Sound Suggestions for Living Our Everyday Lives

At my granddaughter’s recent high school graduation, the keynote speaker, Dr. Paul Conn, chancellor of Lee University in Collegedale, Tenn., offered some succinct, simple, yet profound suggestions on how the students should begin living their post-high school years. As he stated at the start, “My goal is to stop speaking before you stop listening.”

 

Conn challenged them to “live your life as a statement,” and then described how not to live their lives: “Don’t live your life as an apology…. Don’t live your life as a whimper…. Don’t live your life as an echo.” Since I was attending the event as a proud grandpa, and not as a reporter, I didn’t capture all the veteran educator said, but I’ll share the gist of his meaning.

 

Let’s start with his don’ts. By not living life “as an apology,” Conn explained he meant not having to apologize for or give an excuse for being male or female; a specific race or ethnicity; having certain interests, hobbies or passions; or even having certain physical characteristics. As Psalm 139:14 declares, we each are “fearfully and wonderfully made,” so we need not offer any apologies for how God created or wired us.

 

By not living one’s life “as a whimper,” the longtime college administrator and author urged the students not to muster up complaints or grumble about life circumstances, especially when they don’t always go in one’s favor. My take on what he said was rather than focusing on why one can’t do a certain thing, pointing to obstacles or factors that might stand in the way, concentrate on ways to overcome those hurdles just as many great people have done through the centuries. In the words of Ecclesiastes 9:10, “Whatever your hands find to do, do it with all your might….”

 

When Conn exhorted the students not to live “as an echo,” he was encouraging them to not parrot the views and perspectives of those around them, whether they are friends, college professors, the media, even parents. “Learn to think for yourself,” he said, “don’t blindly agree or disagree, or let others do the thinking for you.” 

 

Critical thinking skills seem to be discouraged in many quarters these days, with authorities on any and every topic more than willing to inform us on what we should believe. Romans 12:2 speaks powerfully to this, admonishing, “Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.” A popular paraphrase states it this way: “Don’t let the world shape you into its mold.” The passage proceeds to add, “Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is – his good, pleasing and perfect will.”

 

But it was Conn’s positive exhortation that stood out most strongly: “Live your life as a statement.” He challenged them in several ways, such as, “Can you dream?” “Can you commit?” He also told them to seek their own answers to the question, “For you to live is…?” Ultimately, Conn proposed, our lives should be a statement of faith – not only in God and His revealed truth in the Scriptures, but also in what we believe He has called and uniquely equipped each of us to do.

 

I’ve always admired the words of the apostle Paul, who unwavering declared, “For in him we live and move and have our being” (Acts 17:28). The apostle was certain about his calling and the purpose God had prepared for him, and pursued it with relentless zeal – even more enthusiastically than he had pursued and persecuted followers of Jesus as a Pharisee prior to his life-changing encounter with Christ on the road to Damascus.

 

Often commencement messages are filled with lofty, ethereal ideals, kind of a feel-good hurrah for those eagerly waiting to grab their diplomas and embark on their next stage of life. But Conn, the savvy, seasoned educator that he is, packed his brief message with wisdom that hopefully will resonate in the advancing students’ minds for many years to come.

 

Would that we all would embrace his advice, refusing to let our lives become an apology, a whimper or an echo, but resolving for them to be clearly conceived, resolute statements enabling us to become true difference-makers, rather than difference-experiencers.

In a Desperate Search for Some Round TUITs

Do you or someone you know have a problem with putting off unpleasant or difficult tasks? I’ve been thinking of addressing this plague of procrastination for a while, but I’m just getting around to it. As someone has said, “Why do today what you can put off until tomorrow?” Mark Twain extended that thought: “Never put off till tomorrow what may be done day after tomorrow just as well.”

 

I suspect that each of us has ventured into the realm of “procrastinator-ism” from time to time. Maybe you’re even reading this to put off doing something else, such as doing your taxes. (April 15 is right around the corner, in case you’ve conveniently forgotten.) Paying bills can be another of those undesirable, procrastinate-able duties, as are washing windows, cleaning the garage or attic, or other forms of spring cleaning.

 

If someone were to judge from our planning and subsequent execution of those plans, one might conclude there actually are eight days in every week: Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and…Someday.

 

Being a writer, procrastination has often become a close companion. The act of writing, especially because it’s a complex commitment of time and energy, can be daunting. I can relate to the wisdom of Bill Watterson, author of the “Calvin and Hobbes” cartoon strip: “You can’t just turn on creativity like a faucet. You have to be in the right mood. What mood is that? Last-minute panic.”

Years ago, I was telling an elder gentleman about a project I had been meaning to get to, but was finding trouble getting around to it. With a twinkle in his eye, he reached into his pocket and pulled out what seemed like a large wooden coin. He handed the round object to me and on it was etched the word, “TUIT.” He had given me the solution to procrastinating – a round TUIT.

 

What a handy, tangible reminder for getting on with something that you’ve been keeping in neutral. The best of intentions might be better than the worst of intentions, but ultimately, they’re intentions just the same until we take steps to move them into action. In his book, David Copperfield, Charles Dickens wrote, “Procrastination is the thief of time, collar him.”

 

Perhaps this is why the Bible has much to say about this problem. Proverbs 10:4-5 says it plainly: “Lazy hands make a man poor, but diligent hands bring wealth. He who gathers crops in summer is a wise son, but he who sleeps during harvest is a disgraceful son.” And Proverbs 14:23 offers a slightly different slant: “All hard work brings a profit, but mere talk leads only to poverty.” Procrastination can have financial consequences.

 

Daydreaming is a favored pastime for procrastinators, conjuring up visions of what could happen if they actually did what they were thinking about – without actually doing it. “He who works his land will have abundant food, but he who chases fantasies lacks judgment” (Proverbs 12:11). 

 

I have one writing project I’ve been talking about, thinking about and dreaming about for too long. As I write this, I’m preaching to an audience of one – ME. As soon as I’m done with this, I’m determined to shift to that. As St. Augustine of Hippo said, “God has promised forgiveness to your repentance, but He has not promised tomorrow to your procrastination.”

 

Ecclesiastes 9:10 exhorts us, “Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might….” So if there’s something you’ve been putting off, put off the procrastination. Do it with all your might. Do it now. And when you do, reward yourself with a round TUIT! 

Called to Pastor – Or Called to Pasture?

From time to time over the years, because I worked for parachurch ministries, I would hear from people believing they had been called to vocational ministry as well. “I’ve been called to preach,” they might say, or, “The Lord is calling me to be a pastor (or a missionary).”

Those are noble pursuits, without question. And if God is calling someone – perhaps you – to any role in vocational ministry, woe to you if you choose to ignore it. Look what happened to Jonah! If the Lord doesn’t provide a huge fish, He’s perfectly capable of using some other means for getting your attention.

But suppose you receive such a call. When He says, “Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?” and like Isaiah you respond, “Here I am. Send me!” (Isaiah 6:8), what if nothing happens? What if there you are, eager to go, but you have no guidance from God as to where to go, or when, or even why?

Sometimes, when folks are called to pastor, the Lord first chooses to send them to pasture. He wants them to marinate for a while, or to mature, so they’ll be ready and equipped for use when He needs them.

The Bible is filled with examples of this. There was Abram, who was promised that one day he would become “a great nation…. I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you” (Genesis 12:2-3). Abram – whom God later renamed Abraham – was 75 years old when he was instructed to leave his familiar home in Haran; it wasn’t until 25 years later that he began to see this promise coming to fruition.

Then there was Joseph, Jacob’s son, who was sold into slavery by his brothers, then wrongfully accused and imprisoned by Potiphar. It was years later when Lord opened the door for him to become the most trusted advisor to Pharaoh. Ultimately, Joseph became God’s instrument for bringing the nation of Israel into Egypt where they multiplied and started becoming that great nation.

As an infant, Moses was spared another Pharaoh’s murderous wrath. As an adult, adopted into Pharaoh’s family, Moses interceded after he saw an Egyptian mercilessly beating a Hebrew slave. Realizing his act had been witnessed and realizing his life was suddenly in jeopardy, he fled to Midian. There he literally was put out to pasture, becoming a shepherd to his father-in-law’s sheep. He continued in that role, the Scriptures tell us, for 40 years before God appeared to him from a burning bush and gave him the orders to be His instrument for freeing the Israelites from 400 years of slavery.

Then there’s the apostle Paul, once known as zealous Saul who took delight in persecuting followers of Christ. After encountering Jesus on the road to Damascus, he was converted but again, God didn’t put him into ministry for years. Finally, Barnabas was sent to Tarsus to find Saul and essentially tell him, “Okay, the Lord says it’s time for you to get to work.”

The first time God guided me into vocational ministry, I wasn’t even discerning enough spiritually to realize it until I was offered a position. All I knew was that for about a year I remained in my newspaper job, waiting for the right door to open. The other two times I knew the Lord was leading me to a new assignment, but both times I had to wait more than a year before He made clear to me where He wanted me to go.

In truth, we all have a call from God to serve Him. It’s wherever we happen to be at the time. A couple weeks ago I talked with a banker on the West Coast who had thought he wanted to become a pastor, but the Lord made it clear that his ministry would be to his customers and colleagues at the bank. Today he’s having an impact on many people who would never venture into a church on their own.

Moral of the story: Even if you know you’re called to become a pastor (or some other type of vocational Christian service), don’t be dismayed if God first puts you out to pasture. In the meantime, “Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might”  (Ecclesiastes 9:10).

We Need a New Perspective About Labor

With another Labor Day upon us, perhaps it’s time not only to recognize the value of laborers – workers whose services we all benefit from – but also to hit the “refresh” button for what we think about labor (work) itself.

These days much of the conversation seems centered around compensation for work: What the guaranteed minimum wage should be, if there should be a guaranteed minimum wage at all. I won’t wade into that debate, but I’m concerned that we’re greatly devaluing work if all we’re concerned about is how much we’re paid for doing it, along with benefits like health insurance and vacation time.

Because from the start, God ordained work. He placed humankind here on earth not to spend all of our time stopping to smell the roses. He had things for us to do. In the opening chapter of Genesis, it says:

“God blessed them and said to them, ‘Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air and every living creature that moves on the ground…. I give you every seed-bearing plant on the face of the whole earth and every tree that has fruit with seed in it. They will be yours for food'” (Genesis 1:28-20).

Later, Adam and Eve committed the fatal sin of eating from the one tree in the garden of Eden whose fruit was taboo for them. One of the consequences was that from that point on, work became hard: “Cursed is the ground because of you; through painful toil you will eat of it all the days of your life. It will produce thorns and thistles for you…. By the sweat of your brow you will eat your food…” (Genesis 3:17-19).

Imagine, before their fateful fall from temptation into sin, Eve would ask Adam at the end of his work day, “Hi, hon! How was your day?” and he would respond, “No sweat!” Then they went and ruined everything.

Yes, work became difficult, challenging, even frustrating. But that didn’t make it bad. One of my favorite passages in the Scriptures concerning work is Colossians 3:23-24, which admonishes, “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.” As if the nameplate on the boss’s desk were to read, “The Lord,” or “Jesus Christ.”

The book of Ecclesiastes, which has a lot to say about work and its role in our lives, says similarly, “Whatever your hands find to do, do it with all your might…” (Ecclesiastes 9:10). We work to earn a living; there’s no question about that. But ultimately, if we believe the Bible, that livelihood also comes from God. 

James 1:17 says, “Every good thing given and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shifting shadow.” This assurance applies to many things, but we can be assured that work and the provision for our needs that we derive from it are included among these “good and perfect” things.

An interesting New Testament verse, 2 Corinthians 5:20, declares, “We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us.” One of the best places to serve as an ambassador for Jesus Christ is where we work, where we daily encounter and rub shoulders with people who need to hear about the Good News of Christ and see what faith in Him looks like when lived out on a daily basis.

At the same time, we can – and should – value the work and efforts of people who serve us. The apostle Paul exhorted believers, “Now we ask you, brothers and sisters, to acknowledge those who work hard among you, who care for you in the Lord and who admonish you” (1 Thessalonians 5:12). While the context for this exhortation concerns pastors and spiritual leaders, the principle can easily be applied for anyone whose work enhances our lives, whether it’s the server in a restaurant, the plumber who comes to fix a persistent leak, the law enforcement officer who strives to keep lawbreakers at bay, the teacher who instructs and encourages our children, or the trash collector who hauls away our garbage.

What we get paid matters. We need money to buy food for our tables, clothes for ourselves and our loved ones, gas for the car, and for rent or the mortgage payment. Along with some of our “wants.” But to view work solely by how much compensation we receive is to greatly diminish the value of work and the dignity we receive from doing it. Work – using our abilities, gifts and experience – is a very special privilege and should be a source of joy. Let’s keep it in the right perspective.

‘Pasta-Tense’ Perspectives on Italy

The Roman Colosseum, a vast amphitheater of historic lore,
remains a visual wonder to this day.

Do you have any idea how much old stuff they have in Italy?

In the United States, a building 25 years or older becomes a prime candidate for being razed, to be replaced by something shinier, sleeker and, well, newer. Not in Italy, or much of Europe for that matter, as I had the pleasant opportunity to observe. One reason for my recent blog “sabbatical” was that my wife and I had a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to join a group tour of Italy. As a result, I can now attest there’s a lot of old stuff there – REALLY old stuff.

Unlike in the USA, where we’re quick to demolish domed stadiums, retail stores, hotels and all sorts of other structures the moment they start to exhibit the first signs of age, things in “the old country” were built to last. Perhaps, even as they were being constructed, architects and builders were considering how these grand facilities would present themselves years later in what we could term, the “pasta tense.”

Take the Roman Colosseum, for example. The revered amphitheater was built in the first century A.D. Even though it has taken a beating over the years, it remains a stately icon of history. No one’s booking the Colosseum for sporting events these days, but neither is anyone in Rome contemplating tearing it down and replacing it with a shopping mall or condominiums.

Artwork that defies description can be
seen everywhere in the Vatican.

The Sistine Chapel in Vatican City, known best for Michelangelo’s wondrous ceiling paintings, is young by comparison, dating back only to the 15^thcentury. But more than 600 years later, it still mesmerizes many thousands of visitors daily, not only for its artistic beauty but also for the compelling spiritual messages captured by each work of art. The imagery – and truths – throughout the Vatican have endured the passing of time.

This “built to last” philosophy was evident everywhere we went, whether it was ancient Assisi, birthplace of St. Francis; the ruins of Pompeii, reminders of the once-prospering Roman city buried by the 79 A.D. eruption of Vesuvius; the hillside city of Montefiascone, or picturesque seaside communities like Positano and Sorrento.

Rock formations off coastal communities
like Capri command a sense of awe.

The imposing “faraglioni” rock formations off the island of Capri, which have adorned travelogues as well as theatrical films set in that area, leave their own lasting impressions – not of human imagination and construction, but of natural wonder.

During our 12-day travels across what the natives know as Italia, I found much to take note of and ponder. But the enduring qualities of what we saw firsthand ranked right at the top of the list.

Pride of workmanship, perseverance and creativity were represented in each, but in many cases, we could see another quality on display: devotion to the Creator God. In my view, it was a manifestation of the admonition from Colossians 3:23-24, “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward.”

Renaissance painters, not only Michelangelo but also masters like Sandro Botticelli, Pietro Perugino, Pinturicchio, Domenico Ghirlandaio and Cosimo Roselli, labored countless hours on frescos and draperies to create scenes that depicted biblical characters and stories. Even if these artists were commissioned and compensated for their work, there is something exquisite and timeless about their work that could only have come through labors of love for their God.

Michelangelo's famed Pieta in St. Peter's Basilica.

Everywhere we visited in Italy we found churches and chapels boasting a level of craftsmanship rarely seen in our contemporary world. In fact, you might say in some respects they have an otherworldly quality to them, work undertken as a form of worship.

I suspect undergirding some of these projects was King Solomon’s declaration in Ecclesiastes 9:10, “Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might, for in the realm of the dead, where you are going, there is neither working nor planning nor knowledge nor wisdom.” If only we could see more people pursuing their work with that sort of passion and motivation today.

Mired in the Mediocre

Think of someone you have greatly admired, a person who has inspired you in positive ways to become a better person. What are some of the qualities of that individual, the traits that make (or made) him or her stand out in the crowd?

Several qualities might come to mind. But in thinking about people that have had the most positive influence on my life, one common characteristic is their determination to pursue excellence. They might not have done everything exceedingly well, but the things most important to them were carried out to the best of their ability.

When we're at work, are we willing
to say "good enough" is enough?

We recently saw young Jordan Spieth not only win the fabled Masters championship but also destroy tournament records in the process. Our hearts have soared listening to extraordinary musical performances, perhaps George Gershwin’s “Rhapsody in Blue” or Beethoven’s “Fifth Symphony.” When we consider again Martin Luther King, Jr.’s famous “I Have a Dream” speech, our thoughts become transported by thoughts of what could be. Then there’s the surgeon that thrills us when, after performing an extremely difficult surgery on a loved one, assures us everything will be all right.

In each case we’re beneficiaries – directly or indirectly – of men and women devoted to their crafts, unwilling to accept anything less than excellence in what they do. They took innate talent and then invested the time and effort necessary to develop and refine their skills.

Many of us, however, have no idea what that is like. Ours is a time when most people opt to be observers of excellence rather than participants in it. And there’s a reason for this: Excellence is hard; mediocity is easy.

Why put in countless hours practicing on a piano, mastering finger techniques and dexterity by performing monotonous scales over and over, when we can buy a CD or flip through the TV channels and find music to our liking? Why endure the tedium of perfecting fundamentals of a sport, repeating the drills until they become second nature, when we can just occasionally visit the course or court, have some fun, and then relax with a “cold one”? Why do all that hard work indeed, when we can settle for “good enough”?

Because when we witness outstanding accomplishments – an athlete excelling at the sport of choice, an educator inspiring students to chase after their dreams, or a businessperson investing the time and energy necessary to transform a vision into reality – we catch a glimpse of we could be, if only we weren’t content to remain mired in the mediocre.

There’s an even more compelling reason: God has entrusted us with certain abilities and gifts, and expects us to serve as stewards of those, using them for His glory.

In Matthew 25:14-30, Jesus told the story of the wealthy property owner who entrusted his servants with some of his property. To one he gave five talents, a second servant received two talents, and a third was given one talent. Apparently the disparity was based on the level of responsibility they had already demonstrated in handling his property.

The servants receiving five and two talents invested what had been entrusted to them, earning a substantial gain for the owner. They in turn were rewarded when the owner said, “Well done, good and faithful servant. You were faithful with a few things, I will put you in charge of many things; enter into the joy of your master” (Matthew 25:21,23). They understood the importance of excellence, pursued it, and were assigned greater authority.

However, the third servant had simply dug a hole and put the owner’s money in it. When the owner returned, the servant gave the money back, exactly as he had received it. His lack of initiative, choosing to settle for mediocrity, resulted in chastisement by his master. For him, nothing had been ventured – and everything was lost.

King Solomon, reflecting on the perplexities and frustrations of everyday life, advised, “Whatever your hands find to do, do with all your strength” (Ecclesiastes 9:10). In other words, if something’s worth doing, it’s usually worth doing as well as you’re able.

And we should always consider for whom we are doing it. “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men…. It is the Lord Christ you are serving” (Colossians 3:23-24). If we keep that in mind, excellence should always be our goal – and mediocrity should never be an option.