Gentleness and Respect

After Jesus was arrested and put before the high council, Peter was confronted.

Matthew 26:69-75 69 Now Peter was sitting outside in the courtyard. And a servant girl came up to him and said, “You also were with Jesus the Galilean.” 70 But he denied it before them all, saying, “I do not know what you mean.” 71 And when he went out to the entrance, another servant girl saw him, and she said to the bystanders, “This man was with Jesus of Nazareth.” 72 And again he denied it with an oath: “I do not know the man.” 73 After a little while the bystanders came up and said to Peter, “Certainly you too are one of them, for your accent betrays you.” 74 Then he began to invoke a curse on himself and to swear, “I do not know the man.” And immediately the rooster crowed. 75 And Peter remembered the saying of Jesus, “Before the rooster crows, you will deny me three times.” And he went out and wept bitterly.

The overly pious look at this story and get mad at Peter thinking, “Well I would NEVER do that!” However, we can offer a little grace to someone who made the wrong choice while fearing for his life. The first two people questioning Peter were probably just young girls, but in his fear, they were monsters out to get him. Peter starts with simple insincere confusion. Then he gets a little heavier, swearing he doesn’t know anything. And concludes by cursing (at) himself and everyone around him. This shows his utter loss of control.

And as he heard the rooster, he is brought back to himself. The guilt and shame he must have felt in that moment remembering that just a few verses (hours) ago he said he would never deny Jesus.

We always have a choice. In our words and in our actions of showing Christ or denying our association. Sometimes we will make the wrong choice, and in those times we must always remember, there is a pathway home.

I have a feeling Peter acutely remembered this experience as he wrote these words. 1 Peter 3:15 in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect.

Spring Forward

Whether we like it or not on Sunday we are going to lose an hour of sleep because it’s time to change the clocks again. Unless you live in Arizona, Hawaii, or parts of the world that have rejected it, twice a year we get go through a national week of grogginess. I am not a fan. While you are well within your right to reject the time change personally, it would mostly just mean that half the year, you’re showing up an hour early or an hour late to things (depending on which side you choose).

I don’t think the daylight really needs saving—sadly, no one ever asked me. It’s one of those changes that happens to us and around us that we have no control over. When this type of change happens, we can feel a whole range of emotions. We’re angry, we’re disappointed, we’re frustrated. Things were good, but now they’re going to be different. This kind of change was something the disciples experienced as Jesus entered the final stage of his journey to the cross.

In Matthew 26, after sharing a meal, teaching, and praying with his disciples the people come to arrest Jesus. Thinking that this change was unacceptable, one of the people with Jesus pulled out his sword and attacked to stop them.

“52 Then Jesus said to him, “Put your sword back into its place. For all who take the sword will perish by the sword… 54 But how then should the Scriptures be fulfilled, that it must be so?...Day after day I sat in the temple teaching, and you did not seize me. 56 But all this has taken place that the Scriptures of the prophets might be fulfilled.” Then all the disciples left him and fled.

For so many people, the answer to unwanted change is attacking. If something is changing for the worse and it is in your power to fix it, go for it. However, there are some changes that are out of our hands. It is in these times that we need to trust that God is in control and that this change could lead to something greater.

Reaching Goals

How do you react when you achieve something? Do you take time to slow down and appreciate the triumph? Or see it only as a stepping-stone to a bigger goal? If done in a healthy way we can have a never-ending cascade of goals that we work towards in our life. As you pass each milestone, I hope you can see the things you learned along the way that made that achievement possible. And as we recognize them, we can see how they lead us to do bigger and better things.

However, there is another option. For some people, reaching a goal means they’ve made it. It is time to quit! I have achieved the thing I was working towards and now I don’t need to do anything else. But when we decide we’ve made it we quit learning we quit growing. “I already know everything there is to know about that! Why should I bother?”

And this is why it so important to put our focus on things that matter. Goals of self-improvement and Godliness have no clear end point. We can continually grow and help people we meet along the way. Growing in Godliness is called righteousness in the Bible, and it is an area that needs constant attention in our lives.

As we gain more knowledge and experience, we usually learn just how much more there is to learn. Even someone like Paul, who many would point to as someone who had it all figured out, continually pointed to the constant journey we face as we grow in faith.

In Philippians 3:12-14 Paul says, “12 Not that I have already obtained [righteousness] or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own. 13 Brothers and sisters, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, 14 I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.”

Set your eyes on Jesus and strive to live out his call on your life.

Put Me Down!

Isaiah 41:9-10 9 you whom I took from the ends of the earth,

and called from its farthest corners,

saying to you, “You are my servant,

I have chosen you and not cast you off”;

10 fear not, for I am with you;

be not dismayed, for I am your God;

I will strengthen you, I will help you,

I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.

Have you ever picked up a child and they immediately start fighting to be put back down? I think that’s the way we act towards God. God tells us over and over that he will hold us up, that he will be there to help us. And like an ungrateful child you push the help away and cry out, “I want to do it by myself!”

Short of recognizing Christ as the savior of your life there is not a lot of stuff that we are called to do individually. God wants to walk with us through life. He doesn’t send you out into the world and then ask how your week is going when you run into each other later. God’s not looking to catch up. God has called you to live a life of impact and importance as you take steps that seem scary.

But you can take those scary steps because you know that you are supported. You know that you are not alone. God is with you. It’s okay to feel weak. It’s okay to need encouragement. We can lean into God and remember Paul’s words in 2 Corinthians 12, “[God’s] grace is sufficient for you, [God’s] power is made perfect in your weakness.”

No matter what your overbearing parent/cruel boss/mean teacher told you, you were never meant to carry the weight of the world on your shoulders alone. God is there to help take on every task that comes your way.

We just need to overcome the childish instinct to yell, “put me down!”

Valentine’s Day

As I’m sure you know today is Valentine’s Day (if you’re just finding out there’s still time to run to the store, but hurry). Today we celebrate St. Valentine, the patron saint of beekeepers and other stuff; I’m not exactly up to date on my saints. In our modern context, it is a day we use to celebrate the joy of love. We all want to be loved and have love and give love. And not just that romantic kind either.

We find a deep rest and comfort when we return to a place where we are loved unconditionally. Those are places where we can lay down the armor we wear to make it through the day. It is so important to find a place where your wounds can be exposed with the knowledge that those that reach for them only seek to bring comfort.

Knowing how vital it is to find these places for yourself, it is equally vital that you provide these places for the people around you.

First Peter 4:8-11 tells us, “8 Above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins. 9 Show hospitality to one another without grumbling. 10 As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God's varied grace: 11 whoever speaks, as one who speaks oracles of God; whoever serves, as one who serves by the strength that God supplies—in order that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ. To him belong glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.”

Within each person is the capacity to love and forgive. It is in finding the space in your heart to let other people in that we find true healing and community. Through love we are able to serve one another, and in serving we can help them find the joy in Christ that we have found.

Get out there and love someone.

How Dare You?

Over the Christmas holiday I flew out to visit my family. If you’ve flown in the last 25 years (possibly ever) then you have experienced the mob of people that start congregating as soon as they open the doors to start the boarding process. As they open the doors everyone starts shuffling and merging into a coherent line. Classic zipper merge scenario.

Apparently, in my merging one man had a problem with how I did it. And after he shoulders his way in front of me, he turns around, and says, “you just cut into the line!” Being generally nonconfrontational and in an airport I respond, “’kay.” This was not the profuse apology he wanted so he continued scolding me about proper line etiquette. I let him go and when he stops, I say, “the plane isn’t leaving without all these people on it, we all have assigned seats.” That answer didn’t satisfy him, but we reached the agent and had to get on the plane. In a funny twist I end up having the seat directly in front of his, there I go cutting in front of him again.

The whole interaction made for a slightly uncomfortable start to my trip. Whether I was wrong in this situation or not doesn’t matter. We don’t like being confronted with our sins and shortcomings. It can hurt to be reminded of the things we’ve done wrong. We are disappointed when we realize our present pain is the result of our own past actions.

This is why it is so important to not go on the offensive when we are the ones who must confront someone else’s sin. Galatians 6:1-2 says, “Brothers and sisters, if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore them in a spirit of gentleness. Keep watch on yourself, lest you too be tempted. 2 Bear one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.”

Our goal should be to bring people back into right standing with God and the community. When we yell and berate like airport guy it just becomes about getting our anger out instead of bearing one another’s burdens.

Confrontation can be important, but it must come from a place of love.

Just to Make It Today

If you’ve been a Christian for any length of time you are probably familiar with the concept of prayer. It’s one of those things that sounds super simple (it is) but at times feels super complex.

The complexity comes from people we’ve seen who are first good at public speaking. Then, they pray in front of the group and it’s deep and moving and stirs us up to want more of God.

We mistakenly think those prayers are the only ones God wants to hear. If I can’t pray like, then it might not be worth doing at all. However, God is not concerned with the eloquence we bring. God does not care if you “do words good.” God just loves you and wants to hear about your day. God wants to hear about what’s on your heart.

In Philippians 4:6b-7 we’re told, “6 …in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. 7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

In EVERYTHING let your requests be made known by God. This is great and reassuring, though it always brings up the question of how. “I’m so busy how am I going add something else to my already packed calendar?” This is where our friend Brother Lawrence comes in to change our view on busyness.

Brother Lawrence worked at a monastery for a decade as a cook and a cobbler, wondering why he still felt a sense of spiritual darkness. Until it all changed when he decided to make a resolute effort to see God in all he did.

There are certain tasks in his day and in ours that take a little elbow grease but no mental effort. In doing those tasks, what if you switched your mind to the things of God. Brother Lawrence called this practicing the presence. You can pray literally any time you want to.

Instead of filling your ears with background noise, take a moment to thank God for the good things you have, ask for help on the things that worry you, or anything in between. God just wants to know your heart.

Old Music

I’ve recently been processing through a lot of my old CDs. I have a healthy collection of physical media that I’m just not ready to part with. However, as a first step, I can let go of (most of) the plastic cases. As I move the disc and liner notes out of the case and into their new home I’m hit by wave after wave of nostalgia. I remember blasting this one driving down the road with my friends. This is the first song I ever heard by the band that would become my favorite. This is the one I got because it had that one song, but the rest was mediocre.

I hope you have something in your life that brings you the joy I find in this collection. I know the feel of each one just by looking at the disc. I know this because I lived in this music. If you were around in the heyday of CDs and disposable income, you probably also remember listening to the same ones over and over. Streaming wasn’t a thing; you couldn’t just move on to the next thing with the click of a button.

Being almost a quarter of the way through the 21st Century, there are very few things that we repeatedly experience like we did with CDs. We are always on the lookout for what’s new and what’s next. But sometimes what we need to do is hear what we’ve heard again.

Hebrews 13:8-9 reminds us, “8 Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.

9 Do not be carried away by all kinds of strange teachings. It is good for our hearts to be strengthened by grace…” This is something we know but don’t always take the time to dwell on.

It’s easy to look at scripture and think, “I’ve read that before,” or “I already know that story.” But this closes us off from the new thing God wants us to learn from the things we’ve done before.

Get out your Bible on CD and wear out the discs!

Winter Into Spring

We are in the thick of January and some people have lights on their houses. Come on guys, you might be jumping the gun a little. We still have 343 days to wait for Christmas. Though it’s nice to see a little sparkle these days. Winter can be a rough season because the weather is unpredictable, the landscape is bleak and leafless, and it can feel like we are just hunkering down until Spring arrives.

Winter is made even more difficult since it starts off with such a bang. Christmas parties and New Year’s celebrations quickly taper off into, “I guess I better start thinking about my taxes.” Thankfully, around here, it only lasts about three months and gets better. Unfortunately, the hard seasons of life don’t work on such a regular timetable.

Hard seasons in life can last a few weeks, or they can last a few years. When we face the hard times, we can take solace in knowing that we don’t have to face them alone. Paul in Romans 12:9b-13 reminds us of this saying, “hold fast to what is good. 10 Love one another with mutual affection. Outdo one another in showing honor. 11 Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord. 12 Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer. 13 Contribute to the needs of the saints and seek to show hospitality.”

It is the easiest thing in the world to celebrate when things are going well. It is only when we are going through the hard seasons that we learn what it means to be patient in tribulation. We learn how far we can lean into God’s love. We learn the importance of being constant in prayer.

And when we make it to the other side, it can feel like that first warm day in spring, like we are entering into a new world of possibilities. Most important of all, we have the strength to look for the people we can help. We can show them what is good so they can join us in the springtime of life.

Perfectionist

It’s 2024, and for many of us that is completely unbelievable. I heard one person describe 2023 as the “first real year” since 2019. Yes, we’re all four years older and important things may have happened for you. However, until 2023, a lot of people were walking around with that vague sense of falling behind on something. It’s like that feeling when you missed a couple days of school, and you feel like you need to catch up.

Comparing the world that is presented to us to our internal monologue we can feel like we’re getting left behind. “EVERYONE has figured it out but me.” “EVERYONE is a better parent than me.” “EVERYONE is making more money—has a better job than me.” Whatever your personal fear may be, we are told from multiple angles that we aren’t good enough or smart enough, and the only solution is to “buy this product, support this candidate, join this club, etc.”

All this fear, all this comparison is a distraction. We have to push through the noise and remember that we have a God who sees all our shortcomings and says, “You have freedom from perfection!”

In 2 Corinthians 12:8-10 Paul says, “8 Three times I pleaded with the Lord about [my struggle], that it should leave me. 9 But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. 10 For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.”

We mistakenly think of most authors in the Bible as super pious saints. They wrote the Bible, they’re close to God, they never struggled or sinned. We forget that they were people just like us who were doing their best to make it through the day. No matter what you think you might be missing, God wants us to look to his grace to be enough.

We don’t need to be perfect, we just need to rely on the one who is.

Shine On

This little light of mine, I’m going to let it shine. This little light of mine, I intend for it to shine. This little light of mine if it happens to shine that’s okay by me. I think this version might be a bit too wordy to fit into the original melody. We live in a world where it feels like the darkness is always closing in around us. While it is not your responsibility to fix the whole entire world, you can still be part of bringing the light to a world that obviously needs it.

In Genesis one of the first things God says is, “let there be light.” He saw that the light was good. During the Exodus God led them with a pillar of light so they could keep going. Psalms tells us God’s word is lamp to our feet and a light to our path. And Matthew 5:14-15 tells you that, “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. 16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.”

We are called to let our light proudly shine out into the world. But it’s hard when we are also overwhelmed by the potentials afforded us heading into a new year. We engulf ourselves with resolutions, and life changes, and the pressure to make 2024 “The best year ever!” And while self-improvement is fine, don’t forget the impact you can have on the people around you.

We are called to be the light of world. We are called to live lives that reflect the love of Jesus we have found. As you look for ways to make the most of 2024 be sure to take actions that will make a difference and point people back to the love that you have found.

All is Quiet

Christmas has come and gone. We have one more possible celebration to close out the 2023 holiday season in New Year’s Eve, and then it’s just 90 more days of winter. New Year’s Eve can be such a mixed bag. You love it because you’ll take any excuse to party. You hate it because it’s dumb to celebrate one day becoming tomorrow. You’re indifferent because a) you’re up past midnight all the time or b) you’re ALWAYS ready to go to bed so staying up late isn’t special.

Whether you’re a party animal or a party pooper, I think we can all take the turning over of the year as a moment to pause and reflect. For most of us, the actual transition from December 31, 2023 to January 1, 2024 will have little impact on our lives. As that one song says, “nothing changes on New Year’s Day.” You will still love the people you love and be passionate about the things for which you have a passion.

As we reflect on the year that was, and look forward to the year that will be, we can examine those points in our life that may need some adjustment. We can look at the things we’ve treated too lightly and decide we need to get more serious about them.

James 1:22-25 says “22 …be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.23 For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, they are like a person who looks intently at their natural face in a mirror. 24 For they look at themself and go away and at once forget what they were like. 25 But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, they will be blessed in their doing.”

We can move from simple hearers to active doers as we move from one year to the next. This isn’t a call for another New Year’s Resolution, this is a call to act like what we believe is true and live it out for the people around us.

Chicago

Christmas is almost here! And as we prepare to travel, prepare to host, or prepare to get cozy a lot of feelings can come up. I believe the biggest reason we chase the nostalgia of Christmas so hard is because it all used to be so simple. It seems like the older we get the more complicated our emotions around the holidays (any holiday) becomes. Maybe this is your first Christmas after losing someone special. Maybe you’re stressed out trying to help your kids build the good memories you feel like you missed during your own childhood. No matter the reason it’s easy to feel the conflicted emotion of feeling down while you’re supposed to be celebrating.

We don’t usually talk about Revelation around Christmas, many see the apocalypse as kind of a downer. However, there is a passage that points us to hope for the future even in the midst of things feeling bleak. Revelation 21:3b-5a “‘Behold, the dwelling place of God is with mankind. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. 4 He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.’

5 And he who was seated on the throne said, ‘Behold, I am making all things new.’”

God makes it clear throughout scripture that his desire is to dwell among the people. God wants to comfort us when we feel the troubles of this world become too much. To reconcile us, God sent Jesus to enter into the world and live with us. Through Jesus’s life and work we are able to see that God has made “all things new.”

One day we will cry our last tear of mourning, the pain of former things will have passed away. As we celebrate Christ’s entry into our lives, we can remember he came to recreate us.

All things grow, all things grow.

Movie Time

If they celebrate Christmas, there are three things that everyone has an opinion on: best side dish, real tree vs fake tree, and best Christmas movie. There have been maybe a million Christmas movies made since they first started filming them. Some are almost universally loved like Elf or It’s a Wonderful Life. Some are controversial about their inclusion like Gremlins or Die Hard. Some are a little dark or crude or even scary—some of my favorites that I won’t list, haha.

Whatever your favorite might be, I would venture a guess that watching it is more about the warmth and nostalgia it brings up rather than its quality as a film. Memories like these can be activated any time of the year, but around the holidays we’ve built in so many patterns trying to recreate things we loved about the past. Our memories can be a weird thing to contend with because things change as we think about the past.

This is why the fish grandpa caught keeps getting a little bit bigger. And as we think about the good times, I hope they do keep getting better and better. In Luke 2, after the birth of Jesus, the whole sky lit up! And the shepherds came to investigate what was going on.

Luke 2:16-19 says, “16 And they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in a manger.17 And when they saw it, they made known the saying that had been told them concerning this child. 18 And all who heard it wondered at what the shepherds told them. 19 But Mary treasured up all these things, pondering them in her heart.

By this point Mary had been through it! She’d been visited by an angel, carried a child, traveled far from home, and given birth in less-than-ideal conditions. But when she reached the end of one journey (and the beginning of another) she treasured all of them and thought about all that had happened.

Take some time this Christmas to ponder the movie of your life, and all the things that brought you to where you are.

Mixed Emotions

2 Corinthians 13:11-14

11 Finally, brothers and sisters, rejoice. Aim for restoration, comfort one another, agree with one another, live in peace; and the God of love and peace will be with you. 12 Greet one another with a holy kiss. 13 All the saints greet you.

14 The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.

This is the very end of Paul’s second letter to the church in Corinth and he ends it the way he ends most of his letters. He gives a rapid-fire list of instructions and encouragement and a final blessing. His directives here seem tailor-made for the way we hope to act in the Christmas season.

We rejoice at the blessing we have received by Jesus entering the world. We find a way to put aside our differences and focus on the things we agree on and celebrate time together. You want to live in peace and share the love of God with the people around you. Until the people around you cut you off. They take the last parking spot. At the ONE store you really needed to go to. You got too busy and waited until the last minute to do your shopping!

December can feel like such a push and pull. You’re happy, you’re frustrated. You’re excited, you’re anxious. If we’re not careful we bounce around like a pinball between all these emotions until suddenly it’s January. This year can be different if we really try.

In Paul’s words we can aim for restoration. This doesn’t mean you’ll always hit your target; it does mean that you are moving in the right direction. Remember, forgiveness is a gift that you first give to yourself. There are people and situations that do not deserve to be forgiven, but we worship a God of peace who wants to help you let go of things that hurt you.

May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God be with you.

The Sojourner

Once when I was in college, my friend and I were grabbing lunch at a diner, and we may have been served by the oldest waitress in the world. She had a stark-white beehive hairdo and no time for any foolishness. When my friend took ten seconds too long after she came to take our order she just walked away. Didn’t say I’ll give you a minute, didn’t offer any suggestions, just sighed, and walked away. Now the diner could get away with this because the food was cheap and absolutely amazing, but it’s always funny when you have an experience that doesn’t go the way you expect it to go.

When we go to a restaurant, we can imagine being the king/queen of the castle. “Fetch me more libations. Bring me my dinner.” Usually, the world keeps us humble, but when we go out, we get to pretend we have a butler and a chef and someone else does the dishes! I don’t think any of us actually have those thoughts, unless you go to Medieval Times but it’s nice when someone else does the hard work of making you feel comfortable and cared for.

As we come out of Thanksgiving and head into Christmas this is a feeling many of enjoy as you spend time with family and friends. But what about the other people in your orbit? Do you make the space or make the effort to ensure other people feel this way. I’m sure there is someone who would love an invitation from you so they can feel comfortable and cared for.

We do this because God first did it for us. Deuteronomy 10: 18-20 reminds us, “18 He executes justice for the fatherless and the widow, and loves the sojourner, giving them food and clothing. 19 Love the sojourner, therefore, for you were sojourners in the land of Egypt. 20 You shall fear the Lord your God. You shall serve him and hold fast to him, and by his name you shall swear.”

I hope you know the joy of being taken in when you feel lost. If you have the opportunity, do your best to give that gift to other people this year. Because it truly is a gift you give yourself.

The Mashed Potatoes

As we head into Thanksgiving tomorrow, I’m sure many of us are living in the anxiety and anticipation of food, family, football, and maybe some fighting. There is nothing like the holidays to stir up the stuff you keep well buried the rest of the year. It always comes out when we are trying to live out traditions “the right way.”

I’m willing to bet that there will be a few clashes this weekend. The sweet potatoes need marshmallows NOT pralines. I want to make grandma’s special recipe this year. HOW CAN YOU SUGGEST WE HAVE HAM INSTEAD OF TURKEY YOU MONSTER?! Objectively, we would all probably tell someone else that these arguments don’t matter in the long run; enjoy the time you have with your family. But in the moment, it can feel like a hill you’re willing to die on.

What if, this year, we decided to set our egos fully to the side and set our heart on enjoying the time we have together? For some, this is the hardest request I could ever make. Around the holidays we can chase those feelings of the good old days, and we want other people to live it out the way we remember it (whether that’s how it actually was or not).

God has called us to pursue wisdom and put our own pride aside. Proverbs 16:16-19 says:
16 How much better to get wisdom than gold!
To get understanding is to be chosen rather than silver.
17 The highway of the upright turns aside from evil;|
whoever guards his way preserves his life.
18 Pride goes before destruction,
and a haughty spirit before a fall.
19 It is better to be of a lowly spirit with the poor
than to divide the spoil with the proud.

Find the freedom in letting go. Find the freedom in trusting God to handle what is truly important. Find the freedom to let other people’s mistakes belong to them.

Afternoon Slump

You know that feeling when you have an hour or two left at work, but all you want to do is call it a day? “Nothing can really get done in the time I have left! I should just go home.” But you’re a responsible employee so you just stay. That’s how this whole time of year can feel. There are parties, and celebration, and maybe presents in the very near future, but we’re not there yet. We still have time to get stuff done.

The desire to hide out and hibernate can be strong, but no time of year should go to waste, especially now. Paul says in Colossians 3:22-24, “obey in everything those who are your earthly masters, not by way of eye-service, as people-pleasers, but with sincerity of heart, fearing the Lord. 23 Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for people,24 knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ.”

It's easy to slack off when your boss is a jerk, or you experience no difference between working hard and phoning it in. It is in times like this that we need to remember our ultimate purpose is to further the kingdom of God. We should be doing work as though we are working for the Lord. We all know people who do work just to be seen or people-pleasers who kiss-up to the boss to get ahead. God knows all our inmost thoughts and secrets so empty praise won’t impress him.

It is hard to stay motivated in a workplace when it feels like you’re just trading your time for money. But Christians have been called to work toward something much bigger than just getting ahead of our neighbors. We work for a heavenly reward. We work for a boss that truly loves us and wants the best for our lives. Put your efforts toward the things that matter. Don’t just wait out the end of the day.

Growing Up

Are you the person now, you thought you’d be when you were younger? I would guess for most of us the answer is probably no. For some that “no” is said with a sigh of relief because you were headed down a dangerous or destructive path. For some that “no” is said with dash of disappointment because you think about what might have been. Either way you are the you who is here right now.

When we are very young and dreaming about the future, we don’t know that we need to factor in bills, and taxes, and how much it costs to eat. We idealistically think about how we are going to solve all the problems of the world. One song I like describes this time in our lives perfectly, “We were so young and brilliantly naïve.” We had the solutions, just not the means to implement them.

Whether you are glad your path changed, sad about how things turned out, or feel like you’ve been crushing life since the day you were born, you have not reached the end. The you that is here right now is the you that God wants to use. We must keep our focus on growing and moving forward. Paul says it this way:

Ephesians 4:14-16

14 … we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes. 15 Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, 16 from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love.

Once we have our legs under us in life, we can set to the work of sharing God’s love with the people around us. All of us can serve a purpose in the community. All of us can be used by God no matter how we thought life was going to turn out.

Bad Days

A while back I was at a concert and heard the lead singer drop some great truth. The band wasn’t particularly Christian, and the point of the night was not to expose anyone to a reason for hope. But when you let the world come at you through the lens of your faith you find Truth from the most unlikely sources.

During their set he was doing a cool rock star move. He was letting the final notes/noise of a song ring out and was holding his guitar over his head. Then it slipped out of his hand falling to the stage, bounced, and fell another 3-4 feet off the stage onto the floor. Once he grabbed it and got back to the mic he gave this sage advice, “If you’re playing a show, don’t drop your guitar off the stage.”

He played it off well, but he was clearly frustrated and fighting with a guitar that looked to have damaged the cord input the rest of the show. And before their last song he said this, “I am so grateful for my life and what I get to do. For the past 30+ years I have had the opportunity to live my dreams and travel the world with my friends. I know that people wish that they could have my life, but I’m having a really bad day. It’s not just trying to play with a broken guitar, I’m just having an all-around bad day. But what you need to know and what I need to know, is that YOU ARE ALLOWED TO DO BOTH. Tomorrow is a new day! Another chance to live with gratitude. Don’t let the bad days win.”

As Christians it is easy to confuse our calling towards gratitude with a calling for appearing perfect. Unfortunately, only God is perfect, and things we do and call perfect can be putting on a front for other people. As we live in a world where gratitude and hard times can live hand-in-hand we must lean into these words from Paul, 2 Corinthians 12:9-10

9 But [God] said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. 10 For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

Little ones to Him belong;
They are weak, but He is strong.
Yes, Jesus loves me!