Christianity – Page 68 – Growing 4 Life

O, to be like a crossing guard

Leave a Comment / November 17, 2011 November 17, 2011

Each morning I pass by a busy intersection near our local middle school. And every morning, I see the same lady faithfully directing traffic and protecting children. She stands with confidence and is dressed appropriately for the conditions, whether there is sunshine, rain, wind, or the dangerous fog. She is observant and always on her guard because any lapse of judgment would put the children she protects in great peril. And, given it is middle school children she directs, I can imagine that the “thank yous” are few and far between. She has also probably put up with a couple of obscene gestures and angry drivers, as well. But she keeps doing her job. Because she is dedicated to that job and takes it seriously.

We Christians could learn a lesson or two from her–

1. We should know what our job is and do it with confidence. God’s Word tells us the “job” description of a true believer in Jesus Christ. We should know what that is and then go about it with confidence. There is such an emphasis on tolerance in this culture, that many of us, while being and looking like true believers in our hearts and homes, are not so confident out in the middle of the intersection. We raise a half-hearted hand to direct traffic and to “kind of” tell them to slow down, but we are afraid to say, “Stop! Do you know where you are spending eternity?”

2. We should stand strong in all types of weather. It is hard to do our job when tough times come. And tough times are not just the big stuff, like job change, death, or divorce. Sometimes tough times can be a long week of being unable to sleep at night. Or they may come with a child who is simply downright difficult. For some, it is related to children leaving the home or perhaps intrusive in-laws. We all have different weather conditions we face. But I think it is safe to say, we all experience different types of weather. Just like the crossing guard shows up and does her job, no matter what the weather, so we, too, should be standing strong with Jesus, no matter what the weather.

3. We should be dressed appropriately. Ephesians 6: 10-20 gives a vivid description of the armor of a Christian. Paul describes how we should be covered from our heads to our toes. And, yet, so many of us are missing a piece of armor. Perhaps it is Truth that is to be girded around our waist, or maybe the Breastplate of Righteousness. It could even be the Shield of Faith. But no matter what it is, when we are missing our armor, we become very vulnerable to our enemy. Any chink in our armor becomes a target, where we can be attacked and destroyed. We need to make sure we have on the whole armor of God, as Paul teaches us in this passage.

4. Apathy puts our children in peril. If the crossing guard was not paying close attention to what she was doing, the children would be in great danger. If she stood on the corner lazily smoking a cigarette, the intersection would become a difficult and very hazardous place for the children she has pledged to protect. Why is it any less important for us as we guard the hearts and minds of our children? We can never let our guards down. We can never stop striving to discern, protect, and make decisions that please the Lord within our families. There is no time this is tested more than when you have teenagers. Oh, the many times I have been tempted to throw my hands up in the air and shout, “I am tired! Do what you want! I don’t care!” At those moments, it is my husband who tells me, “we have to care! We cannot grow tired!” How thankful I am for his perseverance. It is critical to have this perseverance when raising children. To not have it is to put their souls in great danger. We need to parent with a purpose. We are responsible for these children God has entrusted to us. We can never grow apathetic or lazy in this duty!

5. We can’t care what people think. As most of us have already learned, there is very little thanks that comes for standing what is right. More often, we are attacked. But if we are standing on God and what His Word says, then we can stand with courage and confidence. What would happen if that crossing guard walked dejectedly out of the intersection every time an angry driver made an obscene gesture? And, yet, so many of us walk dejectedly away when we are criticized or someone disagrees with us. While we are to be at peace with all men to the best of our ability (Romans 12:18), we are never instructed to compromise. So, while we need to go about standing for truth with love and grace, it is important that we stand. Not saying anything when God’s Word is being compromised is sinful. We can never afford to back down when Truth is attacked. May we stand strong even when the heat of the fire starts to burn us!

As Christians, we have been called to be salt and light. God gives us everything we need to know in His Word. May we be like that crossing guard, standing in all types of weather, dressed appropriately, and always persevering. May we give little heed to those who criticize us unjustly. And may we hear “well done, good and faithful servant,” when we meet God face to face.

Which matters more?

Leave a Comment / November 14, 2011 November 14, 2011

Casey said “I love you so much, mom!” and gave her mother a big hug as she walked out the door. She was headed to her boyfriend’s house, where they would be alone for the next 2 hours. She was disobeying something her mother had specifically told her not to do. So what did her words mean?

Jack passionately kissed his wife good-bye and said, “I love you, honey”, before he walked out the door to meet his mistress for lunch. What did his words mean?

“You are my best friend! I am so thankful for you!” is what Marta heard in her ears…the day before Janet betrayed her deepest secret. What did her words mean?

Which said love? The words? Or the actions? The words are great—if they match the actions. If we truly love someone, we show it with our actions.

So how does this transfer to our spiritual life? Thousands of people across America sing their hearts out, dance to the worship music, raise their hands, and feel “close to God” each week during Worship. But if they are living like they want, giving no heed to God and His Word the rest of the week…are they really “close to God”? The answer is no. It is not possible to live in disobedience and still be close to God. Is it possible that we are being fooled into thinking we are close to God? Perhaps the music, the words, the raised hands are giving us a false sense of closeness. Perhaps we are not really close at all.

This is not about judging the sin in the lives of others. This is about common sense. Just as a child cannot have a close relationship with his parents if he is living in rebellion to their rules and wishes, so it is impossible for anyone to have a close relationship with God if he is living in rebellion and disobedience to God’s commandments and desires.

And yet, if you had the opportunity to peek in worship centers across the country each week, you would see thousands of people raising their hands and “feeling” close to God. Are some of these feelings genuine? Of course. Absolutely. But if we are living in sin–according to the Bible’s definition and without conviction; without any effort to change–then our feelings are deceiving us. How we feel when we worship is irrelevant to the truth.

It is sobering to think about and yet so important. You see, our Sunday worship time should simply be an extension of the rest of our week. Worship is so much more than one hour during the week. It is about how we live our whole life. May we live with a heart that longs to please God with every moment of every day and may we not be deceived by feelings that are oh, so fleeting.

John 14:23-24 Jesus answered and said to him, “If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him. He who does not love Me does not keep My words; and the word which you hear is not Mine but the Father’s who sent Me.

The faith of a child

Leave a Comment / November 10, 2011 November 10, 2011

When I was around 9 years old, we had a miniature dachshund named Romeo that I loved dearly. I don’t really think he loved me that terribly much. But he was very patient with me, as I played with him, dressed him up, and basically tortured him. If any dog, no matter what size, dared to cross our property line, he would run towards it, ferociously barking, and then back away and let our Labrador do the real work of keeping us safe.

For some reason I don’t remember, my parents decided it wasn’t going to work to keep him and they needed to find him a good home somewhere else.

I was heartbroken. He left and we all moved on. But I prayed that he would return. I was 9. I didn’t know that God “doesn’t care” about such things. And so I prayed.

And then came that day, a few months later, when the phone rang. It was the family who had taken him. He was a great dog but some circumstance in their life prevented them from keeping him. They wondered–do we want him back? They wanted to check with us before they found him a different home.

As my mom and dad discussed this at the dinner table, they pondered what they should do. About that time, I piped up in my childish voice, “I have been praying that he would come back!”

At that point what choice did they have?–as my mom laughingly points out when she retells the story. And so, Romeo came back to live with us.

But I think we all learned a lesson that day, even my parents. I had been innocently “casting all my care upon Him” (I Peter 5:7) and He was building the faith of a little child and her family by the unlikely and amazing return of a dog to its previous owners. And when I think back upon that, even all of these years later, I view that event as a building block in the ever-increasing faith and trust in my loving Heavenly Father that has continued to develop over the years.

Do not ever think that God doesn’t care about the little stuff. Oh, we don’t always get what we want and, often, those seemingly unimportant prayers will go unanswered. But every now and then God will give us an answer so clear and so specific that we realize that it could have only been by His intervention and, once again, we are reminded that He knows all and He truly does care.

And so we thank Him for those obvious answers to prayer and realize that He is working, as only He knows how, even when we do not get the answer we want. And we continue to trust and to cast our cares upon Him. How thankful I am that He has shown me how much he cares, not only in my own life, but in the lives of others; not only about the important issues of life, but sometimes about the insignificant “stuff”. If we have put our faith and trust in the God of the Bible and the message within its pages, then we serve a Living God! Praise be to Him.

What hunting, running, and following God have in common

4 Comments / November 7, 2011 November 7, 2011

The air was cold and it was still dark as my son stepped outside with his bow. It was around 5am and he was headed to a special location he had picked in the woods to wait for the elusive 8-point buck we had seen frequently over the past few weeks. It was a Saturday morning and he could have slept in. But instead he had given up his sleep and his time (and I would even add his comfort…brrr!) to indulge in this pastime we call hunting. He also sacrificed quite a bit of his money to buy the items necessary for this hobby. I am glad he enjoys it and I am rooting for him to find that buck and fill my freezer. But I find it interesting that the time and money he spends on this hobby does not feel like a sacrifice to him because he wants to do it.

You see others who love the sport of running. I mean love it…not merely like it. Have you seen those people? They run in all kinds of weather. They are covered from head to toe on the cold, rainy mornings and wearing expensive, “moisture wicking” shorts and tanks on those hot, humid days. Maybe you are one of them. Many runners sacrifice their time, comfort, and money for this sport. Running is a great sport for fitness, but it takes sacrifice.

There are any number of pastimes, hobbies, and passions that we gladly sacrifice for, aren’t there? We all have favorite activities for which it is a pleasure to sacrifice our time, money, and even our comfort. And, if in the proper balance, these things are wonderful blessings to us. I thank the Lord that most of us have available hours and dollars to participate in these activities. In the not so distant past, people did not have the luxury of extra hours or extra dollars. We are truly blessed!

But I wonder–why are we so unwilling to make the same sacrifices for God?

Do our fellow church members only see our faces at the weekly worship service? Do we always have something else to do when there is something going on at church? Maybe we have even gotten out of the habit of going to church at all. But we need to remember that church was designed to help us to grow and deepen our walk with God.

And many of us say that we don’t have time for prayer and Bible study, and yet, like the hunter or the runner, we could get up early in the morning to do these things. We could carve time out of somewhere to do this…if we really wanted to.

We now have Saturday evening services in many churches because people don’t want to get up on Sunday mornings or perhaps they have some other activity scheduled for that day. Of course, a Saturday evening service isn’t wrong, in and of itself. I realize some people need to work on Sunday and that Saturday evening services are a real blessing to them. I just wonder about the pattern I see to keep pushing God to a more and more convenient time, without a willingness to make a sacrifice for Him.

You see, we find the time, and often the money, to do the things we want to do. We sacrifice our sleep and our comfort for the pastimes and activities that are important to us. Most of us (myself included) do not bring the same willingness and desire to our relationship with God, as we do to our hobbies and favorite activities. Why is that? Why aren’t we as passionate about God as we are about running or hunting or our favorite sports teams? I don’t know the answer to that.

But I do know that the more time you spend with God, the more passionate you become about being with Him. The more you make Him a priority in your life, the more you actually enjoy your time with Him. The more you contemplate how He would respond or what He would do in a given situation, the more natural it becomes to think on Him.

I know that when that alarm goes off at 5am, my son does not want to get out of his warm bed. But he does it because the (possible) payoff is worth it to him. When the runner dons the appropriate clothing and heads out into the elements, he believes the payoff is worth the sacrifice. And often they don’t feel like getting up and going out into the cold, but they do it anyway.

May we bring the same willingness to sacrifice and dedication to our relationship with God. Doing what we should do, no matter what we feel like, realizing that the payoff will be great!

Counting to Ten

Leave a Comment / November 3, 2011 November 3, 2011

Last Friday night Macy, our Chocolate Labrador Retriever, had puppies. This was a brand new experience for her and for our family. We really had no clue what we were doing. Neither did she. She went into labor around 10:30pm at night and I think all of us were on edge. After reading that they stay in the beginning stage of labor for six to eighteen hours, we decided to go to bed. Around midnight, my husband went to check on her.

When he found her she had already had one puppy. Have you ever seen a dog look bewildered? The wet, slimy little guy was lying on the floor all alone crying and Macy was huddled in a corner, staring at him and looking completely bewildered. But, after birthing the 11th puppy, she was getting the hang of things.

Sadly, we lost the smallest puppy early in the morning. She was only half the size of the others. We did all we could, but she was just too weak. And so we were left with ten squirming, furry bodies to care for for the next eight weeks.

This began the “count”. We all find ourselves counting. Are all ten accounted for? Are all ten breathing? Are all ten growing properly? It is quite natural now to walk in there and count to ten. Sometimes we are short one and we find it under a blanket or pushed to a corner, behind Macy. But, as she gets used to being a mom, we worry a little less each time we check on them. As she grows into being a “mom”, she is becoming wiser. But we will keep counting.

Can you see where I am going with this? 2 Corinthians 13:5 tells us to examine ourselves, to see whether we are in the faith. Just like we count to ten every time we go in that room that holds the puppies, so we should constantly be “counting to ten” in regards to our walk with God. There are a few checkpoints we can examine that will act like a barometer for the health of our spiritual life. Things such as:

–Are we studying God’s Word? Be careful here not to replace Bible Study with a 5 minute devotional written by a man or woman. While these can be good and challenging, don’t let them replace study of God’s Word.

–Are we praying? Do we have a regular time in prayer with God? And do we spend time praising Him and praying for others, or are our prayers focused mostly on ourselves?

–What does my heart desire when it comes to shopping, entertainment, or how I spend my time? Do I desire things that would line up with His Word…with what pleases Him?

–Am I loving others? Am I thinking outside my own selfish world, to see (and meet) the needs of hurting people around me?

This is a short list. Many things could be added. In fact, perhaps each of our lists looks differently, as we all struggle with different things. Perhaps some of us would add things like: Have I had outbursts of selfish anger? Or have I lied this week?

As we grow more mature in Christ, our list will change. We may overcome the lying, but perhaps will realize that we have a problem with submitting to our husband. We will grow wiser and not as susceptible to false teaching and temptation. But we need to always be examining our lives in light of the Bible. We can never stop being vigilant in our walk with God.

In the event we do find a puppy who isn’t growing at a good rate, we take the necessary steps to ensure it is getting enough to eat. We need to do the same thing for our souls. We need to make sure it is getting the healthy “food”–the bread of life– so that we can continue to spiritually grow properly. All is not lost when we find a puppy who is not growing. Adjustments just need to made. But you do not know a puppy is not growing unless you are counting…weighing…paying attention. We need to do the same in light of our walk with God.

Just like we are constantly counting to ten to make sure all of the puppies are alive and well and growing, so we all need to be checking to make sure our souls are alive and well and growing.

Never Underestimate

Leave a Comment / August 22, 2011 August 22, 2015

In the current wave of a few great books, Christians have been encouraged to meet the physical and spiritual needs of the poor and the orphans. And this is a call that was needed! But I can’t help but wonder if, in the enthusiasm of stepping up and out of our comfort zones, we haven’t forgotten something–

There are still ministries here that are well worth our time and efforts. There are still jobs right here in small-town America (or wherever you are, for that matter) that need doing. They should not be viewed as second class or unimportant in our eyes. Things like–

-Teaching Sunday School to children. Teaching children about God’s Word is so imperative in a time where Sunday School may be the only place children ever hear about God. I have heard many testimonies of adults who became saved through a Sunday School teacher’s ministry. This job can never be underestimated.

-Taking care of elderly parents, or grandparents, or aunt, or church members. Many of us have elderly people in our lives. Let’s not forget them in our excitement to minister in other, more “impressive” ways. I have a feeling that they may get pretty lonely. Many of them have lost their spouses, their friends, their brothers and sisters. They have doctor appointments that they may need help getting to or may need help with some housework or repairs. Sometimes just visiting can be a big boost to their spirits. Especially if we take some little children along.

-Opening up our homes to others. Paul tells us in Romans 12:13 that we are to be given to hospitality. Do you open up your home to the friends of your children? Or to your church group? Or to anyone outside your small circle of family or friends? If so, then you are doing some important work for the Lord. Teens need a good place to hang out. Meeting for a meal in a home is a great way to get to know other church members on a much more personal level. Perhaps there is an unsaved family that you know well enough to have them over for a meal. It is easier to discuss spiritual matters in a home than beside a soccer field or baseball diamond.

-Serving at our church by cleaning up or serving in the nursery or helping in the kitchen or doing the lawn or organizing activities or anything else that helps keep the church running smoothly. We cannot discredit these services. They are often done with little, if any, reward. They have no glamour attached to them and are viewed as unimportant jobs, kept deep in the shadows of the bigger stuff – like adopting orphans or working tirelessly to feed the poor. But they are jobs that someone has to do to keep a church running smoothly and functioning so that church members can grow both spiritually and closer as a church body.

-Ministering in the place we find ourselves most often–the workplace. Your workplace may be your home. Teaching your children about God is a very important work. Or it may be that you find yourself surrounded by unbelievers in an office, or in a restaurant, or on a construction crew. All of these workplaces will lead to ample opportunities to show that you live by different standards and to share the gospel. Or perhaps you are a teacher. Questions from students can lead to some great discussions. I can think of a few teachers who have really come alongside my husband and me in encouraging our kids in their walk with the Lord. What a blessing!

-Serving right here, right now. I have a friend that visits an inner city classroom each week to help children with their school work. I have another friend that teaches public school children about God for an hour each week through a special program. I have another friend that has taught English to foreigners. I have a friend who faithfully teaches a Bible study to other women. I also have friends who work hard at spotting needs that need to be met and then do their best to meet them. Each of these individuals saw an opportunity to minister and then stepped up to be the one to fill the need.

That’s just a very incomplete list of things we can do to serve the Lord in our lives in a practical way. Let’s not forget that the Lord has placed you where you are for a reason. And your job is to find out what that is. Where does the Lord want you to serve? It may be that you are called to foreign service or to adopt an orphan. But it also may be that you are called to build up the church body by serving there on the board or in the Sunday School classroom. It may be that you are a great cook and have a gift for making people feel cared for through the wonderful food you prepare.

May we not grow discouraged as many of us labor in the shadow of the “big stuff”. Let’s do whatever we are called to do to the best of our ability. Always. Knowing that we are serving the Lord and it is all for His glory.

Colossians 3:23-24 And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men, ²⁴ knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance; for^[a] you serve the Lord Christ.

The Implications of the Cross

Leave a Comment / April 21, 2011 April 3, 2015

We lay out the plans for our own lives and say, “Now, Lord, it is nice to serve You and we love You, Lord, and let’s sing a chorus,” but we won’t change our plans in any way. But, let me remind you, the cross of Jesus Christ always changes men’s plans. The cross of Christ is revolutionary, and if we are not ready to let it be revolutionary in us nor let it cost us anything or control us in any way, we are not going to like a church that takes the things of God seriously. People want the benefits of the cross but yet they do not want to bow to the control of the cross. They want to take all the cross can offer but they don’t want to be under the lordship of Jesus.

The above is written by A.W. Tozer. Again, I turn to him for wisdom. This time regarding that most iconic of symbols in Christianity: The Cross. Here are some further thoughts on the Cross and what it means for us as believers–

In every Christian’s heart there is a cross and a throne, and the Christian is on the throne till he puts himself on the cross; if he refuses the cross he remains on the throne. Perhaps this is at the bottom of the backsliding and worldliness among gospel believers today. We want to be saved but we insist that Christ do all the dying. No cross for us, no dethronement, no dying. We remain king within the little kingdom of Mansoul and wear our tinsel crown with all the pride of a Caesar; but we doom ourselves to shadows and weakness and spiritual sterility.

The old cross slew men; the new cross entertains them. The old cross condemned; the new cross amuses. The old cross destroyed confidence in the flesh; the new cross encourages it. The old cross brought tears and blood; the new cross brings laughter. The flesh, smiling and confident, preaches and sings about the cross; before that cross it bows and toward that cross it points with carefully staged histrionics—but upon that cross it will not die, and the reproach of that cross it stubbornly refuses to bear.

The cross stands high above the opinions of men and to that cross all opinions must come at last for judgment.

If we are wise we will do what Jesus did: endure the cross and despise its shame for the joy that is set before us. To do this is to submit the whole pattern of our lives to be destroyed and built again in the power of an endless life. And we shall find that it is more than poetry, more than sweet hymnody and elevated feeling. The cross will cut into our lives where it hurts worst, sparing neither us nor our carefully cultivated reputations. It will defeat us and bring our selfish lives to an end.

In coming to Christ we do not bring our old life up onto a higher plane; we leave it at the cross. The corn of wheat must fall into the ground and die.

The cross that ended the earthly life of Jesus now puts an end to the sinner; and the power that raised Christ from the dead now raises him to a new life along with Christ.

To any who may object to this [the cross] or count it merely a narrow and private view of truth, let me say God has set His hallmark of approval upon this message from Paul’s day to the present. Whether stated in these exact words or not, this has been the content of all preaching that has brought life and power to the world through the centuries.

Willingness to suffer for Jesus’ sake—this is what we have lost from the Christian church. We want our Easter to come without the necessity of a Good Friday. We forget that before the Redeemer could rise and sing among His brethren He must first bow His head and suffer among His brethren! We forget so easily that in the spiritual life there must be the darkness of the night before there can be the radiance of the dawn. Before the life of resurrection can be known, there must be the death that ends the dominion of self. It is a serious but a blessed decision, this willingness to say, “I will follow Him no matter what the cost. I will take the cross no matter how it comes!”

At the heart of the Christian system lies the cross of Christ with its divine paradox. The power of Christianity appears in its antipathy toward, never in its agreement with, the ways of fallen men. The truth of the cross is revealed in its contradictions. The witness of the church is most effective when she declares rather than explains, for the gospel is addressed not to reason but to faith. What can be proved requires no faith to accept. Faith rests upon the character of God, not upon the demonstrations of laboratory or logic. The cross stands in bold opposition to the natural man. Its philosophy runs contrary to the processes of the unregenerate mind, so that Paul could say bluntly that the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness. To try to find a common ground between the message of the cross and man’s fallen reason is to try the impossible, and if persisted in must result in an impaired reason, a meaningless cross and a powerless Christianity.

Aging with Grace

Leave a Comment / October 5, 2010 July 11, 2014

I am forty-four years old. 44! When I was in college I thought 40-somethings were OLD and, I guess if I were honest, somewhat irrelevant to my life. I was young and excited about the future before me. The last 20 years have flown by in a blur–so filled with activity and new experiences and busyness. And now much of what I was looking forward to is in my past, to some extent. Things like falling in love and getting married, having babies, and buying a home. I feel blessed beyond measure to have experienced each of these things. Some of you have had other dreams–maybe it was traveling the world or being a missionary or owning your own company. Many of us, by this time in our lives, have seen the fruition of some of our dearest and most important dreams. So now what?

Now what do we look forward to? Age spots? Wrinkles? Gray hair? Eyes that can’t see as well? Should my priority be to make myself look as young as possible? I can use all kinds of powders and gels and creams and I can eat right and exercise–and they may delay the process of growing old–but they will not stop the process of my body aging. We cannot stop the clock.

In this culture, where physical beauty and youth are so highly valued, it is sometimes easy to feel very irrelevant. We feel like we have little of value to offer young people. They seem like they know it all. But, if I think back on those days, I know two things without a shadow of a doubt–

One (and, by far, the most important): I didn’t know it all, I only thought I did.

And two: The adults who influenced me–the ones I would listen to–were the ones who cared deeply about me.

The Bible says:

Job 12:12 Wisdom is with aged men, and with length of days, understanding.

Proverbs 16:31 Gray hair is a crown of splendor; it is attained by a righteous life.

Proverbs 20:29 The glory of young men is their strength, gray hair the splendor of the old.

There is a natural occurrence of getting wiser as you get older. Yes, there are some exceptions to this. I am sure we can all think of at least one. But most of us, as we experience joy, devastation, even endless days of routine, will be learning. Learning to grow in a deeper walk with God, to trust Him, and to walk by faith. Over the course of the last 20 years, I have learned that I do not have all of the answers. And I have learned that I still have much growing to do on this journey.

But I have also learned how to handle some things in a godly way. And I am learning how to react and respond to the things I cannot change. And, as this learning process occurs, whether we are 22 or 52 or 91, we have learned something that could help a person coming behind us in this journey of life.

May we care deeply about those coming after us. May we share the wisdom that God has granted us through our experiences of living life. And may we continue to look to Him and His word as our final authority. We must remember that it is not our opinions that matter, but what God says. If we live that and speak that and share that, maybe God will use us to help a younger person in need of guidance. Let’s turn our eyes outward and use these years to glorify God and help others along their way!