If Only We Could Have a Helicopter’s View of Life

Have you ever ridden in a helicopter? How about the Goodyear blimp, or a hot air balloon? I’ve done none of the three, but I think it would be fun to ride in one of those and get a view of one’s surroundings from a reasonable distance. I’ve flown in airplanes many times, even a twin-engine Cessna, but typically the view they provide is far off. A helicopter, for example, would provide a better perspective, I suspect.

I raise this subject because of a talk I recall from years ago by a fellow named Bill Gillham. This downhome, folksy fellow had a disarming way about him – his countrified speech belied the fact that he was one smart guy. He passed away in 2011, but Gillham and his wife, Anabel, touched countless lives with their very practical, and often humorous, approach to teaching biblical truth.

 

One of the things I remember Bill talking about was God’s perspective on life. We earthlings are limited by time and space, meaning we’re captives of this moment and the specific spot where we happen to be at any given time. By contrast, God has no such limitations. He has what Bill called a “helicopter view” of our lives, able to see the past, present and future all at once.

 

Over the years, I’ve found that image comforting. Very much so. Because often, when caught up various crises, all we can see is the “Now,” the present moment with its trials and travails. We can’t see, maybe can’t even conceive of, how it could fit into the Lord’s eternal plan. But with His lofty perspective from “Heaven Force One,” God knows the important events and circumstances in our lives aren’t random at all. 

 

This is one reason God could make promises in the Scriptures like Jeremiah 29:11, “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.” From our point of view, grim developments – whether an unpleasant health diagnosis, an unexpected financial dilemma, a crisis at work, a family challenge that seems beyond resolution, or more pervasive national or international strife – are catalysts for high anxiety, even panic. “Lord, in case you haven’t noticed, we’ve got a big problem down here!”

 

If we could join the Lord in His outside-of-time-and-space “helicopter,” however, we’d realize there’s no reason for fear, handwringing, or gnashing of teeth. (My dentist, by the way, strongly discourages teeth gnashing.) We’d probably see that like individual dominoes lined up, one falling into another, the current conundrum is a necessary part of God’s plan to accomplish His purpose in our lives – and through our lives – for His glory and praise.

 

Among the many benefits of parenting is being able to experience, in the most miniscule of ways, what this must be like. As little Johnny or Joanie is growing up, mom or dad must make tough decisions. They introduce their youngsters to the concept of “No!”, whether it’s not to touch the stove, run into the street after a ball, or talk to strangers. 

 

We also practice discipline, insisting that they clean their rooms or do their homework before going to play or forbid them to venture into places that could endanger them in some way. Why? Because in a sense, we too have a helicopter-type view of things, understanding our guidance is not just for the present but also to ensure a safe and happy future – in light of what we’ve experienced ourselves in the past.

 

So, as we’re fretting over our circumstances, or praying to God, suggesting what we’d like for Him to do, recognition that He operates from a broader, timeless perspective indeed can give us the assurance that our Father knows best.

 

Watching too much of the news can put us in a perpetual state of alert. Chicken Little loves to scream, “The sky is falling!” because it really makes people nervous. Based on what we can see, who knows what bad stuff will happen? However, if we associate God with “helicopter,” we can feel secure entrusting Him with the uncertain and unknown future.

 

Speaking to His chosen people through the prophet Jeremiah on another occasion, God said, “So do not fear, O Jacob my servant; do not be dismayed, O Israel…. I will surely save you out of a distant place, your descendants from the land of their exile. Jacob will again have peace and security, and no one will make him afraid. I am with you and will save you…” (Jeremiah 30:10-11).

 

In the writings of another Old Testament prophet, Isaiah, we read equally promising words from the Lord: “So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand” (Isaiah 41:10). The only way He could promise this is if He knew the end from the beginning, observing from high above the fray. 

 

Letting us know nothing had changed over the centuries that followed, we find a similar promise in the last words Jesus spoke following His resurrection, just before His ascension back to heaven. He said, “And surely I am with you always, to the end of the age” (Matthew 28:20). Someone once told me that in the Bible, when God says “always,” what He really means is…always.

Next time you find yourself looking around, feeling dismayed or disheartened by what you see, turn your thoughts to the Lord. And think…HELICOPTER. 

Availability Matters Much More Than Ability

 Have you ever felt envious of someone engaged in fruitful Christian work? Maybe it was a missionary sharing exciting stories of changed lives from the mission field? Or someone singing an inspiring song during a worship service? Or a friend building into other people spiritually – and the thought that came to your mind was, “I could never do that”? 

There’s no question that some people are especially gifted for specific things God has called them to do. I often think about a friend that had the gift of evangelism who seemed to encounter unsaved but receptive people wherever he went. Not everyone is called to leave their familiar surroundings to engage in foreign mission work, dealing with new languages and cultures. And most of us certainly haven’t been equipped by God to stand in a sanctuary, Sunday after Sunday, giving challenging messages from God’s Word.

 

However, we all can do something to advance the kingdom of God. In many cases, we can do much more than we could ever imagine. Because from the Lord’s perspective, availability is much more important than ability.

 

When God drew me out of the newspaper business to apply my writing and editing skills and expertise to vocational Christian ministry, I felt totally out of my element. My job description included writing and editing a quarterly magazine and collaborating on a book with the organization’s president. All my experience had been with newspapers – I’d never written a magazine article, and writing a book was an item on my “hope to do someday” list. I was fairly young in my faith walk, so for a time, I felt perhaps the Lord had made a mistake in calling me into a full-time ministry role.

 

But for 17 years I had the privilege and blessing of directing an award-winning, cutting-edge magazine for business and professional people, helping them understand how to apply biblical principles every day in the workplace. And the book I wrote with the president? It was just the first of nearly two dozen books I’d one day write, co-author and edit. As someone has said, “Who’d a thunk it?”

 

This helped me to appreciate the assurance of Philippians 4:13, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” It wasn’t a matter of my ability – God was saying that if I was available, He would do what needed to be done through me.

 

It was a similar experience when someone suggested that I try to engage in what we commonly refer to as Jesus’ Great Commission – to “go and make disciples…teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you” (Matthew 28:19-20). My first thought was, ‘I can’t do that. I’m not a theologian or a Bible scholar.’ But my friend suggested that as I invested time and energy in other people to help them grow in their faith, I would grow spiritually as well. Time and again, that has proven to be true.

 

Once Jesus was speaking to His closest followers, perhaps near a vineyard, using principles from the grapevine to teach them about becoming fruitful spiritually. He said, “I am the vine, and my Father is the gardener…. Remain in me, and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing” (John 15:1-5). In essence, He was affirming that their availability, not some innate ability, was what mattered most.

 

Then there was the time my boss instructed me to travel to Brazil to meet with and encourage a group of men interested in starting a marketplace ministry in Sao Paulo and other cities. I was reluctant. ‘I don’t know anyone there, and can’t speak Portuguese,’ I thought. And I was hardly an authority in how to get a ministry for business and professional people started. 

 

Finally, I agreed to go, although a part of me felt certain I would return in failure, telling my boss, “I told you so!” But that wasn’t the case. My days there far exceeded my expectations. I was warmly received, God had clearly prepared the way, and the people I met with – speaking as needed through translators – were eager to learn what I had to teach them. Which, as it turned out, was more than I realized.

 

I hadn’t gone as an expert, but as one making himself available for whatever God desired to accomplish through me. As we read in Philippians 2:13, “for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose.”

 

Is there anything God is calling you to do, something you feel totally inadequate for doing? If that’s the case, then, as another friend of mine used to say, “You’re in a great position!” 

Because you’ll have the opportunity and joy of seeing and experiencing what only the Lord can do – using you as His instrument. As the apostle Paul wrote to encourage a group of struggling believers, “But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us” (2 Corinthians 4:7).

Don’t Get Defeated by Distractions

Have you ever been playing with a dog, maybe throwing a ball for it to fetch – it chases after the ball, but then stops because something else has caught its eye? Or maybe you’re playing tug-of-war with it – the pup holds the toy in its teeth with an iron grip, until you distract it somehow so it loosens its grip and you can pull the toy away?

Many words that could describe our society these days, but that word immediately comes to my mind: Distracted. 

 

We’re got smartphones that seem to beg for our attention; we’re texting, sharing photos, or checking to make sure we haven’t missed something on social media. We go out to dinner and rather than enjoying conversations with our family members or friends, we sit there staring at our phones. I admit, sometimes guilty as charged. 

 

Then we’ve got our computers. When we’re not using them for work, we can access email and explore the unlimited treasures of the Internet. If we get bored with those, we can always resort to the longtime favorite – TV – which can effectively anesthetize our minds if we let it.

 

But there are other ways of getting distracted. Job demands can monopolize our concentration, drawing us away from cultivating and strengthening important relationships. Hobbies and pastimes are good, but they sometimes pull us away from responsibilities that need to be addressed.

 

Years ago, Charles Hummel wrote a little book called The Tyranny of the Urgent, in which he succinctly explains how the seemingly “urgent” can lure us away from what’s really important – and life seems to always present something urgent that needs our attention. While we’re busy with “urgent” things, more important matters get ignored.

 

I’ve read through Oswald Chambers’ excellent devotional book a number of times, and one phrase that always resonates is “good is the enemy of the best.” That’s often been helpful for me in evaluating various opportunities or choosing whether to take on one more activity. Is it something I really should do, or is it just a good thing that will take time away from doing what’s best?

 

Distractions can pose a real problem for our spiritual growth as well. Writing to his protégé, Timothy, the apostle Paul warned him about the dangers of becoming distracted: 

“Endure hardship with us like a good soldier of Christ Jesus. No one serving as a soldier gets involved in civilian affairs – he wants to please his commanding officer. Similarly, if anyone competes as an athlete, he does not receive the victor’s crown unless he competes according to the rules” (2 Timothy 2:3-5).

 

The book of Hebrews also speaks to the matter of distractions, or as it terms it, “drifting.” After reminding readers about their foundation of faith in Jesus Christ – “the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being” (Hebrews 1:3) – the author issues a warning: “We must pay more careful attention, therefore, to what we have heard, so that we do not drift away…how shall we escape if we ignore such a great salvation?” (Hebrews 2:1-3).

 

This problem arises repeatedly in the Scriptures, strong and committed believers becoming distracted by various concerns and beginning to drift away from the faith they have held so dear. We see it with Abram, Isaac, David, Solomon, Hezekiah and others in the Old Testament. In the New Testament, even the disciples drifted away for a time. One of them, Judas Iscariot, never returned.

 

In his second letter to Timothy, Paul gives this sad pronouncement about a man of whom he had spoken highly in another of his letters: “Demas has deserted me because he loves the things of this life and has gone to Thessalonica” (2 Timothy 4:10). Can you imagine something like that being written about you?

 

So, the problem of drifting, becoming distracted by other things – even good ones – isn’t anything new. But it’s no less a danger for those of us who follow Christ in the 21^st century. As someone expressed Chambers’ sentiments in a similar manner, “a good thing, when it becomes the main thing, becomes a bad thing.”

It wouldn’t hurt to stop from time to time and assess whether we’re letting this happen to ourselves. Is my devotion to my Lord being diminished by allowing other things, even good things, become my primary focus? Am I living the victorious life in Christ that I’ve been promised, or am I unwittingly being defeated by distractions? Only through prayer and an open, humble heart can we answer that honestly. 

Today’s Challenge of Finding Someone We Can Trust

After a number of years, the state of Tennessee has redesigned its license plates. A person can still buy so-called “vanity” auto tags to personalize them, or support their favorite cause or team. But the state’s new official plates are dark blue, along with its nickname, a tourism website address – and one notable option.

 

When purchasing new plates, car owners have a choice – they can select ones that bear the message, “In God We Trust,” or tags that omit that phrase. Recently, someone I know was buying new plates for her family’s vehicles and when asked, “Do you want ones that say, ‘In God We Trust?’ she immediately replied, “Who else can we trust?”

My friend made a reasonable observation. It’s becoming increasingly difficult to find someone, or any entity, in whom we can confidently place our trust. Politicians have long been considered suspect when it comes to being trusted – and I’m not pointing at any particular party. When I read where the Word of God says, “There is no one righteous, not even one” (Romans 3:10), I’ve sometimes wondered if the Lord has politicians at the top of the list.

 

But diminishing levels of trust in our society – and the world – extend far beyond the once-hallowed halls of government. The news media have seen a dramatic decrease in their perceived trustworthiness as “advocacy journalism” has become entrenched, making it increasingly hard to sort out facts from biased commentary and opinion. 

 

We often hear the mantra, “Follow the science,” but ever-changing and sometimes conflicting pronouncements have caused many to scratch their heads in confusion and doubt. We hear about a strong distrust of law enforcement in some quarters, and even in the realms of education, there’s been growing concern over whether ideological agendas are overshadowing the “three R’s,” the traditional disciplines of “readin’, writin’ and ‘rithmetic.”

 

The business world has had far too many examples of corruption and greed, thus losing the confidence of the public. Sadly, even within the Church, its integrity has fallen under question more times than we would like to admit. No matter where we look, trust seems a virtue in very short supply these days.

 

During my childhood, I sometimes watched a popular game show called “Who Do You Trust?”, that ran from 1956 to 1963. Johnny Carson was an early host before he rose to become a late-night talk show legend. The game show’s title asks a relevant question for today: Who do you trust?

 

The reality is that in our very imperfect humanness, we’ve all betrayed the trust of someone at least once. Probably a lot more than that. We’d like to think that we can trust our family members, close friends, our employers and church leaders. But even the best of us will fail on occasion in that respect. So, we should ask again – who do you trust?

 

Personally, I’ve discovered that there’s only one Person I can trust without reservation – the Lord, the Creator of heaven and earth, the One who gave His life for me, paying a price I could never pay, so that I might become reconciled to Himself. As we read the Scriptures, they talk a lot about how we can trust God with complete confidence.

 

I’ve mentioned my life verses before, Proverbs 3:5-6, and trust is central to their brief message: “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will make your paths straight.” To me, it’s like that team-building exercise they do at business retreats, where individuals willingly drop into the waiting arms of their colleagues, trusting they won’t let them fall. Except trusting in the Lord is infinitely more profound, because we're believing Him to guide the entire course of our lives.

 

Another proverb addresses our tendency to place our trust in other people, then become upset when they let us down. It speaks of a grim reality: “Fear of man will prove to be a snare, but whoever trusts in the Lord is kept safe” (Proverbs 29:23). While we may seek the approval and acceptance of other folks, only God is worthy of our unreserved trust.

 

Although addressed specifically to the people of Israel, a psalm powerfully expresses a promise that applies to each of us who is a true follower of the Lord Jesus Christ: “O house of Israel, trust in the Lord – he is their help and shield. O house of Aaron, trust in the Lord – he is their help and shield. You who fear him, trust in the Lord – he is their help and shield” (Psalm 115:9-11).

 

If you do a comprehensive search of the word “trust” in a Bible concordance, you will find it being used hundreds of times. But I particularly like another passage that speaks of it, both in terms of an assurance and a warning: “Who among you fears the Lord and obeys the word of his servant? Let him who walks in the dark, who has no light, trust in the name of the Lord and rely on his God” (Isaiah 50:10).

Who do you trust? Can you agree with the psalmist who wrote, “Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the Lord our God” (Psalm 50:7)? That psalmist was King David of Israel, and despite his great power, authority and wealth, life’s experiences had taught him that there was just One in whom he could truly, unwaveringly trust. 

It’s Time to Celebrate Love – But What Is Love, Really?

Today is Valentine’s Day, also known as the day for love. Red and pink hearts, bouquets of flowers, boxes of candy, shimmering jewelry, and even engagement rings will dominate – all in the name of love. But when all is said and done, do we really understand what true love is?

 

Our culture insists love is all about emotions, warm, fuzzy feelings we get when looking at that “special person.” It’s discovering your “soulmate,” finding “chemistry,” or as Hallmark romance movies put it, the “magical” moment when you realize that “he’s (or she’s) the one.” We “fall in love,” but people often fall out of it, too. Maybe love should have seatbelts to keep us from falling? 

There is nothing wrong with romantic love. Thankfully, my wife and I have enjoyed that for more than 47 years, and as they say about fine wines, love can get better with age – if you’re willing to invest the time and energy to keep it alive. Sadly, too many people aren’t so willing. Rather than experiencing a love strong enough to endure hardships and adversity, as well as joys and good times, their relationships wind up in Cupid’s junk yard, faint remembrances of what could have been.

 

Books written about love can’t be numbered. There are all kinds of “experts” out there claiming to know how to find and sustain love that works and grows. There’s one book, however, that I believe surpasses them all, one that’s passed the test of time – thousands of years, in fact.

 

That book is the Bible, that amazing collection of 66 books (39 in the Old Testament, 27 in the New), written by dozens of different authors but with one consistent, unifying theme: That God, the Creator of all that is, was also the originator of love, starting with Adam and Eve and continuing to the present day. The Scriptures, we might say, are His comprehensive love letter to humankind.

 

The kind of love found in the Word of God, however, is quite unlike anything we’d see on “The Bachelor,” “The Bachelorette,” or any of the other “lust American-style” productions. The love demonstrated in the Scriptures is more about giving than receiving, selfless rather than selfish, unconditional rather than conditional, and sacrificial when necessary.

 

We see this in what’s perhaps the best-known verse of the Bible, John 3:16, where we’re told, “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.” When God gave His Son, Jesus Christ, it was not only for a cameo appearance. It wasn’t just for Him to serve as a role model, although He was that. 

 

It was so that Jesus might Himself provide the greatest gift of all, dying to pay the ultimate price for our spiritual freedom, becoming what theologians call the "propitiation" for our sins. As Romans 5:8 declares, “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” 

 

As the Lord told His closest disciples not long before going to the cross to be crucified, “My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends” (John 15:12-13). Why would the God of all eternity take on human flesh and willingly surrender to an excruciating death – becoming the one and only atonement for sin – unless motivated by a love beyond anything we can fully comprehend?

 

I’ve cited it before, but 1 Corinthians 13, called by some “the love chapter,” describes love in ways you won’t find in the “love” reality shows or the romance films. It declares that “Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices in the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres” (1 Corinthians 13:4-7). 

 

When you think of love, do terms like patience, kindness, humility, consideration of others, slow to anger, forgiving, truthful, protecting, trusting, hopeful and persevering come to mind?

 

For many of us, those aren’t loving adjectives that immediately pop into our thoughts. But they should be. Why? Because when we cultivate and embrace a love like this then, as the passage continues, “Love never fails…. And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love” (1 Corinthians 13:8,13).

I hope you’ll be spending this Valentine’s Day with the person – or people – that you love. And I hope your love for them, and their love for you, is more like that of 1 Corinthians 13 than the counterfeit for it depicted in the fantasy worlds of Hallmark and The Bachelor. 

Grace: Definitely Not a Blue-Eyed Blonde

Some time ago, I was in a Christian bookstore – remember those? – and noticed a book entitled, Grace Is Not a Blue-Eyed Blonde. Curious about the title, I picked it up and scanned the back cover description. As promised, the book was not about someone named Grace, but about an indispensable element of biblical truth: God’s grace.

Many distinctives make Christianity unique among the world’s myriad other belief systems, but in terms of importance, grace ranks near the top.

 

As a friend of mine used to say, “All other religions are spelled ‘DO’ – do this, do that. Christianity is spelled ‘DONE’ – Jesus Christ has done everything necessary for us to experience God’s forgiveness and the assurance of eternal life.” At the heart of this is the biblical concept called grace, which literally means the Lord’s unmerited or undeserved favor – His unconditional acceptance. The Bible teaches we can’t earn God’s love, and if we’re His children, we can’t do anything to lose it.

 

This is hardly a new perspective. It was a driving force for the Christian Reformation, and over the years numerous books have been written to help us in fully understanding what the Bible teaches about grace. Philip Yancey’s What’s So Amazing About Grace? and Chuck Swindoll’s The Grace Awakening are just two that I’d recommend. 

 

We even have the classic hymn, “Amazing Grace,” that’s been sung not only in church sanctuaries and chapels, but also in theaters, auditoriums and arenas around the world. However, when I hear people singing it, I sometimes wonder if they’ve really let the lyrics sink in. Here are a few stanzas from a contemporary rendition of that soulful tune:

Amazing grace
How sweet the sound
That saved a wretch like me
I once was lost, but now I'm found
Was blind, but now I see

 

'Twas grace that taught my heart to fear
And grace my fears relieved
How precious did that grace appear
The hour I first believed

 

My chains are gone
I've been set free
My God, my Savior has ransomed me
And like a flood, His mercy rains
Unending love, Amazing grace

 

If anyone ever was a candidate to fully grasp the incredible, incomparable grace of God, it was the writer of “Amazing Grace,” John Newton. In his earlier life, Newton had served as a captain of slave ships, and even after retiring from life on the sea, continued to invest in the slave trade until 1754. 

 

However, after a dramatic spiritual encounter with Jesus Christ during a storm at sea, that all began to change. Time spent in Africa helped him to understand the plight of slaves in a very different light. Instead of being a participant in the reprehensible system, Newton became an advocate for abolishing slavery. Ultimately, he became an ally of William Wilberforce, leader of the British Parliamentary campaign to abolish the African slave trade, and lived to see the passage of anti-slavery legislation in 1807.

 

In 1788, in a pamphlet called, Thoughts Upon the Slave Trade, Newton described the horrific conditions he had witnessed on the slave ships. Repenting of the deeds of his past life, Newton offered "a confession, which...comes too late.... It will always be a subject of humiliating reflection to me, that I was once an active instrument in a business at which my heart now shudders." 

 

Can you imagine? How could someone live with the guilt of having been engaged in such evil, inhumane practices? As Newton attested in his now-famous hymn, it was possible only through God’s redeeming and transforming grace.

 

Centuries earlier, the apostle Paul had written about a similar, 180-degree change in his own life. Once a proud, enthusiastic adversary of the first-century Church, he turned into one of the most zealous ambassadors of Jesus Christ. He wrote:

“For I am the least of the apostles and do not deserve to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace to me was not without effect. No, I worked harder than all of them – yet not I, but the grace of God that was with me” (1 Corinthians 15:9-10).

 

Christianity turns the faith-works debate on its head. While so many belief systems concentrate on how a person can become “good enough” to earn God’s acceptance, the Scriptures teach there is nothing we can do to establish ourselves worthy of His love. Our works, therefore, should be an outflow of our relationship with the Lord. As Ephesians 2:8-10 clearly declares: 

“For it is by grace that you have been saved, through faith – and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God – not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”

Because of this, we need not wallow in guilt and remorse over past sins. When we turn to God, seeking His forgiveness, He not only wipes our slates clean, but also begins the process of turning us into living testimonies of His grace. Like John Newton, we can experience the truth of 2 Corinthians 5:17, which states, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!” 

What Better Standard for Treating One Another?

Several years ago, a friend recommended reading The Founders’ Bible: The Origin of the Dream of Freedom, compiled by historian David Barton and general editors Brad Cummings and Lance Wubbels. Along with the complete Bible in the New American Standard version, it contains hundreds of articles and extensive commentary about what our Founding Fathers thought about Christianity, the Bible, and their role in the shaping of our nation.

 

My family bought me a copy of The Founders’ Bible as a birthday present a couple years back, and I’m finally starting the enjoyable and enlightening process of reading through it. One commentary I came across recently concerned the “Golden Rule,” which Jesus Christ presented in Matthew 7:12, “In everything, therefore, treat people the same way you want them to treat you, for this is the Law and the Prophets.”

This Bible’s contributors cited statements from several leaders that figured prominently in our nation’s history who affirmed that principle. One was John Adams, our second President and a signer of the Declaration of Independence, who said, “One great advantage of the Christian religion is that it brings the great principle [of the Golden Rule]…to the knowledge, belief, and veneration of the whole people.” 

 

Another was Frederick Douglas, a minister, statesman and abolitionist, who declared, “I love the religion of our blessed Savior!... I love that religion that is based upon the glorious principle of love to God and love to man (Luke 10:27) – which makes its followers do unto others as they themselves would be done by (Matthew 7:12).”

 

The commentary closed with the statement, “Today, two thousand years after Jesus initially delivered it to His followers, the Golden Rule remains the best standard for how we should treat one another.” Indeed, where – whether in vast realms of religion, philosophy, sociology or psychology – can we find a better standard for treating one another?

 

At the same time, this concept was not some brainstorm Jesus had 2,000 years ago during His earthly ministry. When asked – actually challenged – by a religious leader to specify which was the greatest of all commandments, He responded by referring to Old Testament teachings. 

 

He said, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all your mind.’ This is the great and foremost commandment. The second is like it, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself” (Matthew 22:36, Luke 10:27). These were taken from Deuteronomy 6:5 and Leviticus 19:18, passages the Pharisees and others in the religious hierarchy of that day would have known very well.

 

While similar perspectives might appear in other belief systems, Christianity is unique in making these statements foundational for faithful belief and practice. Exodus 20:1-17 gives us the Ten Commandments, but in a wonderful economy of words, Jesus gave a clear and concise summation of them, the first four commandments addressing our relationship with God, and the subsequent six describing how we should interact with one another.

 

It's been said that in the seats of power, such as politics or business, there’s a very different “golden rule” espoused: “He who has the gold, rules.” But that’s not at all what the Lord had in mind when He gave this teaching to both His disciples and His detractors.

 

We find this truth permeating the Scriptures. We’re taught to fear God – holding Him in reverent, worshipful awe, acknowledging His greatness and power – and to love our “neighbors,” anyone we encounter over the course of our lives from day to day, even to the point of sacrificing our best interests so we can put others’ needs and concerns ahead of ourselves.

 

That’s what Jesus’ parable of the Good Samaritan is all about, even though as our society has drifted further and further from having the Word of God as its anchor, many people would be hard-pressed to identify where the term “good Samaritan” originated.

 

Imagine if by some miracle, people actually began treating other people the way that they themselves would want to be treated; that they actually started loving their fellow man and woman just as they’d like to be loved themselves, unconditionally and without reservation.

Indeed, if that were to be the case, we could probably strike half of the laws off the books – maybe more than that – and no one would ever know the difference.  

What Happens When You Reach the Boiling Point?

Have you ever noticed how people can respond very differently to adversity – how difficult circumstances can result in one person becoming better, while for another, hardships only leave them bitter? Better vs. bitter – what a stark contrast.

 

Recently I heard a speaker make an observation from nature that I was aware of but had never given much consideration. He said, “It’s the same boiling water that softens potatoes that hardens eggs.” 

For those of us who are fans of mashed potatoes and hard-boiled eggs, we thankful for this fact. Perhaps we could expand on this, noting that while boiling water can cause a severe burn, it also can be used sanitize and kills germs. Interesting, isn’t it?

 

Science tells us the specific boiling point for water is 212 degrees Fahrenheit. That’s hot. But I wonder about people – individuals seem to have different boiling points. Some take a long time, slowly simmering, while others hit a boiling flash point very quickly. It’s important to know not only what our boiling point is, but also, what do we do when we reach it?

 

We can look at this from at least a couple of different angles. For instance, what triggers a person to reach a boiling point? This also varies from person to person. One seems to carry a perpetual chip on his or her shoulder, almost daring people to knock it off, while another maintains a fairly even keel, not inclined at all to display anger.

 

The Bible offers a number of contrasting observations about both kinds of folks. Proverbs 12:16, for example, states, “A fool shows his annoyance at once, but a prudent man overlooks an insult.” Then we read, “A patient man has great understanding, but a quick-tempered man displays folly” (Proverbs 14:29). Yet another proverb observes, “A hot-tempered man stirs up dissension, but a patient man calms a quarrel” (Proverbs 15:18).

 

One verse even advises that we avoid people who have a habit of reaching their boiling points in a hurry: “Do not make friends with a hot-tempered man, do not associate with one easily angered, or you may learn his ways and get yourself ensnared” (Proverbs 22:24-25). Losing one’s temper quickly is not a character trait to be admired, nor to be emulated.

 

But getting back to the potato that softens in boiling water, while the egg hardens, our response to adverse circumstances and hardships can determine whether they make us harder or softer. This may be one reason we’re advised in Romans 5:3-5 to “glory in our tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; and perseverance, character; and character, hope.”

 

When we read this, many of us are probably tempted to say, “glory [exult] in my tribulations [sufferings]? Are you kidding me? You have no idea what I’ve been going through!” No, we don’t. But these aren’t simplistic platitudes we’re offering. It’s the counsel and wisdom we find in the Word of God. 

 

Because as we follow the progression, we find that if we hang in there, tribulations can produce in us perseverance, a determination to come out on the other side as a better person. Which leads to strong, resilient character, and finally, an unwavering hope and confident assurance that if the Lord has allowed difficult circumstances in our lives, He’s intending to use them for our good.

 

The apostle James opened his New Testament letter with a similar sentiment, stating, “My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing” (James 1:2-4). 

 

Have you ever wished you could be more patient? Here’s a hint: Don’t pray for patience, because God may answer that prayer by sending situations in your life that will require you to be patient, whether you like it or not. But think about it. Trials that test our faith can give us more patience, often because we have no recourse but to endure them patiently. And who wouldn’t want to be described as “perfect and complete, lacking nothing”?

 

Too often, unfortunately, people don’t regard their trials and tribulations with this perspective. Instead, they respond with anger, or in despair, wanting to lash out at God – and others – with the complaint, “Why me?!” Instead of seeing hardships as divinely fashioned opportunities to become better people, they instead become embittered, refusing to advance in perseverance and build character, or to grow in the quality we call patience.

In a spiritual sense, unlike in nature where water has a fixed boiling point of 212 degrees, we can allow the Lord to boost our inner boiling points to such levels that people around us will rarely, if ever, witness us blowing off steam uncontrollably or bubbling over in fits of anger. But it requires faith and a steadfast conviction that as Romans 8:28 promises, He is causing “all things to work together for good to those who are called according to His purpose.”