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SOME THINGS TO THINK ABOUT

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When I started this blog five months ago I indicated a lot of my posts would be inspired or prompted by the writing of others in articles and books. Over the past couple of weeks I have jotted down several ideas for blog posts from my reading. But instead of choosing one and expanding on it, in this post I want to share a few selections from a variety of places that grabbed my attention and caused me to think. Hopefully they will do the same for you.

From a her.meneutics article in a christianitytoday daily newsletter by Kim Gaines Eckert entitled “A Psychologist Faces Her Own Anxiety”:

“Our always connected, hyper-productive culture creates a perfect breeding ground for anxiety as a way of life, so it can be hard and humbling for us to simply take the time to pause.”

I don’t know how humbling it is to take time to pause but I do know how hard it is when we are so caught up in everything we have to do. Perhaps reading these quotes will give you the occasion to pause and think.

From an article by John Acuff at ChurchLeaders.com:

“Sometimes the frequency of divorce makes us forget the heartache of it. It’s such an ordinary thing these days that we tend to rush right by the extraordinary pain it causes.”

If you have gone through a divorce you know how painful it is. If you haven’t maybe this observation will remind you of the pain of those around you in the midst of divorce.

From How to Read the Bible for All Its Worth by Gordon Fee and Douglas Stuart:

“We must be careful that we do not make any part of Scripture say what we would like it to say.”

Perhaps preachers may need to hear this more than others, but I think all of us could use the reminder.

From The Holy Spirit by Stanley Hauerwas and William H. Willimon:

“To be a holy people does not mean the church is without sin.”

Have you been too hard on some of the people who attend and/or are a part of your church? Are your expectations unrealistic?

From The Soul of Shame by Curt Thompson:

“Possibly one of the least helpful things a parent can tell his or her child is ‘We only expect you to do your best.’ No one can do his or her best at everything, for no one has that much time or energy.”

Being a parent isn’t easy but it is a great blessing. We may put pressure on our children without even knowing it.

From My Utmost for His Highest by Oswald Chambers:

“We should be so one with God that we don’t need to ask continually for guidance.”

We already know a lot about what we should do as well as what we shouldn’t do. Don’t we?

From Jesus is the Christ by Leon Morris:

“Believers [Christians] are not meant to live out the life of Christian service in their own strength, thus the gift of the Spirit if very important.”

I remember one day in a class years ago when Dr. Lewis Foster suggested “I don’t think we make enough of the indwelling gift of the Holy Spirit.” I think he was right.

Take a few minutes to read these quotes again and give them an opportunity to challenge and encourage your thinking. Let us know in the comments below which one you most appreciate. (Or if you thought this was a dumb idea!)

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I DON’T KNOW

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During my early years as a youth minister I didn’t have the maturity to say it, but it wasn’t long before I learned to answer some questions “I don’t know.” In the intervening years I have become more and more comfortable admitting I don’t know everything some people think I should know. No Christian, whether a leader or not, should be embarrassed to honestly say “I don’t know.”

While this kind of honesty is appropriate in general, I especially have in mind biblical and theological questions. I was reminded of this recently when I read a bold statement by Eugene Peterson, “Sometimes the Bible raises more questions than it answers!” That’s true, and it should not surprise us. After all, we believe the Bible is the Word of God. We will never completely understand God. Theologians call it the incomprehensibility of God.

I always smile when I am reminded of the standard graduate theological degree many Christian leaders go to seminary to earn. It’s called a Master of Divinity. If there ever was an example of an oxymoron in terms of graduate degrees, the Master of Divinity is it. To those who think they have mastered God and completely understand Him I recommend an old book by J.B. Phillips first published in 1952 entitled Your God Is too Small.

A couple of verses, one each from the Old and New Testaments, lend support to what I am saying. Deuteronomy 29:29a affirms, “The secret things belong to the LORD our God,” and II Peter 3:16b observes about the Apostle Paul’s writing, “His letters contain some things that are hard to understand.”

I am not suggesting there is not a great deal we can and do understand about God and the Bible. Nor am I implying we should not have firm convictions about what is clear in God’s revelation to us. I am simply saying that we don’t know everything we would like to know and it seems obvious to me that we should admit it when that is the case. Not only that, I have always thought that when we admit we don’t know something it adds credibility to the things we say we do know.

A quote attributed to Mark Twain makes a lot of sense to me: “It ain’t those parts of the Bible that I can’t understand that bother me, it is the parts that I do understand.” We should certainly put into practice those parts of the Bible we do understand and continue wrestling with and thinking about those parts we don’t understand. And we should be willing to say “I don’t know.”

By the way, I not only have a Master of Divinity, I also have a Master of Theology and a Master of Arts in Religion. If you have any questions don’t hesitate to ask. And don’t be surprised if my response is “I don’t know.”

If you think others would enjoy this go ahead and share it. And I welcome comments below.

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HOW IMPORTANT IS CRITICISM?

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I’m fairly confident you’re like me in that you would much rather be affirmed than criticized. Am I right? And yet the truth is both affirmation and criticism are important. All of us are criticized and all of us criticize. How we receive it and how we give are important.

I recently wrote a book using letters I received during my 44 years of pastoral ministry and included a chapter of “Troublesome Letters.” Those letters, some signed and many unsigned, were all critical. In the book I include my responses to the signed ones and my comments on the unsigned ones. (The title is A Pastor and the People: An inside Look through Letters and is available at amazon.com and barnesandnoble.com.)

Appropriately receiving criticism was something I had to learn to do. One suggestion I often heard that never made sense to me was that I shouldn’t take it personally. How else could I take it? What did help me was pushing the pause button to consider the source. I came to appreciate the truth that who it was doing the criticizing was as important as the criticism itself. I gradually put less stock in chronic complainers who seemed unhappy about everything. But I would carefully consider observations from those who were committed to the church and genuinely interested in making things better.

The bottom line in receiving criticism is to assess its validity. Does the person offering the criticism have a valid point? It requires humility to accept it, but the uncomfortable truth is they may be right. I am not ready to call critics a gift as some do, but I do recognize their value.

In giving criticism I think it is helpful to keep in mind our thoughts and feeling when we are criticized. Jesus’ challenge in Luke 6:31 applies when we criticize just as it does when we affirm, “Do to others as you would like them to do to you” (NLT). How we criticize (tone), why we criticize (purpose), and when we criticize (timing) are all important.

The most helpful verse in the Bible on this matter is Proverbs 27:6, “Wounds from a friend can be trusted, but an enemy multiplies kisses” (NIV). It speaks to both receiving as well as giving criticism. When we criticize or are criticized it is a wounding. But when done by a friend it can be trusted. The implication is that the pain is for a person’s own good. Our enemy won’t criticize us for our own good, but may butter us up with the hope of getting something.

I sent my last post to a friend who knows a lot about writing and asked him for feedback. And to his credit he made some observations that stung. This is what I wrote back: “I need this constructive criticism to write better. I will be asking for more in the future. Thanks for a good example for my next blog post: How Important is Criticism?”

Feel free to share this with others and I welcome your comments.

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HOW IMPORTANT IS AFFIRMATION?

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Did the title of this post get your attention? And if it did, were you thinking about receiving affirmation or giving affirmation? My experience with others, as well as personally, is that affirmation is extremely important. And it is important to both give it and receive it.

Who doesn’t appreciate being affirmed? In a book I wrote using letters I received during my 44 years of pastoral ministry I included a lot of positive letters I had received. And in connection with that I mentioned an article I had read in which the author got my attention when he used the phrase affirmation addiction. Now addiction is a strong word. And I can see how someone who is motivated by, starving for, and seeking approval could create all kinds of problems for himself or herself. And perhaps some do need to guard against it; but appreciating being affirmed is no indication of being addicted to it.

I have often quoted Mark Twain who revealed, “I can live for two months on one compliment.” Most of us can identify with that. Being complimented feels good, energizes us, and encourages us. (I think people are affirmed when they post something on Facebook and get “likes” from their friends.) No one should undervalue the importance of compliments and affirmation. And I do not hesitate, nor am I embarrassed, to say through the years I have been greatly encouraged and my work has been enriched by those who complimented and affirmed me.

What about giving affirmation? And I do not have in mind insincere flattery or saying something just to be nice. But if we grasp how important being affirmed is, doesn’t it follow that affirming others is also important? I have in mind those with whom we are closest in our families (spouse, children, parents, etc.) all the way to the person who waits on us at the store or restaurant and everyone in between. Can we cultivate a greater awareness of the good things that people do and grow in the practice of letting them know we appreciate them and what they have done?  I think Jesus’ words in Luke 6:31 are relevant, “Do to others as you would like them to do to you” (NLT). One of the greatest statements of affirmation I know of came to Jesus following His baptism in a voice from heaven, “This is my dearly loved Son, who brings me great joy” (Mt. 3:17, NLT).

Feel free to comment below.

WALKING WITH GOD–SOME THINGS THAT HELP

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In the first of two previous posts we suggested the Old Testament phrase of “Walking with God” is a good image still today for those who belong to and live for God. My favorite Old Testament example of someone who walked with God is Enoch who is mentioned only in Genesis 5:21-24, but is twice said in those four verses to have “walked faithfully with God.” In the last post we underscored three specifics that hurt our walk with God: pride, worldly-mindedness, and spiritual laziness. In this final post of the trio I want to highlight three broad categories (with some specifics) that help our walk with God.

First, it will help our walk with God if we cultivate the relationship. As we noted previously, the idea of walking with God is a picture of a relationship. And having a relationship with God is in many ways like our other relationships; if it is going to grow there must be a cultivation of the relationship through communication and spending time together.

One of the clearest ways God speaks to us is through the reading of the Bible. and while Bible study is important, I want to stress simply reading the Bible. I grow in my relationship with the Lord by trying to read His Word at least five days every week. (Why not seven days? I usually do, but five days is a good goal.)

Through prayer we speak to God. There are all kinds of aids and methods to help us pray, but eventually it comes down to deciding we are going to pray. Calvin Miller notes, “Prayer itself is not hard, but the will to pray is.” Some of us find it easier to talk about God than it is to talk with God. But if we will consistently pray it will enhance our walk with God.

The third specific for cultivating the relationship is worship. God is God and He is to be worshiped. And, of course, we can worship Him on our own in private. But I also believe we need to regularly gather with others to worship Him corporately to cultivate the relationship.

A second broad category to help our walk with God is to cultivate a generous attitude, spirit, and heart. And this includes the generous giving of our financial resources to honor the Lord and fund His work. But a generous attitude, spirit, and heart includes far more than just the giving of money. It includes the giving of our time and energy to the service others—fellow believers and non-believers alike. A generous follower of Jesus will also refrain from harsh criticism, ridicule, and judgement of others and not be rude. Instead, generosity will be expressed through the expression of affirmation, encouragement, courtesy, and gratitude to others.

Finally, the practice of Christian fellowship will help our walk with God. There is a real sense in which Christianity is “a team sport” because we need each other. (See Ecclesiastes 4:9-12 for some perspective.) In terms of Christian fellowship we need to accept care from others. That’s so hard for some to do, but we need support and encouragement. And along this same line, we need accountability. We give and receive care and accountability to a degree through the local body of Christ at large, but we really need Christian fellowship in smaller groups. Church sponsored small groups (or life groups) are great, but we can practice care and accountability also through less structured and informal relationships as well. At this stage of my life and ministry all my deeper experience of care and accountability come informally through my closest Christian friendships.

I hope you have found these three posts challenging and encouraging. I believe walking with God is the secret to life. Many years ago I loved the stage play as well as the movie “Godspell.” I especially was touched by the music and one song filled my heart to overflowing. The words request, “Day by day, day by day; O dear Lord—three things I pray: to see thee more clearly, love thee more dearly, follow thee more nearly; day by day.” May that be our prayer as we walk with God.

I welcome comments and questions below.

(The inspiration and some ideas for these posts come from a presentation I heard by J.I. Packer over 25 years ago.)

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WALKING WITH GOD–SOME THINGS THAT HURT

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In the previous post we looked at the Old Testament phrase of “Walking with God” as an image of those who belonged to and lived for God. My favorite person cited as walking with God is Enoch who is mentioned only in Genesis 5:21-24, but is twice said in those four verses to have “walked faithfully with God.”

In that discussion I suggested the beginning point in walking with God is realizing and accepting His love. And with that foundation in place, walking with God is about cultivating and living with a childlike trust in Him. Of course there is more to walking with God than knowing He loves us and trusting Him as His children, but what a great reminder and starting point!

Walking with God is a picture of relationship and fellowship, and like all relationships, walking with God is not automatic or without challenges. And those who have given themselves to walking with God know that is true. In this post I want to underscore three specific things that hurt our walk with God.

Pride can damage a person’s walk with God. As a matter of fact, pride is often the stumbling block to beginning a walk with God. Micah 6:8 tells us that one of the things God requires of us is “to walk humbly with” Him. Jesus’ intended audience of His Parable of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector is so telling: “To those who were confident of their own righteousness and looked down on others” (Luke 18:9). Read the story in Luke 18:10-14 if you don’t remember it. Pride causes us to think more highly of ourselves than we should and to look down on and be critical of others to the neglect of our own shortcomings (See Matthew 7:1). Ouch!

Worldly-mindedness also hurts our walk with God. Obviously we could say sin hurts our walk, but I think this idea of worldly-mindedness is more focused. Remember the Apostle Paul’s call in Romans 12:2 “not to conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing” of our minds. And consider the relevance of the Apostle John’s challenge: “Do not love the world or anything in the world” (I John 2:15). In verse 16 John specifies “the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life” come from the world.

Finally, laziness hurts our walk with God. This takes us back to what we noted in the first post that walking as an image suggests effort. It takes effort to walk with the Lord, we have a part in it. It’s hard to imagine how a person could be spiritually lazy and at the same time have a fulfilling and fruitful walk with God. (In the final post I will suggest some things that help our walk with God.)

I welcome comments and questions below.

(The inspiration and some ideas for this post, the previous one, and the one that is to follow comes from a live presentation by J.I. Packer I heard over 25 years ago.)

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WALKING WITH GOD

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One of the Old Testament’s favorite images of those who belonged to and lived for God is that they walked with Him. Of the many examples, my favorite is a man named Enoch. He is mentioned only in Genesis 5:21-24, but we are told twice in those four verses “Enoch walked faithfully with God.”

Walking with God is an image that many still use today. We often speak of Christians as those who are “walking with the Lord.” Or if a believer has backslidden someone might say he or she is no longer “walking with the Lord.”

The image of walking with God is one I really like for the Christian life because it suggests a picture. Walking is an activity that calls for a certain amount of effort. Walking suggests movement and progress. When we walk we are going somewhere, even if we are just taking a walk. But walking is an unspectacular activity. Running can be spectacular, but walking rarely is.

Walking with God is a picture of relationship and fellowship. Often when we literally walk we don’t walk alone but with someone. Walking with someone promotes interaction. My wife and I have some of our best conversations those evenings when we take our dog for a walk together. As important as worship is, to be a Christian and to live the Christian life is more than just going to church on Sundays. It is to walk with God.

A basic understanding that is foundational to walking with God is the realization and acceptance of His love. The greatest truth in all the world is that God loves us. And I sometimes wonder if we have heard that so often we begin to take it for granted. Hear it again as you read this post: God loves you and all you have to do is accept it.

With that foundation in place, to walk with God is to cultivate a childlike trust in Him. In Psalm 131:1 and 2 David affirms, “My heart is not proud, LORD, my eyes are not haughty; I do not concern myself with great matters or things too wonderful for me. But I have calmed and quieted myself, I am like a weaned child with its mother; like a weaned child I am content.” Jesus’ favorite designation for God was Father and He taught His followers the same. He spoke often of us as God’s children.

Some may well think there is a lot more to walking with God than knowing He loves us and trusting Him as His children.  And they would be right. But isn’t this a great reminder and a crucial starting point? Father, I know you love me; help me trust You more.

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WATCH OUT FOR THIS!

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I was reminded again recently that to give ourselves the opportunity to be healthy both emotionally and spiritually we need to guard ourselves against bitterness.  A growing and stubborn bitterness is one option we have in the aftermath of being wronged or hurt by a specific person or group or even life in general.  But this option does us and those close to us no good, especially our spouse and children.  Hebrews 2:15 cautions, “Watch out that no poisonous root of bitterness grows up to trouble you, corrupting many.”  The poison of bitterness will rob us and those around us of the joy of life.

To guard ourselves against bitterness does not mean we pretend we were not wronged or it wasn’t such a “big deal” after all.  Something did happen and we were hurt.  But relentlessly holding on to it is not helpful.  To feed and water it by rehearsing it over and over in our minds will only facilitate its growth.

Somewhere along the line we have to begin to at least neutralize our negative feelings toward those or the one responsible and eventually begin the process of forgiveness.  And to do this does not mean we have to put ourselves in the position of being thumped again or completely restore the relationship.  It means we have to prevent the root of bitterness from growing deeper and larger inside of us.

The Apostle Paul’s instruction in Ephesians 4:31 connects bitterness with some of its frequent traveling companions:  “Get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words, and slander.”  Bitterness often produces strong anger, harsh words, and slander in those who are bitter.

If you find yourself struggling with bitterness and can’t get moving forward in dealing with it I encourage you to get some help.  Of course you need to get help from the Lord, but He may want to use a professional counselor or pastor or mature Christian friend to get you started and to encourage you along the way.  If this is an issue for you, for your own sake as well as those you love, do something.

Have you ever needed to hear this challenge? Do you need to hear it today? Do you know someone who is bitter?

Adapted from Chapter 12 Preacher’s Pen Columns in the book “A Pastor and the People: An Inside Look through Letters”

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IF YOU’RE GONNA BOAST

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Most of us learned when we were young that we shouldn’t boast because bragging isn’t polite and doesn’t make us look good. As a matter of fact, we now know it turns others off because when people around us boast it turns us off. But you may be surprised to learn that God approves of a certain line of boasting.

In Jeremiah 9:23 and 24 the Bible tells us “This is what the LORD says: ‘Let not the wise boast of their wisdom or the strong boast of their strength or the rich boast of their riches, but let the one who boasts boast about this: that they have the understanding to know me, that I am the LORD, who exercises kindness, justice and righteousness on earth, for in these I delight,’ declares the LORD.” God says if you are gonna boast, boast about Me and that you know and understand Me.

It seems obvious to me that one of the ways Christians boast about God is through worship. For example, of the many places in the book of Psalms that invite worship, Psalm 89:15 affirms to God, “Blessed are those who have learned to acclaim you.” David gives us an example of acclaiming the LORD when he praised the LORD in the presence of the people in I Chronicles 29:11, “Yours, LORD, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the majesty and the splendor, for everything in heaven and earth is yours.  Yours, LORD, is the kingdom; you are exalted as head over all.” Part of what we do when we gather for worship is boast to one another about God through our singing and testimony.

Now when we boast that we have the understanding to know God there are a couple of things we must avoid.  One is that we never suggest that we completely and perfectly understand and know God. I love the story of the little boy who was intently drawing a picture in his Sunday school class.  His teacher asked him, “Johnny, what are you drawing?” To which he replied, ” A picture of God.” She then noted, “Johnny, that’s silly; nobody knows what God looks like.”  Without looking up he declared, “When I’m finished here they will.”  Sometimes we come across like Johnny; as though we understand and know God better than we really do.

The other thing I think we must not do in boasting about our understanding and knowledge of God is to intimate that we know God but but others have no clue. Too many Christians, especially leaders and long time believers who have a lot of Bible knowledge come across as though they have a handle on God and those who disagree with them on something just don’t get it. I’m not suggesting we shouldn’t have convictions about what we believe, I’m cautioning us to watch our attitude and how we come across to others when we boast about the LORD.

I hope if you are going to boast, you will boast about the LORD. Can you do it without overdoing it?

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FOLLOW THE LEADER

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In my daily devotional reading earlier this week something Eugene Peterson said really got my attention. Reflecting on those who are well known in our society he observed, “There is little to admire and less to imitate in the people who are prominent in our culture.” Now that is not true of everyone, but it is for the most part. And not that as Christians we need heroes as such, but it is helpful to have some good examples and models. Unfortunately, I have to agree with Peterson when he notes, “We have celebrities but not saints.”

As I continued to mull over these thoughts and reflected on my life I realized I have had lots of good models and examples.  Going all the way back to my church of late childhood and youth I can recall many who displayed much to admire as well as imitate. And I did both. Then in college and graduate school I was greatly impacted by several I would characterize as real saints; teachers who not only taught well but also gave me much more.

The truth is in a real way I want to be someone others admire and imitate. But I want them to imitate and admire me because I am living for the Lord. I want to be an example and a model because they see me as a follower of Jesus who is growing and maturing. I want to be able to say with the Apostle Paul, “Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ” (I Corinthians 11:1). Admittedly, too many times I am not the example I know I should be.  But I am making progress; and I hope you are as well.

Who is following you and whom are you following?

(Adapted from Chapter 12 “Preacher’s Pen Columns” of my book A Pastor and the People: An inside Look through Letters. You can check it out on the ‘my book’ page or at amazon.com.)

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