Like Arrows in the Hands of Warriors

What would you think of a shooting instructor that commanded his students, “Ready! Fire! Aim!”? Sounds ridiculous, doesn’t it? Because anyone who’s ever held and fired a gun knows you get ready first, then you determine your target and carefully aim at it, and then you fire the weapon. 

Unfortunately, many parents today seem to operate in the fire-first, aim-later mode. They carry out their parenting responsibilities with a reactive approach rather than being proactive. Tyrannized by the urgent rather than being guided by the important. They might have vision for how they’d like their kids to turn out but fail to do the hard work of pointing them in the right direction and getting them to the “target.”

 

The Bible relates the mission of parenting to a kind of “target practice,” but instead of using a gun as a metaphor (they didn’t exist back then) it uses a bow and arrow. Psalm 127:3-5 says:

“Behold, children are a gift of the Lord, the fruit of the womb is a reward.

Like arrows in the hand of a warrior, so are children of one’s youth.

How blessed is the man whose quiver is full of them. 

They will not be ashamed when they speak with their enemies at the gate.”

 

We might not often think of parenting in terms of warfare – except possibly when dealing with a headstrong, rebellious child. But perhaps being warriors going to war is a fitting comparison for our times today. Parents in every generation may have felt this way to some degree, but it seems the challenges we’re facing are greater than at any time in the past. 

 

With the pressures and distractions of technology, influence of social media, and society’s constant attacks on traditional values, our calling for raising responsible, productive, God-fearing children is confronted with more obstacles than ever. Parenting can’t be treated as some side-hustle while focusing on other things.

 

Why the analogy of children to “arrows in the hand of a warrior”? To be honest, I’ve never shot a competition-quality bow and arrow. I only played with toy bows and arrows when I was a boy. But I know enough to understand that whether you’re preparing to shoot an arrow, fire a gun, or set a course for your career, an old saying applies: “If you aim at nothing, you’ll hit it every time.”

 

Too often parents opt for nothing and abdicate their own responsibilities, presuming they can rely on schools and the church to provide the necessary training. Unfortunately, much of what is being taught in many schools contradicts what the Lord instructs in His Word, so we can’t trust them to do the job. As for church, even the best ones only have our kids a couple hours each week, so the positive impact they can have is small compared to the influences surrounding our kids every day.

 

This is why the teaching of Proverbs 22:6 is so profound: “Train up a child in the way he should go, even when he is old he will not depart from it.” This isn’t a guarantee that children will grow up to be devout followers of Jesus and be recognized as godly leaders. However, it’s our responsibility to teach them what’s right and true and reinforce that by serving as consistent examples of what a person with a heart after God should look like.

 

Training our children effectively requires time, effort and intentionality. A well-accepted goal-setting guideline is to ask and answer three important questions: “Where are we going? How are we going to get there? How will we know when we’ve arrived?” These also are good questions to consider in formulating a strategy for raising children who will know the way they should go – and when they’re old, won’t depart from it.

 

Granted, we don’t have complete control over how our kids will ultimately turn out. God does much of the work, drawing them to Himself and molding their hearts, often using life’s circumstances to get their attention. And kids, especially once they become teenagers and older, must make many of their own decisions. Some of which we might not agree with. But then, didn’t we learn to make good decisions – by sometimes making bad decisions?

 

However, just as the Lord makes us stewards (managers) of the material resources He entrusts to us, we’re also stewards of the children He’s given to us. Like it or not, we’re to serve as trainers for our youngsters. They’re not going to become model citizens automatically.

 

Remember “show and tell” when you were in elementary school? In a sense, parenting also is a show-and-tell endeavor: We show how to do things the right way, including living a life of faith in Christ. This includes praying with our kids and praying to the Lord for them. We tell them what God says in His Word, and show we believe what it says by living accordingly.

 

Deuteronomy 6:5-7 admonishes us, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them with you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.”

 

Clearly, God has made raising our children – teaching and showing them the way they should go – a primary responsibility. If we don’t do our job, someone else will do it by proxy. And we might not like the target at which they’re aiming.

Want to Be Great at Something? Can You Spare 10,000 Hours?

Rules. Most of us don’t like them, except when we can use them to our advantage. I’m thinking of the cynic who defined the Golden Rule as “he who has the gold rules.” He had a point – doesn’t it seem the folks with lots of money are wielding the greatest influence these days? 

But getting back to rules, we see evidence at how much people abhor rules (or laws) almost every day. The persons who not only defy the highway speed limit, but also weave recklessly from lane to lane just to get a few feet ahead of the next driver. I observed several of those just the other day. (No, I wasn’t one of them.)

 

Kids are notorious for disliking rules. Tell them something reasonable, like ‘Don’t touch the stove,’ and that only makes the stove top touch even more enticing. Rules like, ‘You have to clean up your room before you watch TV’ or, “You can’t have dessert until you finish your dinner’ are sure to ignite their rebellious streak. No parent in the world ever said, “I’m going to raise a little rule-breaker,” but that’s what typically happens.

 

We might blame such behavior on childish innocence or naivete, but as we grow up, we maintain our propensity for breaking rules. Often, with experience we get more skilled at concealing our ‘un-ruley’ behavior.

 

My typing skills have progressed a long
way since the days of 'a-s-d-f-space.'

This thing about rules goes all the way back to the Old Testament, when God was giving the no-longer-enslaved Israelites literal marching orders. When the Lord presented the Ten Commandments to Moses, as recounted in Exodus 20, the Israelites initially welcomed them and promised to keep them. ‘Sure, Yahweh, whatever You say!’

However, they soon found the commandments – only 10 – much too restrictive. So, in very short order they succeeded in breaking every one of those divine rules. Not once or twice, but so many times they lost count. You could say the remainder of the Old Testament is the story of God’s chosen people’s insistence on enthusiastically breaking all of His rules. 

 

Then, after a prophetic silence of hundreds of years, Jesus Christ arrived to become the ultimate remedy for chronic rules-breaking. At one point, someone asked Jesus to identify the greatest commandment. Perhaps thinking about how 10 commandments had proved too burdensome for most folks, He boiled them down to two: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it. ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments” (Matthew 22:37-40).

 

Pretty simple, huh? Love God with everything we’ve got, and love others just the way we would want them to love and treat us. What’s so difficult about that? I suppose it gets back to our propensity for breaking rules – we can’t even consistently keep two of them.

 

Years ago, I discovered an interesting rule that God didn’t originate, at least not explicitly. In his book, Outliers, author Malcolm Gladwell explored what he termed the “10-000-Hour Rule.” He cited neurologist Daniel Levitin who concluded after exhaustive research that, “The emerging picture…is that ten thousand hours of practice is required to achieve the level of mastery associated with being a world-class expert – in anything.”

 

Levitin said this applied to any discipline: “Composers, basketball players, fiction writers, ice skaters, concert pianists, chess players, master criminals, and what have you, this number comes up again and again.” His studies showed that amount of time spent in practice and preparation didn’t guarantee success, but “no one has yet found a case in which true world-class expertise was accomplished in less time.”

 

I’ve thought about this a lot. When I took personal typing as an elective class during my junior year of high school, I had no idea I’d spend my entire professional career with my fingers flying around a keyboard. I’ve far exceeded the 10,000-hour rule – to the point where if you were to ask me where a specific key is located, I couldn’t tell you. But thanks to countless hours of practice and muscle memory, my fingers know.

 

That’s why accomplished pianists devote so much time to practicing the scales, and outstanding basketball players spend so many hours practicing free throws. Aware of it or not, they were applying the 10,000-hour rule.

 

But how does that relate to things like the Ten Commandments and growing spiritually? I believe there’s a direct correlation.

 

More than 40 years ago, when I first became involved in parachurch ministry, I’d attend Bible studies and marvel when the “veterans” would spontaneously refer to relevant Scripture passages. ‘How do they do that?’ I wondered. 

 

Then I determined to read the Bible daily, even setting goals to read through the entire Word of God over the course of a year. At the same time, I resolved not only to read and study the Scriptures but also to memorize specific verses, meditate on them, strive to apply them, and endeavor to share them with others whenever opportunities presented themselves.

 

Now I understand how those godly business and professional leaders of years past could be so adept at knowing and teaching the Scriptures. Intentional or not, they’d been applying the 10,000-hour rule to their spiritual lives.

 

In effect, Deuteronomy 6:6-9 affirms this principle. Moses told the Israelites he was leading, “These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts…. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up…. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates.”

 

If one were to practice this faithfully over the course of a lifetime, the 10,000-hour rule would be long surpassed – and spiritual maturity would be a very likely byproduct. Are you willing to put in the time?

Finding Freedom Within the Boundaries

Are you a fan of soccer? I must admit I’m not, even though it’s called “the beautiful game” in many parts of the world. Nevertheless, having had several grandchildren actively involved in soccer, I’ve watched a lot of it. The fact that they’ve been good at the sport has made the watching more enjoyable.

Soccer’s not my cup of tea because there’s too much back-and-forth without tangible results. Kind of reminds me of the party game in which you try to pick up cotton balls with a spoon while blindfolded. You keep scooping, but rarely do you succeed in capturing a cotton ball. That’s how I feel when I watch soccer – or “futbol,” as it’s often called by its devotees.

 

I find one aspect of the game fascinating, however. It’s the goal. The official dimensions for a soccer goal are 24 feet wide by eight feet high – 192 square feet, or 27,648 square inches. That seems like a large target, but not when you have an agile, athletic goalkeeper standing in the way of each shot on goal. This is why when a player does succeed at scoring, the announcer ecstatically shouts, “Gooooooooooal!”

 

When player take a shot at the goal with foot or head – no hands allowed – they’re aiming at a 192-square foot target. If they’re able to get the ball past the goalkeeper, anywhere within those boundaries, they and their teammates are entitled to a spontaneous celebration.

 

For folks like me, matches might be more fun if the goal were 12 feet high and 36 feet wide, but that probably would make scoring too easy – and less suspenseful for avid fans. Still, offensive players do have nearly 200 square feet to work with. Top, bottom, sides, or corners. Doesn’t matter, just as long the goalkeeper can’t stop the ball before it gets within the goal and crosses the goal line.

 

A similar principle applies for every follower of Jesus Christ. Some people regard the commandments and statutes that serve as the foundation for Christian living as too limiting, too restrictive. However, they actually provide much latitude. For instance, when some asked Jesus, “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?” He replied, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second it like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments” (Matthew 22:36-40).

 

In other words, love God as much as you want, as much as you can. And love your neighbor as you would love yourself, as much as you want, as much as you can. That doesn’t sound very limiting or restrictive, does it?

 

However, in another sense becoming and being a disciple of Christ is unapologetically restrictive. Jesus told a large crowd of people, “Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it” (Matthew 7:13-14).

 

We live in a society in which many folks choose to make their own rules, to live out their own “truth.” They live by the mantra, “If it feels good, do it. Follow your heart.” But feelings are fickle, and the heart is deceptive. In fact, the Bible says, “The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it?” (Jeremiah 17:9). 

 

So, the “wide gate” and “broad road” may seem like the right route to follow – until you discover too late there’s a huge sink hole in the middle of it and you tumble in.

 

We hear a lot about freedom these days, but what people often have in mind instead is license – doing whatever you want, no questions asked. That’s not freedom; that’s anarchy and rebellion. The Scriptures teach that God designed us and knows what’s best for us.  This is why some of His commands are “do,” and others are “don’t.”

 

Within the parameters of the Lord’s sovereign and moral will He gives us great latitude. Like a soccer goal, anything within it is good. It allows for love, joy, fulfillment, meaning, and most of all, an eternal relationship with our loving, merciful, gracious and forgiving God. Anything pursued outside of that, however, leads to destruction.

 

As with soccer, we might not like all the rules. We’d like to change them or do away with them altogether. But God’s statutes and standards are perfectly designed for His purposes – and for our good.

Undervalued, Underappreciated, Under Attack?

Do you know the difference between a right and a privilege? 

We often get the two confused, and in doing some research on these two terms, I’m not certain the confusion was fully resolved. However, a right is usually described as something inherent, fundamental, related to the notion of natural or God-given law. A privilege, on the other hand, is something that is given and possibly could be altered or revoked by the person or entity granting said privilege.

Our U.S. Constitution includes the Bill of Rights, guaranteeing our rights to certain things like voting, free speech, religion, assembly, bearing arms, and others. Increasingly, it seems, some of these rights are being treated as privileges, to be granted or withheld by governing bodies.

I raise the question of rights vs. privileges because as Father’s Day approaches, I’m struck by the great privilege it has been – and continues to be – to be a father, grandfather, and now a great-grandfather. I don’t see fatherhood at all as a “right,” because being a father entails a whole lot more than being on site at the moment of conception.

At the same time, I think the role of father in our society has become greatly undervalued, underappreciated – and dare I say, under attack. As I’ve said in other posts, I have nothing but admiration and respect for single moms. They’re basically trying to do a nearly impossible job, one person fulfilling the work and responsibilities of two. In Ecclesiastes 4:9 it says, “Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their work,” and I believe this applies as much to parenting as any other endeavor that comes to mind.

Sadly, there have been countless instances of absent fathers, neglectful fathers, abusive fathers and preoccupied fathers. Many of us have failed miserably in fulfilling this God-given privilege of serving our children. I know I did at times, especially early in my working career, putting job responsibilities and opportunities ahead of spending both quality and quantity time with our children.

One psalm writer recognizes this when he candidly prays, “Do not hold against us the sins of the fathers; may your mercy come quickly to meet us, for we are in desperate need” (Psalm 79:8). And in Exodus, Numbers and Deuteronomy, we read about how the wrongs of the fathers have the potential for having an impact on even the third and fourth generations of those who come after them.

Examples of failed fathers, however, don’t diminish the importance of the father to the family. If anything, these failures – and the consequences that have resulted in many cases – underscore the vital importance of training and preparing devoted dads for raising healthy, stable, well-adjusted and productive young people.

In Deuteronomy 6:5-7, God directs parents – and especially fathers – to be diligent to teach their children, imparting not only knowledge but also wisdom and faith: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.” Of course, this underscores the necessity for fathers to be present and attentive, not distracted by their jobs, TV programming, smartphones, computer games or other hobbies.

The apostle Paul, in writing to followers of Christ in the Greek city of Thessaloniki, described the role of a good father: “For you know that we dealt with each of you as a father deals with his own children, encouraging, comforting and urging you to live lives worthy of God, who calls you into his kingdom and glory” (1 Thessalonians 2:11-12).

To members of the church at Ephesus, Paul addressed specifically what a father should not do: “Fathers, do not exasperate your children, instead bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord” (Ephesians 6:4). How can we as earthly fathers – If we cause conflict and angst among our children – effectively teach them about our loving heavenly Father?

So with Father’s Day just a few days away, I’m reminded that just as God instituted marriage between a man and a woman, to become “one flesh,” He also designed the family to be made up ideally of two parents, a father and mother who both carry their fair share of the parental burden – as well as its joys.

We don’t need to attack the institution of fatherhood. We do need to train, support and encourage fathers to fulfill the great privilege they’ve been given, not dismiss or discredit them because of those who have failed to embrace that unique and sacred privilege.

Love Your Neighbor. But Which Ones?

When considering God’s commands for mankind, we typically think about the “do-nots,” especially those specified in Exodus 20, Deuteronomy 5, and elsewhere. These include: Do not worship other gods; do not profane the name of God; do not murder; do not commit adultery; do not steal; do not lie; do not covet what others have.

But “don’t” commandments like these are relatively easy to observe. We would know if we murdered someone, or committed adultery, or stole something. If we’re told not to do something, and then we do it, we’d have to be in denial not to realize we’ve broken the command from God. The more difficult commandments are the ones framed in the positive, things the Lord said we should do.

Maybe that’s why, when a religious leader asked Jesus which is the greatest of all commandments – as recounted in Matthew 22 and Mark 12 – He didn’t offer a lists of don’ts. Instead, Jesus summarized the intent of all the commandments by stating two “simple” things to do: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength. The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There are no commandments greater than these” (Mark 12:30-31).

Sounds easy, right? Not really. How do we know when – and if – we’ve fully observed either one? The greatest commandment – to love God with all that we are and all we have – has been the subject of countless sermons, and many more to come. For now, I’d like to look at the second great commandment: to love our neighbor as ourselves. 

To underscore just how hard “loving your neighbor” can be, one time Jesus told another leader – called “an expert in the law” – that to inherit eternal life, he also should love God, and “love your neighbor as yourself.” Seeking clarification, this official inquired, “And who is my neighbor?” (Luke 10:29). Maybe this question was sincere; maybe the guy was just looking for some kind of exception. You can’t really love everyone, can you?  Regardless, it was a good question. One we each should ask of ourselves.

It applies to the ongoing debate about immigration on the southern borders of the United States. Opinions and positions are strong, and in many respects, polarized on this question. But I think it applies just as much – or perhaps more – to “neighbors” who without question reside legally within our national borders. 

Obviously, our “neighbor” could be someone who lives in the house or apartment next door, or across the street. It could be a person, couple or family we meet at church, whether we know them well or not. The “neighbor” Jesus is talking about could be the individual in the next office, or cubicle, or a person we meet on a sales call.

If we broaden the description, we might find our “neighbor” is the homeless person begging for cash downtown, or living in a makeshift tent under a bridge we drive over every day. Our neighbor could be a military veteran, homeless or not, who has returned from a field of battle bearing injuries and scars, some we can readily see – and some that we can’t. Most times, mental and emotional damages aren’t as evident or easy to identify. Are we as individuals, and as a nation, doing all we can to help these “neighbors,” not only to meet their immediate needs, but also so they can return to productive living?

One group of “neighbors” too often overlooked consists of native Americans, men, women and children who live on reservations, often in extreme poverty. Many of us have no idea of the plight they endure every day, or that the rates of suicide and alcoholism among American Indians far exceed the national average for all segments of society. How well are we loving these “neighbors”?

So while our elected officials continue to wrangle over questions surrounding immigrants who seek – legally or not – to cross our borders in hopes of becoming beneficiaries of the so-called “American dream,” we’d be remiss not to search our own hearts and ask how well we’re loving and tending to our “neighbors” who are already here.

Because, as 1 Timothy 5:8 tells us, “But if anyone does not provide for his own, and especially for those of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.” 

And, as we seek to become more diligent in loving our neighbors as ourselves, we find ourselves drawing closer to loving God the way we should. Because as Jesus said,“whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me” (Matthew 25:40).

Faith is More Than Being a Fan

Every Saturday during the fall, millions of fans crowd America's
football stadiums. But the commitment level of fickle fans can waver.

If you’re into spectator sports, chances are you’re a fan of a particular team, maybe several. How did you choose which teams to cheer for?

Sometimes being a fan is “inherited,” as in “my family has always rooted for XYZ team, so I do, too.” Maybe it’s because of where you have lived. Growing up near New York City, I became a Yankee fan, and later I also rooted for the Mets. Or perhaps it’s because of your alma mater – the high school or college you attended. My family and friends know I’m an avid Ohio State fan, and I’ve been one from the time I enrolled in 1967 and later received two degrees there.

Not everyone’s a big sports fan, of course. But chances are you’re a fan of some entity  – it could be an actor or artist, some other kind of celebrity, a political party, or even a car manufacturer. And in all likelihood, if you’re a fan you feel very strongly about it.

The point is, being a fan, supporter or advocate of someone or something is largely a matter of choice. Even though I’ve live in SEC country for more than 35 years, I’m not a big fan of the Southeastern Conference. Even though I lived in the Northeast as a boy, I didn’t have to become a fan of any of the New York sports teams. And there are particular entertainers I really like, and others I don’t, but no one is forcing me to give them my unquestioned allegiance.

In some ways it’s similar spiritually. Geography might play a role in what we believe. If raised in the Middle East, one’s definitely going to be exposed more to Islam than any other religion. People in the Far East are more typically oriented toward Buddhism, Shintoism or Hinduism, again depending on the nation and culture in which they live. But since faith is a matter of the heart, as well as the head, no one can coerce a person to believe one way or another.

This, however, is where the similarity between sports fandom and spiritual faith ends. Because if my beloved Buckeyes win, I’ll feel happy, and if they lose, I’ll feel sad. I could even choose to no longer root for them. Nevertheless, their successes and failures don’t define who I am or how I live. My faith, on the other hand, does.

Kyle Idleman wrote a book called Not a Fan, in which he explained the difference between being a nominal, once-a-week “fan” of Jesus Christ and being a committed, 24/7 follower. As we survey the contemporary church scene across America, it appears there are many fans of Jesus, but not nearly as many true disciples. This is one reason He cautioned, “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me” (Luke 9:23).

A “warm fuzzy” form of faith, one that’s not too demanding and doesn’t require much of us, has a certain appeal. We can check into the sanctuary periodically, even spend a few minutes in the Bible once in a while, as long as we’re not asked to alter our lives or priorities too much.

But “warm fuzzy” is anathema to the calling God places on each of His children. We see this repeatedly in the Old Testament, when superficial belief – being a “fan” – is dismissed. Deuteronomy 6:4-5, for instance, says, “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.”

As his leadership of the Israelites was coming to an end, Joshua declared to the people, “But if serving the Lord seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve…. But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord” (Joshua 24:15).

The world around us presents a multitude of “god” options – possessions, power, status, careers, ideologies, hobbies, family, even sports teams. Any of them can consume our lives and thoughts.

So we have a choice. We can be a fan of Jesus, turning to Him in times of crisis or when seeking specific blessings, while continuing to conduct our lives independently, or choose to follow and serve Him “in spirit and in truth” (John 4:23-24). Because as God instructed the Israelites upon giving them the Ten Commandments, “You shall have no other gods before me” (Exodus 20:3)

As Joshua and his family did, we also must choose this day whom we are willing to serve.

What Jesus Said – and What He Didn’t

What’s the true measure of being famous? Is it having someone write your biography? I can think of some “famous only for being famous” people whose biographies weren’t worth writing, let alone reading. But what about a book consisting of your most notable quotations?

I own several quotation books, including volumes of statements by C.S. Lewis, Oswald Chambers, G.K. Chesterton and Abraham Lincoln. I also have several books with assorted quotes from various sources, but to have one’s own quotations book, that’s impressive.

Even Jesus is the focus for quotations books, such as The Complete Sayings of Jesus and Quotable Jesus. Of course, the best resources for what Jesus said are the four gospels, along with other New Testament statements. But compiling “the complete sayings of Jesus” seems a bit presumptuous. After all, John 21:25 states, “Jesus did many other things as well. If every one of them were written down, I suppose that even the whole world would not have room for the books that would be written.”

Although the gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John provide a three-dimensional picture of Jesus Christ, it’s foolish to assume they contain everything of significance He said and did during His time on earth.

I mention this because Jesus is being quoted a lot these days, often to support a wide variety of viewpoints. Some people’s “Jesus Christ Quote Book,” however, would probably consist of only one or two pages, because they seem focused on two of Jesus’ declarations: “Love your neighbor as yourself” (Mark 12:31), and “Do not judge, or you too will be judged” (Matthew 7:1).

Both without doubt are profound, powerful statements. But like most thoughts that are expressed, they should be considered in proper context.

For instance, when Jesus said we’re to love our neighbors as ourselves, He was responding to someone who had asked which commandment He considered most important. Jesus replied, “The most important one is this…the Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength” (Mark 12:29-30). He then added the admonition to love our neighbors.

For some reason, many people that cite Jesus’ exhortation about loving others “forget” the first part of His statement. Probably just a simple oversight.

When Jesus said we shouldn’t judge others, unless we want to be judged by the same standard, He wasn’t advocating a “live and let live,” laissez-faire, “do whatever you want to do” attitude. He was stating, “For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you” (Matthew 7:2). The Bible clearly states that, like it or not, God will judge us all. So when we’re tempted to judge others, we should first take an honest, serious appraisal of ourselves.

While citing some of Jesus’ statements, people often overlook many of His other unequivocal exhortations. For instance, many of us like to be in charge, and reject being under the authority of others. Yet Jesus said, "Whoever wants to be great among you must be your servant" (Mark 10:43). Two verses later He declared, “For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

Another of Jesus’ tough teachings we tend to overlook is Luke 9:23, “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.” Whoa! Deny self? Take up our cross – die to self? Who wants that? Maybe that’s why this quote isn’t frequently mentioned.

Not only do people selectively tell us what Jesus said (or think He said), but they also assert what He didn’t say – at least based on the gospels. For instance, they claim Jesus never said anything about homosexuality or gay marriage. In a sense, that’s true – there are no direct statements attributed to Jesus in the four gospels on those and some other topics. But then again, He never talked about texting while driving, animal cruelty, leaving children in hot cars, or being addicted to drugs, but we can hardly conclude He was in favor of those.

As noted in that last verse of the gospel of John, Jesus did and said lots of things not recorded in the biblical accounts. We don’t have a moment-by-moment transcript of all His conversations and interactions with people. But what we have is very instructive and informative.

For instance, Jesus knew the Old Testament law, and those laws addressed many of the issues some people claim He spoke nothing about. He said, “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets. I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. I tell you the truth, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished” (Matthew 5:17-18). And the Old Testament does address issues Jesus didn’t comment on directly.

And how did He know the law so well? We’re told in 2 Timothy 3:16, “All Scripture is inspired by God….” And Jesus boldly announced, which the Jewish priests took as a blasphemous claim, “I and the Father are one” (John 10:30). In essence, He not only read and studied the Scriptures; He authored them.

Moral of the story? Be cautious when proclaiming what Jesus did and didn’t say.

Global Warming of a Different Kind

The global warming/climate change debate rages unabated. A newly released report stated despite horrendous early winter conditions in upstate New York and other parts of the United States, 2014 is set to become the world’s warmest year on record. Who knew?

Since the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration conducted this study, it sounds credible. Who’s to argue with the NOAA? And yet, other seemingly reputable scientific sources report contrary findings. So who are we to believe – Al Gore? Frosty the Snowman? Congress, where it seems much of the world’s hot air is generated?

"It's A Wonderful Life" is a heartwarming, classic
story about redemption and redemption.

As I’ve admitted in previous posts, I’m not a scientist; much of scientific lexicon leaves me at a loss. So the magnitude and consequences of physical global warming aren’t something I’m qualified to assess. But I’ve concluded another form of global warming – global heart-warming – is definitely and desperately needed.

This is the time of year when schmaltzy, feel-good holiday films are shown in theaters and on TV – often simplistic, generally heartwarming stories of harmony overcoming animosity, love evicting hatred, unity dispelling division, compassion conquering selfishness.

One of my favorites for the holiday season is “It’s a Wonderful Life,” the Jimmy Stewart classic in which humility and sacrifice triumph over the tyrannical town magnate. Then there’s “Miracle on 34^th Street,” in which Kris Kringle succeeds in uniting a cynical mother, her hopeful little daughter and a trusting, determined attorney. And then we have “A Christmas Carol,” the Charles Dickens classic story of a crotchety miser whose heart is softened by a series of midnight visitations. Each concludes with its own version of happily ever after.

But why does this happen only in the movies and not so much in real life? Strife, hatred and conflict seem on the rise, while “good will toward men” seems increasingly in short supply. Why can’t we all just get along, right?

If someone could definitively solve that question, they’d be deserving of more than the Nobel Peace Prize. But as we approach the Christmas celebration, we are reminded a solution has indeed been offered. Discord and cold hearts don’t necessarily need to be our “default setting.” The question is, are we willing to accept it?

In proclaiming the birth of Jesus Christ more than 2,000 years ago, the angels proclaimed,

“Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!” (Luke 2:14). The King James Version adds the phrase, “good will toward men.” Imagine, peace and good will being made available through God coming in the flesh.

Later, during His earthly ministry, Jesus promised His followers, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid” (John 14:27).

Many of us, however, don’t believe this. We try everything we can think of to achieve peace, but if anyone utters the name of Jesus, we hear protests of “intolerance” and “narrow-minded.” Maybe that’s why Jesus said His peace is not “as the world gives.” Maybe the reason animosity reigns across the world is because we so readily reject the peace He alone can provide.

We’re quick to observe the Bible tells us to “love your neighbor as yourself” (Mark 12:31), as if it’s simply a matter of willpower. But we forget the first part of Jesus’ statement, what we might call the prerequisite for loving our neighbors: “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength” (Mark 12:30).

If we could do a better job of doing the first, maybe the second part wouldn’t be so difficult. And we’d have a lot more real-life, global heart-warming stories to tell.