Confidence to Go On

 

Wednesday, January 6, 2021

This letter is from Paul, chosen by the will of God to be an apostle of Christ Jesus.  I have been sent out to tell others about the life he has promised through faith in Christ Jesus.  I am writing to Timothy, my dear son.  May God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord give you grace, mercy, and peace.  Timothy, I thank God for you—the God I serve with a clear conscience, just as my ancestors did.  Night and day I constantly remember you in my prayers.  I long to see you again, for I remember your tears as we parted. And I will be filled with joy when we are together again.  I remember your genuine faith, for you share the faith that first filled your grandmother Lois and your mother, Eunice.  And I know that same faith continues strong in you.  This is why I remind you to fan into flames the spiritual gift God gave you when I laid my hands on you.  For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline.  2 Timothy 1:1-7

When Hillary Clinton wrote It Takes a Village nearly 25 years ago, I had one of those bristling moments of ambivalence.  It didn’t take me long to sort out my mixed feelings.  I loved the quotation, adapted from an African proverb; my bristling was due to the political Grand Canyon between myself and Mrs. Clinton.

While political convictions might land on entirely different universes, the impact of a universal truth cannot be denied.  And that effect of a culture, the collective communities of humanity, upon a child’s outcome is only somewhat measurable, but it is palpable. 

Putting genetics aside for a blessed moment, children are blank slates when newborn.  Parents are primary in early formation, but as these little ones begin to engage in the larger population the endless combinations of forces, good and evil, blessed and damning, do formative work.  For some that work is paralyzing, stopping us dead in the water; for others it is empowering, propelling challenges and change which lift us to higher planes.  But virtually none of it is achieved in a vacuum; the village will have its effect.

In the intricate and complicated world of the 21^st century, the village is shrinking and exploding at the same time.  The shrinking part is in actual human contact.  Relationships are conducted via glowing screens and phone trees.  And this, paradoxically,  by a generation that claims authenticity in relationships as its hallmark.  The exploding part is knowledge at the fingertip, the supposed answer to whatever ails us.  This shrinking and exploding is either a definition of progress or implosion.  Depending on your point of view it will either lead us to the Great Society, or Armageddon.

I give as evidence to this whole line of thought Paul’s protégé, Timothy – a timid man in an extrovert’s occupation.  Timothy was gifted by God with faith, which was nurtured by Eunice and Lois.  Through prayer and the support of his mentor, Paul, Timothy was installed as a pastor.  Years of Christian nurturing in Tim’s village, a cocoon of mother, grandmother, and Paul the travelling evangelist, yielded an introverted, shy, uncertain pastor-teacher who needed bucking-up occasionally.

These few verses teach us another universal truth:  whatever we have become that is attributed to the upbringing of “our village” there must be an ongoing support system to make any lasting use of that which God has allowed.  Paul was that support system for Timothy, praying and writing to him.  In short, what Timothy needed was confidence to move forward, especially against the uncertainty of the culture he was going to confront.  That confidence was energized by Paul’s timely influence.  And that kind of village-influence is going to be the gold standard as we enter 2021.

For You Today

A question or two –

1.     Who is Paul, Lois, or Eunice to you, giving you the confidence to go on?

2.     To whom are you Paul, Lois, or Eunice, and are you fanning the flames of confidence for them to go on?

You chew on that as you hit the Rocky Road; have a blessed day!

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[1] Title Image: Eliseo Miciu on Facebook.com

Unless noted, Scripture quoted from The New Living Translation^©

For other posts on this text see Facing Your Fear and The Fear Factor      

 

Measuring What's in the Basket

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Tuesday, February 4, 2020

Now there was a wealthy and influential man in Bethlehem named Boaz, who was a relative of Naomi’s husband, Elimelech.  One day Ruth the Moabite said to Naomi, “Let me go out into the harvest fields to pick up the stalks of grain left behind by anyone who is kind enough to let me do it.”  Naomi replied, “All right, my daughter, go ahead.”  So Ruth went out to gather grain behind the harvesters.  And as it happened, she found herself working in a field that belonged to Boaz, the relative of her father-in-law, Elimelech.  While she was there, Boaz arrived from Bethlehem and greeted the harvesters.  “The Lord be with you!” he said.  “The Lord bless you!” the harvesters replied.  Then Boaz asked his foreman, “Who is that young woman over there?  Who does she belong to?”  And the foreman replied, “She is the young woman from Moab who came back with Naomi.  She asked me this morning if she could gather grain behind the harvesters.  She has been hard at work ever since, except for a few minutes’ rest in the shelter.”  Boaz went over and said to Ruth, “Listen, my daughter.  Stay right here with us when you gather grain; don’t go to any other fields.  Stay right behind the young women working in my field.  See which part of the field they are harvesting, and then follow them.  I have warned the young men not to treat you roughly.  And when you are thirsty, help yourself to the water they have drawn from the well.”  Ruth fell at his feet and thanked him warmly.  “What have I done to deserve such kindness?” she asked.  “I am only a foreigner.”  “Yes, I know,” Boaz replied.  “But I also know about everything you have done for your mother-in-law since the death of your husband.  I have heard how you left your father and mother and your own land to live here among complete strangers.  May the Lord, the God of Israel, under whose wings you have come to take refuge, reward you fully for what you have done.”  “I hope I continue to please you, sir,” she replied.  “You have comforted me by speaking so kindly to me, even though I am not one of your workers.”  At mealtime Boaz called to her, “Come over here, and help yourself to some food. You can dip your bread in the sour wine.”  So she sat with his harvesters, and Boaz gave her some roasted grain to eat.  She ate all she wanted and still had some left over.  When Ruth went back to work again, Boaz ordered his young men, “Let her gather grain right among the sheaves without stopping her.  And pull out some heads of barley from the bundles and drop them on purpose for her.  Let her pick them up, and don’t give her a hard time!”  Ruth 2:1-16

When it comes to wealthy and influential people, harvest time is for measuring how well they’ve done business.  But it is not only a matter of raking in the profits of a harvest, it’s also about the lives of all who are in any way connected to the process.  In the case of Boaz measuring what was in his baskets would take more than a reputable accounting firm; how do you measure kindness?

It’s indisputable that Boaz was a kind-hearted man.  Arriving in the middle of a workday in the harvest he greeted his workers with a blessing.  The fact that they greeted him with an equally warm blessing spoke volumes about the relationship the boss had with his laborers.  On top of this was the fact that Boaz considered the welfare of Ruth, a foreigner who was gleaning.  In that culture the poor were permitted to come behind the work crews to pick up whatever harvest scraps the workers missed.  A greedy heart in Boaz’ basket might have treated Ruth like a freeloading nuisance.  Boaz treated her like part of the family, even calling her “daughter”.  He made room for this daughter of Moab, not part of his clan, perhaps as a kindness to his relative Elimelech, Naomi’s deceased husband. 

Of course, having read the rest of Ruth’s story, and the story of generations that followed, we can also see in Boaz’ harvest baskets the preservation of God’s promises to not only Israel, but all humanity.  God had promised a Messiah, a deliverer, one who would save us from our sins.  Ruth was part of that plan.  In the lineage of Boaz and Ruth Jesus would one day bless eternity with blood that cleanses all who will trust.

For You Today

In the end the kindness on both sides means Boaz got the girl, and her virtue is sung through the ages.  But this isn’t a Hallmark movie; it’s a reminder that each of us has a “harvest basket” that has the same kind of potential as that of Ruth and Boaz.  The question is ever there – what will YOUR basket hold.

You chew on that as you hit the Rocky Road; have a blessed day!

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[1] Title Image:   Pixabay.com    Unless noted, Scripture quoted from The New Living Translation©

A Tree Falls the Way It is Cut

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Monday, June 13, 2016

Through Christ, God has given us the privilege and authority as apostles to tell Gentiles everywhere what God has done for them, so that they will believe and obey him, bringing glory to his name.  Romans 1:5^(NLT)

My experience with the banana I chose to accompany me to my devotions this morning reminded me of the way my Dad taught me to cut down a tree.  I decided the banana was a little less than fully ripe when I tried to peel it and only managed to bend the stem.  So, with the tip of my thumbnail I made a crease in the skin and tried again.  The little crease provided enough brokenness to let the peel break open…and then, the banana entered the ministry; delicious!

My father’s instruction was that to cut a tree, without having it fall on your house, car, or head, you must first notch it (like I “notched” the banana).  And it must be notched in the direction you want it to fall.  You must be careful with this, or you get some pretty interesting results – few of which are pleasant!  One of my careless attempts some years back left quite a lasting impression on our chain link fence.

So, perhaps good logging advice here, but what does any of it have to do with Paul’s greeting to the Roman church?  Well…frankly, everything.  Note that Paul talked about the privilege he had of sharing his faith with people – the purpose was to create a notch in their lives that would fell them in the direction of faith and obedience towards God, bringing glory to God’s name.

Belief in God may happen in the head and heart, but obedience to that belief is worked out with the hands.  It is faith AND obedience which bring glory to God.

In my life there were powerful influences that notched me in God’s direction.  My Christian mother, father, and brother were part of that notch.  Our church family helped form the notch.  Acquaintances, both positive and negative bent me towards understanding that little faith God had placed deep in my soul needed to give way – all the way to what God wanted to do with this life He gave me.

As with the banana in my hand, the slight brokenness of that notch in my stubborn will became the direction of the work God wanted to do in me – to fall in His direction.

For You Today

The people God has placed in your life’s pathway are like bunches of bananas; some need the kind of notch your life and witness can provide.

God’s got a lot of lumbering to do in this world…he needs notchers!

You chew on that as you hit the Rocky Road today…have a blessed day!

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[1] Title Image: By Ministry of Information official photographer, via Wikimedia Commons

When You Find What You're NOT Looking For

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Monday, December 21, 2015

Devotion VIDEO here

That night there were shepherds staying in the fields nearby, guarding their flocks of sheep.  Suddenly, an angel of the Lord appeared among them, and the radiance of the Lord’s glory surrounded them.  They were terrified, but the angel reassured them.  “Don’t be afraid!” he said.  “I bring you good news that will bring great joy to all people.  The Savior—yes, the Messiah, the Lord—has been born today in Bethlehem, the city of David!  And you will recognize him by this sign:  You will find a baby wrapped snugly in strips of cloth, lying in a manger.”  Suddenly, the angel was joined by a vast host of others—the armies of heaven—praising God and saying, “Glory to God in highest heaven, and peace on earth to those with whom God is pleased.”  When the angels had returned to heaven, the shepherds said to each other, “Let’s go to Bethlehem! Let’s see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.”  They hurried to the village and found Mary and Joseph.  And there was the baby, lying in the manger.  After seeing him, the shepherds told everyone what had happened and what the angel had said to them about this child.  All who heard the shepherds’ story were astonished, but Mary kept all these things in her heart and thought about them often.  The shepherds went back to their flocks, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen. It was just as the angel had told them.    Luke 2:8-20^(NLT)

The details are known by anyone who has ever participated in a Christmas play.  The shepherds returned to their fields, but they went back as changed people, different than they'd been; they went back rejoicing over the astonishing news they'd witnessed.  And the primary difference was in that they shared the story, probably quite often. 

A beggar who finds bread tells other beggars!

What change can the witness of a child in a manger make?  For these shepherds we see that their lives were transformed. 

Bret Harte, one of American literature's great authors wrote about life on the American frontier.  One of his most famous stories is about the baby of Roaring Camp mine, about 80 miles out of Sacramento.  A woman of questionable reputation named Cherokee Sal lived in the camp, and she died, leaving a newborn baby.  The rough and hard men said: We have to do something with this baby. 

They had a wooden crate for a bed, but one of the men decided that it wasn't fit for a baby; so he sent to Sacramento for a rosewood cradle.  The cradle was wonderful, but it highlighted the dirty clothes they'd dressed him in; so, back to Sacramento for some nice clothes.  Then they saw that the floor was dirty, and they cleaned it; then the walls, windows, and the ceiling. 

And the baby had to have some rest, so the carousing, partying and drinking ceased; they said:  the baby's asleep, be quiet! 

When spring came, they took the child outside and up to the mine where they worked.  But it was so bare, and dirty.  So they began to clean up the litter, and one planted flowers to beautify it. 

Some of the men began to shave regularly, and even wash up.  In short, the presence of one tiny baby transformed that old rough and wicked mining camp into a beautiful place of changed people.[2]

This is what happens when Jesus comes to a life. 

When we give ourselves to Him, that He might be Lord and Savior there is a change to life.  We begin to live differently, and the changes are seen.  Our lives are different, because He makes a difference. 

For You Today

In a lot of ways our world can be a Roaring Camp, dark, noisy, dangerous, and hopeless. But the GREATEST NEWS is brought by a child that can change everything! 

Christmas means you can be born again....He can come into your heart....and change your world.  We can say, "For unto ME a Savior is born..."

You chew on that out on the Rocky Road today…and have a joy-filled and blessed day!

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[1] Title image:  By Photo: L. C. McClure [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

[2] The Luck of Roaring Camp, Francis Bret Harte, The Harvard Classics Shelf of Fiction, Vol. X, Part 4. © 2001 Bartleby.com, Inc.

Angel or Devil?

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Monday, February 23, 2015

Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think.  Romans 12.2a (NLT)

I cannot, for the life of me, remember where I read it, or who wrote it (memory suggests maybe C.S. Lewis or William Barclay), but the two-liner is:

Every day, and with every choice you make, you are becoming a little bit more of a heavenly being, or a little bit more of a hellish being.

Throughout my life, and especially in my role as a pastor, I have heard the same droning rationalization for selfish behavior:  It’s my life; if I want to do            it’s not hurting anyone else.

Fail.

Let me say that again, slowly and clearly….FAIL!

There is a corollary truth, an upshot with global implications that grows from individuals moving towards heaven or hell with their behavior:

With each individual choice moving you towards heavenly or hellish ways, the whole world conforms that much more to an Eden or Inferno…starting with your children.

The children are always affected.  When a person who is supposed to be an adult, role-model, inspirer, leader, wholesome, always true, dependable…(you get the idea)…when the adult indulges in behavior that is hellish our world changes.  Granted, it may only be a drop-in-the-ocean kind of change – but, without question, change occurs. 

We move towards hell by millimeters, not miles.

But the change doesn’t always have to be towards hell; behavior that is transformed by God’s Spirit is heaven-like and leaves the world that much better. 

For You Today

In what direction will you move all of us on this planet today?

Heavenly or Hellish – we have a choice.

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[1] Title image:  via Wikimedia Commons

Influence

Thursday, March 20, 2014

I’m a complete sucker for stories that include conversations between teenagers.  This one appeared in a magazine years ago:

“I live in a small agricultural town where the heaviest industry is a tomato cannery.  One day last fall I was walking past the high school when the steam started pouring out of the factory cooker stack several blocks away, and within seconds the spicy aroma of cooking catsup filled the air. Stretched out on the grass were two teen-age boys on their lunch hour.  One of them rolled over, inhaled deeply, then turned to his companion and said, ‘Do you realize that we live in such a hick town that even the air pollution smells good?’”[1]

In Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount, he informed his audience that following him would mean becoming a strong, sweet influence for good (not unlike the aroma of tomatoes stewing on a crisp, Fall day).  Like salt invades and influences everything it touches, believers are to make a difference in the culture, for the sake of the love of God.

Now salt can influence, but it cannot re-make something.  Meat or beans or potatoes won’t become ice cream if salt touches it.  But, in the right proportions, salt can bring out the best of what is already inside the food.  In that same way, Christian influence is all about coaxing-forth the image of God already stamped on the soul of those we meet.  

Too often I think we see so-called Christianity (especially the political movement kind), angrily attempting to force our culture into the mold of what we perceive it ought to be, without a clue as to what God looks like on the inside of the other person.  That’s not “salt-influence;” rather it’s Tabasco sauce by the gallon.  You can force a teen to cut his hair, or remove her nose-ring, but you haven’t influenced anything for Christ; more often you’ve reinforced an opinion that Christians are rude and judgmental. 

Flavorless salt!

Lent, with its practices of self-emptying, and re-connecting with how to be genuine salt in our generation is designed to reawaken our saltiness for the good of Christ’s kingdom.

Today…for you

If, today, you can imagine yourself as a grain of salt:

You’re not much use simply lounging in the shaker with the other church-salts

You’re supposed to let the Master of the Feast decide where you’re needed

It isn’t easy being you – especially when you get dropped in hot water, spread over impersonal vegetables and meats who don’t like the same music you do, and can’t even speak the language.

Be salty anyway!

For Him!

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[1] “Smeltbound” Alice Hemminger, The Reader’s Digest

Women of Influence

A lot of them became believers, including many Greeks who were prominent in the community, women and men of influence.  Acts 17:12 (TMSG)

Thursday August 2, 2013

Paul’s account of people becoming believers includes women who had an integral part in changing the world; women of influence!

Bible versions use words like important, high standing, honourable and prominent.  Who were they?  Just as in the case of men, only a few women’s names are recorded, but these were women whom God uniquely positioned to aid Paul in expanding the Kingdom of Christ throughout the ancient world. 

Much is made of how the culture of that day was male-dominated.  Yet these women were prominent and influential.  They turned heads when they walked down the street; people listened when they spoke.  However, these women of high standing would serve a church entirely male-dominated.  What a difficult assignment – women who were smart, capable and energetic, ready to get things done, yet having to step very lightly among (sometimes around) the men in charge.  Women have always carried extra baggage where the leadership issue is concerned. 

The beat continues…

Of late the church moves as it has always moved – slowly – sometimes stubbornly.  Pope Francis has recently reaffirmed that the priesthood is closed to women.  While gender issues seem eternally controversial, it’s safe to posit this one maxim:

Without women most churches would close their doors!

And that statement – so true in my experience serving churches – begs the issue of women in leadership:  real leadership is never about if the powers that be let you in the club, or if you possess certificates that put letters before and after your name.  Real leadership has to do with carrying a cross every day.  Women of influence are good at that!