A Not-So-Fond Farewell and an Eager Welcome

Somebody really should do something about the convergence of Christmas and New Year’s that comes after only seven days. The echoes of carols have barely faded, and gifts lie hardly unwrapped, as we start preparing to sing “Auld Lang Syne” and kick the old year to the curb. (Although, given the kind of year 2021 turned out to be, maybe it would have been nice if we could have done that months ago.)

During these last moments of the old year, we often stop to look back, reflecting on the good and bad, the things we accomplished and things that fell short of success. I typically revisit old goals, to see how many of them I reached and determine which unrealized goals should be carried over into the new year. There are always surprises – what I didn’t get done, and things I did that I hadn’t expected to do.

 

But in general, there’s limited value in looking back. The past is in the past, cast in stone; while we can learn from failures and revel momentarily in our successes, the best thing we can do with the present is prepare for the future. I’m with the apostle Paul who wrote, “But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 3:13-14).

 

Paul had much to regret from his pre-Christ days, as the zealous Pharisee Saul, but rather than dwell on that, he used it as motivation to propel him to fuller service to Jesus and His people. Every chance he got, Paul told people about how the Lord had transformed his life and how He could do the same for them. He was perhaps the most forward-thinking of the apostles.

 

As Christ followers, we should be the same. We might rejoice over what He has done in and through our lives over the past year, but now’s the time to prepare for what the Lord has for us in the new year. How, through His enabling power, we can become more effective witnesses for Him – by our lives as well as our words.

 

Each of us is different, so our goals and plans should align with where God has uniquely placed us, what gifts He has given to us, and what passions He has placed in our hearts. Even though the shift from 11:59 p.m. on Dec. 31 to midnight on Jan. 1 is but a single minute, we can still see it as a fresh start filled with unlimited opportunities.

 

Here are a few suggestions I’ve found helpful to consider as we enter another calendar year:

 

First, I’d suggest making time alone with God a priority. Maybe you’re already doing this – devoting a portion of each day to reading and studying the Scriptures, praying and seeking His guidance, which is essential. As with any relationship, giving the Lord our undivided time and attention is one way of drawing closer to Him. 

 

There are countless Bible reading plans, including ways to read through it in a year. I’ve just finished using one. But most important, time in the Word of God daily – whether it’s a verse, a chapter or several chapters – is invaluable. As Hebrews 4:12 assures us, “For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.”

 

I’ve read through the Scriptures numerous times, and yet every time there’s always much I didn’t see before, or a principle that strikes me in a new way. As we grow in our faith, the Word of God grows on us.

 

Memorizing and meditating on the Scriptures is one way to plant God’s truth in our lives permanently. As King David wrote, drawing from experience, “How can a young man keep his way pure? By living according to your word…. I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you” (Psalm 119:9,11).

 

Prayer is a mystery, speaking and sharing our hearts with Someone we can’t see, but we do so in faith, with hope and expectation. The very first Bible verse I ever learned says we’re to “Pray without ceasing” (1 Thessalonians 5:17), and that means it’s something we can do at any time throughout the day, even when we’re in an important meeting, driving a car (with our eyes opened), or walking through a mall. 

 

One secret for spiritual growth is a willingness, even an eagerness, to share what we’ve learned with others. Paul exhorted his protégé, Timothy, “And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable men who will also be qualified to teach others” (2 Timothy 2:2). There’s an amazing principle that as we share from what the Lord has given us, He in turn entrusts us with more. Whether it’s money or spiritual truth, as someone has said, “You can’t outgive God.”

We have all journeyed through the past year, encountering many bumps and obstacles along the way. But by the grace of God, we’re still here and poised to start a new 365-day trip, one certain to be filled with surprises and challenges, joys and disappointments. As I prepare to do so, I continue to cling to a passage that has served me well for more than 40 years: “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him and he will make your paths straight” (Proverbs 3:5-6). Blessings for a fruitful – and faithful – new year! 

Placing Our Trust in Spiders’ Webs?

One of the most disconcerting experiences in life – at least for me – is walking into a spider’s web, especially when you realize the spider is still in the middle of it. I have danced a few frantic jigs desperately trying to rid myself of both the web and its designer.

 

But there’s a common fact about spiders’ webs: They’re fragile. The spider might think they’re strong enough, good for catching things like flies and moths, delicacies at Cafe la Spider. But one swat with a broom and a spiderweb is history. This is a metaphor for how some folks construct their lives around pretty flimsy stuff.

The Bible’s book of Job points this out. It tells the story of a faithful fellow named Job, going about life without causing any harm to anyone. Suddenly, for no apparent reason, he goes through a series of personal calamities, losing property, livestock, servants and children, and then suffering severe physical affliction. Job must have felt like a guy who’s been struck by lightning several times.

 

After these tragedies, several of Job’s friends arrive to console him. They sit with him silently at first, trying to show compassion by their presence. But unable to contain themselves any longer, they start offering some wise-sounding explanations for their buddy’s travails. 

 

Even though some of what Eliphaz, Bildad and Zophar say is true, their assumptions are erroneous. Responding to the eternal question, “Why do bad things happen to good people?” they share the perspective that when bad things happen, it’s because the victims have brought the misfortune onto themselves. That’s not the message of the Old Testament book.

One of the statements by Bildad the Shuhite stands out for me, which brings us back to the topic of spiders’ webs. In Job 8:13-14, Bildad says, “Such is the destiny of all who forget God; so perishes the hope of the godless. What he trusts in is fragile; what he relies on is a spider’s web. He leans on his web, but it gives way; he clings to it, but it does not hold.” 

 

While wrongly concluding Job’s adversities were the consequence of abandoning God, Bildad’s observations about the web’s fragility are spot-on. And its truth rings true to this day. Living in a material world, it’s so easy to trust in what we can see and touch, rather than what the apostle Paul in 1 Timothy 1:17 describes as “the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God.”

 

What are the “spider webs” we cling to – or to put it more accurately, cling to us? For starters, there’s success and achievement, making them our be-all and end-all. Fame, wealth and power can have intoxicating powers. Just about anything in life could become a “spiderweb” if it commands all of our attention and energy.

 

In His “sermon on the mount,” Jesus Christ used a similar analogy, referring not to spiders but to sand. “But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash” (Matthew 7:26-27). 

 

Jesus had just taught on a wide range of topics, providing instruction about such things as properly handling money, wrongly judging others, understanding how to seek things from God, the importance of choosing the right path for life, and the perils of falling under the influence of false teachers. 

 

Then He made this statement, “Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock” (Matthew 7:24-25). 

 

He could have easily said, “Don’t build your lives on spiderwebs,” but perhaps sand nearby served as an effective visual aid. In any case, either serves as poor building material. 

 

We’d be wise to choose neither, instead following the example of the wise man who chose to build his house on a rock – a firm, trustworthy foundation. As the old hymn reminds us, “The Church’s one foundation is Jesus Christ our Lord.” Perhaps there’s no better reminder for us than this time of year, when we celebrate His birth. 

Little Town That Became Birthplace to Something Great

We’ve heard it said that big things often come in small packages. This time of year, that could refer to a towering inflatable Santa Claus for the front lawn, a cute little puppy that will grow into a humongous Labradoodle, or an engagement ring that leads to a marriage and five kids. And who can forget that from little acorns great oak trees grow?

However, for the true essence of Christmas, there’s nothing bigger to have come out of a small package than the quiet, obscure village in Israel called Bethlehem where 2,000 years ago a baby was born who grew up to become the Savior of the world.

 

Back then, for those who studied and analyzed biblical prophesies, Bethlehem becoming the birthplace for the promised Messiah wasn’t a total surprise. After all, this had been foreseen in an Old Testament book: “But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from of old, from ancient times” (Micah 5:2).

 

And when wise men from the East arrived at the doorstep of a tiny house in Bethlehem where Joseph, Mary and the infant Jesus were still residing, they had determined their destination and timed their arrival in part because of what the prophet Micah had written. The fact that this long-awaited fulfillment of prophecy didn’t experience His nascent moments in a large metropolis, such as Jerusalem, didn’t seem to bother them in the slightest.

Frequently we hear of a legendary athlete who was raised in some humble hamlet, or a celebrated starlet who spent her youth in a nondescript town. But in all of human history, there never was any to compare with Immanuel – “God with us” (Matthew 1:23) – who was given the earthly name of Jesus, or in. the Hebrew, Y'shua. 

 

He grew up not only to become an unparalleled teacher and role model, healer and miracle worker, but also to perform the most selfless act of all time: “For Christ died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God” (1 Peter 3:18). “He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world” (1 John 2:2).

 

Singing the beloved little carol, O Little Town of Bethlehem, inspires visions of a small stable sheltering a young couple holding an infant swaddled in cloths that had been intended to protect sacrificial lambs, and some curious visitors – shepherds, barnyard animals, and perhaps a multitude of angels staying out of sight. But there was no press corps to cover the event. CNN, Fox News and the networks weren’t even figments of someone’s wild imaginations. Was this a miscalculation by God?

 

It was no mistake in the least. It was the perfect plan of the Creator God, desiring to rescue – redeem – His people from having to pay a price they could never pay. As Philippians 2:7-8 declares, “And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death – even death on a cross!”

 

Jesus’ incomparable, yet hardly noticed birth became the pivot point for all of humanity. He came not only to die in our place, but also to live in human form so that He, more than anyone else, would be able to say when we pray and share with Him our pain, struggles, adversities and fears, “I understand.” As we’re told in Hebrews 4:15-16,

“For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way – just as we are – yet was without sin. Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.”

And that is why we can all remember a quaint little town and say, with one accord, “Merry Christmas!” 

Enjoying This Heart-felt Time of Year – in More Ways Than One

Have you noticed the big role the heart plays in so many facets of our culture? We have sayings and idioms like, “You’ve got to have heart.” “Let’s get to the heart of the matter.” “We were stirred by your heartfelt message.” “We need to have a heart-to-heart talk.” “Officials are focusing on the heart of the city.” “The great response was heartening.” "Affairs of the heart."

 

Most of these aren’t referring directly to the incredible human machine that starts pumping life-giving blood throughout our bodies months before we’re born and continues until to the moment we die. But they still underscore a basic truth: We can’t do without our hearts.

 

I still have the heart pillow I received
post-surgery 15 years ago.

Fifteen years ago today, I experienced this in the most profound way possible. I underwent open-heart surgery, not only to repair some arterial blockages but even more important, to have my entire ascending aorta replaced. Without this corrective operation, I not only could have suffered a heart attack, but with an enlarged aorta I was in imminent danger of an aortic dissection. If not properly diagnosed immediately when a rupture like this occurs, it’s usually fatal, as it was in 2003 for comedian John Ritter.

During the six-hour operation, I was put on a heart-lung machine to keep blood coursing through my body while they stopped my heart to perform the replacement and repairs. My new parts consisted in part of homograft material (human tissue) and synthetic material (Dacron).

 

Thankfully, after Dr. Morrison and his team had completed their work, my heart started back up, resuming its continual task of beating 70 times per minute on average, 4,200 times per hour, and about 100,000 times over a 24-hour period. Amazingly, it does this day after day after day, more than 36 million times in a single year. That means over my lifetime, my heart has already pumped more than two billion times!

 

As wonderful as that is, I’m convinced there’s more to the human heart than the distribution of blood to various parts of the body. Somehow, I believe, there’s a spiritual component to the heart, even though scientists might disagree, arguing there’s no such empirical evidence.

 

Over the years following my surgery that I served as a cardiac volunteer at the same hospital, I visited with patients who had undergone similar surgeries to offer encouragement and recommendations for their recovery process. It was common to talk with strong, macho-looking men who would tear up, thinking about what had just happened with their hearts.

 

Reading the Scriptures, we might rightfully conclude that God also views the heart as more than an important organ in human physiology. The passage I embrace as my “life verse” admonishes, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight” (Proverbs 3:5-6). Note we’re exhorted to trust in God not only with our minds, but also with our hearts.

 

Proverbs 28:14 states it another way: “Blessed is the man who always fears the Lord, but he who hardens his heart falls into trouble.” Like King David, we're to cultivate a heart after God.

 

The heart, according to the Bible, also is the seat of our motivations. Proverbs 17:3 declares, “The crucible for silver and the furnace for gold, but the Lord tests the heart,” and Proverbs 21:2 adds, “All a man’s ways seem right to him, but the Lord weighs the heart.” 

 

Yet another verse from the same book, Proverbs 4:23, offers this warning: “Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life.” We might paraphrase this to say, “Be careful about where we place our deepest affections, because those will impact the entirety of our lives.”

 

We could cite many other biblical examples, but perhaps the most significant of all can be found in Romans 10:9-10, “That if you confess with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved.”

 

As someone has said, genuine saving faith in Jesus Christ is a transaction that involves the heart (or emotions), the mind and the will. All three are necessary when we entrust our lives to Him as Savior and Lord. A decision made solely from the heart may waver when emotions of the moment have waned, so we must also align our minds with what our hearts are telling us. 

 

At that point, by an act of the will, our eternal, life-changing decision can be sealed. Then we can truly, from the heart, fulfill what Jesus Christ instructed when asked to identify the greatest commandment: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength. The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself’” (Mark 12:30-31).

So, while I’m rejoicing over a repaired heart that has served me unfailingly over the past decade and a half, I’m thankful also to God who promised, “I will give them an undivided heart and put a new spirit in them; I will remove from them their heart of stone and give them a heart of flesh” (Ezekiel 11:19). 

The Funny Thing About the East and West Never Meeting

Have you ever wondered why, if we started traveling and set a course due north, once we reached a certain point on the North Pole, we would start traveling southward – but when traveling in an eastward direction, at no point would we start traveling westward, unless we reversed course?

 

In his poem first published in 1889, “The Ballad of East and West,” Rudyard Kipling wrote the famous line, “East is east, and west is west – and never the twain shall meet.” On the face of it, it seems he’s pointing to the fact that unlike north and south, there’s never a point where east and west collide. However, it’s my understanding that Kipling wasn’t referring to directional travel. He was alluding to cultural differences between Eastern and Western societies – their ways of thinking and doing things. 

 

This may have changed somewhat since Kipling’s days, what with the explosion of all forms of communication and its increasingly global influence. Yet even today, peoples from different parts of the globe display markedly distinct forms of behavior, culture, social norms, and values. A person traveling from the U.S.A. to the Middle East, or the Far East, will quickly discover that some things acceptable, even encouraged, in the States can seem offensive to people in other parts of the globe. 

 

Ways of greeting one another, manners at mealtime, even how gratitude is expressed, can vary markedly from culture to culture. So, in that respect, the declaration that “East is east, and west is west – and never the twain shall meet” still holds true.

Thousands of years ago, a psalmist made an important reference to east and west. Attributed as one of the writings of Israel’s King David, it says, “As far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us” (Psalm 103:12). For those of us who have been convicted of our sins and God’s judgment, we often tend to carry the guilt of our wrongdoings. This verse – when considered in light of the reality that no matter how far east we travel, we’ll never find ourselves traveling west – helps us to realize the extent to which the Lord has freed us from our sins.

 

During the Christmas season our thoughts are drawn to images in a tiny baby lying in a crude manger, surrounding Mary, Joseph, some animals in a stable, lowly shepherds who had come to worship the promised Messiah, and perhaps an angel or two hovering nearby. But the ultimate significance of this moment, God taking on human form to one day personally take on the penalty for the sins of humankind, doesn’t receive such focus. Even though it should.

 

One of the Scriptures’ most profound verses, Romans 5:8, declares, “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” About 2,000 years ago, way before any of us could have been even a gleam in someone’s eyes. Jesus went to a crude, cruel cross for our sins – transgressions we would one day commit against the God who created us. 

 

Another verse that follows soon afterward affirms this incredible act wasn’t temporary, nor was it a partial gesture. “The death he died, he died to sin once for all; but the life he lives, he lives to God” (Romans 6:10). We find this truth expanded upon a bit in 1 Peter 3:18, “For Christ died for us once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God.” And through His bodily resurrection, He offers us new, transformed life as well – both in our earthly existence as well as for all eternity.

 

As it says in John 1:12-13, “Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God – children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.”

As Christmas day nears, many of us are fretting over the gifts we plan to give, as well as anticipating the gifts we hope to receive. Perhaps this is a good time – the best time – to consider whether we, or a dear loved one, have received the greatest gift of all: new life in Jesus Christ, with our sins removed as far as the east is from the west. 

Finding Hope and Joy in a Time of Hopelessness and Despair

One of the great things about the Christmas season is the opportunity it provides for a personal and spiritual reset. Over the past year – in reality, nearly two years – we have bombarded with messages of gloom and doom, whether about the seemingly never-ending pandemic, mind-numbing political strife, economic downturns, heightening international conflict, or the ongoing war of ideologies and worldviews. Immersed in this atmosphere of seeming hopelessness and despair, it's time to revisit our greatest Source of hope and joy.

 

Recently, my wife and I were watching one of Hallmark’s ubiquitous Christmas movies, based on a book by David Baldacci – “The Christmas Train.” The film, I thought, is better than average. One of the lines in it stood out for me: “Hope begins when you stand in the dark looking out at the light.” 

 

Something very similar was written long before this book and film came out. We find it in the first chapter of the gospel of John, concerning the coming of Jesus Christ: “In him was life, and that life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it” (John 1:4-5).

 

In studying the Scriptures, it’s always helpful to have context to understand what’s going on. In this case, the people of Israel had been without any new prophetic revelation for about 400 years, not since the divinely inspired words of the prophet Malachi. The Jews had clung to their hope in the promised Messiah, but four centuries is a long time to wait.

 

Suddenly, a man appeared to preach about the imminent arrival of the Messiah. Known as John the Baptist, we’re told, “He came as a witness to testify concerning that light, so that through him all men might believe. He himself was not the light; he came only as a witness to the light. The true light that gives light to every man was coming into the world” (John 1:7-9).

 

Exciting news! After so many years of speculation and clinging to God’s covenant promises, there was a guy, John, declaring the Light of the world was about to initiate His earthly ministry. Strangely, however, not everyone got caught up in the excitement. In fact, cynics and skeptics far outnumbered the believers. The gospel goes on to say concerning Jesus, “He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him” (John 1:10-11).

 

There were no tickertape parades, welcome mats, not even a Welcome Wagon visit when Jesus arrived to set up shop. In fact, after all the hoping and waiting, there was great resistance and opposition. We’re familiar with John 3:16, the declaration that “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” However, not so often quoted is the sobering passage just a few verses later: 

“This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but men loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that his deeds will be exposed. But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light…” (John 3:19-21).

 

So, the darkness we encounter that sometimes seems overwhelming shouldn’t surprise us. It was pervasive 2,000 years, and the brokenness and sinfulness of humankind is as acute today. If we concentrate on that, how can we not succumb to feelings of hopeless and despair? 

 

Which is why this season serves as such a wonderful reminder, a time for resetting. In this “season of lights,” we need to redirect our gaze, reorient our thinking, toward the One who declared, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life” (John 8:12).

 

The revealing of the Good News of Jesus Christ started with a mysterious star, shining the way to Bethlehem. During His earthly life, Jesus brought light to countless people who had spent their lives stumbling and suffering in darkness. And through His Spirit, continues to offer His brilliant, unvanquishable light to everyone to receive it. “Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God” (John 1:12).

Hopefully, you have responded to His light. Now’s as good a time as ever to walk in it, allowing the light of Jesus Christ to dispel the despair and hopelessness that desperately seeks to consume us. As the old Hank Williams song proclaims, “I saw the light, I saw the light, no more darkness, no more night…praise the Lord, I saw the light.” 

Christmas and Its Conflict with Contentment

“What do you want for Christmas?” This is a question we’ve either asked of someone, or someone has asked of us. Perhaps both. Because Christmas is all about getting stuff we want, right? At least that’s the message we receive from advertisers and retail locations big and small, both real and virtual. 

 

We’re also told it doesn’t matter whether we can afford it or not. Just pull out a credit card. The old “buy now, pay later” strategy. Preacher Alistair Begg calls this the way to “fulfill your wanting without waiting.”

 

Of course, if you often read this blog, you might agree with my contention that Christmas isn’t about the advancement of materialism. Yes, gift giving is a time-honored part of the Christmas tradition, perhaps more in the U.S.A. than anywhere else. But when we start hearing characters in holiday movies, talk show commentators and TV commercials asking the over-used question, “What is the true meaning of Christmas?” my gut response is, “Duh!” 

 

Leave the Christ Child out of the equation and all we’ve got left is “mas.” Ironically, in Spanish the word “mas” means “more,” so perhaps that’s part of the reason that for many, Christmas turns into a quest for acquiring more and more stuff.

 

For followers of Jesus, however, the understanding of the meaning and purpose of Christmas is more straight-forward. It’s an annual celebration of a unique birth more than 2,000 years ago, when “The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us…who came from the Father, full of grace and truth” (John 1:14). If Jesus, whom believers came to recognize as “the Christ” or the promised Messiah, hadn’t been born, there would have been no need for a Christmas observance.

 

Let’s shift to the consideration of the gift-giving side of Christmas. After all, even Christ’s birth was marked with the presentation of gifts. Magi, wise men from the East who were led to seek out the fulfillment of prophecies dating back to the Old Testament days of Daniel, brought gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh as symbols of their reverence. 

 

We could rightly conclude that the exchange of gifts doesn’t violate any biblical principles or commandments. In fact, the Scriptures strongly endorse giving and cultivating a giving attitude. We often think of Jesus’ statement, “It is more blessed to give than to receive” (Acts 20:35), but we find admonitions for lavish, even hilarious giving throughout the Bible. 

 

I particularly like the encouragement from Proverbs 11:24-25, "One man gives freely, yet gains even more; another withholds unduly, but comes to poverty. A generous man will prosper; he who refreshes others will himself be refreshed.”

 

The problem comes when we confuse strivings for more and more with the ability to feel content with whatever we already have. The apostle Paul addressed this in cautioning his disciple, Timothy, “But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that” (1 Timothy 6:6-8).

 

Elsewhere the apostle, while addressing the willingness of believers in Philippi to support his ministry, wrote, “…I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want” (Philippians 4:11-12).

 

This is the challenge we face during this special season of the year, seeking to keep separate our wants from our needs, and to cultivate contentment in what could be termed, to borrow the words of John Steinbeck, “the winter of our discontent.” 

Present, Prominent, or Preeminent?

Courtship, to use an old-fashioned term, can be an intriguing process. Boy meets girl, they look into each other’s eyes and sense a strong connection. So, they go out on a date for the first time, to get acquainted and see if there’s “chemistry.” At that moment we could say they are “present” in one another’s lives.

 

They agree to move to stage 2, which involves going out together on a regular basis. If they continue to enjoy one another’s company, they may decide to make the other person “prominent,” even though there’s no formalized commitment. They can still see others if they wish, but are moving toward becoming a “couple.”

 

In stage 3, things get serious. They become exclusive to one another, perhaps become engaged, and when they feel the time’s right, exchange “I do’s” and marry, hopefully to begin what will become a lifelong journey together. At this point they’ve shifted from prominent to “preeminent,” seeing each other as the one and only, fully committed to each other.

 

This serves as a simple metaphor for the kind of relationships people have with God – present, prominent, and preeminent. It’s not always easy to identify which of these three stages others are in; we might even struggle to discern in which we ourselves fit. But I’d like to offer some observations to at least give us something to think about. The Bible has much to say about this, but the examples of three churches described in the book of Revelation might be especially instructive.

 

For many people, God is present. They believe in him, at least in an intellectual sense. They might be “C and E’ers,” going to services every Christmas and Easter without fail. Or they may attend church with some consistency, aiming to give the Lord an hour or two of their time as often as is convenient. The rest of the time, however, they may or may not look and act as if they believe in Him at all.

 

That described me for the first 30-plus years of my life. Unless I could think of something better to do, or if I was too tired from the night before, I’d show up, figuratively punching my attendance card. Then after an hour or two, I’d walk out the doors back into “the real world” where I felt I was pretty much on my own.

 

The ancient church in the city of Laodicea, addressed in Revelation 3:15-16, might fit this category: “I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! So, because you are lukewarm – neither hot nor cold – I am about to spit you out of my mouth.” Not a very flattering description. God doesn’t much like complacent, apathetic people.

 

Far fewer people have a relationship with God in which He is prominent. For them, this might involve aiming to attend church on a weekly basis, or even more often. They might also participate in prayer meetings or Bible studies. For them, worshipping the Lord is a significant part of their lives. One important question for them is, what role does God play in their lives when they’re not in religious gatherings?

 

For an example of this, we can consider the church at Ephesus, described in Revelation 2:3-5, where God declares, “You have persevered and have endured hardships for my name, and have not grown weary. Yet I hold this against you. You have forsaken your first love. Remember the height from which you have fallen! Repent and do the things you did at first. If you do not repent, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place.”

 

At first glance, we might think the folks in the Ephesian church weren’t doing too badly. They had persevered, clung to their faith despite unspecified hardships. But then come the crushing words, “You have forsaken your first love.” Maybe early on they were filled with zeal, but over time other concerns and interests had captured their attention, relegating Jesus Christ to second place – or lower – in their lives. Kind of the way some folks are after the honeymoon stage of marriage.

 

Then there is the last group of Christ followers, ones we could classify as making the Lord preeminent in their lives. There are many ways of looking at this. For some it means answering a call to full-time vocational ministry, such as pastors, worship leaders, missionaries, or parachurch ministry. But it doesn’t necessarily require such a step. 

 

I’ve known many people of incredibly strong, unwavering faith who lived for Him in the so-called “secular world.” They understand that from God’s perspective, there’s no distinction between sacred and secular. As His followers, we’re all called to serve Him, not just on Sundays but seven days a week, 24 hours a day. “Full-time Christian service” can apply no matter where we work or live.

 

Meeting this description, it seems, was the ancient Greek church in Philadelphia. God says in Revelation 3:8-10, “I know your deeds. See, I have placed before you and open door that no one can shut. I know that you have little strength, yet you have kept my word and have not denied my name…. Since you have kept my command to endure patiently, I will also keep you from the hour of trial that is going to come upon the whole world to test those who live on the earth.”

 

Present. Prominent. Preeminent. Three very different types of relationship with the Lord. The question for each of us is simple: “Which one describes mine?” 

Tools to Help Us Become Workers Who Need Not Be Ashamed

When my father passed away, I inherited his collection of tools. Unfortunately, unlike my dad who was a master mechanic and a consummate “Mr. Fix-It,” I don’t think I have a mechanical gene in my body. I can turn a screw or hammer a nail if necessary, but when something needs to be repaired, usually I shrug my shoulders and try to decide which handyman to call.

Some tools, however, I am very familiar with and use extensively. As a writer and editor, my “toolbox” consists of words, sentences, paragraphs and punctuation marks. As I write this, I’m utilizing a tool called a computer, with my fingers tapping out words on a tool known as a keyboard. I often illustrate things I write using images created with another tool I enjoy using – a camera.

 

Some of us might not have skill using devices like hammers, saws, wrenches and screwdrivers, but we use other kinds of tools to accomplish necessary tasks. In our homes we have washing machines and dryers, vacuum cleaners, dishwashers, electric garage door openers and water heaters. 

 

Technology has given us an unending parade of tools supposedly to make our lives easier, including smartphones that now have more capacity than many computers had just decades ago. We have tools that can automatically turn lights on and off in our homes, as well as regulate the heat and air conditioning, and machines that can vacuum the floors without our help. Those able to afford it can buy self-driving cars – they just need to get in before the vehicles leave.

 

Whatever activity we can think of, there’s probably a tool to help in getting it done, from the moment we awaken to the second we lay our heads on the pillow to sleep.

 

But how about the spiritual dimension of our lives? What tools do we have for enhancing the quality of our walk with God?

 

One is obvious: the Bible, the Word of God. There’s no better tool for navigating the turbulent seas of right living. It provides timeless guidelines for morality and ethics. It helps establish priorities – to distinguish the important from the urgent, the best from what’s merely good. It gives answers to, “Why am I here?” “What’s my purpose in life?” “How can I know God?” “What happens when I die?” “Where can I find true peace and meaning in a chaotic, ever-changing world?”

 

As 2 Timothy 3:16-17 declares, “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.” Years ago, I wrote a book of workplace meditations, “Business At Its Best: Timeless Wisdom from Proverbs for Today’s Workplace.” It shows how timeless principles from the Bible apply to the contemporary marketplace in practical ways.

 

Many of these same principles are useful for other areas of life as well – marriage, family, finances, leisure pursuits, our use of time, handling stress, communications, even sports. Especially in dealing with sin and our need for forgiveness. I love how this is expressed in Jeremiah 15:16, “Your words were found and I ate them. And your words became for me a joy and the delight of my heart.”

 

The quality of our tools keeps getting better and better. This is true for the Bible and our ability to use it effectively. I can still remember, way back in 1978, when I discovered translations besides the revered King James Version, which dates back to 1611. Even though it has undergone numerous revisions through the years, some of its archaic terminology can challenge the reader.

 

The first modern translation I encountered was the New American Standard, although today we have dozens of accurate translations from which to choose, along with well-considered paraphrases. For someone seriously interested in giving the Bible an honest look, there are no longer any barriers.

 

We have a seemingly unending array of Bibles targeted to different interest groups – such as men, women, married couples, teens, children, business people, folks going through recovery programs, even editions to guide readers through the Bible in a year. Add to this amply footnoted study Bibles, commentaries, concordances, books, dictionaries and maps, and we have countless resources to help in fulfilling the command of 2 Timothy 2:15, “Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, accurately handling the word of truth.”

 

One tool that’s often overlooked is a systematic approach to memorizing Scripture passages, a way to not only read and think about the Word of God, but also to file it in our spiritual filing cabinets for easy access, especially when a Bible might not be readily available or appropriate to pull out at the moment. 

 

I began using one such plan decades ago, The Navigators’ Topical Memory System, and have been able to retain many of the verses I learned through the years. As David wrote in Psalm 119:9,11, “How can a young man keep his way pure? By living according to your word…. I have hidden my word in my heart that I might not sin against you.” 

 

“Hiding” biblical truth in our hearts by memorization dates back to the ancient Israelites, but its value and importance have never gone out of style. It enables us to experience the promise of Hebrews 4:12, “For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.” 

Sometimes Good Might Not Be As Good As It Feels

“If it feels good, do it!” How many times have you heard this? It’s often repeated in our culture, and we might have said it ourselves or heard it from friends. As one popular song years ago declared, “How can it be wrong when it feels so right?”

The problem is, acting solely based upon how things feel can easily get us into trouble. Feelings can cloud our judgment or distort our thinking. Many years ago, I amassed a sizable credit card debt, largely the result of impulsive spending decisions that made me feel good. Then the bills started coming in. It took years to recover from the damage of being guided by my feelings.

 

I was on the interstate recently, driving the speed limit at a reasonable distance from other vehicles. Suddenly, a sportscar zoomed past me, moving at least 30 miles faster than I was going. The driver might have been feeling good, exhilarated by traveling at such a high rate of speed. But this was not the German autobahn, and the highway was filled with cars. If the driver’s delight in speed had resulted in a terrible accident, or even a costly citation, his or her feelings would have changed dramatically.

 

Leadership consultant Tim Kight has observed on social media: “Not everything that feels good is good for you. Not everything that is good for you feels good.” Lots of wisdom in a handful of words.

 

If a person struggles with alcohol, having “just one drink” might feel good, but it will probably lead to many more, along with undesired results. The sexual revolution of the 1960s became a major catalyst of the “if it feels good, do it” philosophy, but the negative consequences of casual one-night stands and “hooking up” have been immeasurable.

 

The second part of Kight’s statement is one we often overlook: Not everything that is good for you feels good. There’s perhaps no better example than discipline, whether it’s in learning a skill, military training, improving one’s health, or raising a child. 

 

If a person decides to get fit physically, a first step might be to adopt a training regimen and plan regular trips to the gym. I’m not a top athlete by any means, but following my open-heart surgery in 2006, I began a cardiac rehab program and have tried to maintain a consistent workout program ever since. My motto is, “I hate to exercise – but I love to have exercised.” Exercise always looks better in past tense.

 

Have you ever said something like, “I wish I could play the piano,” or “I’d love to learn how to paint in watercolor”? A reason many people can’t do things like that is because they don’t feel like going through the tedium of spending many hours practicing or learning the craft.

 

Discipline seems to have become a neglected aspect of parenting. Rather than giving their children guidelines for behavior and then enforcing those when necessary, a mom or dad might decide instead to let little Buddy or Suzy make their own choices, even though they might not be old enough to determine what’s best for themselves. 

 

In the Bible, however, we find that discipline is not optional – it’s a mandatory, essential part of growth and training. And the Scriptures clearly acknowledge the reality that discipline often doesn’t feel good, even if it’s good for us.

 

The book of Proverbs alone contains more than 30 verses related to the importance of discipline and correction. Here are some examples:

“He who heeds discipline shows the way to life, but whoever ignores correction leads others astray” (Proverbs 10:17).

“He who ignores discipline despises himself, but whoever heeds correction gains understanding” (Proverbs 15:32).

“He who spares the rod hates his son, but he who loves him is careful to discipline him” (Proverbs 13:24). 

“Discipline your son, and he will give you peace; he will bring delight to your soul” (Proverbs 29:17).

 

Discipline, the Scriptures teach, is an integral part of God’s spiritual training program for us. It’s also a demonstration of His love. Hebrews 12:9-11 makes the connection between human and divine discipline and correction:

“Moreover, we have all had human fathers who disciplined us and we respected them for it. How much more should we submit to the Father of spirits and live! They disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but God disciplines us for our good, in order that we may share in his holiness. No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it” (Hebrews 12:9-11).

 

Many times, life’s trials and tribulations serve as a form of discipline, experiences God uses to mold us into the people He intends for us to become. Unfortunately, going through adversity rarely feels good.

 

Peter the apostle noted this when he wrote, “In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that your faith – of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire – may be proved genuine…” (1 Peter 1:6-7).

 

So, the next time you find yourself thinking, “If it feels good, do it,” think again. And if something you’re going through doesn’t feel good, take heart – maybe there’s a good reason for it. 

How Can We Thank Him? Let Us Count the Ways

Do you remember the classic poem by Elizabeth Barrett Browning that starts, “How do I love thee? Let me count the ways…”? She proceeds to cite many and varied ways in which she indeed loves the object of her devotion. On this Thanksgiving Day, perhaps it would be useful to pause a few moments from the day’s festivities to think about God and ask, “How do I thank Thee?”

 

You certainly can compile a list of your own and I’d encourage you to do so. But maybe it would help to offer some “candidates” for our thanks to get us started:

• Every morning when we awaken, we have received the gift of another day, with many opportunities and possibilities. That’s no small blessing.
• If we have a roof over our head, some clothes in the closet and food on the table, we can be thankful for God’s provision.
• Looking into the garage or the driveway in front of our house, do we see a vehicle ready to take us wherever we need to go? Reliable transportation is another blessing we shouldn’t take for granted.
• Looking around us, we might see beloved family members and friends, treasured relationships we have been given and enabled to nurture and deepen over time.
• Whenever we turn on the TV to watch a holiday parade or football game, go to our computer to catch up on email or go to a favorite website, or receive a friendly text, we can give thanks for advancements in technology that our grandparents could never have imagined.
• If we were able to attend a Thanksgiving service or plan to attend a worship service this weekend, we can be thankful for the freedom to worship as we choose, a freedom not available to many people around the globe.

 

This list could go on and on. In his second letter to the ancient church in Corinth, the apostle Paul writes about thanksgiving from a perspective many of us would not have considered – being able to give materially to benefit others. 

 

After citing a key principle of sowing and reaping, “Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly and whoever sows generously will also reap generously,” and observing that “God loves a cheerful giver” (2 Corinthians 9:6-7), the apostle moves on to the subject of how we can inspire the giving of thanks:

“Now He who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will supply and multiply your store of seed and will increase the harvest of your righteousness. You will be enriched in every way to be generous on every occasion, so that through us your giving will produce thanksgiving to God. For this ministry of service is not only supplying the needs of the saints, but is also overflowing in many expressions of thanksgiving to God” (2 Corinthians 9:10-12).

 

Have you ever thought about giving thanks for the ability to give from our personal treasure and resources, as well as of our time and talents? As a friend told me years ago, “the greatest poverty is the inability to give.” Although there are always things we can want, many of us already have more than we need. What a blessing and a privilege to be rich enough to give from our abundance to assist those in meeting their needs.

 

Sometimes we’re reluctant to give with generosity, thinking we must keep in mind our own needs. At such times it might be wise to remember how extravagantly God has given to us, most notably the reminder we find in John 3:16, “For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have everlasting life.” 

It is no wonder that as Paul completed his exhortation to the Corinthians about bountiful, even hilarious giving, he concluded with this declaration: “Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift!” (2 Corinthians 9:15). As the old hymn says of Jesus Christ, “He gave His life, what more could He give?” This Thanksgiving, let’s consider how many ways we can thank Him for what He has done for us.

Never Too Early to Start Giving Thanks

Thanksgiving Day is coming, ready or not! Recently deceased turkeys are waiting in refrigerators across the land, while some live turkeys are wiping their brows, hoping they might have gotten a reprieve for another year. Pumpkin pies are baking; cans of yams being snatched off grocery store shelves before supplies run out; Christmas parade floats nearing completion; and football fans already making their own game plans for coordinating festive dinners with their favorite gridiron clashes. 

 

Some people are even thinking seriously about what they will be thankful for this year.

 

Although the annual holiday doesn’t officially arrive until later this week, that doesn’t mean we can’t feel or express gratitude before we gather with friends and family around a table, salivating over the eagerly anticipated feast. It’s always a good time to think about – and practice – the act of being thankful.

In fact, we’re urged to maintain a continual attitude of thankfulness. In 1 Thessalonians 5:18 we find one of Bible’s direct, yet profound verses: “give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” I like how another translation turns the phrase: “in everything give thanks.”

 

Now some of us might argue, in one respect or another, that it’s hard to be thankful for everything. Perhaps you’ve suffered the loss of a loved one over the past year or experienced serious financial setbacks. Maybe your own health has been a struggle. It could be challenges encountered on the job, or family issues that seem beyond resolution. Are we supposed to be thankful for those things, too?

 

We can find no better example than Job in the Bible’s Old Testament. A wealthy and prominent citizen, he suffered an incredible series of personal tragedies, including the loss of property and livestock, deaths of his children, and severe health maladies. His wife, understandably chagrined by the chain of events, didn’t think her husband should feel thankful. Obviously lacking the spiritual gifts of mercy or encouragement, she didn’t mince words: “Are you still holding on to your integrity? Curse God and die!”

 

Job’s response, despite grave adversity that seemed unending and beyond explanation, was amazingly simple and humble: “…Shall we accept good from God, and not trouble?” (Job 2:9-10). Good question!

 

Hopefully, as you read this many positive blessings come to your mind. Despite the continuing flood of negative news, perhaps the past year has been one of your very best. If so, that’s wonderful. However, even in times of hardship, thankfulness is not only possible – it’s also essential. 

 

For one thing, we have the promise of Romans 8:28, “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” When facing difficulties, we might not always understand the “why” of what’s happened, but we can trust in the Lord’s goodness, love and sovereignty. He wants what’s best for us, even if it doesn’t seem that way at the time. 

 

As we read in Jeremiah 29:11, God declares, “For I know the plans I have for you…plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” And as a Babbie Mason song reminds us, “When you don’t understand, when you don’t see His plan, when you can’t trace His hand…trust His heart.”

 

Even though thanksgiving should be an ongoing habit year-round, I appreciate having an annual reminder built into our calendar. Besides the United States, thanksgiving holidays are observed in countries such as Brazil, Canada, Grenada, St. Lucia, Liberia and the Philippines; similar festival holidays are held in Germany, Japan and other nations.

 

Colossians 3:15-17 gives us a good description of what it might look like to cultivate and express our thankfulness, not only to God directly but also with one another:

“Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God. And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.”

This year, I hope we can all join in thanksgiving, not only around the dinner table as we pray, but also with uplifting words and songs, expressing gratitude to our Creator and Sustainer, our Savior and Lord, for who He is and all that He does in our lives, even in ways we do not understand.