******NOTICE******
Since we are winding down our “FaithWorks” sermon series on the book of James, this will be the last week of daily devotions for a while. As we evaluate this tool, please leave a comment below with your name so that we can discern who has been reading the blog postings and plan for the future. Thanks!
‘Above all, my brothers, do not swear—not by heaven or by earth or by anything else. Let your "Yes" be yes, and your "No," no, or you will be condemned.’ –James 5:12
We have all been lied to. We have all had people break their promises to us. Maybe it was an investment gone bad or something that someone never had the intention of carrying out. We’ve probably had a car or furniture salesman take us a time or two as well. And unfortunately, we’ve probably been on the other end of it as well where we are the ones who have broken our promises.
God designed our church, our family, to be a very vulnerable community. It is a place where God desires us to be able to share everything about ourselves in a trustworthy environment. We shouldn’t have to worry about people stabbing us in the back or gossiping about us. We should be able to depend on each other for support, encouragement, and nurture.
James is responding to a culture where there were very legalistic teachings about when a person could break their vows. It is very similar to the teachings of Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount. Some have taken this to extremes to say that we shouldn’t take any oaths at all, such as in a courtroom or in any type of legal contract. That kind of teaching is missing the point. James is challenging us to be trustworthy people who keep our word based on who we are, not merely upon a legal document that we sign.
How do people take your words and promises? One of the best places to evaluate yourselves is in your home. Do your children and your spouse see you consistent with your promises, or do you way too often fail to live up to your words? The home is both the best and the toughest place to start, as it is there that you tend to be the most comfortable.
May you be a person who is absolutely trustworthy in everything you say and do, and through your words and your actions may both the church and the world know that our God is absolutely trustworthy too.
Thursday, July 31, 2008
Wednesday, July 30, 2008
Hebrew Heroes
******NOTICE******
Since we are winding down our “FaithWorks” sermon series on the book of James, this will be the last week of daily devotions for a while. As we evaluate this tool, please leave a comment below with your name so that we can discern who has been reading the blog postings and plan for the future. Thanks!
“Brothers, as an example of patience in the face of suffering, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord. As you know, we consider blessed those who have persevered. You have heard of Job's perseverance and have seen what the Lord finally brought about. The Lord is full of compassion and mercy.” –James 5:10-11
No two situations are exactly alike. Every time we suffer, it is a little different than what we have experienced before, and it is different from how others have suffered. Yet we can still find a common bond of identity in the experience. James gives two examples of Hebrew heroes that would have hit home with his audience: the prophets and Job.
The prophets were generally regarded as outcasts. They were people that were willing to be unpopular, even if that was hard on them. They considered the message that they had to share more important than their popularity. Often they suffered from ridicule and scorn. It seems that certain prophets even struggled with depression. Yet look at the mark that they left behind. They stuck it out and persevered without compromising who they were in the Lord. We too will face seasons of ridicule and scorn. May we find comfort from identifying with them.
Job’s situation was completely different. Here was a guy who was highly regarded in his days. He was rich. He was healthy. He was successful. He had a great family. And then Satan took it all away (of course, he only took what God let him take). He went from being visibly blessed to apparently cursed. His friends told him to curse God and die. They tried to talk him into a lot of bad theology. Yet he (for the most part) stuck it out. Ultimately, he saw God in the end. God finally brought about a great blessing for him. We also will face seasons where we lose our health, our wealth, loved ones, etc. May we find comfort from identifying with Job.
May we realize that perseverance is not just an extreme form of stubbornness, but rather is something we learn when we come near to Christ. May we not only identify in the great examples of the prophets and of Job, but most importantly, may we find our greatest example in the perseverance of Christ.
Since we are winding down our “FaithWorks” sermon series on the book of James, this will be the last week of daily devotions for a while. As we evaluate this tool, please leave a comment below with your name so that we can discern who has been reading the blog postings and plan for the future. Thanks!
“Brothers, as an example of patience in the face of suffering, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord. As you know, we consider blessed those who have persevered. You have heard of Job's perseverance and have seen what the Lord finally brought about. The Lord is full of compassion and mercy.” –James 5:10-11
No two situations are exactly alike. Every time we suffer, it is a little different than what we have experienced before, and it is different from how others have suffered. Yet we can still find a common bond of identity in the experience. James gives two examples of Hebrew heroes that would have hit home with his audience: the prophets and Job.
The prophets were generally regarded as outcasts. They were people that were willing to be unpopular, even if that was hard on them. They considered the message that they had to share more important than their popularity. Often they suffered from ridicule and scorn. It seems that certain prophets even struggled with depression. Yet look at the mark that they left behind. They stuck it out and persevered without compromising who they were in the Lord. We too will face seasons of ridicule and scorn. May we find comfort from identifying with them.
Job’s situation was completely different. Here was a guy who was highly regarded in his days. He was rich. He was healthy. He was successful. He had a great family. And then Satan took it all away (of course, he only took what God let him take). He went from being visibly blessed to apparently cursed. His friends told him to curse God and die. They tried to talk him into a lot of bad theology. Yet he (for the most part) stuck it out. Ultimately, he saw God in the end. God finally brought about a great blessing for him. We also will face seasons where we lose our health, our wealth, loved ones, etc. May we find comfort from identifying with Job.
May we realize that perseverance is not just an extreme form of stubbornness, but rather is something we learn when we come near to Christ. May we not only identify in the great examples of the prophets and of Job, but most importantly, may we find our greatest example in the perseverance of Christ.
Tuesday, July 29, 2008
Patience with Others
Patience with Others
“Don't grumble against each other, brothers, or you will be judged. The Judge is standing at the door!” –James 5:9
This last weekend at a softball tournament, the game just before ours got a bit heated. There were no punches thrown and the language really didn’t even get nasty, but people got pretty ticked off at each other. We really hadn’t seen it all year, but since this was the elimination game of a tournament and things got urgent, everyone started taking things into their own hands and were very impatient with each other. It is amazing how a little adrenaline really sets people against each other.
This Scripture interests me, because often times Christians get overly zealous when we start talking about the urgency of the faith. Sometimes we start getting pushy with each other. Other times we get extremely defensive of ourselves. I think that the urgency of the faith in and of itself can be a healthy thing. We need to understand the importance of what we do as followers of Jesus. However, we must be patient with one another through it all. We must be peacemakers, especially within the body of Christ. Before we can be peacemakers, we must first be peaceable people.
To live out this Scripture, we cannot merely wait until we are in the situation in order to make decisions as to how we will treat others. We must prepare our hearts and change our bad attitudes before we ever face the situation. Often that means guarding ourselves from gossiping about people who we have regular conflicts with as well. There is such a thing as wise counsel, but generally we overstep those bounds rather quickly.
Who is it that you have a tendency to ‘grumble’ about? Is it your parents? Your spouse or boss? A neighbor? Be patient and know that God wants to bring peace into the situation. He can change your character if you let him.
“Don't grumble against each other, brothers, or you will be judged. The Judge is standing at the door!” –James 5:9
This last weekend at a softball tournament, the game just before ours got a bit heated. There were no punches thrown and the language really didn’t even get nasty, but people got pretty ticked off at each other. We really hadn’t seen it all year, but since this was the elimination game of a tournament and things got urgent, everyone started taking things into their own hands and were very impatient with each other. It is amazing how a little adrenaline really sets people against each other.
This Scripture interests me, because often times Christians get overly zealous when we start talking about the urgency of the faith. Sometimes we start getting pushy with each other. Other times we get extremely defensive of ourselves. I think that the urgency of the faith in and of itself can be a healthy thing. We need to understand the importance of what we do as followers of Jesus. However, we must be patient with one another through it all. We must be peacemakers, especially within the body of Christ. Before we can be peacemakers, we must first be peaceable people.
To live out this Scripture, we cannot merely wait until we are in the situation in order to make decisions as to how we will treat others. We must prepare our hearts and change our bad attitudes before we ever face the situation. Often that means guarding ourselves from gossiping about people who we have regular conflicts with as well. There is such a thing as wise counsel, but generally we overstep those bounds rather quickly.
Who is it that you have a tendency to ‘grumble’ about? Is it your parents? Your spouse or boss? A neighbor? Be patient and know that God wants to bring peace into the situation. He can change your character if you let him.
Monday, July 28, 2008
So When is it Going to Happen Anyway?
“You too, be patient and stand firm, because the Lord's coming is near.” –James 5:8
I think we’d be lying if we said we weren’t curious as to when or how it is going to happen. I mean, look how many books have been sold that talk about the return of Jesus. While I don’t agree with the theology of most of them, it is impossible to deny their popularity. If you really wanted to simply boost attendance at your church, just publicize that you are going to be teaching on the end times, and you’ll perk everyone’s attention in a hurry.
But here’s the reality: we really don’t have a clue as to when it is going to happen. People have been speculating since day one, and nobody’s got it right yet. Jesus even said that only the Father in heaven knows when it is going to happen. But it will happen, and it could happen at any moment in time.
But there is something that has always intrigued me about the debate. It is that no matter what your end times theology is, anyone who has studied the issue will tell you that along with any prophetic passage about the second coming, there is always a biblical call to holiness. One of the most famous comes at the tail end of I Corinthians 15, and we see one here too. People like Dr. Lowery at Lincoln Christian Seminary would even argue that the entire book of Revelation is not about foretelling the future, but rather about making disciples of Jesus. I don’t suppose that is as exciting, but it is true.
So James continues here by not telling us when it will happen, but encouraging how we are to live until it does happen. It is simple: we must remain patient until it does. So here’s to not having it all figured out, but simply hanging in there until Jesus is revealed.
I think we’d be lying if we said we weren’t curious as to when or how it is going to happen. I mean, look how many books have been sold that talk about the return of Jesus. While I don’t agree with the theology of most of them, it is impossible to deny their popularity. If you really wanted to simply boost attendance at your church, just publicize that you are going to be teaching on the end times, and you’ll perk everyone’s attention in a hurry.
But here’s the reality: we really don’t have a clue as to when it is going to happen. People have been speculating since day one, and nobody’s got it right yet. Jesus even said that only the Father in heaven knows when it is going to happen. But it will happen, and it could happen at any moment in time.
But there is something that has always intrigued me about the debate. It is that no matter what your end times theology is, anyone who has studied the issue will tell you that along with any prophetic passage about the second coming, there is always a biblical call to holiness. One of the most famous comes at the tail end of I Corinthians 15, and we see one here too. People like Dr. Lowery at Lincoln Christian Seminary would even argue that the entire book of Revelation is not about foretelling the future, but rather about making disciples of Jesus. I don’t suppose that is as exciting, but it is true.
So James continues here by not telling us when it will happen, but encouraging how we are to live until it does happen. It is simple: we must remain patient until it does. So here’s to not having it all figured out, but simply hanging in there until Jesus is revealed.
Sunday, July 27, 2008
A Lesson from the Farmers
“Be patient, then, brothers, until the Lord's coming. See how the farmer waits for the land to yield its valuable crop and how patient he is for the autumn and spring rains.” –James 5:7
OK, so Kristen and I both grew up in farming families, so I’ve got to confess: this Scripture makes me laugh. Really, James? Are farmers really that patient? I mean, I remember growing up around farmers, and it could quickly turn to panic time if we didn’t get a good rain. This year we even saw the opposite, where we got too much rain. The farmers were waiting for it to stop raining. But I wouldn’t call them all that patient.
But then I realized what James is talking about. You see, we seem to make patience into some type of feeling rather than a demeanor. When I think back to the seasoned farmers that I know, I realize now that while they always talked about the weather, most of them realized there wasn’t much they could do about it, except wait. That’s what they do. They probably pray more when they really need rain, and they can certainly get testy as well. But they wait, knowing that they are totally dependant upon God’s provision.
In the same way, this is what we are called to do. Just like the farmer plants his seed in the spring, fertilizes it throughout the year, and harvests it at the end of the season, so we are called to live out our lives in faithful obedience to serving God where he has placed us. But ultimately, just like the farmer, we have to realize that we are totally dependent upon God’s provision. While we will see much of that provision here in this world, we will only see it fully and completely when he returns. May we be patient until then.
OK, so Kristen and I both grew up in farming families, so I’ve got to confess: this Scripture makes me laugh. Really, James? Are farmers really that patient? I mean, I remember growing up around farmers, and it could quickly turn to panic time if we didn’t get a good rain. This year we even saw the opposite, where we got too much rain. The farmers were waiting for it to stop raining. But I wouldn’t call them all that patient.
But then I realized what James is talking about. You see, we seem to make patience into some type of feeling rather than a demeanor. When I think back to the seasoned farmers that I know, I realize now that while they always talked about the weather, most of them realized there wasn’t much they could do about it, except wait. That’s what they do. They probably pray more when they really need rain, and they can certainly get testy as well. But they wait, knowing that they are totally dependant upon God’s provision.
In the same way, this is what we are called to do. Just like the farmer plants his seed in the spring, fertilizes it throughout the year, and harvests it at the end of the season, so we are called to live out our lives in faithful obedience to serving God where he has placed us. But ultimately, just like the farmer, we have to realize that we are totally dependent upon God’s provision. While we will see much of that provision here in this world, we will only see it fully and completely when he returns. May we be patient until then.
Saturday, July 26, 2008
Ouch.
“You have lived on earth in luxury and self-indulgence. You have fattened yourselves in the day of slaughter.” –James 5:5
Ouch. That’s all I can really say when I read this. Ouch. I can get through the first part of this passage ok, because I guess I don’t consider myself rich—not that being rich in and of itself is a sin. I even do ok with the ‘hoarding wealth’ part, because I know that there is a balance to keep between being generous and saving for the future. I’m ok with that. But this is tough. Luxury and self-indulgence. That strikes right at the heart of America. And too often, it strikes right at the heart of Dustin.
I know what you’re thinking. Most of us really don’t live in luxury, right? I mean, I’m a sucker for the simple in many ways. I hate high-class restaurants. My father in law would call them ‘hoidy-toidy.’ I don’t live to extremes. But the trouble is I’ve been other places. I’ve seen people who have next to nothing sacrificing for the needs of others. I’m confident that what we often call necessity is really luxury. If you don’t agree with me, then that’s fine. But how often do we excessively hoard things for ourselves and call it God’s blessing rather than seeing if God really wants us to bless someone else with it. Which brings us to self-indulgence.
So maybe we aren’t willing to confess to luxury, but self-indulgence abounds in us. Maybe the best way to reveal this is by looking at how we over-entertain ourselves. Think about how much of our time we spend always listening to music, watching TV or movies, playing video games, going to concerts, or just overdoing it when we eat. Self-indulgence is something we take pride in doing here in America. Unfortunately, it desensitizes us both to God and to those who are hurting around us.
When I look at Jesus, I see someone who put his focus on God. While he still took time to relax and refresh himself, he was not someone who lived luxuriously or a self indulgent life. He had an excellent balance that we should also seek. So I would simply encourage you to do this: turn off the TV for a few days and pick up the Word. Take a look around you and see if there are people in need that you haven’t seen before. Take a look at your life too and see where you are living in excess and self-indulgence. Simplify. It will make your life much more useful to God.
Ouch. That’s all I can really say when I read this. Ouch. I can get through the first part of this passage ok, because I guess I don’t consider myself rich—not that being rich in and of itself is a sin. I even do ok with the ‘hoarding wealth’ part, because I know that there is a balance to keep between being generous and saving for the future. I’m ok with that. But this is tough. Luxury and self-indulgence. That strikes right at the heart of America. And too often, it strikes right at the heart of Dustin.
I know what you’re thinking. Most of us really don’t live in luxury, right? I mean, I’m a sucker for the simple in many ways. I hate high-class restaurants. My father in law would call them ‘hoidy-toidy.’ I don’t live to extremes. But the trouble is I’ve been other places. I’ve seen people who have next to nothing sacrificing for the needs of others. I’m confident that what we often call necessity is really luxury. If you don’t agree with me, then that’s fine. But how often do we excessively hoard things for ourselves and call it God’s blessing rather than seeing if God really wants us to bless someone else with it. Which brings us to self-indulgence.
So maybe we aren’t willing to confess to luxury, but self-indulgence abounds in us. Maybe the best way to reveal this is by looking at how we over-entertain ourselves. Think about how much of our time we spend always listening to music, watching TV or movies, playing video games, going to concerts, or just overdoing it when we eat. Self-indulgence is something we take pride in doing here in America. Unfortunately, it desensitizes us both to God and to those who are hurting around us.
When I look at Jesus, I see someone who put his focus on God. While he still took time to relax and refresh himself, he was not someone who lived luxuriously or a self indulgent life. He had an excellent balance that we should also seek. So I would simply encourage you to do this: turn off the TV for a few days and pick up the Word. Take a look around you and see if there are people in need that you haven’t seen before. Take a look at your life too and see where you are living in excess and self-indulgence. Simplify. It will make your life much more useful to God.
Thursday, July 24, 2008
A Heart for the Working Class
“Look! The wages you failed to pay the workmen who mowed your fields are crying out against you. The cries of the harvesters have reached the ears of the Lord Almighty.” –James 5:4
My generation is one that has grown up with a large number of corporate scandals. The most famous one was Kenneth Lay and the Enron scandal that cost thousands of people their jobs and their retirement plans. As a result of this and other scandals, we have become very conscious about corporate responsibility, especially making sure that people are treated with honesty and respect in the work place. This is a very good thing.
What we see here is that this is a reflection of the heart of God. While there will always be differences in pay scales in this world, it does not mean that people should not be treated appropriately and fairly. God desires for business owners and bosses to treat their employees fairly, even when it may mean personal sacrifice.
It is tempting for me to drift to tangents in this discussion about when and where unions are a good or bad idea, but that is not the point of this Scripture. The point is that when we are put in positions where we lead others in the workplace, we are called to treat them fairly. If we cheat them, there will be both earthly and eternal consequences.
Does your heart towards those who have served under you reflect the heart of God, so that you treat them fairly and with respect?
My generation is one that has grown up with a large number of corporate scandals. The most famous one was Kenneth Lay and the Enron scandal that cost thousands of people their jobs and their retirement plans. As a result of this and other scandals, we have become very conscious about corporate responsibility, especially making sure that people are treated with honesty and respect in the work place. This is a very good thing.
What we see here is that this is a reflection of the heart of God. While there will always be differences in pay scales in this world, it does not mean that people should not be treated appropriately and fairly. God desires for business owners and bosses to treat their employees fairly, even when it may mean personal sacrifice.
It is tempting for me to drift to tangents in this discussion about when and where unions are a good or bad idea, but that is not the point of this Scripture. The point is that when we are put in positions where we lead others in the workplace, we are called to treat them fairly. If we cheat them, there will be both earthly and eternal consequences.
Does your heart towards those who have served under you reflect the heart of God, so that you treat them fairly and with respect?
Rusted Gold
“Your wealth has rotted, and moths have eaten your clothes. Your gold and silver are corroded. Their corrosion will testify against you and eat your flesh like fire. You have hoarded wealth in the last days.” –James 5:2-3
You might have to worry about a cheap ring turning your finger green. You might even have to worry about white gold turning yellow. But you should never have to worry about one thing: gold should never rust. Some people think that since James was most likely poor, he just didn’t know better, as the literal word here is not corroded, but rather is rusted. But I don’t think that is the case.
James introduces a section of Scripture that speaks about the ‘last days,’ which generally in Scripture is not speaking of an immediate coming of Christ, but rather an eminent return, meaning it could happen at any moment. It may not be for 1,000 years, or it could be before you finish reading this sentence. But yet James does not say that moths will eat your clothes and that the gold will rust. He says it is already happening.
I believe that James is warning us that even though our gold might not rust now, it really is rusting. In other words, it is becoming less and less satisfying every day, or they are corrupting us more and more every day.
Have you noticed how money changes people? Have you seen people get corrupted by putting too much trust in their stuff? It doesn’t take being rich—it can happen even with middle class and poor people. It could happen to you.
Gold may not rust, but it sure can corrode our hearts. How much are you trusting in wealth and stuff instead of God?
You might have to worry about a cheap ring turning your finger green. You might even have to worry about white gold turning yellow. But you should never have to worry about one thing: gold should never rust. Some people think that since James was most likely poor, he just didn’t know better, as the literal word here is not corroded, but rather is rusted. But I don’t think that is the case.
James introduces a section of Scripture that speaks about the ‘last days,’ which generally in Scripture is not speaking of an immediate coming of Christ, but rather an eminent return, meaning it could happen at any moment. It may not be for 1,000 years, or it could be before you finish reading this sentence. But yet James does not say that moths will eat your clothes and that the gold will rust. He says it is already happening.
I believe that James is warning us that even though our gold might not rust now, it really is rusting. In other words, it is becoming less and less satisfying every day, or they are corrupting us more and more every day.
Have you noticed how money changes people? Have you seen people get corrupted by putting too much trust in their stuff? It doesn’t take being rich—it can happen even with middle class and poor people. It could happen to you.
Gold may not rust, but it sure can corrode our hearts. How much are you trusting in wealth and stuff instead of God?
Wednesday, July 23, 2008
A Little Harsh?
“Now listen, you rich people, weep and wail because of the misery that is coming upon you.” –James 5:1
Now before we look into James 5, I think we may have to do some damage control first. I can hear what some of you are saying: “Isn’t James a little harsh in his language?” It’s a fair question. But James is referring to the language that the prophets regularly used in order to call the people to repentance. In all reality, we don’t look at this type of literature nearly enough. So, let’s simply spend today reading some of these Scriptures where the prophets use similar language to call the people to repentance:
Wail, for the day of the LORD is near; it will come like destruction from the Almighty. –Isaiah 13:6
"In that day," declares the Sovereign LORD, "the songs in the temple will turn to wailing. Many, many bodies—flung everywhere! Silence!" –Amos 8:3
They do not cry out to me from their hearts but wail upon their beds. They gather together for grain and new wine but turn away from me. –Hosea 7:14
Wail, O pine tree, for the cedar has fallen; the stately trees are ruined! Wail, oaks of Bashan; the dense forest has been cut down! –Zechariah 11:2
In the streets they cry out for wine; all joy turns to gloom, all gaiety is banished from the earth. –Isaiah 24:11
Now before we look into James 5, I think we may have to do some damage control first. I can hear what some of you are saying: “Isn’t James a little harsh in his language?” It’s a fair question. But James is referring to the language that the prophets regularly used in order to call the people to repentance. In all reality, we don’t look at this type of literature nearly enough. So, let’s simply spend today reading some of these Scriptures where the prophets use similar language to call the people to repentance:
Wail, for the day of the LORD is near; it will come like destruction from the Almighty. –Isaiah 13:6
"In that day," declares the Sovereign LORD, "the songs in the temple will turn to wailing. Many, many bodies—flung everywhere! Silence!" –Amos 8:3
They do not cry out to me from their hearts but wail upon their beds. They gather together for grain and new wine but turn away from me. –Hosea 7:14
Wail, O pine tree, for the cedar has fallen; the stately trees are ruined! Wail, oaks of Bashan; the dense forest has been cut down! –Zechariah 11:2
In the streets they cry out for wine; all joy turns to gloom, all gaiety is banished from the earth. –Isaiah 24:11
Tuesday, July 22, 2008
For Me, or for Humanity
“Now listen, you rich people, weep and wail because of the misery that is coming upon you.” –James 5:1
I remember being stressed upon me from the very earliest days of my life that “God loves you and has a wonderful plan for your life.” Now this is great, and in and of itself I don’t have a problem with it, when it is understood in its right context. However, the problem is that we understand it within our plan, and not God’s plan. In other words, we think that God blesses us so that we can live in the upper tier of society, or so that we can one-up our neighbor when it comes to having the most or the nicest toys. All this and yet we claim to have a sacrificing God. We claim that Jesus came and denied himself so that he might die for our sins, yet we can’t see past ourselves.
It seems that we focus an awfully lot on God’s will for my life without ever taking into account God’s will for humanity. This has to change. To think that we are favored above the poor in God’s eyes is a farce. If there are people living in poverty around us and yet we have an abundance, we have to consider what we can sacrifice to improve their lives. And this cannot be forced upon us, but come from our own desire to see the basic needs of humans met.
It just can’t stop with our neighbors either. We must also look to how we can make a difference around the world. There are millions still going hungry and without clean drinking water, not even to mention the billions who have never heard the Gospel, let alone don’t even have a Bible in their own language.
So are you looking for God’s plan for your life, or are you looking for God’s plan for humanity? Because what you are looking for will greatly affect what you find.
I remember being stressed upon me from the very earliest days of my life that “God loves you and has a wonderful plan for your life.” Now this is great, and in and of itself I don’t have a problem with it, when it is understood in its right context. However, the problem is that we understand it within our plan, and not God’s plan. In other words, we think that God blesses us so that we can live in the upper tier of society, or so that we can one-up our neighbor when it comes to having the most or the nicest toys. All this and yet we claim to have a sacrificing God. We claim that Jesus came and denied himself so that he might die for our sins, yet we can’t see past ourselves.
It seems that we focus an awfully lot on God’s will for my life without ever taking into account God’s will for humanity. This has to change. To think that we are favored above the poor in God’s eyes is a farce. If there are people living in poverty around us and yet we have an abundance, we have to consider what we can sacrifice to improve their lives. And this cannot be forced upon us, but come from our own desire to see the basic needs of humans met.
It just can’t stop with our neighbors either. We must also look to how we can make a difference around the world. There are millions still going hungry and without clean drinking water, not even to mention the billions who have never heard the Gospel, let alone don’t even have a Bible in their own language.
So are you looking for God’s plan for your life, or are you looking for God’s plan for humanity? Because what you are looking for will greatly affect what you find.
Monday, July 21, 2008
The Haves and the Have-Nots
“Now listen, you rich people, weep and wail because of the misery that is coming upon you. . . . Be patient, then, brothers, until the Lord's coming. See how the farmer waits for the land to yield its valuable crop and how patient he is for the autumn and spring rains.” –James 5:1; 6
There is something very appealing about wealth. There is a sense of power when we can totally disregard any concern for the cost of anything and simply live the way that we want to live. But yet wealth never lasts. Either we’ll lose it here in this world, or we won’t be able to take it with us.
One of the more interesting stories over the past couple of months was that Ed McMahon, Johnny Carson’s long-time sidekick, was going to lose his house because he couldn’t make his house payment. The 80+ year old McMahon explained that he hadn’t been able to work lately because of a neck injury. He was several hundred thousand dollars behind on his payments. But just how long did he think he was going to be working anyway? I mean, was he planning on retiring at 95? It just didn’t make sense.
James chapter 5 begins with a word of warning to the rich, but continues with a word of comfort and hope to the Jewish-Christian believers, most of who would have been impoverished. On the surface, this looks like a story of the haves and the have-nots. And it is, but not like you might think. You see our definition of the haves are those who have financial wealth. But in God’s eyes, those who have nothing, yet have him, have everything. It is the rich who are the have-nots, as they have so often found comfort in their wealth and cannot see their need for God.
Are you content being a ‘have’ if your definition of ‘have’ has nothing to do with wealth, but everything to do with God?
There is something very appealing about wealth. There is a sense of power when we can totally disregard any concern for the cost of anything and simply live the way that we want to live. But yet wealth never lasts. Either we’ll lose it here in this world, or we won’t be able to take it with us.
One of the more interesting stories over the past couple of months was that Ed McMahon, Johnny Carson’s long-time sidekick, was going to lose his house because he couldn’t make his house payment. The 80+ year old McMahon explained that he hadn’t been able to work lately because of a neck injury. He was several hundred thousand dollars behind on his payments. But just how long did he think he was going to be working anyway? I mean, was he planning on retiring at 95? It just didn’t make sense.
James chapter 5 begins with a word of warning to the rich, but continues with a word of comfort and hope to the Jewish-Christian believers, most of who would have been impoverished. On the surface, this looks like a story of the haves and the have-nots. And it is, but not like you might think. You see our definition of the haves are those who have financial wealth. But in God’s eyes, those who have nothing, yet have him, have everything. It is the rich who are the have-nots, as they have so often found comfort in their wealth and cannot see their need for God.
Are you content being a ‘have’ if your definition of ‘have’ has nothing to do with wealth, but everything to do with God?
Sunday, July 20, 2008
A Little Batman
Tomorrow we’ll get back to the book of James, but today I want to talk to talk a bit about Batman . . .
Throughout the book of James there has been a continuous theme of the need for our humility. We must realize how desperate for God we really are, which means understanding how little we can do without him. For leaders, it also means that we need to understand that we can’t be a one-man show, but that our goal must be to equip and empower others to do the work.
So what does this have to do with Batman: The Dark Night? Well, this Batman was different, as a continuing theme throughout the movie was that Batman was not the answer to stopping all the crime in Gotham City. Rather, the people had to emerge and step up to the plate themselves. But that transition has to work in two ways. First, Batman has to get out of the way. Secondly, the people have to step up and take responsibility. But how tough it is to get out of the way . . .
In our Christian lives, the temptation of leadership is to make everything revolve around us, so that we are the only ones who are empowered to do anything. Rather than people seeing a need and meeting it, they are simply trained to call the leader. I suppose part of the problem is tradition—you know, it goes all the way back to the priests being the only ones allowed to do ministry. We have never fully gotten over that. But a huge part of it is that often leaders need to feel needed. Too often we get our self-worth from the ministry that we do for others, rather than the sacrifice that Christ has made for us.
So, do you stand in the way of others doing ministry, or are you constantly walking alongside of others and encouraging them to get their hands dirty too?
Throughout the book of James there has been a continuous theme of the need for our humility. We must realize how desperate for God we really are, which means understanding how little we can do without him. For leaders, it also means that we need to understand that we can’t be a one-man show, but that our goal must be to equip and empower others to do the work.
So what does this have to do with Batman: The Dark Night? Well, this Batman was different, as a continuing theme throughout the movie was that Batman was not the answer to stopping all the crime in Gotham City. Rather, the people had to emerge and step up to the plate themselves. But that transition has to work in two ways. First, Batman has to get out of the way. Secondly, the people have to step up and take responsibility. But how tough it is to get out of the way . . .
In our Christian lives, the temptation of leadership is to make everything revolve around us, so that we are the only ones who are empowered to do anything. Rather than people seeing a need and meeting it, they are simply trained to call the leader. I suppose part of the problem is tradition—you know, it goes all the way back to the priests being the only ones allowed to do ministry. We have never fully gotten over that. But a huge part of it is that often leaders need to feel needed. Too often we get our self-worth from the ministry that we do for others, rather than the sacrifice that Christ has made for us.
So, do you stand in the way of others doing ministry, or are you constantly walking alongside of others and encouraging them to get their hands dirty too?
Saturday, July 19, 2008
Are You Ready?
“Anyone, then, who knows the good he ought to do and doesn't do it, sins.” –James 4:17
I have heard a great deal of excitement both in our church and in our community about our upcoming Together for Lincoln project on September 28th. On that day we will worship at each individual church in the morning, go and serve out in our community in the late morning-early afternoon, and gather that evening for a combined worship service at Lincoln Christian College. We currently have about 13 churches participating, so it should be a real hoot.
But before we go and serve together in the streets of Lincoln, I feel like I need to warn you as well. What we are doing is basically taking a one day mission trip into our own community. We will go and serve people we may or may not know. We will go to parts of town we might generally just ignore. We will go and meet needs that we never even realized existed before. When we do that, God is bound to do something even larger than us. As much as we are hoping and praying that God does something through us, we are also hoping and praying that God does something even bigger in us.
Our prayer is that while this is technically only a one day event, that it will plant a seed within us for something much greater. We hope that we would begin to see the needs in our community not just when an application for help comes in, but whenever we go out. Chances are, if we really let God move, this could radically change the way that we live. We will begin to have a greater passion to serve people that will require us to either bury those desires or to choose to go and to live them out by serving others. This could be a very costly day.
Are you ready? Are you prepared to see Lincoln like you’ve never seen it before. Are you willing to let God move in your life in order to meet the needs of others? Are you ready to truly be the hands and feet of Christ?
I have heard a great deal of excitement both in our church and in our community about our upcoming Together for Lincoln project on September 28th. On that day we will worship at each individual church in the morning, go and serve out in our community in the late morning-early afternoon, and gather that evening for a combined worship service at Lincoln Christian College. We currently have about 13 churches participating, so it should be a real hoot.
But before we go and serve together in the streets of Lincoln, I feel like I need to warn you as well. What we are doing is basically taking a one day mission trip into our own community. We will go and serve people we may or may not know. We will go to parts of town we might generally just ignore. We will go and meet needs that we never even realized existed before. When we do that, God is bound to do something even larger than us. As much as we are hoping and praying that God does something through us, we are also hoping and praying that God does something even bigger in us.
Our prayer is that while this is technically only a one day event, that it will plant a seed within us for something much greater. We hope that we would begin to see the needs in our community not just when an application for help comes in, but whenever we go out. Chances are, if we really let God move, this could radically change the way that we live. We will begin to have a greater passion to serve people that will require us to either bury those desires or to choose to go and to live them out by serving others. This could be a very costly day.
Are you ready? Are you prepared to see Lincoln like you’ve never seen it before. Are you willing to let God move in your life in order to meet the needs of others? Are you ready to truly be the hands and feet of Christ?
Friday, July 18, 2008
The Good Samaritan Law
“Anyone, then, who knows the good he ought to do and doesn't do it, sins.” –James 4:17
I must confess that my favorite television series of all time is Seinfeld, although The Office is quickly catching up. In the very last episode of Seinfeld, Jerry finally lands a contract with NBC, so they offer to allow Seinfeld and his friends to use the corporate jet to fly anywhere. Well, on their flight, they have engine trouble and have to land in a small Massachusetts town. After they land, they decide to take a stroll around town. There on the town square, they see an overweight man being mugged. Instead of helping, they instead start laughing and making fun of the man. People see them laughing as the thief gets away, and the police arrest Jerry and his friends for breaking the town’s ‘Good Samaritan Law.’ In other words, if you can help someone and don’t, you are breaking the law. They are arrested, and at their trial, they bring several of the past season’s characters to testify against them in a humorous trial. Of course, they are found guilty and sent to the clink, where Jerry does stand up comedy for the inmates.
It is an absurd notion, isn’t it? Do you really think that we could be arrested for the things that we don’t do? Well, I’m sure a law like that would never stand in America. However, the Bible tells us that we are not just held accountable for the things that we do, but also for the opportunities that come our way to help others.
This verse is in the midst of a passage that talks about our own plans and how foolish they are compared to God’s will. It is here that we read James saying, “Anyone, then, who knows the good he ought to do and doesn’t do it, sins.” It is an interesting notion, isn’t it? After we stop trying to control every aspect of our lives, we start to see that God has a bigger plan that includes others. And we just can’t say, “Nah, no thanks. Maybe later.” When we see people in need and don’t help, we sin.
I want to be careful here because I think that we could easily think that we must go overboard and spend every second out helping everyone that we possibly can and berating others who don’t. While God definitely puts people in our path, we could easily develop a ‘messiah complex,’ thinking that we are the only ones who can make a difference and wind up taking too much on our plates and burning out. That isn’t healthy either. Chances are, you and I don’t have that problem though.
Would you consider taking a look around you and observing whether or not you are doing the good that you should? How often have you diverted your plans in the last year to help someone in need? Maybe it’s family. Maybe it is someone you work with, or someone you don’t even know. Remember, sins aren’t just things that we do, they are also things that we know we should do, yet don’t.
I must confess that my favorite television series of all time is Seinfeld, although The Office is quickly catching up. In the very last episode of Seinfeld, Jerry finally lands a contract with NBC, so they offer to allow Seinfeld and his friends to use the corporate jet to fly anywhere. Well, on their flight, they have engine trouble and have to land in a small Massachusetts town. After they land, they decide to take a stroll around town. There on the town square, they see an overweight man being mugged. Instead of helping, they instead start laughing and making fun of the man. People see them laughing as the thief gets away, and the police arrest Jerry and his friends for breaking the town’s ‘Good Samaritan Law.’ In other words, if you can help someone and don’t, you are breaking the law. They are arrested, and at their trial, they bring several of the past season’s characters to testify against them in a humorous trial. Of course, they are found guilty and sent to the clink, where Jerry does stand up comedy for the inmates.
It is an absurd notion, isn’t it? Do you really think that we could be arrested for the things that we don’t do? Well, I’m sure a law like that would never stand in America. However, the Bible tells us that we are not just held accountable for the things that we do, but also for the opportunities that come our way to help others.
This verse is in the midst of a passage that talks about our own plans and how foolish they are compared to God’s will. It is here that we read James saying, “Anyone, then, who knows the good he ought to do and doesn’t do it, sins.” It is an interesting notion, isn’t it? After we stop trying to control every aspect of our lives, we start to see that God has a bigger plan that includes others. And we just can’t say, “Nah, no thanks. Maybe later.” When we see people in need and don’t help, we sin.
I want to be careful here because I think that we could easily think that we must go overboard and spend every second out helping everyone that we possibly can and berating others who don’t. While God definitely puts people in our path, we could easily develop a ‘messiah complex,’ thinking that we are the only ones who can make a difference and wind up taking too much on our plates and burning out. That isn’t healthy either. Chances are, you and I don’t have that problem though.
Would you consider taking a look around you and observing whether or not you are doing the good that you should? How often have you diverted your plans in the last year to help someone in need? Maybe it’s family. Maybe it is someone you work with, or someone you don’t even know. Remember, sins aren’t just things that we do, they are also things that we know we should do, yet don’t.
Thursday, July 17, 2008
Not Where, but Who
Instead, you ought to say, "If it is the Lord's will, we will live and do this or that." As it is, you boast and brag. All such boasting is evil. –James 4:15-16
I hate it when people ask me questions about the future. People often ask me, “Where do you see yourself in 5 years?” Or, “How long do you see yourself living here in Lincoln?” Of course the worst and most frequent question of all is, “So when are you going to have kids anyway?” I would love to tell you that I hate these questions because we’re just trusting Jesus to guide us and we don’t ever worry about the answers to them. I suppose that would be the Sunday school answer. Perhaps we do live that out to a certain degree. But the real reason that I hate them is because there is a certain part of me that thinks that I do have it all figured out, and I’d love to give my answer based on my plan. And it isn’t even that it is a completely pagan plan. However, it is me trying to discern how God will lead, rather than me simply being faithful.
James says, “As it is, you boast and brag.” When we think we have God’s plan cornered, that is really what we are doing. When we share with others the lofty plans that we have, we are often encouraged and celebrated as people with great plans, rather than rebuked as people who aren’t leaving enough room for God to work. Kristen and I were at a conference this past year where they introduced a boy who was around 8 years old who knew every presidential fact that you could ever imagine. It was his dream to be the President of the United States—and he had it all figured out how he was going to get there. In fact, his plan had him landing in the White House at a ripe old age of 35! Everyone in the arena clapped for him and celebrated his plan. Now, I hate to be the sour puss here, but really? Do we really want a 35 year old president? Shouldn’t someone have the guts to say to this young man, “Hey, don’t you think you should wait until you are at least 45 or so and have a little more wisdom?” Now granted, I know you are thinking, “Easy, Dustin. The kid is not even 10! Give him a break!” I understand that, but the problem is not the kid, but the culture that we have created.
I have mentioned before that I am not against planning. In fact, I am very much in favor of wise planning, so long as it is made by people who are seeking after God’s heart and is open to his continued leading. But here is a challenge for you: rather than planning where you are going to be or what your career will look like in 5 years, wouldn’t it be a better investment of your time to discern who you would like to be in 5 years? You know, how you would like to deepen your walk with God, how your character would be better, how you’d treat your spouse differently?
More importantly than where we are is who we are. I don’t know where God will send you, but I can promise you this: whenever and wherever he sends you, he wants you to be like Jesus.
I hate it when people ask me questions about the future. People often ask me, “Where do you see yourself in 5 years?” Or, “How long do you see yourself living here in Lincoln?” Of course the worst and most frequent question of all is, “So when are you going to have kids anyway?” I would love to tell you that I hate these questions because we’re just trusting Jesus to guide us and we don’t ever worry about the answers to them. I suppose that would be the Sunday school answer. Perhaps we do live that out to a certain degree. But the real reason that I hate them is because there is a certain part of me that thinks that I do have it all figured out, and I’d love to give my answer based on my plan. And it isn’t even that it is a completely pagan plan. However, it is me trying to discern how God will lead, rather than me simply being faithful.
James says, “As it is, you boast and brag.” When we think we have God’s plan cornered, that is really what we are doing. When we share with others the lofty plans that we have, we are often encouraged and celebrated as people with great plans, rather than rebuked as people who aren’t leaving enough room for God to work. Kristen and I were at a conference this past year where they introduced a boy who was around 8 years old who knew every presidential fact that you could ever imagine. It was his dream to be the President of the United States—and he had it all figured out how he was going to get there. In fact, his plan had him landing in the White House at a ripe old age of 35! Everyone in the arena clapped for him and celebrated his plan. Now, I hate to be the sour puss here, but really? Do we really want a 35 year old president? Shouldn’t someone have the guts to say to this young man, “Hey, don’t you think you should wait until you are at least 45 or so and have a little more wisdom?” Now granted, I know you are thinking, “Easy, Dustin. The kid is not even 10! Give him a break!” I understand that, but the problem is not the kid, but the culture that we have created.
I have mentioned before that I am not against planning. In fact, I am very much in favor of wise planning, so long as it is made by people who are seeking after God’s heart and is open to his continued leading. But here is a challenge for you: rather than planning where you are going to be or what your career will look like in 5 years, wouldn’t it be a better investment of your time to discern who you would like to be in 5 years? You know, how you would like to deepen your walk with God, how your character would be better, how you’d treat your spouse differently?
More importantly than where we are is who we are. I don’t know where God will send you, but I can promise you this: whenever and wherever he sends you, he wants you to be like Jesus.
Wednesday, July 16, 2008
A Lousy Night to be an Atheist
In honor of baseball’s All-Star Break, we’re going to take a little break from our postings in the book of James. So here’s a story that has refreshed me a great deal:
I normally get sick of Christian athletes who talk about how Jesus helps them hit home runs. It generally borders on health and wealth teaching. However, Josh Hamilton’s story is far from typical. Josh was selected as the number one overall pick in the 1999 Major League Baseball draft. But Josh’s personal life was a mess, as he quickly became addicted to drugs and alcohol. From 2002-2006 he did not even play baseball, as he was even barred from baseball at one point for failing multiple drug tests. By all accounts his career was over. Even worse than that, he regularly overdosed with the hopes that he simply wouldn’t wake up.
But God didn’t give up on him, and neither did his wife or grandma. His wife, a devout Christian, often told him that he wasn’t done yet, and that he would play professional baseball again someday. Eventually, Hamilton surrendered his life to Christ. He is very specific about that word ‘surrender,’ as he acknowledges that of all his natural abilities that he has, there is no way he can overcome the addiction on his own. Since his surrender, God has done an amazing work in his life, as he has been clean since October 6, 2005. Through this time, God has also restored his relationship with his wife, Katie.
But we can’t forget the baseball! In 2007, the Cincinnati Reds picked up Hamilton and he had a successful rookie season. More importantly, his witness was incredible, as opposing players and even the umpires regularly encouraged him. His teammates even did not make him perform one of the rookie duties of making him carry the beer onto the team plane, as they were aware of his addictions and wanted to see him succeed. Over the off-season, the Reds traded Hamilton to the Texas Rangers, where he has simply been stellar. He was elected as a starter on the All-Star Team and was also selected to hit in the Home Run Derby on Tuesday night, which was simply amazing.
Back when he was still strung out on drugs, Hamilton had a dream that he would be hitting in the All Star Home Run Derby at Yankee Stadium. He didn’t even know that there would be an All Star game at Yankee Stadium, as it had not even been selected yet. In the dream, he also gave glory to God for his performance. Well, Tuesday night that dream came true as Hamilton stepped up to the plate as the eighth hitter in the home run derby. The leader at the time had 8 home runs, and Hamilton absolutely shattered that lead by hammering 28 out of 38 swings as home runs. These were no cheap home runs either, as many of them were over 500 feet. Just as the players and umpires had been behind him before, the 56,000 fans in attendance were going crazy. While he didn’t eventually win the contest, everyone will remember his performance, as he obliterated the previous one round record. After the derby, he shared this account of his dream a few years back:
“I was at the plate, I saw all the guys sitting around and then I was at the plate walking toward them and actually a lady came up and interviewed me,” Josh said. “I was able to show everybody how I was there, why I was there and that was because of God's grace.”
Well, all of this happened and more. Here is the quote from the interview Hamilton had with the ‘real’ lady who interviewed him on Tuesday night: “It's amazing in the past few years what God has done in my life and how quickly he has done it. I just really want to thank my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ for all of this. I just want to glorify him.”
As powerful as Hamilton’s words were, the quote of the night came from famous sportswriter Rick Reilly, who simply said, “It’s a lousy night to be an atheist.” A lousy night indeed!
Hamilton has not let his success go to his head. His addiction definitely keeps him humble. He has three drug tests a week my MLB, which he welcomes because of his self-awareness as an addict. He also keeps a busy schedule of going and sharing his message with other addicts, as well as young people. And with a story of grace like that, why not? If he keeps playing like he is and sharing his story, there cold be a lot of lousy nights for atheists for a long time to come!
To read other articles about Josh Hamilton, click on one of the following links:
Sports Illustrated Cover Story from June 2008
ESPN.com - Hope is Never Lost
I normally get sick of Christian athletes who talk about how Jesus helps them hit home runs. It generally borders on health and wealth teaching. However, Josh Hamilton’s story is far from typical. Josh was selected as the number one overall pick in the 1999 Major League Baseball draft. But Josh’s personal life was a mess, as he quickly became addicted to drugs and alcohol. From 2002-2006 he did not even play baseball, as he was even barred from baseball at one point for failing multiple drug tests. By all accounts his career was over. Even worse than that, he regularly overdosed with the hopes that he simply wouldn’t wake up.
But God didn’t give up on him, and neither did his wife or grandma. His wife, a devout Christian, often told him that he wasn’t done yet, and that he would play professional baseball again someday. Eventually, Hamilton surrendered his life to Christ. He is very specific about that word ‘surrender,’ as he acknowledges that of all his natural abilities that he has, there is no way he can overcome the addiction on his own. Since his surrender, God has done an amazing work in his life, as he has been clean since October 6, 2005. Through this time, God has also restored his relationship with his wife, Katie.
But we can’t forget the baseball! In 2007, the Cincinnati Reds picked up Hamilton and he had a successful rookie season. More importantly, his witness was incredible, as opposing players and even the umpires regularly encouraged him. His teammates even did not make him perform one of the rookie duties of making him carry the beer onto the team plane, as they were aware of his addictions and wanted to see him succeed. Over the off-season, the Reds traded Hamilton to the Texas Rangers, where he has simply been stellar. He was elected as a starter on the All-Star Team and was also selected to hit in the Home Run Derby on Tuesday night, which was simply amazing.
Back when he was still strung out on drugs, Hamilton had a dream that he would be hitting in the All Star Home Run Derby at Yankee Stadium. He didn’t even know that there would be an All Star game at Yankee Stadium, as it had not even been selected yet. In the dream, he also gave glory to God for his performance. Well, Tuesday night that dream came true as Hamilton stepped up to the plate as the eighth hitter in the home run derby. The leader at the time had 8 home runs, and Hamilton absolutely shattered that lead by hammering 28 out of 38 swings as home runs. These were no cheap home runs either, as many of them were over 500 feet. Just as the players and umpires had been behind him before, the 56,000 fans in attendance were going crazy. While he didn’t eventually win the contest, everyone will remember his performance, as he obliterated the previous one round record. After the derby, he shared this account of his dream a few years back:
“I was at the plate, I saw all the guys sitting around and then I was at the plate walking toward them and actually a lady came up and interviewed me,” Josh said. “I was able to show everybody how I was there, why I was there and that was because of God's grace.”
Well, all of this happened and more. Here is the quote from the interview Hamilton had with the ‘real’ lady who interviewed him on Tuesday night: “It's amazing in the past few years what God has done in my life and how quickly he has done it. I just really want to thank my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ for all of this. I just want to glorify him.”
As powerful as Hamilton’s words were, the quote of the night came from famous sportswriter Rick Reilly, who simply said, “It’s a lousy night to be an atheist.” A lousy night indeed!
Hamilton has not let his success go to his head. His addiction definitely keeps him humble. He has three drug tests a week my MLB, which he welcomes because of his self-awareness as an addict. He also keeps a busy schedule of going and sharing his message with other addicts, as well as young people. And with a story of grace like that, why not? If he keeps playing like he is and sharing his story, there cold be a lot of lousy nights for atheists for a long time to come!
To read other articles about Josh Hamilton, click on one of the following links:
Sports Illustrated Cover Story from June 2008
ESPN.com - Hope is Never Lost
Tuesday, July 15, 2008
Are we seeking God's will or God himself?
Instead, you ought to say, "If it is the Lord's will, we will live and do this or that." –James 4:15
It is easy to read this verse and to think that this verse is just talking about words. You could say that James just wants us to talk about God’s will, like we are putting God’s approval upon our plans. But this isn’t what James is talking about. When we look at the verses around this one verse, we see that James is referring to people who are boasting in their own plans, rather than trusting in God’s plan. This is especially true in America today, where we simply separate out God’s will into some different area of our lives instead of really applying it to all of our lives. We try to have control of everything, from when we’ll have kids to the exact day that we will retire without really seeking God through prayer, Scripture, and godly wisdom.
Let me be clear that I am not discouraging planning. God does not want us to just ‘wing’ everything. However, a little trust wouldn’t hurt anyone here. We could all use more discipline in seeking God’s will.
But while we’re talking about God’s will, let me caution you here too. I do believe that we are to seek God’s will in our daily decisions and for major guidance in our lives. I’m just concerned that all too often we seek God’s will without seeking God. We want more of God’s blessings and more of his wisdom to keep us from falling flat on our faces, but if we’re really seeking him, then maybe it begins when we are flat on our faces, humble before him and longing to know him for who he is. My guess is that if we are truly seeking God in all that we do, we won’t have any trouble seeking God’s will.
It is easy to read this verse and to think that this verse is just talking about words. You could say that James just wants us to talk about God’s will, like we are putting God’s approval upon our plans. But this isn’t what James is talking about. When we look at the verses around this one verse, we see that James is referring to people who are boasting in their own plans, rather than trusting in God’s plan. This is especially true in America today, where we simply separate out God’s will into some different area of our lives instead of really applying it to all of our lives. We try to have control of everything, from when we’ll have kids to the exact day that we will retire without really seeking God through prayer, Scripture, and godly wisdom.
Let me be clear that I am not discouraging planning. God does not want us to just ‘wing’ everything. However, a little trust wouldn’t hurt anyone here. We could all use more discipline in seeking God’s will.
But while we’re talking about God’s will, let me caution you here too. I do believe that we are to seek God’s will in our daily decisions and for major guidance in our lives. I’m just concerned that all too often we seek God’s will without seeking God. We want more of God’s blessings and more of his wisdom to keep us from falling flat on our faces, but if we’re really seeking him, then maybe it begins when we are flat on our faces, humble before him and longing to know him for who he is. My guess is that if we are truly seeking God in all that we do, we won’t have any trouble seeking God’s will.
Monday, July 14, 2008
Vapor Trails
“What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes.” –James 4:14
When I was a kid, I used to love to sit outside and look into the sky and watch the jets fly overhead. I got to be pretty good at identifying the different types of planes. I especially enjoyed when an occasional B-52 would fly over with its 8 jet engines. But what always fascinated me was that as each jet flew over, it would leave behind a white vapor trail. The vapor trail would be solid and unbroken at the back of the jet, but as the jet moved along, the vapor trail would start to dissipate. Within just a few minutes, it would completely disappear.
If James were writing this Scripture today, he might say, “You are a vapor trail that appears for a little while and then disappears.” Interpretation: Your life is short and quickly forgotten. If we could only truly understand just how short this life really is, we would be much better off.
But what are the benefits of truly understanding how short our lives really are? There are several. Here are a few: 1) We are more humble 2) We learn to rely on God more 3) We don’t waste as much time on meaningless things 4) We value our relationships more. These are just a few, but they all are significant in shaping our lives.
Have you embraced the brevity of your own life? We won’t be here for long, but when we submit to God, we can make a huge difference while we are here.
When I was a kid, I used to love to sit outside and look into the sky and watch the jets fly overhead. I got to be pretty good at identifying the different types of planes. I especially enjoyed when an occasional B-52 would fly over with its 8 jet engines. But what always fascinated me was that as each jet flew over, it would leave behind a white vapor trail. The vapor trail would be solid and unbroken at the back of the jet, but as the jet moved along, the vapor trail would start to dissipate. Within just a few minutes, it would completely disappear.
If James were writing this Scripture today, he might say, “You are a vapor trail that appears for a little while and then disappears.” Interpretation: Your life is short and quickly forgotten. If we could only truly understand just how short this life really is, we would be much better off.
But what are the benefits of truly understanding how short our lives really are? There are several. Here are a few: 1) We are more humble 2) We learn to rely on God more 3) We don’t waste as much time on meaningless things 4) We value our relationships more. These are just a few, but they all are significant in shaping our lives.
Have you embraced the brevity of your own life? We won’t be here for long, but when we submit to God, we can make a huge difference while we are here.
Sunday, July 13, 2008
The Wisdom and Folly of Planning
‘Now listen, you who say, "Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money." Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow.’—James 4:13-14
In the Bible, planning is commended as a wise action. Yet here, we see that planning without seeking God’s wisdom is a very foolish thing. This hypothetical situation that James brings up is a very structured business plan. It describes the when (today or tomorrow), the where (that city), the how long (spend a year there), the what (carry on business), and the why (make money). It looks like wisdom to me! This is a plan that I could see myself buying into. Yet James seems to consider it foolish.
So what are we supposed to do? Are we just supposed to make it up as we go along? Do we need to even have an idea about what we are supposed to do in life? I think it is safe to say that planning in and of itself is wise. However, we have to ask ourselves, where is God in all of our planning? Are we seeking his will, or just doing what we want?
God may or may not allow you to be successful at your plans. Sometimes our plans fail so that we have to learn to rely on him. On other occasions, we simply are never content, no matter how successful we may be. God will do everything he can to get our attention without violating the free will he has given to us.
So, here’s the question: how has God ‘ruined’ your life? Are you willing to listen when his plan goes against your plan?
In the Bible, planning is commended as a wise action. Yet here, we see that planning without seeking God’s wisdom is a very foolish thing. This hypothetical situation that James brings up is a very structured business plan. It describes the when (today or tomorrow), the where (that city), the how long (spend a year there), the what (carry on business), and the why (make money). It looks like wisdom to me! This is a plan that I could see myself buying into. Yet James seems to consider it foolish.
So what are we supposed to do? Are we just supposed to make it up as we go along? Do we need to even have an idea about what we are supposed to do in life? I think it is safe to say that planning in and of itself is wise. However, we have to ask ourselves, where is God in all of our planning? Are we seeking his will, or just doing what we want?
God may or may not allow you to be successful at your plans. Sometimes our plans fail so that we have to learn to rely on him. On other occasions, we simply are never content, no matter how successful we may be. God will do everything he can to get our attention without violating the free will he has given to us.
So, here’s the question: how has God ‘ruined’ your life? Are you willing to listen when his plan goes against your plan?
Saturday, July 12, 2008
At the Mercy of God
“Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.” –James 4:10
There is nothing worse than being at the mercy of someone that you have offended. We see it in movies where the warrior is captured by the enemy and as he kneels before them in humility, the only thing he can do is hope that the enemy shows mercy. We see it in our own lives, as what we have said or done to offend someone comes back to bite us, and we have to go and humble ourselves before them. While we have to reveal what we have done to offend them and apologize, ultimately the course of action is largely up to them. Either they will choose to pass down some type of repercussions upon us, or they will choose to forgive us. It is up to them.
When we come before the Lord, the situation is similar, only the consequences are greatly magnified. We have to humble ourselves before him, but we are dependent upon his character. How will he respond? James tells us that when we humble ourselves before him, ‘he will lift us up.’ He will not push us farther down. He will not hold a grudge. He will forgive us and restore us through his unconditional love, just as Christ restored Peter after Peter had betrayed him three times (John 21). When we humble ourselves before God, we can be completely restored, not because of who we are, but because of who he is.
When you approach God in humility, are you able to trust in his character, or do you still see him unhealthily?
There is nothing worse than being at the mercy of someone that you have offended. We see it in movies where the warrior is captured by the enemy and as he kneels before them in humility, the only thing he can do is hope that the enemy shows mercy. We see it in our own lives, as what we have said or done to offend someone comes back to bite us, and we have to go and humble ourselves before them. While we have to reveal what we have done to offend them and apologize, ultimately the course of action is largely up to them. Either they will choose to pass down some type of repercussions upon us, or they will choose to forgive us. It is up to them.
When we come before the Lord, the situation is similar, only the consequences are greatly magnified. We have to humble ourselves before him, but we are dependent upon his character. How will he respond? James tells us that when we humble ourselves before him, ‘he will lift us up.’ He will not push us farther down. He will not hold a grudge. He will forgive us and restore us through his unconditional love, just as Christ restored Peter after Peter had betrayed him three times (John 21). When we humble ourselves before God, we can be completely restored, not because of who we are, but because of who he is.
When you approach God in humility, are you able to trust in his character, or do you still see him unhealthily?
Friday, July 11, 2008
The Rarity of Repentance
“Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Grieve, mourn and wail. Change your laughter to mourning and your joy to gloom.” –James 4:7-9
When I read this passage, I immediately think back to a specific time in my life when I was awakened to the reality of how I am supposed to live for Christ. I was going into my senior year in high school and while I was known as the ‘good kid’, I was not taking holiness all that seriously. I had a great experience at a Christian conference, and I responded to the message that night in a very emotional way. I remember weeping in repentance and how absolutely freeing it was to experience God’s grace. It was so odd: complete brokenness, weeping, wailing, and complete freedom all at the same time.
While I have had other times where I have been brought to my knees like this since then, I must say it has not been often enough. I have not taken to heart the biblical commands to truly mourn over my sin. While to some degree I repent everyday, most of the time it is not a complete brokenness. Now please hear me: if we had these experiences everyday, it probably would not be healthy. However, not having them at all is not healthy either.
Let’s face it: true and complete repentance is a very rare thing in our society. We don’t like to do it, and we really don’t take it all that seriously. I believe that part of this is due to our focus on self-composure. We are way too proud to admit that there is anything wrong with us. While we don’t always need to publicly repent in front of others, we must confess that we cannot truly separate who we are publicly from who we are privately. So often our pride is not only found in how we act in the presence of others, but also how we act in the presence of God.
So, how is your repentance? Do you practice a steady diet of it, or is it a rare occasion for you? Repentance can be a very painful experience, but I have always found it extremely freeing and empowering to the life that Christ has called us to live. May you be willing to weep, mourn, and wail before God, and yet come away dancing as he frees you from your sin.
When I read this passage, I immediately think back to a specific time in my life when I was awakened to the reality of how I am supposed to live for Christ. I was going into my senior year in high school and while I was known as the ‘good kid’, I was not taking holiness all that seriously. I had a great experience at a Christian conference, and I responded to the message that night in a very emotional way. I remember weeping in repentance and how absolutely freeing it was to experience God’s grace. It was so odd: complete brokenness, weeping, wailing, and complete freedom all at the same time.
While I have had other times where I have been brought to my knees like this since then, I must say it has not been often enough. I have not taken to heart the biblical commands to truly mourn over my sin. While to some degree I repent everyday, most of the time it is not a complete brokenness. Now please hear me: if we had these experiences everyday, it probably would not be healthy. However, not having them at all is not healthy either.
Let’s face it: true and complete repentance is a very rare thing in our society. We don’t like to do it, and we really don’t take it all that seriously. I believe that part of this is due to our focus on self-composure. We are way too proud to admit that there is anything wrong with us. While we don’t always need to publicly repent in front of others, we must confess that we cannot truly separate who we are publicly from who we are privately. So often our pride is not only found in how we act in the presence of others, but also how we act in the presence of God.
So, how is your repentance? Do you practice a steady diet of it, or is it a rare occasion for you? Repentance can be a very painful experience, but I have always found it extremely freeing and empowering to the life that Christ has called us to live. May you be willing to weep, mourn, and wail before God, and yet come away dancing as he frees you from your sin.
Thursday, July 10, 2008
God's Opposition
But he gives us more grace. That is why Scripture says: "God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble." –James 4:6
Sometimes when you say something too much it isn’t heard, but when you say it less, it is heard louder. During the whole book thus far, James has never mentioned the word ‘grace.’ He seems more bent on calling people to personal and communal holiness mixed with very practical application. Martin Luther even called the book of James ‘the epistle of straw’ because its theology seems at a distance to be so contrary to that of Paul. But here, in one verse, James gives us something that helps us remember how we can really live out what he is teaching. How do we live it out? By God’s grace. What attitude must we have to receive his grace? Humility.
Now let’s be clear here that we can’t earn our salvation. It is still a free gift. But we can’t come to God in our arrogance. In the spiritual progression that we see in the beatitudes (Matthew 5), it starts with “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” If we are going to live the life that God wants us to live, we have to both be humble and receive God’s grace.
But if God truly opposes the proud, this has a profound impact on the religious community. Ultimately, we can have a great systematic theology, have great programs in place, and have the most talented people, but yet are arrogant and proud, then God is not for us. He is opposed to us. The essential trait in every leader is humility. How are you living out God’s grace through your humility?
Sometimes when you say something too much it isn’t heard, but when you say it less, it is heard louder. During the whole book thus far, James has never mentioned the word ‘grace.’ He seems more bent on calling people to personal and communal holiness mixed with very practical application. Martin Luther even called the book of James ‘the epistle of straw’ because its theology seems at a distance to be so contrary to that of Paul. But here, in one verse, James gives us something that helps us remember how we can really live out what he is teaching. How do we live it out? By God’s grace. What attitude must we have to receive his grace? Humility.
Now let’s be clear here that we can’t earn our salvation. It is still a free gift. But we can’t come to God in our arrogance. In the spiritual progression that we see in the beatitudes (Matthew 5), it starts with “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” If we are going to live the life that God wants us to live, we have to both be humble and receive God’s grace.
But if God truly opposes the proud, this has a profound impact on the religious community. Ultimately, we can have a great systematic theology, have great programs in place, and have the most talented people, but yet are arrogant and proud, then God is not for us. He is opposed to us. The essential trait in every leader is humility. How are you living out God’s grace through your humility?
Wednesday, July 9, 2008
The Jealousy of God
Or do you suppose it is to no purpose that the Scripture says, "He yearns jealously over the spirit that he has made to dwell in us"? –James 4:5 (ESV)
It is difficult to understand the meaning of this Scripture. Some wonder whether ‘the spirit’ that James refers to is the human spirit or God’s Holy Spirit that he gives to believers. While I haven’t completely figured that out yet, the portion of this Scripture that jumps out at me concerns the jealousy of God. Now, this is not a jealousy that someone would have in an impure way, such as being jealous over your neighbor’s new car. Rather it is more like you being jealous in a pure way if some guy was flirting with your wife.
This week in church I discussed how God loves us like the very best of husbands love their wives. The language in the original Greek here displays us in a feminine sense, which reinforces the idea of us being God’s bride. He longs for us to be intimate with him and only him. When we sin against him and ‘cheat’ on him, it destroys the purity of that relationship. Yet, he keeps taking us back.
I heard another discussion that I also appreciated concerning the jealousy of God. The idea is that because God is all knowing, he knows what is absolutely best for us. To put it in very human terms, he has huge dreams for us because he created us to live out those desires. When we are not living out those desires (which are pure), then he is very jealous because we are not being the people that he has created us to be.
Who does God most desire for you to be? I can promise you it is not about the talents that the world sees but about the character that God sees. When we develop that character, then God can greatly use those talents for his glory.
It is difficult to understand the meaning of this Scripture. Some wonder whether ‘the spirit’ that James refers to is the human spirit or God’s Holy Spirit that he gives to believers. While I haven’t completely figured that out yet, the portion of this Scripture that jumps out at me concerns the jealousy of God. Now, this is not a jealousy that someone would have in an impure way, such as being jealous over your neighbor’s new car. Rather it is more like you being jealous in a pure way if some guy was flirting with your wife.
This week in church I discussed how God loves us like the very best of husbands love their wives. The language in the original Greek here displays us in a feminine sense, which reinforces the idea of us being God’s bride. He longs for us to be intimate with him and only him. When we sin against him and ‘cheat’ on him, it destroys the purity of that relationship. Yet, he keeps taking us back.
I heard another discussion that I also appreciated concerning the jealousy of God. The idea is that because God is all knowing, he knows what is absolutely best for us. To put it in very human terms, he has huge dreams for us because he created us to live out those desires. When we are not living out those desires (which are pure), then he is very jealous because we are not being the people that he has created us to be.
Who does God most desire for you to be? I can promise you it is not about the talents that the world sees but about the character that God sees. When we develop that character, then God can greatly use those talents for his glory.
Tuesday, July 8, 2008
Going Old Testament on You
“You adulterous people, don't you know that friendship with the world is hatred toward God? Anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God.” –James 4:4
Well, there’s nothing quite like coming right out and saying it. James has been very blunt so far in the letter, but nothing is quite like what he says here. You can call someone a lot of things, but you call them an adulterer, and you’ve probably crossed the line. So what was James thinking? Well, he was just going Old Testament on them. By going Old Testament, I mean that James was bringing up imagery that the prophets used in the Scriptures that would have immediately connected with his Jewish Christian audience.
Here’s the picture: in the Old Testament, the prophets often conveyed the image that God is a completely faithful husband, but yet his ‘bride’, Israel, is like a cheating wife. The best picture of this is in the book of Hosea, where Hosea himself is acting as this faithful husband towards his cheating wife, Gomer (I’m not making that up). At one point, he actually goes and buys her back from her pimp. The whole point is that this is the same thing God does when we continually sin against him.
James has already used the term ‘double minded’ in his book. Maybe the term could be ‘two timing.’ Here we read that when we have friendship with the world, or living as the world lives, we are really two timing God. I know it isn’t comfortable to think about it this way, but we must consider the serious nature of our sin against God. So, here’s a challenge for you: take a stab at rethinking how you view sin. Do you view it as something minor, or do you see it as something that dramatically affects your relationship with God. Over the next couple of days we will talk about some of the ways we should respond to the sin in our lives, but between now and then, would you be willing to consider the thought that when we are sinning against God, it is like committing adultery against him?
Well, there’s nothing quite like coming right out and saying it. James has been very blunt so far in the letter, but nothing is quite like what he says here. You can call someone a lot of things, but you call them an adulterer, and you’ve probably crossed the line. So what was James thinking? Well, he was just going Old Testament on them. By going Old Testament, I mean that James was bringing up imagery that the prophets used in the Scriptures that would have immediately connected with his Jewish Christian audience.
Here’s the picture: in the Old Testament, the prophets often conveyed the image that God is a completely faithful husband, but yet his ‘bride’, Israel, is like a cheating wife. The best picture of this is in the book of Hosea, where Hosea himself is acting as this faithful husband towards his cheating wife, Gomer (I’m not making that up). At one point, he actually goes and buys her back from her pimp. The whole point is that this is the same thing God does when we continually sin against him.
James has already used the term ‘double minded’ in his book. Maybe the term could be ‘two timing.’ Here we read that when we have friendship with the world, or living as the world lives, we are really two timing God. I know it isn’t comfortable to think about it this way, but we must consider the serious nature of our sin against God. So, here’s a challenge for you: take a stab at rethinking how you view sin. Do you view it as something minor, or do you see it as something that dramatically affects your relationship with God. Over the next couple of days we will talk about some of the ways we should respond to the sin in our lives, but between now and then, would you be willing to consider the thought that when we are sinning against God, it is like committing adultery against him?
Monday, July 7, 2008
Two Extremes
“You do not have, because you do not ask God. When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures.” –James 4:2-3
There tend to be two extremes in Christian circles when it comes to ‘getting stuff’: people who tend to be overly self-reliant, and those who think that God will give them anything they ask of him, like he’s Santa on steroids. Neither extreme is healthy. So, let’s take a glance at each one and figure out a remedy.
First, extreme self-reliance. There is nothing wrong with hard work, but along with it often comes a tendency to forget that no matter how hard we work, if it weren’t for God we wouldn’t have it. He supplies every breath we take and every drop of water that we drink. Yet so often we let our pride get in the way and forget that. One of the ways that I have found to combat this in my life is to force myself to thank God for very specific things when I pray. When we bless the food, we remember that no matter how hard we worked for our money, it is still God who provided, and we thank him for that. When we come to this realization, we can begin to ask God for what we do not yet have, understanding that if we are to have it, it will come from him and not from us.
The second extreme is also rooted in pride. This ‘Jesus is my Sugar Daddy’ view doesn’t have a problem asking for things in prayer, but the problem is that we are asking for our own good, neglecting God’s will and other people as well. In this view, we tend to think that we are God’s favorites and treat everyone else as second class citizens. God has a way of responding to this: he stops giving us what we want. We have to learn the hard way. If we don’t respond well, it can even damage our view of God. But we must remember that just as our parents disciplined us and didn’t let us have everything we wanted, so God disciplines us and does not spoil us for our own good.
Which extreme do you tend to slide towards? Neither is healthy. If you are willing, either viewpoint can be transformed through prayer. Humble yourself beneath him, and remember who he is. You will see his provision in due time. And even more importantly, you will know him more intimately because of it all.
There tend to be two extremes in Christian circles when it comes to ‘getting stuff’: people who tend to be overly self-reliant, and those who think that God will give them anything they ask of him, like he’s Santa on steroids. Neither extreme is healthy. So, let’s take a glance at each one and figure out a remedy.
First, extreme self-reliance. There is nothing wrong with hard work, but along with it often comes a tendency to forget that no matter how hard we work, if it weren’t for God we wouldn’t have it. He supplies every breath we take and every drop of water that we drink. Yet so often we let our pride get in the way and forget that. One of the ways that I have found to combat this in my life is to force myself to thank God for very specific things when I pray. When we bless the food, we remember that no matter how hard we worked for our money, it is still God who provided, and we thank him for that. When we come to this realization, we can begin to ask God for what we do not yet have, understanding that if we are to have it, it will come from him and not from us.
The second extreme is also rooted in pride. This ‘Jesus is my Sugar Daddy’ view doesn’t have a problem asking for things in prayer, but the problem is that we are asking for our own good, neglecting God’s will and other people as well. In this view, we tend to think that we are God’s favorites and treat everyone else as second class citizens. God has a way of responding to this: he stops giving us what we want. We have to learn the hard way. If we don’t respond well, it can even damage our view of God. But we must remember that just as our parents disciplined us and didn’t let us have everything we wanted, so God disciplines us and does not spoil us for our own good.
Which extreme do you tend to slide towards? Neither is healthy. If you are willing, either viewpoint can be transformed through prayer. Humble yourself beneath him, and remember who he is. You will see his provision in due time. And even more importantly, you will know him more intimately because of it all.
Sunday, July 6, 2008
hedonism at its Worst
“What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don't they come from your desires that battle within you? You want something but don't get it. You kill and covet, but you cannot have what you want. You quarrel and fight.” –James 4:1-2a
When I look back at all of the disagreements and arguments that I have had with people in the past, there is one common thread: selfishness. Either I was too proud to admit I was wrong, too self-centered to see things from their perspective, or too impatient to listen to what they actually had to say. Granted, the other party isn’t always innocent either, but that’s beside the point. When I’m selfish, it affects my relationships with others—and of course, with God too.
James tells us that our desires ‘battle within us.’ This word for desires is where we get our word ‘hedonism’ from. Hedonism is the quest for happiness at any expense. It is a form of selfishness that only cares about meeting one’s desires. It doesn’t think about other people. We don’t need to do a lot of discussion about these desires that battle within us. We all experience them everyday. We struggle with killing off the old self. And it doesn’t only affect us.
So here’s the skinny: how are your selfish desires affecting your relationships with others? It is a simple, but painful evaluation. So, today simply take some time to think about how your selfishness affects others. Start to take steps to determine how you can get your desires out of the way. Remember, this whole section focuses around verse 6. Don’t forget the grace!
When I look back at all of the disagreements and arguments that I have had with people in the past, there is one common thread: selfishness. Either I was too proud to admit I was wrong, too self-centered to see things from their perspective, or too impatient to listen to what they actually had to say. Granted, the other party isn’t always innocent either, but that’s beside the point. When I’m selfish, it affects my relationships with others—and of course, with God too.
James tells us that our desires ‘battle within us.’ This word for desires is where we get our word ‘hedonism’ from. Hedonism is the quest for happiness at any expense. It is a form of selfishness that only cares about meeting one’s desires. It doesn’t think about other people. We don’t need to do a lot of discussion about these desires that battle within us. We all experience them everyday. We struggle with killing off the old self. And it doesn’t only affect us.
So here’s the skinny: how are your selfish desires affecting your relationships with others? It is a simple, but painful evaluation. So, today simply take some time to think about how your selfishness affects others. Start to take steps to determine how you can get your desires out of the way. Remember, this whole section focuses around verse 6. Don’t forget the grace!
Saturday, July 5, 2008
Hot Dogs and Hypocrisy
“But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, reasonable, full of mercy and good fruits, unwavering, without hypocrisy.” –James 3:17 (NASB)
Not only was yesterday the celebration of the birthday of our nation, it also was the day when one of our great American pastimes was celebrated—Yes I am speaking of the Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest. Each year, the best eaters in the world get together and see how many hot dogs and buns they can scarf down in 10 minutes. If you have ever watched this, it is one of the most disgusting things you’ll ever see. However, in the pre-competition interviews, one of the contestants, who in 2007 downed 49 hot dogs, revealed his real profession. He is actually a chef for a food service that specializes in preparing healthy meals for those who are trying to diet! Now, imagine the surprise you would have if you knew that this man who downs 49 hot dogs in 10 minutes is the man preparing food so you could lose weight! Sounds like hypocrisy to me!
Today we take a look at the last trait that James teaches us comes from wisdom. The NIV translates it positively as ‘sincere,’ while the NASB treats it in a negative (and slightly more accurate) way as ‘without hypocrisy.’ I am convinced that the toughest thing for any ‘religious’ person to do is to keep from being a hypocrite. This was the biggest downfall of the Pharisees and the other religious leaders in Jesus’ day. If you want to hear how he addresses them, take a close look at Matthew 23.
So, how do we live a life free of hypocrisy? I see two simple ways. The first comes to mind immediately, and that is to simply live a holy life. The word hypocrite is an old Greek phrase used when an actor would put on a different face. We have to realize that we are not who we used to be. We are different people by God’s grace. The second way seems contradictory, but it really is not. Not only must we live a holy life, but we must also be very humble and honest about our shortcomings. Yes, we are new creations, but the old self keeps coming back around. We cannot act like we are perfect. We cannot demonstrate self-righteousness. We have to be willing to let people to see us for who we really are. This humility is refreshing to a lost and fallen world.
Holiness and humility. They may seem like they are worlds apart, but they really go hand in hand. In order to live the holy life, we must practice humility. Anything else is just religion that both Jesus and people who are genuinely seeking God despise.
Not only was yesterday the celebration of the birthday of our nation, it also was the day when one of our great American pastimes was celebrated—Yes I am speaking of the Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest. Each year, the best eaters in the world get together and see how many hot dogs and buns they can scarf down in 10 minutes. If you have ever watched this, it is one of the most disgusting things you’ll ever see. However, in the pre-competition interviews, one of the contestants, who in 2007 downed 49 hot dogs, revealed his real profession. He is actually a chef for a food service that specializes in preparing healthy meals for those who are trying to diet! Now, imagine the surprise you would have if you knew that this man who downs 49 hot dogs in 10 minutes is the man preparing food so you could lose weight! Sounds like hypocrisy to me!
Today we take a look at the last trait that James teaches us comes from wisdom. The NIV translates it positively as ‘sincere,’ while the NASB treats it in a negative (and slightly more accurate) way as ‘without hypocrisy.’ I am convinced that the toughest thing for any ‘religious’ person to do is to keep from being a hypocrite. This was the biggest downfall of the Pharisees and the other religious leaders in Jesus’ day. If you want to hear how he addresses them, take a close look at Matthew 23.
So, how do we live a life free of hypocrisy? I see two simple ways. The first comes to mind immediately, and that is to simply live a holy life. The word hypocrite is an old Greek phrase used when an actor would put on a different face. We have to realize that we are not who we used to be. We are different people by God’s grace. The second way seems contradictory, but it really is not. Not only must we live a holy life, but we must also be very humble and honest about our shortcomings. Yes, we are new creations, but the old self keeps coming back around. We cannot act like we are perfect. We cannot demonstrate self-righteousness. We have to be willing to let people to see us for who we really are. This humility is refreshing to a lost and fallen world.
Holiness and humility. They may seem like they are worlds apart, but they really go hand in hand. In order to live the holy life, we must practice humility. Anything else is just religion that both Jesus and people who are genuinely seeking God despise.
Friday, July 4, 2008
The Stable Life
“But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, reasonable, full of mercy and good fruits, unwavering, without hypocrisy.” –James 3:17 (NASB)
Today’s word is one of the most difficult to carry over into English. The NIV translates this word as ‘impartial,’ the NLT makes it a bit wordier by rendering it ‘shows no favoritism,’ and the always accurate NASB simply says ‘unwavering.’ The word is only used here in the New Testament, so we have nothing to really compare it to. However, this much we do know: it carries a quality about it that we see very rarely anymore. The idea is that we are not swayed by people, life circumstances, or any other factors.
Now let’s be clear that we are not talking about stubbornness. You could argue that bullheaded people also are unwavering, but this is not the stability that God desires. I have seen addicts who are simply stubborn enough to walk away from their drug of choice, only to deeply battle overcoming a serious case of pride.
What we are talking about here is a steadiness to our faith that does not succumb to popular opinion. We are the same no matter who we are around. Our language, attitude, and faith remain steady, even when we are ridiculed. It also means that when we face trials due to situations that arrive in our lives, such as illness or persecution, we still hold fast to Christ.
If we are to make a difference in our world for Christ, we must have this unwavering and impartial quality about ourselves. In a world of chaos that many people live in, we must be a steady and faithful voice, even in the midst of our own trials. Chances are that our greatest moment to reach people won’t be when everything is going right, but rather when everything is going awry. Just remember the cross. It was in the midst of such chaos that Christ worked to save us all.
Today’s word is one of the most difficult to carry over into English. The NIV translates this word as ‘impartial,’ the NLT makes it a bit wordier by rendering it ‘shows no favoritism,’ and the always accurate NASB simply says ‘unwavering.’ The word is only used here in the New Testament, so we have nothing to really compare it to. However, this much we do know: it carries a quality about it that we see very rarely anymore. The idea is that we are not swayed by people, life circumstances, or any other factors.
Now let’s be clear that we are not talking about stubbornness. You could argue that bullheaded people also are unwavering, but this is not the stability that God desires. I have seen addicts who are simply stubborn enough to walk away from their drug of choice, only to deeply battle overcoming a serious case of pride.
What we are talking about here is a steadiness to our faith that does not succumb to popular opinion. We are the same no matter who we are around. Our language, attitude, and faith remain steady, even when we are ridiculed. It also means that when we face trials due to situations that arrive in our lives, such as illness or persecution, we still hold fast to Christ.
If we are to make a difference in our world for Christ, we must have this unwavering and impartial quality about ourselves. In a world of chaos that many people live in, we must be a steady and faithful voice, even in the midst of our own trials. Chances are that our greatest moment to reach people won’t be when everything is going right, but rather when everything is going awry. Just remember the cross. It was in the midst of such chaos that Christ worked to save us all.
Thursday, July 3, 2008
More Than a Feeling
But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere.—James 3:17
I know that not all of you like to ask technical questions about the Bible, but I beg you to be patient with me for just a moment. As I have been looking at this verse all week, this one phrase has been bugging me: “full of mercy and good fruit.” Now of all the words that James lists here, why would James choose to put mercy and good fruit together? I thought at first that maybe these are the only things that you can be full of, but that isn’t true. So why? Am I just reading too much into this, or is there really something there?
The conclusion that I have come to is that mercy and good fruit are intrinsically linked. You see, if mercy is the heart, then the good fruit would be the hands and feet of the body. I guess another way to put it is that mercy isn’t just a feeling—it has to manifest itself in actions if it is truly mercy. So while mercy may begin with a compassionate feeling, it has to get its hands and feet along the way too. As our faith grows, there may even be periods where we grow more merciful in certain areas, but we haven’t figured out yet how to live that out. That is ok. But the important thing is that we wrestle with that and continue to grow and learn how to live out that mercy.
In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus says, “Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.” Aren’t we thankful that Jesus did not merely feel merciful for us, but that he chose to come to earth and show us mercy through his life, and ultimately through the cross? May our mercy be a reflection of the mercy that he has shown to us.
I know that not all of you like to ask technical questions about the Bible, but I beg you to be patient with me for just a moment. As I have been looking at this verse all week, this one phrase has been bugging me: “full of mercy and good fruit.” Now of all the words that James lists here, why would James choose to put mercy and good fruit together? I thought at first that maybe these are the only things that you can be full of, but that isn’t true. So why? Am I just reading too much into this, or is there really something there?
The conclusion that I have come to is that mercy and good fruit are intrinsically linked. You see, if mercy is the heart, then the good fruit would be the hands and feet of the body. I guess another way to put it is that mercy isn’t just a feeling—it has to manifest itself in actions if it is truly mercy. So while mercy may begin with a compassionate feeling, it has to get its hands and feet along the way too. As our faith grows, there may even be periods where we grow more merciful in certain areas, but we haven’t figured out yet how to live that out. That is ok. But the important thing is that we wrestle with that and continue to grow and learn how to live out that mercy.
In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus says, “Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.” Aren’t we thankful that Jesus did not merely feel merciful for us, but that he chose to come to earth and show us mercy through his life, and ultimately through the cross? May our mercy be a reflection of the mercy that he has shown to us.
Wednesday, July 2, 2008
The Christian "S" Word
But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere.—James 3:17
If there is an “S” word in Christian theology, it is the word ‘submit.’ It is probably so controversial because we so often use it in the context of gender issues, quoting Ephesians 5:22, where Paul instructs wives to submit to their husbands, while often forgetting the previous verse where we are all instructed to submit to one another, and the following verses, where husbands are to ‘give themselves’ for the good of their wives. So what does a purely submissive attitude look like? Let’s break it down a little:
1. There is a specific submission to authorities. While there are certain ethical limits here, as a general rule, we should submit to the leadership and decisions made by government officials, church leaders, parents, bosses, etc. This doesn’t mean we agree with every decision, nor does it mean we do anything that goes against our conscience. I believe we even have the biblical freedom to discuss ethical issues with our leaders. If we are called to do something unethical by our employers, then we should confront them peacefully and humbly about the issue. If they don’t budge, then we should look for a different job. While this is specific, I think there is a larger issue here to discuss.
2. There is also general submission to one another. While I could give you certain examples, I believe it is more important to talk about the attitude of submission that also applies to our submission to authorities. The attitude of submission is rooted in absolute humility. It is a respect for other people that calls us to listen to people because of who we are, not because of their title or position. Ephesians 5:21 tells us, “Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.” Having a submissive attitude means that we don’t always have to be the ones who are heard or to the ones who always get our way. We don’t need to be ‘pushy’ with our attitudes. We don’t need to get things done at the expense of relationships.
Simply put, Christ is the perfect example of a submissive attitude. He was submissive to the will of the Father, even when it was painful and unpopular. Even though he was God in human flesh, he even had a submissive attitude towards earthly authorities. Before Pontius Pilate, he remained mostly silent because he knew that the only power Pilate had was because it had been given to him by God. We must also choose to follow this attitude of Christ and to carry a submissive attitude about ourselves that is not just a respect for earthly authority, but also as an act of faith that God is in total control. Ultimately he will make all things right.
If there is an “S” word in Christian theology, it is the word ‘submit.’ It is probably so controversial because we so often use it in the context of gender issues, quoting Ephesians 5:22, where Paul instructs wives to submit to their husbands, while often forgetting the previous verse where we are all instructed to submit to one another, and the following verses, where husbands are to ‘give themselves’ for the good of their wives. So what does a purely submissive attitude look like? Let’s break it down a little:
1. There is a specific submission to authorities. While there are certain ethical limits here, as a general rule, we should submit to the leadership and decisions made by government officials, church leaders, parents, bosses, etc. This doesn’t mean we agree with every decision, nor does it mean we do anything that goes against our conscience. I believe we even have the biblical freedom to discuss ethical issues with our leaders. If we are called to do something unethical by our employers, then we should confront them peacefully and humbly about the issue. If they don’t budge, then we should look for a different job. While this is specific, I think there is a larger issue here to discuss.
2. There is also general submission to one another. While I could give you certain examples, I believe it is more important to talk about the attitude of submission that also applies to our submission to authorities. The attitude of submission is rooted in absolute humility. It is a respect for other people that calls us to listen to people because of who we are, not because of their title or position. Ephesians 5:21 tells us, “Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.” Having a submissive attitude means that we don’t always have to be the ones who are heard or to the ones who always get our way. We don’t need to be ‘pushy’ with our attitudes. We don’t need to get things done at the expense of relationships.
Simply put, Christ is the perfect example of a submissive attitude. He was submissive to the will of the Father, even when it was painful and unpopular. Even though he was God in human flesh, he even had a submissive attitude towards earthly authorities. Before Pontius Pilate, he remained mostly silent because he knew that the only power Pilate had was because it had been given to him by God. We must also choose to follow this attitude of Christ and to carry a submissive attitude about ourselves that is not just a respect for earthly authority, but also as an act of faith that God is in total control. Ultimately he will make all things right.
Tuesday, July 1, 2008
All Things Considered
But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere.—James 3:17
Often when I think about God’s call that he has for us, I start thinking about the things he wants us to do. I think about how we dream too little about how God could use us. I start to wonder if we’re doing everything that God has for us to do. But somewhere along the line, I start to realize that it isn’t just about the things that God has called us to do, but it is more so about the character that God has called us to have.
When I consider all of the things that I think God wants me to be, I must admit, being considerate generally doesn’t top my list. But James mentions it here as one of the character traits that we must make sure we have about ourselves. You can simply call it good manners, but it is more than that. Being considerate towards others is a part of our obedience towards God.
So, do you want to live out God’s will for your life today? Take out the trash for your wife. Leave a good tip whether the waitress does a good job or not. Let the person in front of you in traffic, even when they are driving like an idiot. It may not seem that complicated, but it doesn’t have to be rocket science to honor God. If we were simply considerate towards others, I think we’d be amazed at how God would use our character for his glory.
Often when I think about God’s call that he has for us, I start thinking about the things he wants us to do. I think about how we dream too little about how God could use us. I start to wonder if we’re doing everything that God has for us to do. But somewhere along the line, I start to realize that it isn’t just about the things that God has called us to do, but it is more so about the character that God has called us to have.
When I consider all of the things that I think God wants me to be, I must admit, being considerate generally doesn’t top my list. But James mentions it here as one of the character traits that we must make sure we have about ourselves. You can simply call it good manners, but it is more than that. Being considerate towards others is a part of our obedience towards God.
So, do you want to live out God’s will for your life today? Take out the trash for your wife. Leave a good tip whether the waitress does a good job or not. Let the person in front of you in traffic, even when they are driving like an idiot. It may not seem that complicated, but it doesn’t have to be rocket science to honor God. If we were simply considerate towards others, I think we’d be amazed at how God would use our character for his glory.
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