Forget the Resolutions. Let’s Establish Some Goals

Just a couple weeks ago, sports fans all around the world were glued to their TVs with a single word in their minds. World Cup soccer matches were the rage on every continent, and the commentators sat on the edge of their seats waiting for the magic moment when the ball would spin past the goalie and they could scream with full lung capacity, “Gooooooooooooal!”

 

I must confess that I didn’t watch a minute of the much-hyped World Cup competition. If you’re a fan, go ahead, hate me. Unless I’m watching one of my grandkids play what we Americans know as soccer, I’ll take American football over the global game of “futbol” any day. I did hear that the championship game was kind of messy – or was that, Messi, as in Lionel? (I’m not totally ignorant of the sport.)

 

I do share one thing with what’s commonly referred to as “the beautiful game.” I, too, am a big fan of goals, except mine come with objectives and timelines to guide me along the way. This time of year, when many folks are talking about making resolutions – translation, “Well-intended sentiments that I know there’s probably no chance I’ll keep” – I choose to make goals.

What’s the difference? A resolution is something like, “I’ll quit eating junk food,” or “I’ll never drive over the speed limit again,” or “I’m resolved to work out at least four times a week next year.” Great intentions. Noble thoughts. But by the end of the first month, if not sooner, those resolutions most likely will be shattered like a fine crystal glass meeting a hammer.

 

Goals, on the other hand, are targets we can work toward over time. They are quantifiable, measurable, and attainable. Goals serve as the answer to questions like, “Where am I going?” “How am I going to get there?” and “How will I know when I’ve arrived?” They can help to ensure we’re making the proper use of our time, talents and resources.

 

I’ve found it helpful to make categories for goals, including physical, mental, spiritual, social, vocational, financial, and avocational (hobbies). Some of my past goals have been: going to the fitness center three times a week; losing 15 pounds by mid-year; reading 20 books, including the Bible, over the course of one year; paying off a credit card balance within a certain period; having a weekly date night with my wife; memorizing a new Bible verse each week; and starting to take drum lessons.

 

Resolving to become a better husband certainly seems like a good idea, but how will I know if I’ve accomplished that? Setting a goal – or goals – to guide me in that direction is a better approach.

 

As I read the Scriptures, I find a number of worthwhile goals to strive toward, such as, “Make it your ambition to lead a quiet life, to mind your own business and to work with your hands…so that your daily life may win the respect of outsiders and so that you will not be dependent on anybody” (1 Thessalonians 4:11-12). But how do we achieve that? We can establish some reasonable goals to help us go beyond just high-minded intentions. For some, this might be as simple as getting a job and sticking with it. Maybe even finding an accountability partner or two to remind us to follow through on goals we have set.

 

My life verse, adapted from the Amplified Bible’s translation of Philippians 3:10, states, “My determined purpose is that I may know Him (the Lord), that I may progressively become more intimately acquainted with Him, perceiving and recognizing and understanding the wonders of His person more strongly and more clearly.” But how do I do that? 

 

I can set goals to spend a certain amount of time each day reading and meditating on the Scriptures, along with time for prayer; participating in Bible studies and discussions with like-minded believers; attending worship services regularly; and talking with others about my faith, not only evangelistically but also in discipling or mentoring relationships. As one translation of Philemon 6 states, “I pray that you may be active in sharing your faith, so that you will have a full understanding of every good thing we have in Christ.” If we desire for God to entrust us with more spiritual riches, we should be faithful to use what He’s already given to us.

 

How can we know that the Lord approves of the goals we set? The Scriptures tell us this starts with ensuring our hearts are right toward Him. Psalm 37:4 declares, “Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart.” If our motives flow from our love for God, He’ll impress upon us what our desires should be.

 

Jesus referred to this in His “sermon on the mount.” Speaking to the assembled multitude, He said, “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also…. But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well” (Matthew 6:21,33).

Hope this is helpful. Now, it’s time to start establishing my own goals for the new year. 

Testimony Reflects Our History – His Story in Us

“That’s my story, and I’m stickin’ to it!” These words were introduced to popular culture with a song by country music artist Collin Raye in 1993. Since then, I’ve heard numerous people use it; I’ve occasionally utilized it myself. But it begs the question: What is your story?

 

I was part of a small group recently talking about how to prepare a personal testimony. In case you’re not sure what a testimony is, it’s your unique story of how you encountered Jesus Christ – and the difference He’s made in your life since then. 

 

There’s a wonderful scene in “The Chosen,” the film series on the life of Jesus and His followers. In one of its first episodes, a radically changed Mary Magdalene sums up very succinctly what a testimony is: “I was one way and now I am completely different. And the thing that happened in between was Him.”

 

So, if you’re a follower of Christ – if you have been “born again,” as Jesus explained to Nicodemus in John 3:3 – you’ve got a testimony to share with others, whether you realize it or not. Testimonies come in all shapes and sizes, some with high degrees of drama and some with very little. But for every one of us who knows Jesus, it’s part of our history – or we might say, His story at work in us.

 

One of the strengths of a testimony is it communicates the truth of God’s grace and mercy in a person’s life, doing so in the form of a genuine story. People might dispute one’s theology and spiritual beliefs, but they can’t argue with someone’s account of real-life experience.

 

Personal testimony was one method the apostles and first-century believers employed to communicate Gospel, the Good News of Jesus Christ. Telling what He had done in their lives – how they at one time had been one way, became something very different, and that He had been the difference-maker. 

 

We find excellent examples in Acts 22 and again in chapter 26, where the apostle Paul, being held prisoner by Roman officials, first told a large crowd and then Roman King Agrippa about his unexpected, life-changing encounter with Jesus on the road to Damascus. 

 

Paul began by describing his “before,” citing his pedigree as a devout Pharisee and religious leader, then known by the name of Saul. He noted, “I too was convinced that I ought to do all that was possible to oppose the name of Jesus of Nazareth…. I put many of the saints in prison, and when they were put to death, I cast my vote against them…. In my obsession against them, I even went to foreign cities to persecute them” (Acts 26:9-11). A proud antagonist for sure.

 

He proceeded to tell of his divine encounter with Christ while traveling to Damascus to persecute more Christians there. A blazingly bright light from heaven suddenly surrounded him and his companions, and Paul heard a voice asking, “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me? It is hard for you to kick against the goads…. I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting” (Acts 26:1415). In other words, “Saul, you’re engaged in an exercise of futility. You’re no match for Me.”

 

Paul’s story didn’t end there. He explained how the Lord had transformed him from a one-time enemy of Christ followers to being zealous and outspoken as one of them, attesting to what Jesus taught and what He had done, ultimately dying as the once-and-for-all sacrifice to redeem people from the penalty for sin. 

 

His personal account was so persuasive that Agrippa commented, “Do you think that in such a short time you can persuade me to be a Christian?” To which Paul replied, “Short time or long – I pray God that not only you but all who are listening to me today may become as I am, except for these chains” (Acts 26:28).

 

This brief biblical account gives the basic outline for an effective testimony of one’s faith in Jesus – what one’s life was like before Christ, how the individual met and committed his or her life to Him, and how He’s worked in their life since then. 

 

However, there are two other significant elements to consider. First, Paul was invited by Agrippa to tell his story. In a New Testament letter, another apostle, Peter, addressed this: “Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to live the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect” (1 Peter 3:15). The door had been opened for Paul to speak about his faith.

 

The second is reflected in how he closed his testimony. Paul wasn’t seeking to win an argument or a debate; his sole desire was for Agrippa and all who heard him to enjoy the same life-transforming type of experience that had happened in his life.

 

It’s really not very complicated. In essence, all we need to tell others is what Mary Magdalene described in “The Chosen”: “I was one way and now I am completely different. And the thing that happened in between was Him.” Putting it another way, as a friend of mine used to say, it's “one beggar telling another beggar where to find bread.”

The True Meaning of Christmas – Is It Even a Question?

What’s the true meaning of Christmas? How many times have you heard that being asked on talk shows, news commentaries, or the holiday movies? It happens every year, as if it’s a multiple-choice question, a matter of opinion or personal preference.

So, what is the true meaning of Christmas? Santa Claus? Brightly decorated Christmas trees? Magical snowy scenery? Exchanging gifts? Spending time with family we rarely see the rest of the year?

 

Maybe the meaning is more virtuous, things like generosity, love, kindness, childlike wonder. Everyone is entitled to their own opinion, but I choose to go with not what I think, but what God thinks. We find His “opinion” stated in John 1:14, “The Word became flesh and made His dwelling among us.” From this we get the term “God incarnate” – God becoming a human being.

 

When we gaze at a nativity scene, sing carols about the birth of Jesus Christ, or send cards declaring “Jesus is the Reason for the Season,” we’re reminding ourselves and others about the true meaning of “Christ-mas.” Other trappings of the season are fun. Some are desperately needed. Heaven knows we need a lot more good will toward men (and women and children). And peace on earth seems more and more like wishful thinking. But without Jesus, there would never have been a Christmas.

 

As I’ve written on another platform, countless sermons and messages have already been spoken and written to convey the importance and magnitude of Christmas. What more can be added to that? Maybe what’s needed is not new information but pausing to reflect on what we already know, the impact of “‘Immanuel, which means, ‘God with us,’” as we’re told in Matthew 1:23.

 

The first chapter of the gospel of John presents us with amazing truths, For starters, literally, it declares that Jesus didn’t just suddenly appear 2,000 years ago – it says He was from the beginning of everything: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through Him all things were made; without Him nothing was made that was made” (John 1:1-3).

 

In addition, we’re told Jesus came to give life, to rescue us from dead, “religious” works, and to bring light to the world, shining the only path to life that will not end. “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).

 

The Bible teaches that every man, woman and child is God’s creation, made in His image. But not all are members of His divine, eternal family. So, a third and critical truth from this brief passage is that Jesus came to offer the one and only way to become members of God’s family. That requires a unique transaction, receiving as a gift what is available only through Jesus Christ: 

“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” (John 1:12-13). 

 

Jesus elaborated on this promise later in John’s gospel: “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me” (John 14:6).

 

We may idealize a pastoral scene with a young woman, her betrothed husband and a baby surrounded by barnyard animals, shepherds, angels and wise men. But from that humble, inconspicuous beginning came the most momentous, history-changing life and ministry of all time. One that causes each of us who follows Christ to declare with the angels, “Glory to God in the highest!” (Luke 2:14).

 

Merry Christmas to you. May your day and celebration be truly blessed!

 

The Heart Disease from Which We All Suffer

Health has been on our minds a lot the past few years, hasn’t it? The pandemic sent us retreating into our homes. Now the news media are “encouraging” us with reports of a “triple-demic” – COVID, the flu and another respiratory disease called RSV.

 

Despite these health scares, the number one killer of people isn’t the coronavirus, cancer, stroke, acts of violence, kidney disease, car accidents or the flu. Year to year, the leading cause of death among men and women in the United States and around the world is heart disease. 

 

No wonder: The healthy human heart never takes a break. The American Heart Association says for most adults, between 60 and 100 beats per minute is normal. Let’s say your heart beats on average 70 times per minute. That means it beats 4,200 in one hour; more than 100,000 times in a single day! Extend that over the course of a full year and your magnificent muscle has thumped about 37 million times. Factor in a lifespan of more than 70 years, and your busy heart has been beating more than 2.5 billion times! 

 

I’m thinking about this because it’s my “anniversary.” Sixteen years ago, my heart was actually stopped – for about 40 minutes – replaced by a heart-lung machine during open-heart surgery. I received four bypasses and a new ascending aorta to correct a life-threatening aneurysm. But my heart has been faithfully doing its job ever since, beating well over 500 million times. 

 

I thank the Lord for that, because almost every day we hear or read about people who have suffered serious heart attacks or other forms of heart dysfunction. With how hard and long our hearts work, it’s a marvel that they keep going as long as they do.

 

Regular updates I get from the Heart Association remind me of the grim toll heart disease takes, but a different heart issue every one of us suffers from doesn’t get nearly as much attention. It’s the disease afflicting our spiritual hearts. As Jeremiah 17:9 tells us, “The heart is more deceitful than all else and is desperately sick; who can understand it?” The Amplified Bible expands on this stating, “who can understand it fully and know its secret motives?”

 

This isn’t referring to the muscle in our chests that keeps blood coursing through our bodies. It concerns that part of us controlling our feelings, our will and our motivations. As the prophet Jeremiah said, we’re all born with sick hearts spiritually.

 

Jesus Christ addressed this when He said, “The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For out of the overflow of his heart the mouth speaks” (Luke 6:45).

 

He does offer the cure, but as Jesus noted, not everyone is ready to receive it. “For this people’s heart has become calloused; they hardly hear with their ears, and they have closed their eyes. Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts and turn, and I would heal them” (Matthew 13:15). He was quoting almost verbatim from Isaiah 6:9-10.

 

Let me ask you: If a cardiologist or cardiothoracic surgeon informed you that you had a very serious heart condition, but one that could be remedied, would you accept the cure? That’s exactly what I did in 2006, and God was gracious to keep a promise that I had read in Psalm 41:3, “The Lord will sustain him on his sickbed and restore him from his bed of illness.”

 

But even better than that, nearly 30 years earlier the Lord had started to address my spiritual heart condition. This is described in two places in the Old Testament book of Ezekiel, including Ezekiel 36:26, where He declares, “I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh.”

 

In a very real sense, this is exactly what happens when a person is “born again” spiritually, as Jesus termed in John 3:3, “I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again.” When that occurs, we experience what we find described in the Old Testament: “The Lord God will circumcise your hearts and the hearts of your descendants, so that you may love Him with all your heart and with all your soul and live” (Deuteronomy 30:6

 

I have not ceased being thankful for my skilled heart surgeon, Dr. Richard Morrison, his surgical team, and the cardiologists who have cared for me since the life-changing day my physical heart was repaired. However, that momentous event still pales in comparison to what the Lord has done in my life spiritually.

 

Hebrews 10:22 says it better than I could: “let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water.” 

Have you had a heart checkup – especially if you’re advancing in years? I can’t recommend that strongly enough. But what about your spiritual heart? A “checkup” there is even more urgent. One day, no matter how well we take care of our human hearts, they will stop. But once you receive a new spiritual heart, it’s good for all of eternity! 

Living a Gray-Scale Life in a World Filled With Color

One of the things my wife and I enjoy together during the Christmas season is watching seasonal romantic comedies. They’ve been a staple of the Hallmark channels for years, but these days they’re seemingly everywhere – on cable and traditional network channels. 

 

There must be a demand for schmaltzy, mostly predictable movies. I’m not surprised, with all the negative, unsettling offerings we find while channel-surfing with the TV remote – including the news. Especially the news. We all need a break from the bleak, gloom-and-doom messages. 

 

What better way to escape than to spend 90 minutes with a rom-com – not counting the commercials? Even when we know the girl and the guy will get together at the end, despite all their drama and seemingly insurmountable obstacles.

 

Colorblind glasses (YouTube image)

Occasionally there’s a pleasant surprise when the story line strays a bit off the well-beaten holiday path. We watched one recently, about a schoolteacher who’s struggled all his life with profound colorblindness. While everyone else oohs and aahs over the brilliant Christmas colors – the reds and greens and golds – he only sees shades of gray. 

To his rescue comes the beautiful (of course) eye doctor who offers to enroll him in test study for people dealing with varying degrees of colorblindness. At first, he resists. “I’ve tried those things,” he says, “and they don’t work.” But the vision physician persists and reluctantly, the teacher tries the special glasses she’s provided. 

 

Shazam! Suddenly, the hapless hero experiences a spectrum of colors for the first time, much to his tearful surprise. Having lived life only on gray-scale, he had no idea what he’d been missing. What a metaphor for the spiritual life.

 

After watching the movie, I did some research and discovered there are numerous specialized glasses on the market for remedying different degrees of colorblindness. Five to eight percent of males are afflicted by it; one percent or less of females are colorblind. However, if we believe the Scriptures, 100 percent of us have suffered from spiritual blindness. 

 

In 2 Corinthians 4:4 we’re told, “The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel that displays the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.” When I read this, I think of the encounter between Jesus and a blind man as recounted in John 9.

 

After declaring to His disciples, “…I am the light of the world,” Jesus knelt to the ground, made some mud with His saliva, and applied it to the blind man’s eyes. Then He instructed the man to wash in the nearby Pool of Siloam. “…So the man went and washed, and came home seeing” (John 9:5-7).

 

Understandably, the man’s neighbors and those who had seen him begging on the streets for money were astounded. The Pharisees, not concerned about the blind man who had gained sight but that Jesus had performed the miracle on the Sabbath, interrogated the now-sighted man. 

 

After responding to their questions as best he could, given the limited details he knew, the blind man said in frustration, “Whether he is a sinner or not, I don’t know. One thing I know. I was blind but now I see!” (John 9:25).

 

Similar to colorblind persons unable to cause themselves to see colors, this blind man couldn’t will himself to see. It required a divine act. In a far more profound sense, it has taken an even greater act of God for each of us to see spiritual truth, to overcome “the god of this age who has blinded” our minds.

 

The psalmist recognized spiritual understanding was a gift from God: “Open my eyes that I may see wonderful things in your law” (Psalm 119:18). In Isaiah 29:18, the prophet also acknowledged that God alone can heal our incapacity to comprehend and even to seek His truth: “In that day the deaf will hear the words of the scroll, and out of gloom and darkness the eyes of the blind will see.” 

Just as colorblind persons – both real and cinematic – need help to see the myriad colors surrounding them, we too need assistance to see the beautiful spiritual truths the Lord has created for us.

 

As followers of Christ, we can be thankful that He saw fit to remove our spiritual blindness. And as we attempt – and often struggle – to communicate the beauty of God’s revelation to others, let’s pray that He will give them sight as well. Not with specially designed eyeglasses, but with the power of His Spirit.

 

Imagine the scene when the zealous Pharisee, Saul of Tarsus, was confronted by Jesus Christ on the road near Damascus, struck blind and then led to the house of a man named Ananias: “’Brother Saul, the Lord – Jesus, who appeared to you on the road as you were coming here – has sent me so that you may see again and be filled with the Holy Spirit.’ Immediately, something like scales fell from Saul’s eyes, and he could see again…” (Acts 9:17:18).

After years of blindly persecuting Christians, thinking he was doing right, Saul – who became the apostle Paul – had his spiritual eyes opened and for the first time could see the truth. That wondrous experience is offered to people all around us, and sometimes God asks us to point them to the “corrective lenses.” They don’t know what they’re missing! 

We Might Try, But We Can’t Go it Alone

Early in the 17^th century, poet John Donne wrote “No Man Is an Island,” a brief introspecdtion about the universal connectedness of humankind. Here’s a portion of it:

“No man is an island entire of itself;

Every man is a piece of the continent, a part of the main…

Any man’s death diminishes me, because I am involved in mankind….”

 

Donne’s emphasis was not on death, but on the reality that we’re connected to others around us, like it or not. Unless we opt to become hermits and withdraw from society entirely, we can’t help but influence others and have them influence us.

Like many writers, I’m inclined to be an introvert. I could contentedly sit alone at my keyboard all day, letting thoughts flow through my fingers onto the computer screen. However, I’d be diminished greatly without time spent with my wife, family, friends and others God brings into my life.

 

From the first moments when He created humankind, God intended for people to live in relationship, “iron sharpening iron” as Proverbs 27:17 describes it. And perhaps more than ever, in today’s chaotic, totally unpredictable, turbulent world, we need one another.

 

Reports tell about suicide and drug abuse rates soaring, reflecting the despair and discouragement many people are feeling. We all need encouragement – having folks around us able to impart courage to us as we wade together through the hardships and trials of everyday living.

 

The Scriptures address this again and again. One of my favorite passages, Ecclesiastes 4:9-12, declares: 

“Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their work. If one falls down, his friend can help him up. But pity the man who falls and has no one to help him up! Also, if two lie down together, they will keep warm, but how can one keep warm alone? Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.”

 

Whether in raising a family, tackling projects at work, engaging in community improvement endeavors, or competing on an athletic team, we need each other to succeed and excel. When we become weary, feel stuck and unable to proceed, or confront obstacles, it helps tremendously having others around on whom we can lean and find support.

 

For followers of Christ this is especially important as we live in an environment growing increasingly hostile to our faith and the Word of God. This isn’t new; believers in the early Church faced similar challenges. This is one reason the writer of Hebrews admonished: 

“Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for He who promised is faithful. And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another – and all the more as you see the Day approaching” (Hebrews 10:24-25).

 

Just as burning coals generate great heat together, but when separated lose their heat and eventually turn cold, we need to be intentional in seeking the fellowship of other like-minded people who share our faith, values and mission, even willing to rebuke us if we go astray. Earlier in the same book we’re told, “But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called ‘Today,’ so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness” (Hebrews 3:13).

 

I often think of the Old Testament prophet Elijah, used by God to perform many miracles, including a spectacular showdown with 450 prophets of the false god Baal. After all that God had done through him, Elijah still panicked and fled when he heard of evil queen Jezebel threatening his life. There were probably many reasons for how he responded, but one was surely because he felt alone. 

 

God twice sent an angel to minister to this pooped-out prophet, providing food and letting him sleep to recuperate from his ordeal. But afterward, when the Lord asked, “What are you doing here, Elijah?” the prophet responded, “I have been very zealous for the Lord God Almighty…. I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me too” (1 Kings 19:5-10). Have you ever felt like Elijah, that “there’s nobody but me”?

 

He wasn’t really the only one, because God later revealed, “I have 7,000 in Israel – all whose knees have not bowed down to Baal and all whose mouths have kissed him” (1 Kings 19:18). But can we blame Elijah? Being a prophet of God was often a lonely existence; without anyone to offer encouragement, it easily could descend into a pity party. This can happen even for “non-prophets.”

During this time of year, TV commercials showing images of groups of people frolicking together in Christmas revelry can heighten one’s sense of isolation. “I guess I’m the only one not having any fun.” The remedy for us isn’t to withdraw but to seek out the company of others. And if the Lord shows us someone suffering from aloneness, it’s an opportunity to reach out to them with the love of Christ. That could be the greatest gift we give this season.  

The Perfect Purpose of Perseverance

Seems that in some quarters, perseverance has become a dirty word. In our instant gratification world, with “I want it – and I want it now!” the prevailing mantra, we don’t like waiting. We don’t want to waste time persevering in the pursuit of something that’s slow in coming.

 

Imagine if, instead of persevering, the early explorers had quit at the first hint of adversity. Christopher Columbus, Ferdinand Magellan and Marco Polo all would have returned home, declaring, “Nothing to see there. Move along.” (And think of the loss for kids that play hide and seek in pools every summer, shouting “Marco…Polo!”)

 

Same applies for Lewis and Clark, along with others who ventured out to see what they could find beyond the Mississippi River. There might never have been an Oregon Trail or a California gold rush. “Why keep trying? We’ve got it good right where we are. Perseverance is so overrated, anyway!”

 

Every great human accomplishment has come with great investments of time and sweat, in one way or another echoing the slogan, “If at first you don’t succeed, try and try again.”

 

As some of you know from my writings, I’m a huge Ohio State Buckeye fan. When I donated blood, the phlebotomists were always amazed to see it come out Scarlet and Gray. But in more than 50 years of following the triumphs and travails of the Buckeyes, I don’t think I’ve ever witnessed a more moving moment than what occurred just a few weeks ago.

 

Columbus Dispatch photo
of Kamryn Babb after his
milestone TD reception.

A backup wide receiver, Kamryn Babb, caught a touchdown pass late in a game to cap off the day’s scoring. No big deal, right? Except for those who have followed Babb’s star-crossed career, it was a big deal. The fifth-year senior at OSU had suffered one debilitating knee injury after another, keeping the once-promising athlete off the field. His seemingly inconsequential TD reception also happened to be the first pass he had caught over his entire career.

When Babb caught the pass, his teammates exploded with excitement and fans rejoiced, knowing how he had persevered and rehabbed after each of four ACL tears, one while still in high school and three after joining the Buckeyes. Interviewed after the game, Babb admitted there were times when he felt like quitting, that his dreams of being a high-level collegiate wide receiver would never be realized.

 

However, determination and even more important, his faith, prevailed. “Some people will say, OK, four ACLs, it’s time to give up,” he said. “But I know the God I serve, so I look at it as, ‘Why not me?’”

 

The player, elected a team captain despite having played only a small number of snaps on special teams, had finally experienced a big personal moment on a huge, nationally televised stage. There is no way to measure the impact of his relentless perseverance on his coaches and teammates who witnessed his struggles every day in practice.

 

C.J. Stroud, the quarterback who threw the eight-yard touchdown pass to Babb, said after the game, “He’s the most respected on our team, and I’m super proud of him…. This team, we’re behind him, and he’s behind us.” 

 

Dedication and determination played a big part in Babb’s achievement, momentary as it was. But in interview after interview, the first thing he always did was give glory to God, noting his conviction that whether he ever basked in Buckeye glory or not, he still trusted in “Jesus Christ, my Lord, my Savior, my God,” as he states on his Instagram page.

 

Perseverance is a recurring theme in the Scriptures, stating it’s not an option but an integral part of life for everyone who follows Jesus. As Romans 5:2-3 tells us, “…we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope.”

 

James 1:2-4 declares much the same, admonishing us, “Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.”

We might not be called by God to strive for athletic stardom or achieve public acclaim in some other endeavor. But in our walk with Christ, we are assured that if we are faithful to persevere, so that we will become “mature and complete, not lacking anything.” Not only that, but we never know who’s watching as we persevere, walking by faith. 

Why It Really Is More Blessed to Be Giving

Recently, I was reflecting on a now-lost tradition of the Christmas season – the wondrous arrival of the Sears Christmas catalog. Kids today don’t know what they’re missing. I’m sure there were other items in the catalog, but I recall it virtually bursting with toys of all kinds, some even beyond imagining.

 

Being a boy, I quickly paged through the dolls, Easy-Bake ovens and frilly stuff. It didn’t take long to find what I was looking for: train sets, play pistols and rifles, miniature forts and cowboy towns, model cars, board games and building kits. The images conjured up more images – those of what might lie wrapped underneath the tree on Christmas morning.

 

As a spoiled youngster, I figured I knew what Christmas was all about: Receiving. That seems true even today for many folks, except for the disappearance of Sears and its “wish book” catalogs. Over the next few weeks, we’ll be bombarded with advertisements about all the goodies we can purchase in stores and online. We’ll hear sanctimonious reminders that it’s all about giving. But in reality, the commercials will underscore that this season has become the pinnacle for materialism.

 

Granted, we did recently observe “Giving Tuesday” after Black Friday and the more-recently created Cyber Monday. Snail mail, TV promotions and email were jammed with pleas to give to charitable causes of all kinds, often with promises that whatever we gave would be doubled or even tripled by matching grants. So, the giving side of Christmas wasn’t forgotten.

 

But I can’t help feeling the giving focus of this time of year isn’t nearly as sharp as the receiving focus. And that’s a shame. Because after all, 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.” 

 

The first Christmas was unquestionably about giving – giving us a Savior who would not only teach and serve as a living example, but also become the atoning sacrifice for our sins so we might be redeemed and gain an eternal relationship with God. That’s why no one was more qualified than Jesus to say, “It is more blessed to give than to receive” (Acts 20:35).

 

I like receiving Christmas gifts as much as the next person, but when we concentrate on the getting part and neglect the giving part, everyone suffers loss.

 

Jesus spoke about this when He explained about separating the sheep and the goats, those who were His genuine followers and those who were not. One of the indicators was selflessness, a willingness to give even when it did not seem personally beneficial. “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me’” (Matthew 25:40).

 

It’s hard to imagine how giving to someone asking for help can be, in effect, giving to the Lord. But that’s what He said. These sentiments are repeated many other places in the Scriptures, including Proverbs 19:17, which declares, “Whoever is kind to the poor lends to the Lord, and He will reward them for what they have done.” If the Lord asked us for something, would we say no?

 

We live in a time when many people seem to expect handouts, whether it’s forgiveness of college loan debts they have accrued, subsidies to offset economic effects of a pandemic, or the growing number of homeless people populating our streets. Admittedly, I’ve grown jaded over the years after being stung personally by seemingly legitimate hardship stories that I later learned were contrived. It would be easier to be generous if we knew for certain the needs were genuine.

 

Unfortunately (for those of us who like to make excuses and justify them), the Bible doesn’t teach, “Give only when you can confirm needs are valid.” To the contrary, we’re given only one qualification for giving. In 2 Corinthians 9:6-7 we’re exhorted: 

     “Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.”

 

When we give, we’re not to do so grudgingly or feeling as if we’re compelled to do so. We’re also not to give in such a way that people will notice our acts of generosity. Jesus said, “Be careful not to practice your righteousness in front of others to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven” (Matthew 6:1).

God desires that we should give, and when we do so, that’s it’s done cheerfully. Sometimes I need to stop and remind myself, but when we consider how much and how lavishly God has given to us, in so many ways, how can we not give with cheerful hearts? 

To Reach Your Destination, It Helps to Know Where You’re Going

The name Florence Chadwick might not be familiar for many people today, but in the early 1950s she was renowned for her open water long-distance swimming prowess. She set records for swimming the English Channel, both from France to England and from England to France. But perhaps her most notable swims came in 1952 while attempting to swim the 26 miles from the California coastline to Catalina Island.

 

In her first attempt, flanked by people in small boats to watch for sharks and help if needed, Chadwick encountered thick fog about 15 miles into her swim. She began to doubt whether she could complete the swim. After another hour, unable to see the fog-obscured coastline, she asked to be pulled out of the water. While sitting in the boat near exhaustion, Chadwick realized she had given up her quest just one mile from the shore.

 

Two months later she decided to attempt the 26-mile journey again, and again the thick fog settled in. This time however, she finished the arduous swim by maintaining a mental image of the coastline. In her mind’s eye Chadwick could see the “finish line.”

 

I can’t imagine attempting such a feat. However, I did have a somewhat similar experience driving a car by myself for the first time. I was working the evening shift at a local grocery store about four miles away, and possessing a freshly minted driver’s license, had received permission to drive the family car to work.

 

At the end of my shift, about 10 p.m., I stepped out of the store into a New Jersey fog so thick I could barely see 10 feet in front of me. There were no cellphones in those days, so I couldn’t call Mom and Dad to ask what I should do. With the seeming invincibility of youth, I cast fear aside and determined to drive home in spite of the extremely limited visibility.

 

I had one advantage: I’d driven the route numerous times with one of my parents, so I knew the way well. And, like Chadwick, in my mind’s eye I could visualize my destination. It took me well over an hour, but I arrived home without incident. Thankfully, other people apparently had the good sense not to be out driving that night.

 

Fog-enshrouded experiences like these serve as a fitting metaphor for our everyday spiritual life. Sometimes things seem crystal clear, but then fog descends and we have no idea what lies ahead. This is when we need the reminder of 2 Corinthians 5:7, “for we walk by faith, not by sight.” 

 

I’ve lost count of the many times my life’s path became obscured, prompting me to wonder whether I should proceed, pull off to the side until the way cleared, or simply quit even trying. At no time has my trust and confidence in the Lord been more important. 

 

Often I’ve clung to the truth of Hebrews 11:1, “Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” Because even when the way seems clear, that can quickly change. Things we hope for but don’t yet have lack substance; we can’t reach out and touch them. And things that can’t yet be seen physically may challenge our belief. They become “evidence” only through the eyes of faith.

 

This is true for every endeavor we undertake: enrolling in college or changing majors; embarking on a new career or transitioning to a different one; exchanging vows to begin an adventure called marriage or starting a family. Or the ultimate step of faith, confronting the portals of death and preparing for what awaits on “the other side of eternity” for those of us who know Jesus Christ.

 

In 1 John 5:13, the apostle John declares, “I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life.” Eternal life isn’t something we receive after we die; it’s our possession the moment that we, by faith, receive it as a gift (John 1:12) and become born again as “new creations in Christ,” as 2 Corinthians 5:17 assures us.

 

Recently I came across an old hymn called, “I’m But a Stranger Here.” I included it in the tribute I was asked to give for my sister-in-law. A recurring refrain in the hymn is, “Heav’n is my home,” and it reflected her faith – her earnest expectation and confident assurance – as her time on earth was drawing to a close.

Whether we’re old or young, healthy or ailing, whenever the fog sets it, it helps to keep in mind our eternal home, our final destination.