. A single mustard seed; one of the smallest seeds in nature, is of little use by itself but, if planted, the mustard plant that grows from it; the largest of all herbs, offers shelter to small creatures and will produce many more mustard seeds. We can be like that seed if we choose well. Continue reading “Godly Growth”

THE CHRISTMAS EVENT

The Christmas event captures our attention in many ways. Its heavenly drama accents the extent of diving participation. Its earthly response gives evidence of human anticipation. There are many impressive features of that nativity night which enable us to grasp the gospel of Christmas.

The humble setting in which it all occurred reveals the condescending nature of God. The Lord Jesus came from heaven’s glory to be birthed with the crudest of maternity care. If God would stoop to a lowly stable to usher in His Son, then surely He would stoop to share with lowly sinners His love and grace. How could it be that the shepherds, noted for their simplicity and rugged life style, were the first to come? Was it not indicative of the fact that Jesus came to seek and to save the lost? The wise men came because their scholarly insight gave them a special revelation of God’s activity. The simplest and the wisest as well as the poorest and the richest were all to share in this redeeming light.

The angelic choir reminds us that the coming of Christ was an event to celebrate. Because on that night “the heavens declared the glory of God,” today we have a reason to sing. That first Christmas music has put a song in every believer’s heart. It has been the inspiration of all our singing which truly magnifies the gospel.

The threat of Herod was but a parable of the kind of world into which our Lord had come. It was a foreshadowing of the cross which would eventually result in His painful, yet loving, sacrifice. The exodus from Egypt was symbolic of God’s protection and care. The Herods of the world would not have the last word. Crucifixion would give rise to resurrection and in that power His word would go forth. Hallelujah what a Savior!

TWO OR THREE GATHERED

In our world today of religious conglomerates, church has become big business. As we observe the electronic churches with their television personalities taking in their millions, we are tempted to ask, Is God for sale? Have we packaged religion in neat, syrupy sermons and wrapped it in emotionally draining songs to give it consumer appeal? Have we resorted to the gimmicks of Wall Street rather than the Golgotha inspired sacrifices of the New Testament? Have we allowed the search for mammon to hinder our search for souls?

Hopefully, these questions represent the extreme and the religious landscape is not what it appears. Surely the manufacturers of high-powered religious showmanship are sincere even though their product is sometimes shallow and misleading. Surely the people of God will become less gullible when they realize that para-church never becomes the full body of Christ.

It would certainly be unkind and unnecessary to discount any good from these hyper salespeople of religion. Yet, it would be devastating if that were all we had. We must never forsake the assembling of ourselves together as a body of believers to minister to one another in a humble, sincere and Godly way. There is something quite profound when two or three are gathered together in His name and God is present.

A PRAYER OF UNITY

Its a prayer of unity

that I lift to You this day, O Lord.

I pray for unity in our world

where conflicting nations have chosen war

as a means of settling their differences.

Give those who participate in such strife

a reasonable spirit

so that hostile guns may once again be silent.

I pray for unity in our country

as opposing politicians seek to blame one another

for our economic and social ailments.

Give those in authority a responsible disposition

toward the issues of our time.

May they turn their mental energies

toward solutions instead of accusations.

I pray for unity within our church,

as the lust for power is no respecter of institutions.

Give those who have a following

a sense of stewardship about their popularity.

May they humbly and responsibly

represent the cause of Christ.

Help us all to be cooperating Christians

in a body of believers who understand

that love will keep us strong.

I pray for a kind of unity where good people

have a right to disagree agreeably.

Help us to monitor our own feelings

in keeping with the spirit of Jesus.

Show us again and again

that publicans, fishermen, zealots,

and a variety of folk

can still function as disciples

of our Lord Jesus Christ.

AMEN