What In the World Are You Thankful for?

Since Thanksgiving Day falls on a Thursday (as always), I’m posting this a day early. You’ll have a lot of better things to do that holiday than ponder my random thoughts. But I didn’t want to ignore Thanksgiving Day, since most of us have so much for which to be thankful. Perhaps more than we realize.

Recently I viewed a very unusual Thanksgiving song on YouTube with the title, “I Am Thankful.” It’s sung by a group of young children, sweet little songbirds holding signs citing things for which they’re thankful. If you have ever thought, ‘I don’t have much to be thankful for,’ you need to watch this simple video.

Their list covers a wide range of things, many of which we so easily take for granted: Dancing. Singing. Grandparents. Vacations. Nature. Seasons. Animals. Food. Art. Jesus. Rain. Sunshine. Pets. Family. School. Prayer. Godly parents. Books. Music. Freedom.

 

Many other things could have been included in this song, but you get the idea.

 

Most mornings when I awaken the first thought that comes to my mind is, “This is the day that the Lord has made; we will rejoice and be glad in it” (Psalm 118:24). Not one of us is guaranteed tomorrow, or next week, so we can and should be thankful for each new day.

 

Are you employed? You can be thankful for that, because many are actively searching for employment. Even if it’s not your ideal job, you don’t like the hours you have to work, or have an unreasonable boss, at least you can pay bills and put food on the table. And it’s not a life sentence. As Ecclesiastes 3:1 says, “There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven.” This time next year you might find yourself in a totally different situation, but God has you where you are for a reason.

 

Perhaps you’re going through a dark time in your life, facing challenges of one kind or another. How are we supposed to be thankful then? If we believe God is sovereign (ultimately in control) and that He desires the best for each of us, then we can give thanks despite adverse circumstances. James 1:2-4 exhorts us to, “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.” 

 

Difficult times may test our patience, perseverance – and our faith – but God allows them in our lives to accomplish His purposes in our lives, even if it’s not clear what those might be. Many of us are familiar with Romans 8:28 which declares, “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.”

 

If you’re not going through difficult circumstances, you can be thankful for that. Because in this fallen, broken world, we know hardships and adversity will find us eventually, often when we least expect them. We have the promise of Ephesians 1:3 which states, “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ.” I can’t say that I fully comprehend all that entails, but being “blessed…with every spiritual blessing in Christ” sounds like a great place to be.

 

I wish you and your family a truly blessed Thanksgiving Day, perhaps beyond your greatest expectations. “Now to Him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we can ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work within us, to Him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen” (Ephesians 3:20).

One Thing the Bible Hardly Mentions

Perhaps more than anywhere else in the world, many Americans start their working careers with one thought prominently in their minds: retirement. “How long will I have to work before I can retire?” and “How much money will I need for retirement?” are questions they ponder.

 

I recently read about a woman, nearly 40 years into her professional career, who said she has been saving for her retirement since she was 18 years old. She’s now starting to wonder whether the funds she has accumulated, even supplemented by Social Security, will be enough when she does retire.

 

Whether it’s quitting work to spend days honing one’s golf game (or pickleball); buying an RV and traveling the countryside; moving to some retirement mecca in another state; or just spending time in a comfortable rocking chair without worrying about showing up for work, retirement is the goal – even a fixation – for lots of folks. 

 

It’s interesting that, even though the Bible speaks clearly and directly on many topics pertaining to everyday life, one subject it says very little about is retirement. The Scriptures use the word “retire” numerous times, but almost exclusively in terms of going to bed for the night or departing from a particular place. Only once does it address retiring in terms of one’s daily work.

 

In Numbers 8:23-26, God tells Moses, “This applies to the Levites: Men twenty-five old or more shall come to take part in the work at the Tent of Meeting, but at the age of fifty, they must retire from their regular service and work no longer. They may assist their brothers in performing their duties at the Tent of Meeting, but they themselves must not do the work.”

 

The Levites were men appointed to perform priestly duties following Israel’s exodus from Egypt. For whatever reason, God determined that the span between ages 25 and 50 were the prime years for filling those roles. After reaching age 50, however, they were to pass those responsibilities to younger men they had been training.

 

That’s it. One mention of retiring from work in the entire Bible. So, unless any of us today are Levitical priests, the Scriptures have nothing to say about our retirement plans. 

 

There are some passages about wise planning for the future. And Ecclesiastes 3:1 declares, “There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven.” We could surmise that applies for the beginning and end of one’s working career. However, there’s nothing in the Bible to address matters such as ‘When should I retire?’ or ‘What should I do when I retire?’

 

Why is that? Perhaps it’s because as long as God gives us breath, He desires for us to use our gifts, abilities and experience for His glory, to serve Him and others. Colossians 3:17 says, “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.” Deciding to put our skills and talents into cold storage once we reach a certain age isn’t a very good way of doing all in the name of the Lord Jesus.

 

This isn’t a criticism of folks who have retired and no longer have to participate in the Monday-Friday grind. Certainly, age slowly takes away some of our working capacities, so what we could easily do in our 30s or 40s might now be much harder in our 60s and 70s. But that shouldn’t mean our value, our contributions to society – and to individuals around us – should end.

 

A Toby Keith song says, “I’m not as good as I once was, but I’m as good once as I ever was.” In the eyes of God, we remain stewards of everything He’s given us until the day we take our final breath. That includes offering the vast stores of wisdom and experience that our world desperately needs.

 

Perhaps, as Ecclesiastes 3:1 says, the season for whatever work you’ve been doing has come to an end – or soon will. That only means the Lord plans to put you into another “season,” one you might find meaningful and fulfilling beyond anything you could have dreamed. Maybe what many of us need most is not retirement, but redirection. 

Immediate Opening for Well-Seasoned Ambassadors

Can you imagine being an immigrant trying to master the English language – at least as it’s spoken in the U.S.A.? The grammar isn’t easy. Spelling can be confusing. Proper pronunciation can be a real stumbling block: Consider the words through, tough, bough and cough. If I were teaching an English as a Second Language class, the first thing I’d do would be to distribute complimentary head-scratchers.

 

Then there are the words will multiple meanings, some of which are totally unrelated. The word “season” comes to mind. All of us in the Northern Hemisphere are now experiencing the season of Spring, with life all around us emerging from dormancy. Then we refer to the “seasons” of life, such as infancy, childhood, adolescence, teenage years, adulthood, retirement, old age. 

 

Similarly, we speak about going through a “season” of growth, a season of waiting, or some other season of endeavor. The Old Testament book of Ecclesiastes declares, “There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven” (Ecclesiastes 3:1). Yet another use of the word relates the experience someone has gained, such as a “seasoned” executive, athlete or educator.

 

Last but not least are the herbs and flavorings we use to “season” our food, things such as pepper, oregano, cinnamon, sage, dill, and my personal favorite, salt. We like to salt our meat, vegetables, corn on the cob. Some folks even salt their watermelon. But just as the term “season” has numerous meanings, salt can be put to a variety of uses.

As we’ve already mentioned, salt can enhance the flavor of food. Throughout history, salt has been used as a preservative, to “cure” meat (even when it’s not sick). If you’ve ever gotten salt into a wound, you know about another of its functions – it stings. Salt can create thirst, as any of us who has eaten buttered popcorn can attest. And anyone who’s lived in colder climates knows salt can also be used to melt ice.

 

Perhaps Jesus had each of these applications in mind during His “sermon on the mount,” when He told His followers, “You are the salt of the earth. But if salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled by men” (Matthew 5:13).

 

What did Jesus mean when He said we’re to be “the salt of the earth”? I think we can tie this in with another declaration made by the apostle Paul, that we are “therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God” (2 Corinthians 5:20).

 

How are we to connect being Christ’s ambassadors with being salt? There are many ways. As His ambassadors, we’ve been entrusted with the Good News – the gospel for becoming reconciled to God. However, if communicated improperly, it can create a sour taste for the listener. That’s why Paul warned, “Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone” (Colossians 4:6). We need to present a palatable message.

 

It's been 2,000 years since Jesus ascended to heaven following His resurrection, yet this gospel message endures. Perhaps its saltiness has helped in preserving it.

 

Have you ever talked with someone about Jesus and seen them respond negatively, as if they were stuck by something sharp? The message of Christ can have that effect on people, even those who later will find themselves drawn to it. As with salt in a wound, hearers might initially recoil in pain for many reasons, including bad encounters with “religion,” as well as grievous life experiences that leave them wondering how a loving God could have allowed them.

 

Then again, if we as Christ’s ambassadors accurately represent Him not only by our words, but also by our actions, God can use us to create a thirst that only He can quench. As the apostle Peter wrote, “But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect, keeping a clear conscience, so that those who speak maliciously against your good behavior in Christ may be ashamed of their slander” (1 Peter 3:15-16).

 

Finally, most people don’t respond immediately to the life-changing message of Jesus Christ. It takes time, much like melting ice on a sidewalk. It might take a while, but eventually the coldness goes away and hearts are warmed to the invitation to receive forgiveness, healing and transformation.

 

The question is, how “well-seasoned” are we? When we try to communicate the truth of Christ to others, can we do it in “good taste”? As someone has said, you can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make him drink – but you can salt his oats.

The Challenges of Handling the Times of Our Lives

Does it ever seem to you that time moves faster some days than others? Scientists will tell us that the passage of time is constant, but haven’t you had moments when you said to someone, “Man, it seems like today has gone on forever,” and they responded, “It sure has.” Or, “Wow, this day has just flown by,” and your friend replied, “Yes, I know!”

 

The years can be like that, too. In just a few days I’ll mark the 14th anniversary of my open-heart surgery. For a long time it seemed as if my surgery were just days ago; I could vividly remember the days leading up to it, the day I was wheeled into the OR, and the days, weeks and months of recovery afterward. But now, it seems like an entire lifetime ago. Lots of “water under the bridge” since then, as they say. That’s probably more than 500 million heartbeats ago!

 

When I was a boy, time seemed to pass at the pace of a slug. Days leading up to Christmas seemed interminable. Even the night of Christmas Eve seemed to be at least 36 hours long. Try as I might, I couldn’t fall to sleep, my mind racing with anticipation. It seemed as if daylight would never arrive. Now it feels as if fall lasts only about two days before sliding into winter; the Christmas holidays come and go in the blink of an eye.

 

Many Americans tend to be governed by the clock. We set alarms to wake up, have reminders to keep us on schedule each day, even pass on lunch breaks because, “I don’t have time.” In our latter years, however, we look wistfully back at our lives, wishing we had made time for important things in our lives rather than subjecting ourselves to “the tyranny of the urgent.”

 

The Scriptures tell us a lot about time, but not in the way we generally approach it. The book of Ecclesiastes, for example, offers a refreshing perspective:

“There is a time for everything, 

and a season for every activity under heaven:

a time to be born and a time to die,

a time to plant and a time to uproot, 

a time to kill and a time to heal, 

a time to tear down and a time to build,

a time to weep and a time to laugh,

a time to mourn and a time to dance, 

a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them,

a time to search and a time to give up,

a time to keep and a time to throw away, 

a time to tear and a time to mend,

a time to be silent and a time to speak,

a time to love and a time to hate,

a time for war and a time for peace” (Ecclesiastes 3:1-8).

 

For those of us convinced that we don’t have the time to do necessary things – because more urgent things are beckoning – this passage is convicting.

 

This is especially significant during a season such as this. Even with COVID restrictions, most of us to one extent or another want to continue with holiday traditions; we’re not about to let a little virus tell us what we can and can’t do. 

 

But it’s really not about squeezing the last second into our planning and errand-running. Rich or poor, executive or hourly wage worker, we all have something in common: 24 hours in a single day, 60 minutes in every hour, 60 seconds in every minute. The question is how we steward those seconds, minutes and hours. We’ll invest the time in some way – what will be the return on our investment?

 

Ephesians 5:16 offers these sobering words: “Redeeming the time, for the days are evil.” Other translations phrase it, “making the most of your time” or “making the most of every opportunity.” Time isn’t inherently evil, of course, but as the adage reminds us, “Time waits for no one.”

 

So how are we going to use it? Will our minutes, hours and days be spent on frivolous pursuits, matters we won’t even remember weeks or months from now? Or will we strive to keep alert, poised to recognize and act upon special, even once-in-a-lifetime opportunities when they present themselves?

 

Just a handful of days from now, Christmas will be upon us. Will we succeed in making memories, or will we spoil them because we’ve been too busy with trivial concerns? After that, we’ll barely have time to catch our breath before a new year emerges and, hopefully, doesn’t become a repeat of the year just past. How will we prepare ourselves for what lies ahead?

 

I like the advice of Galatians 6:10, “Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.” We can’t go wrong if we do that.

Doing and Listening – Striking the Delicate Balance

There are all kinds of people in this world: Tall, short and somewhere in between; skinny and uh, not so skinny; of various colors and hues, ethnicities, interests and beliefs; loud and quiet; and, it seems, an ever-increasing number of other classifications.

But two primary groups span all of the other differences – those who do things and get things done, and those who spend most of their time talking about what should be done or what they intend to do.

In the Bible, we find those two distinctive types depicted vividly. For instance, we see the “Proverbs 31 woman,” an incredibly industrious person. Starting with the 10^th verse in the last chapter of Proverbs, this woman is described as, “a wife of noble character…worth far more than rubies.” 

Over the next 21 verses, the passage proceeds to list her activities and accomplishments. She “selects wool and flax…works with eager hands…. She gets up while it is still dark; she provides food for her family and portions for her servant girls.She considers a field and buys it…plants a vineyard. She sets about her work vigorously…sees that her trading is profitable, and her lamp does not go out at night…. She opens her arms to the poor and extends her hands to the needy.” It says everyone in her household is “clothed in scarlet. She makes coverings for her bed, she is clothed in fine linen and purple.” Whew!

More is said about this woman, possibly a specific individual or maybe a composite of what a godly, hard-working, determined person should be like. Entire books have been written about “Mrs. Proverbs 31” and her virtuous traits. But the passage then contrasts this woman with her spouse: “Her husband…respected at the city gate, where he takes his seat among the elders of the land” (Proverbs 31:23). 

I wouldn’t say my wife and I match the two types perfectly – not hardly – but she’s a lot like “#31,” while I’m like the elders at the gate, sitting around, talking with great intensity, seeking to solve the problems of the world. While guys like this expend copious amounts of words, perhaps accomplishing little, the gals say in essence, “Enough of the talking already. Let’s do something.”

We see another example in the Scriptures of “do vs. talk about doing” personalities. Luke 10:38-41 introduces us to two sisters, Mary and Martha, during an impromptu visit they receive from Jesus. Mary, it says, sits at Jesus’ feet, listening intently to what He has to say. “Busy bee” Martha, however, becomes “distracted by all the preparations that made to be made.” 

Finally, in frustration Martha goes to Jesus and asks, “Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!” In other words, she’s saying, “What’s up with this? While Mary’s chilling, absorbing Your pearls of wisdom, Lord, somebody’s got to make sure everyone has a nice hot meal. Help!”

Who can blame her? Think back to Mrs. Proverbs 31, who knew something had to get done. Rather than sitting around trying to figure out who should be doing it, she went ahead and did it. That fit Martha to a T. And Ecclesiastes 4:9 does say, “Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labor.”

But then Jesus has a strange response. He says, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and upset about many things, but only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken from her” (Luke 10:41). That’s it. End of story. If Martha has a comeback in this little conversation, the Bible doesn’t enlighten us on what she says.

So, what are we to make of all this? Seems to me the Scriptures are telling us there is a place for both types – at the proper time. In the business world, we find executives who plan meetings to discuss future meetings. In politics, we see many elected officials who wax eloquent with words, but aren't so abundant with their deeds. When all is said and done, they’ve said a whole lot more than they’ve done.

But as we read in Ecclesiastes 3:1-8, “There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven…a time to plant and a time to uproot…a time to tear down and a time to build…a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them…a time to be silent and a time to speak.” Just as we can err in devoting too much time to talking and listening, and not enough to working to accomplish things, other times we need to hit the “Pause” button, to “cease striving” as Psalm 46:10 says, and just listen, think and meditate. 

Especially when it comes to discerning what God is telling us and what He wants us to be doing. In its entirety, Psalm 46:10 says, “Cease striving and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.” Other translations put it, “Be still, and know that I am God.” We may be well-intended, but we can become so busy try to do for God that we impede what He wants to do in us and through us – all for His glory. 

We need to remember, He created and sustains the universe. The Lord doesn’t need our help. But He graciously allows us to participate in His work. The question for us is, “What is the work God has for us to participate in?” There’s a time to be a Martha. But there’s also a time for being a Mary. Our challenge is to have the wisdom, as Jesus said, to choose which is better for the moment.

‘But We’ve Always Done It That Way!”

Why are there always three wise men in the Nativity scene?

There’s a story about an aging monk that had a pet cat. The feline was fine, except when its owner was engaging in silent meditation. Then its constant meowing and rubbing up against his leg was distracting, disrupting his spiritual reflection. So he decided to tie it to a tree during his quiet times. When he was finished, the monk would release the cat and bring it back into his room.

Time passed and one day the monk died, leaving behind his pet. His fellow monks dutifully continued to care for the cat just as their deceased brother had done. One day the cat also died; the monks obtained another cat to replace it in the dead monk’s memory. As they had with the other cat, once a day they would tie it to a tree.

When asked why they were doing that, the men of the holy order replied, “That’s what Brother Jerome always did. We never asked him why, but we don’t want to ruin his tradition.”

It’s been said that the seven last words of the church are, “But we’ve always done it that way!” Many traditions and practices are well-considered and worth perpetuating, but sometimes rituals are repeated simply out of habit (no pun on the monk story), without any good reason.

For instance: Orders of service that never change. The same types of music always being played, without variation. The same version of the Bible always being read without question. Sacraments performed on the same Sunday of each month. Identical prayers being repeated. Maybe the same Christmas program every year; the only changes being who fills the key roles of Mary, Joseph and Baby Jesus. Having three wise men in the Nativity scene, even though most likely the Magi didn’t arrive in Bethlehem until months after Jesus was born – and no one knows for certain there were three of them. 

It’s like Heather, who routinely would cut the ends off the Christmas ham while preparing it for her family’s holiday dinner. One day her husband, Henry, asked, “Honey, why do you cut the ends of the ham before putting it in the oven?” “Well,” she responded, “that’s the way my mom always did it.”

The next Christmas the family went to Heather’s mom’s for dinner, and as expected, her mother cut the ends off the ham before putting in to bake. Henry seized the opportunity to ask, “Mom, that’s what Heather does – cuts the ends off the ham before baking it. Why do you do it?” The mother-in-law replied, “That’s what I learned from my mother.”

As it happened, Grandma was joining them for dinner, so after she arrived, Henry couldn’t wait to pop the question. “Grandma Harriet, why do you cut the ends of the Christmas ham?” Without blinking an eye, she answered, “Well, early on as a young bride, I only had a small baking pan, and the hams were always too big. So I cut off the ends so the ham would fit into it.”

Traditions and rituals are good, as long as their practice remains useful and purposeful. But to maintain them simply because “we’ve always done that way before” isn’t a very good reason. As Ecclesiastes 3:1 tells us, “There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven.”

This suggests that time might one day come to end, when the “season” for a certain tradition has drawn to a close. It’s true even for our spiritual rituals, like a daily prayer or quiet time. Must they always take place at a specific time and/or place? When we study the Bible, do we follow the same routine, never bothering to “mix it up” and experiment with a new approach? If we ask a blessing before meals, do we use the same words every time? Do we always need to sit in the same spot during the worship service?

As long as these practices continue to enhance our walk with God, there’s probably no reason to change. But as devotional writer Oswald Chambers stated, let’s make sure they constitute our time with the Lord – and not just our time with our habit.