I never pray with a conscious time limit on God's answer, but unconsciously I know I have expectations. I know this because I'll pray for something for awhile and then mark it off my prayer list assuming the answer is "no."
When the angel Gabriel came to tell Zechariah that he and Eliabeth would have a son, he said, "...your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son...." (Luke 1:13) Zechariah's response to this was not faithful glee. Instead, he doubted whether it was true or even possible. His response was: "How can I be sure of this? I am an old man and my wife is well along in years." (Luke 1:18) They may not have understood everything about hormonal changes, but they knew there was a time when you grow to be past childbearing.
So, this question comes to mind: how long had it been since Zechariah stopped praying for a child and gave up? I love thinking of this when I pray. God is faithful no matter how shortlived my prayers or how limited my faith. He's got it!
"...I know whom I have believed, and am convinced that he is able to guard what I have entrusted to him until that day." (II Timothy 1:12)
Friday, November 30, 2012
Thursday, November 29, 2012
Love and Marriage
My friend, Rashmi was from India. Her marriage had been arranged by her parents. I was curious about this custom. I knew it to be common to many cultures throughout history, but I had many questions about how one adjusted to commiting one's life to a stranger. Rashmi's perspective was enlightening.
"In America," she explained, "little girls dream of marrying the man they fall in love with. In my home, we dream of loving the man we marry. We only pray he will be kind."
Clearly, the basis of these unions is different from the beginning. And each holds very different expectations. When little girls dream of "falling in love" they have a whole definition of what falling in love is, and it is likely a very personal definition. It embodies their idea of what is and is not romantic. But somehow they can hold as a conviction that each component of their romantic ideal is their inalienable right. It can detract significantly from what love really is. God gives us a very concrete definition of love (I Corinthinas 13). Love is active and selfless and other-centered and romance is fluidly defined by feelings. These feelings are often fantasy-based and fed to us largely by Hollywood and novels.
I am surely not suggesting that romance is somehow bad--consider The Song of Solomon! But I am drawn to consider that there is great value in a mindset from childhood on that you love the one you marry, not just marry the one you love.
A wife of noble character who can find? She is worth far more than rubies. Her husband has full confidnece in her and lacks nothing of value. She brings him good, not harm, all the days of her life. (Proverbs 31:10-12)
"In America," she explained, "little girls dream of marrying the man they fall in love with. In my home, we dream of loving the man we marry. We only pray he will be kind."
Clearly, the basis of these unions is different from the beginning. And each holds very different expectations. When little girls dream of "falling in love" they have a whole definition of what falling in love is, and it is likely a very personal definition. It embodies their idea of what is and is not romantic. But somehow they can hold as a conviction that each component of their romantic ideal is their inalienable right. It can detract significantly from what love really is. God gives us a very concrete definition of love (I Corinthinas 13). Love is active and selfless and other-centered and romance is fluidly defined by feelings. These feelings are often fantasy-based and fed to us largely by Hollywood and novels.
I am surely not suggesting that romance is somehow bad--consider The Song of Solomon! But I am drawn to consider that there is great value in a mindset from childhood on that you love the one you marry, not just marry the one you love.
A wife of noble character who can find? She is worth far more than rubies. Her husband has full confidnece in her and lacks nothing of value. She brings him good, not harm, all the days of her life. (Proverbs 31:10-12)
Wednesday, November 28, 2012
Friendship
"Constant use had not worn ragged the fabric of their friendship."
Dorothy Parker
Do you have a friend you just can't get enough of? Is there someone who, even though you know them well, you still have a million questions for them because you want to know them better and better? Does their thinking inspire you and inform you? Old friend, new friend, renewed friend-it doesn't matter. What matters is the quality of the relationship.
"I find it shelter to speak to you."
Emily Dickenson
Do you have a friend whose very presense is a comfort? Is there someone in whose love you are so secure that they are a refuge? Does their every word make you feel valued and protected? Can you feel their love and concern for you even when they point out things you need to change?
I Cointhians 13:7 say of love: "It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres."
"Oh, the comfort...of feeling safe with a person--having neither to weigh thoughts nor measure words, but pouring them all right out, just as they are...certain that a fatihful hand will take and sift them, keep what is worth keeping, and then with the breath of kindness blow the rest away."
Dinah Cralk
There is an inherent vulnerability in friendship when you entrust you heart to someone. God knew this when he instructed us to "...confess your sins to each other and pray for each other that you may be healed." (James 5:16) God forgives but a friend heals. How deeply we need a healing friendship!
I am overcome today with gratitude for the friends who supply this love and grace in my life. You know who you are.
"...there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother." (Proverbs 18:24)
Dorothy Parker
Do you have a friend you just can't get enough of? Is there someone who, even though you know them well, you still have a million questions for them because you want to know them better and better? Does their thinking inspire you and inform you? Old friend, new friend, renewed friend-it doesn't matter. What matters is the quality of the relationship.
"I find it shelter to speak to you."
Emily Dickenson
Do you have a friend whose very presense is a comfort? Is there someone in whose love you are so secure that they are a refuge? Does their every word make you feel valued and protected? Can you feel their love and concern for you even when they point out things you need to change?
I Cointhians 13:7 say of love: "It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres."
"Oh, the comfort...of feeling safe with a person--having neither to weigh thoughts nor measure words, but pouring them all right out, just as they are...certain that a fatihful hand will take and sift them, keep what is worth keeping, and then with the breath of kindness blow the rest away."
Dinah Cralk
There is an inherent vulnerability in friendship when you entrust you heart to someone. God knew this when he instructed us to "...confess your sins to each other and pray for each other that you may be healed." (James 5:16) God forgives but a friend heals. How deeply we need a healing friendship!
I am overcome today with gratitude for the friends who supply this love and grace in my life. You know who you are.
"...there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother." (Proverbs 18:24)
Wednesday, November 21, 2012
Thank You, I Think?
Matt was only 4 years old when he began a philosophical struggle with a good God allowing bad things in the world. This angst was reflected in his nightly prayers. For about a week, he sorted through conflicts in his little heart as he prayed.
The progression of these nightly prayers began like this: "Father, thank you for all the things you made. I really like all the things you made, but I don't like the lions when they eat people, but I like all the things you made. Amen"
He was being very careful not to insult or accuse God, but he did need to point out to God that he did not find himself living in a perfect world. This theme in his prayers continued:
"Father, I really like all the things you made. Thank you for all the things you made. But I don't like the devil. But I know you made him good and he just got bad. But I like all the things you made. Amen"
There were other prayers in the same vein: "I don't like it when people are mean to eachother." "I don't like it when people get hurt."
On the final night he brought this type of concern to God, he seemed to have worked it all out in his little mind. He must have found peace, at last, because (to my knowledge) he never returned to this qualified thankfulness again. Here's what he told God:
"Father, thank you for all the things you made. I really like all the things you made. But I don't like the sharks when they eat people, but I wish they'd eat the devil! Amen."
"...give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus."
(I Thessalonians 5:18)
The progression of these nightly prayers began like this: "Father, thank you for all the things you made. I really like all the things you made, but I don't like the lions when they eat people, but I like all the things you made. Amen"
He was being very careful not to insult or accuse God, but he did need to point out to God that he did not find himself living in a perfect world. This theme in his prayers continued:
"Father, I really like all the things you made. Thank you for all the things you made. But I don't like the devil. But I know you made him good and he just got bad. But I like all the things you made. Amen"
There were other prayers in the same vein: "I don't like it when people are mean to eachother." "I don't like it when people get hurt."
On the final night he brought this type of concern to God, he seemed to have worked it all out in his little mind. He must have found peace, at last, because (to my knowledge) he never returned to this qualified thankfulness again. Here's what he told God:
"Father, thank you for all the things you made. I really like all the things you made. But I don't like the sharks when they eat people, but I wish they'd eat the devil! Amen."
"...give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus."
(I Thessalonians 5:18)
Thanksgiving
It is a season that reminds us to be grateful. It is also a season full of memories. I hope your memories of this holiday are happy ones!
I was remembering my children's prayers. They always included expressions of gratitude. There is something about the purity and innocence of children (all the time, but especially when they pray) that can hold so many lessons for us!
Each of my children went through a stage of repeating the same prayer for days--maybe months--even though their prayers were original compositions of their own. My daughter, Meredith, was about 3 years old, and still unable to pronounce her R's. I can almost hear her little voice as I remember this oft-spoken prayer of hers:
"Favah [Father], thank you fo [for] we food and we lothes [clothes] and we dwahs [drawers]."
Our drawers--someplace to put "we lothes"! It had never occurred to me to extend my gratitude to a gift I took so completely for granted! It made me realize I am, indeed, grateful for our drawers! It was just a little off my radar until Meredith called it to my attention. This is a good time of year to try to recount all the blessings we take for granted and, thus, omit from our prayers. I think any time is a good time to aim for the humility and simple faith of a child.
"Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. I tell you the truth, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it." (Luke 18:16, 17)
I was remembering my children's prayers. They always included expressions of gratitude. There is something about the purity and innocence of children (all the time, but especially when they pray) that can hold so many lessons for us!
Each of my children went through a stage of repeating the same prayer for days--maybe months--even though their prayers were original compositions of their own. My daughter, Meredith, was about 3 years old, and still unable to pronounce her R's. I can almost hear her little voice as I remember this oft-spoken prayer of hers:
"Favah [Father], thank you fo [for] we food and we lothes [clothes] and we dwahs [drawers]."
Our drawers--someplace to put "we lothes"! It had never occurred to me to extend my gratitude to a gift I took so completely for granted! It made me realize I am, indeed, grateful for our drawers! It was just a little off my radar until Meredith called it to my attention. This is a good time of year to try to recount all the blessings we take for granted and, thus, omit from our prayers. I think any time is a good time to aim for the humility and simple faith of a child.
"Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. I tell you the truth, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it." (Luke 18:16, 17)
Monday, November 19, 2012
Unmerited Favor
I have heard grace described as unmerited favor. That may be slightly oversimplified, but it's a pretty accurate definition. The funny thing about human nature is that we keep trying to merit God's grace, to be "good enough." We try to place our good deeds and good intentions on a scale to balance out our iniquities.
Proverbs 6:16-19 says there are seven things that are "detestable" to God. At one time or another I've commited 6 out of the 7. The only one I've missed so far is murder. What are the chances I could do enough good deeds to tip the scale in my favor? Hopeless! God doesn't even keep score that way! And he doesn't grade on a curve. I'm lost without grace!
Even if I make a list of my good deeds, I don't get credit for them. I Peter 4:10 says:
""...use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering Go'd grace...."
So, whatever abilities I have to serve others are gifts given me by the grace of God. How can I take credit for that?
How about if I take credit for using my time and energy? I work really hard. Really sacrificial, right? Wrong! Colossians 1:29 tells me that any work I do is with energy supplied by God. I work with "all the energy Christ so powerfully works in me." And I Corinthians 15:10 informs me that "By the grace of God I am what I am....I worked harder than all of them--yet not I , but the grace of God that was with me." By grace I am able to serve God and by grace I am saved.
Okay, then, let me take credit for having a good enough heart to even think of ways to serve. I can take credit for the ideas, can't I? Nope! Philippians 2:13 tells me that "it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose." Any good thing I think of that coincides with the will of God did not originate with me. I have nothing to bring to set on the scales to balance out my sins. I am fully dependent on God's grace. His favor is completely unmerited in my life.
I brought Jesus only brokenness and emptiness and sin,
But he took the pieces of my life and offered to come in.
And he made of all those fragments something whole and straight and tall--
Yes, there's a hand to lift us when we fall
When we've got access to the grace of God, we've got it all!
Proverbs 6:16-19 says there are seven things that are "detestable" to God. At one time or another I've commited 6 out of the 7. The only one I've missed so far is murder. What are the chances I could do enough good deeds to tip the scale in my favor? Hopeless! God doesn't even keep score that way! And he doesn't grade on a curve. I'm lost without grace!
Even if I make a list of my good deeds, I don't get credit for them. I Peter 4:10 says:
""...use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering Go'd grace...."
So, whatever abilities I have to serve others are gifts given me by the grace of God. How can I take credit for that?
How about if I take credit for using my time and energy? I work really hard. Really sacrificial, right? Wrong! Colossians 1:29 tells me that any work I do is with energy supplied by God. I work with "all the energy Christ so powerfully works in me." And I Corinthians 15:10 informs me that "By the grace of God I am what I am....I worked harder than all of them--yet not I , but the grace of God that was with me." By grace I am able to serve God and by grace I am saved.
Okay, then, let me take credit for having a good enough heart to even think of ways to serve. I can take credit for the ideas, can't I? Nope! Philippians 2:13 tells me that "it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose." Any good thing I think of that coincides with the will of God did not originate with me. I have nothing to bring to set on the scales to balance out my sins. I am fully dependent on God's grace. His favor is completely unmerited in my life.
I brought Jesus only brokenness and emptiness and sin,
But he took the pieces of my life and offered to come in.
And he made of all those fragments something whole and straight and tall--
Yes, there's a hand to lift us when we fall
When we've got access to the grace of God, we've got it all!
Saturday, November 17, 2012
In Jesus' Name
It was an angel who came to Joseph and told him regarding the child to whom Mary would give birth, "...you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins." (Matthew 1:21) It is a remarkable name! This name means, "The Lord saves." Paul in Hebrews 1:4 confirms this assessment: "So he became as much superior to angels as the name he inherited is superior to theirs." It captures the imagination, doesn't it--a name superior to the angels? It's a powerful name--it opens the door of the throne room of heaven.
It's a welcoming name and a summoning name. When any two or three come together to fellowship in that name, Jesus himself joins them (Matthew 18:20), and it is that name in which believers are baptized (Matthew 28:19). Luke attested in Acts 4:12 that "there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved."
It is a name that, when invoked in prayer, bestows the privelege of access to the attention and favor of God. (John 14:13; 15:16) Indeed, Jesus told his disciples on the day before his death: "Until now you have not asked anything in my name. Ask and you will receive and your joy will be complete." Such a promise! I wonder if his hearers were confused? It probably had not even occurred to them before to ask for anything in his name. Still, it makes sense that any father would be more attentive to any request made in the name of his beloved son. But when Jesus died for our sins and rose to give new life, the very power of that resurrection offered us joyful access to the willing ear of God!
This name--this majestic name--is a name honored by God. "therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father." (Philippinas 2:9, 10)
It is a name not to be taken lightly or spoken casually. It is the name that should inform, motivate and direct every action and word. "And whatever you do, whether in word or in deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him." (Colossians 3:17)
It is this holy name that guarantees heaven. "I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life." (John 5:13)
I end every prayer I speak "in Jesus' name." I don't do this simply by habit. I am always a little surprised when I hear Christians omit this name in their prayers. Its not that I think they will go unheard, as if God isn't sure we belong to Jesus unless we tell him or that he legalistically requires some rote phrase as part of a ritual. But for me it is humbling and reassuring--a reminder that I have no right to access to an audience with the King except through His Son's name. It is because "I have been washed, I have been sanctified..., and justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God." (I Corinthians 6:11)
The name of Jesus--because of who he is, and the blood he shed--has made me clean enough to go before a holy God. My righteousness could never buy me this privelege. In fact, I would be rejected, unheard, and condemned! But because I can pray in the name of Jesus, I am heard as a dearly loved and perfect child. It makes it very precious to me to say to God, "Father, I am coming to you in the name of Jesus."
It's a welcoming name and a summoning name. When any two or three come together to fellowship in that name, Jesus himself joins them (Matthew 18:20), and it is that name in which believers are baptized (Matthew 28:19). Luke attested in Acts 4:12 that "there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved."
It is a name that, when invoked in prayer, bestows the privelege of access to the attention and favor of God. (John 14:13; 15:16) Indeed, Jesus told his disciples on the day before his death: "Until now you have not asked anything in my name. Ask and you will receive and your joy will be complete." Such a promise! I wonder if his hearers were confused? It probably had not even occurred to them before to ask for anything in his name. Still, it makes sense that any father would be more attentive to any request made in the name of his beloved son. But when Jesus died for our sins and rose to give new life, the very power of that resurrection offered us joyful access to the willing ear of God!
This name--this majestic name--is a name honored by God. "therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father." (Philippinas 2:9, 10)
It is a name not to be taken lightly or spoken casually. It is the name that should inform, motivate and direct every action and word. "And whatever you do, whether in word or in deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him." (Colossians 3:17)
It is this holy name that guarantees heaven. "I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life." (John 5:13)
I end every prayer I speak "in Jesus' name." I don't do this simply by habit. I am always a little surprised when I hear Christians omit this name in their prayers. Its not that I think they will go unheard, as if God isn't sure we belong to Jesus unless we tell him or that he legalistically requires some rote phrase as part of a ritual. But for me it is humbling and reassuring--a reminder that I have no right to access to an audience with the King except through His Son's name. It is because "I have been washed, I have been sanctified..., and justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God." (I Corinthians 6:11)
The name of Jesus--because of who he is, and the blood he shed--has made me clean enough to go before a holy God. My righteousness could never buy me this privelege. In fact, I would be rejected, unheard, and condemned! But because I can pray in the name of Jesus, I am heard as a dearly loved and perfect child. It makes it very precious to me to say to God, "Father, I am coming to you in the name of Jesus."
My Attorney
I would feel no great need of legal counsel if I were innocent, but I am very guilty, indeed. I have violated the law on many scores and dare not undertake my own defense! I need a merciful judge and a persuasive advocate to plead my case.
Considering the validity of the charges against me, I would hate to be looking through the Yellow Pages or on the internet to find a suitable lawyer. I need someone with experience and influence. I need someone with a spotless reputation who has by association won the respect of the judge I will stand before. I need someone who knows me and is sympathetic to my case, who knows all the ins and outs of the law--especially if there might possibly be any loopholes.
Well, I have heard there is a loophole. I have heard that if someone perfectly innocent in every way pays the penalty for my crimes, I can claim his innocence and he can take the blame for my sins. This amazes me. But who is perfectly innocent? It seems hopeless, but I have to go to court, anyway. I don't know the date of my trail, but I know the date has been set.
It will be really scary, I think, to stand before a judge who insists on perfect compliance with laws I have broken many times. I know that he'd be just in condemning me.
I picture the scene sometimes. My lawyer will already be there. The judge will be behind the bench. The prosecutor will be smug. He knows he's got me dead to rights. He is ready to vehemently accuse me. But when he speaks, my lawyer intervenes. My lawyer objects to the charges as unfounded because the debt has already been paid. Then he will approach the bench and show the judge his irrefutable evidence.
My lawyer will say, "Father, my client is innocent. I am the guilty one and I have paid the penalty for every crime for which this woman is accused." The evidence? The nail marks in his hands and his feet.
The judge will smile and his gavel will come down. "I find no basis for a charge against this woman."
My lawyer will embrace me and we will laugh and cry together. He might even pick me up and swing me around! Who could have more pull with this judge than the judge's own Son?
"My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father--Jesus Christ, the Righteous One. He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins...." (I John 2:1,2)
Considering the validity of the charges against me, I would hate to be looking through the Yellow Pages or on the internet to find a suitable lawyer. I need someone with experience and influence. I need someone with a spotless reputation who has by association won the respect of the judge I will stand before. I need someone who knows me and is sympathetic to my case, who knows all the ins and outs of the law--especially if there might possibly be any loopholes.
Well, I have heard there is a loophole. I have heard that if someone perfectly innocent in every way pays the penalty for my crimes, I can claim his innocence and he can take the blame for my sins. This amazes me. But who is perfectly innocent? It seems hopeless, but I have to go to court, anyway. I don't know the date of my trail, but I know the date has been set.
It will be really scary, I think, to stand before a judge who insists on perfect compliance with laws I have broken many times. I know that he'd be just in condemning me.
I picture the scene sometimes. My lawyer will already be there. The judge will be behind the bench. The prosecutor will be smug. He knows he's got me dead to rights. He is ready to vehemently accuse me. But when he speaks, my lawyer intervenes. My lawyer objects to the charges as unfounded because the debt has already been paid. Then he will approach the bench and show the judge his irrefutable evidence.
My lawyer will say, "Father, my client is innocent. I am the guilty one and I have paid the penalty for every crime for which this woman is accused." The evidence? The nail marks in his hands and his feet.
The judge will smile and his gavel will come down. "I find no basis for a charge against this woman."
My lawyer will embrace me and we will laugh and cry together. He might even pick me up and swing me around! Who could have more pull with this judge than the judge's own Son?
"My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father--Jesus Christ, the Righteous One. He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins...." (I John 2:1,2)
Monday, November 12, 2012
Faulty Reasoning
"Stop judging by mere appearances and make a right judgment." (John 7:24)
Isn't this a classic human problem? We pass judgment so quickly on circumstances, ideas, people, etc. based on mere appearances. We respect our own frame of reference so much that it makes it hard to pause and consider other viewpoints. With finite data we presume to discern infinite truth. In this case in John 7, the crowd in the temple was so legalistic in their judgment of appropriate Sabbath day behavior that they missed the obvious implications of Jesus' healing: they were in the presence of divine power!
"But we know where this man is from; when the Christ comes, no one willl know where he is from." (John 7:27)
It's terrible how illogical we can become when we are trying to defend a point--especially if we fear our argument is weak or our opponent a more skilled debater. So, now that they are confronted with considering that he really might be the Messiah, they offer this theory that Jesus couldn't be the Messiah because they knew what town he was from! These guys needed to read their Old Testaments. The Scriptures told very accuraltely where Jesus would be born and even where he's go temporarily (Micah 5:2 and Hosea 11:1)..
But we're still like this today--having our little theories about God, drawing conclusions on faulty reasoning and missing who Jesus really is and the work he's like to do in our lives!
Isn't this a classic human problem? We pass judgment so quickly on circumstances, ideas, people, etc. based on mere appearances. We respect our own frame of reference so much that it makes it hard to pause and consider other viewpoints. With finite data we presume to discern infinite truth. In this case in John 7, the crowd in the temple was so legalistic in their judgment of appropriate Sabbath day behavior that they missed the obvious implications of Jesus' healing: they were in the presence of divine power!
"But we know where this man is from; when the Christ comes, no one willl know where he is from." (John 7:27)
It's terrible how illogical we can become when we are trying to defend a point--especially if we fear our argument is weak or our opponent a more skilled debater. So, now that they are confronted with considering that he really might be the Messiah, they offer this theory that Jesus couldn't be the Messiah because they knew what town he was from! These guys needed to read their Old Testaments. The Scriptures told very accuraltely where Jesus would be born and even where he's go temporarily (Micah 5:2 and Hosea 11:1)..
But we're still like this today--having our little theories about God, drawing conclusions on faulty reasoning and missing who Jesus really is and the work he's like to do in our lives!
Thursday, November 8, 2012
Essential Elements
Feeling loved and valued is essential to a sense of fulfilling happiness. Love has many elements (I Corinthians 13:4-7) and so many ways of being expressed (I John 3:18), but we don't always internalize other's efforts to show love to us. Paul elaborated on the love he had demonstrated for the Christians in Thessalonica. Even though he had lived out this love among them, it had to feel great to them to hear it proclaimed again. We never tire of hearing about how someone loves us, do we?
...we loved you so much, we were delighted to share with you not only the gospel of God, but our lives as well. (I Thessalonians 2:8)
Paul here seems to expose two elements of love not identified in I Corinthians: delight and investment. These are two of the most satisfying aspects of love. Not everyone who loves us delights in us or is willing to invest in our growth.
Delight suggests a sweet joy--the kind that makes someone's eyes light up when they hear your name, or hear your voice, or catch sight of you, or even when they think of you.
I thank my God every time I remember you. In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy.... (Philippians 1:3, 4)
Delight has to do with an eagerness, not just a willingness, to spend time with, to listen to, to get to know and to enjoy someone. It is best felt when you have a sense that someone "gets" you and loves you anyway--perhaps not in spite of , but because of who you are.
Then there is that investment part. People pay money--lots of it--to be mentored by "life coaches". But what if someone values you enough to invest time and attention in you free of charge, just because they believe in your potential? Who isn't encouraged by having their worth affirmed? Who doesn't love to have someone in their life not just interested, but fascinated by them? In the context of I Thessalonians, the investment is boundless--more than just a transfer of knowledge, it is life-giving mentorship.
Being mentored may not be essential for survival, but it surely is essential for personal growth. It is such an honor to have someone willing/delighted to invest themselves in you. It makes you feel they believe in your potential and care about your future.
He is the one we proclaim admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present eveyone fully mature in Christ. To this end I strenuously contend with all the energy Christ so powerfully works in me. (Colossians 1:28, 29)
Most of us need an objective, outside look at ourselves, but it is rarely palatable--whether flattering or critical--unless it comes from someone who loves us. Those of us given to self-doubt especially need others to remind us how God feels about us. It reminds me of the lyrices to Jason Gray's beautiful song, "Remind Me Who I Am":
When I lose my way,
and forget my name
Remind me who I am.
In the mirror all I see
Is who I don't wanna be.
Remind me who I am.
In the loneliest places
When I can't remember what grace is
Tell me once again
Who I am to you, who I am to you
Tell me, lest I forget
Who I am, that I belong to you
To You
When my heart is like a stone,
And I'm running far from home
Remind me who I am.
If I'm your beloved can you help me believe it?
Tell me once again
Who I am to you, who I am to you.
I believe one of the reason God designed the church, instead of our just having a one on one relationship with him, is so that he could speak to us through one another of his love. He has filled the New Testament with what he would like that fellowship to look like. God is always trying to tell us who we are to him--the cross says it most profoundly, but he wants us to hear it from one another, too. We all need words of affirmation. We need people willing to mentor us. We need warm embraces. We need to see in each other's eyes the same look that I believe Jesus had with everyone he met--unmistakable, unconditional love. We can bring God's love into clearer focus for each other if we'll delight in one another and share our lives and our faith with one another.
I long to see you so that I may impart to you some spiritual gift to make you strong--that is, that you and I may be mutually encouraged by each other's faith. (Romans 1:11, 12)
Perhaps Paul wasn't talking about a miraculous gift of the Spirit here. Maybe he was talking about the gift of love, or mentoring or encouragement. Be a gift to someone today. Let someone know you delight in them.
...we loved you so much, we were delighted to share with you not only the gospel of God, but our lives as well. (I Thessalonians 2:8)
Paul here seems to expose two elements of love not identified in I Corinthians: delight and investment. These are two of the most satisfying aspects of love. Not everyone who loves us delights in us or is willing to invest in our growth.
Delight suggests a sweet joy--the kind that makes someone's eyes light up when they hear your name, or hear your voice, or catch sight of you, or even when they think of you.
I thank my God every time I remember you. In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy.... (Philippians 1:3, 4)
Delight has to do with an eagerness, not just a willingness, to spend time with, to listen to, to get to know and to enjoy someone. It is best felt when you have a sense that someone "gets" you and loves you anyway--perhaps not in spite of , but because of who you are.
Then there is that investment part. People pay money--lots of it--to be mentored by "life coaches". But what if someone values you enough to invest time and attention in you free of charge, just because they believe in your potential? Who isn't encouraged by having their worth affirmed? Who doesn't love to have someone in their life not just interested, but fascinated by them? In the context of I Thessalonians, the investment is boundless--more than just a transfer of knowledge, it is life-giving mentorship.
Being mentored may not be essential for survival, but it surely is essential for personal growth. It is such an honor to have someone willing/delighted to invest themselves in you. It makes you feel they believe in your potential and care about your future.
He is the one we proclaim admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present eveyone fully mature in Christ. To this end I strenuously contend with all the energy Christ so powerfully works in me. (Colossians 1:28, 29)
Most of us need an objective, outside look at ourselves, but it is rarely palatable--whether flattering or critical--unless it comes from someone who loves us. Those of us given to self-doubt especially need others to remind us how God feels about us. It reminds me of the lyrices to Jason Gray's beautiful song, "Remind Me Who I Am":
When I lose my way,
and forget my name
Remind me who I am.
In the mirror all I see
Is who I don't wanna be.
Remind me who I am.
In the loneliest places
When I can't remember what grace is
Tell me once again
Who I am to you, who I am to you
Tell me, lest I forget
Who I am, that I belong to you
To You
When my heart is like a stone,
And I'm running far from home
Remind me who I am.
If I'm your beloved can you help me believe it?
Tell me once again
Who I am to you, who I am to you.
I believe one of the reason God designed the church, instead of our just having a one on one relationship with him, is so that he could speak to us through one another of his love. He has filled the New Testament with what he would like that fellowship to look like. God is always trying to tell us who we are to him--the cross says it most profoundly, but he wants us to hear it from one another, too. We all need words of affirmation. We need people willing to mentor us. We need warm embraces. We need to see in each other's eyes the same look that I believe Jesus had with everyone he met--unmistakable, unconditional love. We can bring God's love into clearer focus for each other if we'll delight in one another and share our lives and our faith with one another.
I long to see you so that I may impart to you some spiritual gift to make you strong--that is, that you and I may be mutually encouraged by each other's faith. (Romans 1:11, 12)
Perhaps Paul wasn't talking about a miraculous gift of the Spirit here. Maybe he was talking about the gift of love, or mentoring or encouragement. Be a gift to someone today. Let someone know you delight in them.
Tuesday, November 6, 2012
A Love Affair with Words
I am completely enamored of words! I can neither explain nor defend this affection. I am pretty sure it's not a virtue, but I genuinely hope it's not a fault.
I am captivated by a clever turn of phrase or a little romantic rhetoric or a description that transports me vicariously to an emotion or a sensation or a vista. I am charmed by a meaningful metaphor or allegory. A forceful, compelling avowal of conviction causes me to approach ecstacy (if it's a conviction that I share--oh, shame)! Witty repartee makes my heart soar.
I collect quotes. I have a little box with scraps of paper on which I have jotted someone's musing, or philosophy, or observation, or hilarious remark that has struck a chord with me.
It is to my shame, I suppose, that I am not a Hemingway fan. The sparseness of his prose leaves me cold. I feel quite purile (in a literary arena) in this assessment. But honesty demands this confession.
Calvin Miller writes so beautifully that it is rare for me to read his works without weeping. his wonderul allegory in the trilogy "The Singer," "The Song," and "The Finale," leaves me awestruck and unsppeakably grateful to God.
I am especially delighted when an author uses a term that is unfamiliar to me. It sends me eagerly to my dictionary to discover and savor a new word.
Then there is the Bible. I don't read the Bible for well-phrased concepts or eloquence, although it is devoid of neither. I read the Bible for substance, direction, inspiration, perspective and wisdom. I read the Bible to fall ever more deeply in love with it's author. In fact, the Holy Spirit is not given to embellished language. This is never more evident than in the understated descriptions of the torture and crucifixion of Jesus. Consider a single verse in John 19:1, "Then Pilate took Jesus and had him flogged."
Secular history gives a fuller portrayal of Roman floggings. Many criminals, thus beaten, died from blood loss and shock before ever making it to a cross. The Bible does not go into detail about how the victim was stretched over a board to expose taut flesh to a whip. These whips were most commonly made of strands of leather embedded with rough stones and fragments of metal, designed to shred skin and muscle. But the Bible simply says he was flogged.
God does not attempt to manipulate our emotions. He just gives us the facts and lets us do with those facts whatever our hearts lead us to. Such restaint! And such respect for us--offering us freedom of choice in our responses.
Then there are passages in the Bible that capture the imagination in their articulation of God's very heart. These make me catch my breath and ponder and reread. Here are a few that thrilled me this morning:
Isaiah 40:28-31 "Do you not know? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom. He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not faint."
Isaiah 41:13 "For I am the Lord your God who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, Do not fear; I will help you."
Isaiah 44:22, 23 "I have swept away your offenses like a cloud, your sins like the morning mist. Return to me for I have redeemed you."
Isaiah 55:9 "As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways and my thoughts higher than your thoughts."
I am captivated by a clever turn of phrase or a little romantic rhetoric or a description that transports me vicariously to an emotion or a sensation or a vista. I am charmed by a meaningful metaphor or allegory. A forceful, compelling avowal of conviction causes me to approach ecstacy (if it's a conviction that I share--oh, shame)! Witty repartee makes my heart soar.
I collect quotes. I have a little box with scraps of paper on which I have jotted someone's musing, or philosophy, or observation, or hilarious remark that has struck a chord with me.
It is to my shame, I suppose, that I am not a Hemingway fan. The sparseness of his prose leaves me cold. I feel quite purile (in a literary arena) in this assessment. But honesty demands this confession.
Calvin Miller writes so beautifully that it is rare for me to read his works without weeping. his wonderul allegory in the trilogy "The Singer," "The Song," and "The Finale," leaves me awestruck and unsppeakably grateful to God.
I am especially delighted when an author uses a term that is unfamiliar to me. It sends me eagerly to my dictionary to discover and savor a new word.
Then there is the Bible. I don't read the Bible for well-phrased concepts or eloquence, although it is devoid of neither. I read the Bible for substance, direction, inspiration, perspective and wisdom. I read the Bible to fall ever more deeply in love with it's author. In fact, the Holy Spirit is not given to embellished language. This is never more evident than in the understated descriptions of the torture and crucifixion of Jesus. Consider a single verse in John 19:1, "Then Pilate took Jesus and had him flogged."
Secular history gives a fuller portrayal of Roman floggings. Many criminals, thus beaten, died from blood loss and shock before ever making it to a cross. The Bible does not go into detail about how the victim was stretched over a board to expose taut flesh to a whip. These whips were most commonly made of strands of leather embedded with rough stones and fragments of metal, designed to shred skin and muscle. But the Bible simply says he was flogged.
God does not attempt to manipulate our emotions. He just gives us the facts and lets us do with those facts whatever our hearts lead us to. Such restaint! And such respect for us--offering us freedom of choice in our responses.
Then there are passages in the Bible that capture the imagination in their articulation of God's very heart. These make me catch my breath and ponder and reread. Here are a few that thrilled me this morning:
Isaiah 40:28-31 "Do you not know? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom. He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not faint."
Isaiah 41:13 "For I am the Lord your God who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, Do not fear; I will help you."
Isaiah 44:22, 23 "I have swept away your offenses like a cloud, your sins like the morning mist. Return to me for I have redeemed you."
Isaiah 55:9 "As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways and my thoughts higher than your thoughts."
ELECTION DAY
I Timothy 2:1,2
I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercessions and thanksgiving be made for all people--for kings and all those in authority that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness.
I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercessions and thanksgiving be made for all people--for kings and all those in authority that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness.
Monday, November 5, 2012
love and loss
I have freinds who have recently lost spouses. Each is experiencing their grief in different ways and they are at different stages. I pray for them daily. I talk to them regularly, but grief is a lonely path. Everything I offer is inadequate. The path of greif is very dark until a light of hope appears for a reshaped future. And it is largely a futrue they must conceive with God alone.
DREAMS UNDER CONSTRUCTION
Amid the rubble of shattered dreams
perhaps there lies buried a tiny, surviving seed of hope.
Disaster clean-up is slow--
excavating layers of raw devastation.
Danger--hard hat area!
Tears mingle with sweat;
the effort intense
to shovel out the heavy debris.
The search is for salvagable fragments
to incorporate into new construction.
Grief concedes that new dreams are frightening,
holding elements of dread and betrayal.
Hope can be treacherous.
Reconstruction must begin on level ground.
No way to hasten the process.
Dreams under construction--
What architects will draw the plans
that give shape to the future?
These dreams must weather storms!
These dreams must have footings
buried deep in a sturdy heart.
They must be framed with steel,
but clad in gossimer beauty.
These dreams must fully occupy today
while reaching into eternity.
Saturday, November 3, 2012
Intent and Impotence
Last week a Canadian earthquake threated a tsumani-effect on Maui. My son and family live on Maui. Hurricane Sandy devastated many on the east coast. I have lots of dear friends on the east coast. Two close friends are mourning the recent loss of their husbands. They live in distant cities. Other freinds are suffering fearful financial prospects in the current economy. I have nothing to offer. Two other friends are going through cancer treatment. I pray for all of these, but cannot be present or exert any power to assuage their suffering or avert disaster. Jesus was right:
In this world you will have trouble. (John 16:33)
The human heart can be filled with great compassion and long to always be available to assist, to comfort, to encourage. There are promises I'd like to make and promises made that I'd like to keep, but.... It is often very painful to find that we are helpless to be what someone we love needs. Our intense longing and anxiety are many times inadequate to open the right doors. The apostle Paul was familiar with this inner struggle:
But, brothers and sisters we were orphaned by being separated from you for a short time (in person, not in thought), out of our intense longing we made every effort to see you. For we wanted to come to you--certainly I, Paul, did, again and again--but Satan blocked our way.
(I Thessalonians 2:17-18)
Did you ever notice that many popular songs are written about pledges from loving hearts to be everything the object of their love could ever need--especially in the face of sorrow, trouble, saddness or loss? We would love to be the answer for each other's most profound needs. But the purity of that desire does not surmount human inadequacy or limiting circumstances. Our highest hopes and greatest efforts often fail to supply the needs of those we love. It's very humbling. It drives us to God, who alone is ever-present and all-powerful.
God is our refuge and our strengthm an ever-present help in trouble. (Psalm 46:1)
Popular songs reveal the longing of human beings to be that ever-present help in times of trouble. I weep when I hear the Pretenders sing Gina Glocksen's moving lyrics to "I'll Stand By You". How I'd love to unfailingly go through a dear one's "darkest hour." I'd love to vow that I'd "let nobody hurt you" and this:
"When you're standing at the crossroads
And you don't know which path to choose
Let me come along, 'cause even if you're wrong
I'll stand by you....."
Or how about "I Won't Let Go" recorded by Rascal Flatts? Every word of the song is a heartfelt pledge to be available for someone with empathy, assistance and faithfulness no matter what!
Do you remember Carole King's recording of "Just Call Out My Name"? Who of us can guarantee this kind of a response to a friend? We can guarantee our desire to be the all in all for someone in trouble or sorrow, but how can we ever be sure that we can be sufficient?
"You just call out my name
And you know wherever I am
I'll come runnin' to see you again.
Winter, spring, summer or fall
All you have to do is call
And I'll be there
You've got a friend."
Come to me all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. (Jesus in Matthew 11:28)
There are a lot of promises that only God can keep; a lot of circumstances that only he can fix; a lot of sorrows that only he can comfort. There are a lot of songs that we need to hear as if they were sung to us by God because he alone can deliver on the promises of their lyrics.
In this world you will have trouble. (John 16:33)
The human heart can be filled with great compassion and long to always be available to assist, to comfort, to encourage. There are promises I'd like to make and promises made that I'd like to keep, but.... It is often very painful to find that we are helpless to be what someone we love needs. Our intense longing and anxiety are many times inadequate to open the right doors. The apostle Paul was familiar with this inner struggle:
But, brothers and sisters we were orphaned by being separated from you for a short time (in person, not in thought), out of our intense longing we made every effort to see you. For we wanted to come to you--certainly I, Paul, did, again and again--but Satan blocked our way.
(I Thessalonians 2:17-18)
Did you ever notice that many popular songs are written about pledges from loving hearts to be everything the object of their love could ever need--especially in the face of sorrow, trouble, saddness or loss? We would love to be the answer for each other's most profound needs. But the purity of that desire does not surmount human inadequacy or limiting circumstances. Our highest hopes and greatest efforts often fail to supply the needs of those we love. It's very humbling. It drives us to God, who alone is ever-present and all-powerful.
God is our refuge and our strengthm an ever-present help in trouble. (Psalm 46:1)
Popular songs reveal the longing of human beings to be that ever-present help in times of trouble. I weep when I hear the Pretenders sing Gina Glocksen's moving lyrics to "I'll Stand By You". How I'd love to unfailingly go through a dear one's "darkest hour." I'd love to vow that I'd "let nobody hurt you" and this:
"When you're standing at the crossroads
And you don't know which path to choose
Let me come along, 'cause even if you're wrong
I'll stand by you....."
Or how about "I Won't Let Go" recorded by Rascal Flatts? Every word of the song is a heartfelt pledge to be available for someone with empathy, assistance and faithfulness no matter what!
Do you remember Carole King's recording of "Just Call Out My Name"? Who of us can guarantee this kind of a response to a friend? We can guarantee our desire to be the all in all for someone in trouble or sorrow, but how can we ever be sure that we can be sufficient?
"You just call out my name
And you know wherever I am
I'll come runnin' to see you again.
Winter, spring, summer or fall
All you have to do is call
And I'll be there
You've got a friend."
Come to me all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. (Jesus in Matthew 11:28)
There are a lot of promises that only God can keep; a lot of circumstances that only he can fix; a lot of sorrows that only he can comfort. There are a lot of songs that we need to hear as if they were sung to us by God because he alone can deliver on the promises of their lyrics.
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