It is finished.

The last phrase is often translated “run with patience,” but seems more appropriately to be translated “bear up courageously.”  It is used throughout the New Testament and is most often associated with suffering for one’s faith.  Paul wrote, “Because I preach the Good News I suffer, and I am even chained…and for this reason I endure everything for the sake of God’s chosen people, in order that they too may obtain the salvation that is in Christ Jesus (II Tim. 2:10-11).”

My son’s cross country coach made a statement about cross country that I had never considered, which might also be said of other races including marathons.  He said that unlike other sports there are no breaks, no timeouts, no half-times, no stoppage of plays.  Once you start the race, you run until it is finished.  Paul wrote to Timothy, “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith (II Tim. 4:7).”  In Paul, there was no quit.

To keep running requires endurance.  I have never run a marathon and can only imagine how difficult it is to keep running for that length of time.  I have however been a follower of Christ for over 30 years and it has often felt like an endurance contest.  Along the way, I have seen others who have given up, who found it too hard, that it required too much, that they would rather be doing something else which offered more immediate gratification.  Are we willing to endure everything in order to run the race that has been set out, appointed for us to run?

 
I have been inspired by some of my patients who had to endure chronic pain.  One was a woman who told me every time we met, “I am still here.”  That meant that she hadn’t given in, though she had often thought how much easier it would be to just give up so that she could be pain-free.  She was referring to taking her own life.  But, she believed that, as long as God chose to let her live, there must be a purpose for her life.  And, she wanted to know what it was and see it accomplished.

It may not make us popular or win us glory or fame.  In fact, Jesus told His disciples, “…all men will hate you because of me, but he who stands firm (endures) to the end will be saved (Matt. 10:22; 24:12).”  And, we may be able to help others to be saved as well.

Run...with endurance! (Part 2)

 “Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us (Heb. 12:1).”

Commentators see the “weight” referred to as the bodily weight (literally “bulk” or “mass”) that would obviously be a liability for the athlete running a race or participating in almost any contest, something that the athlete would need to eliminate in order to be successful.  What weight or excess baggage are you carrying that is preventing you from running the race that has been set out for you?  Anything that is a part of your life that burdens you in some way is something that needs to be removed.

Maybe it has to do with a personal habit that you know you need to give up or change in some way.  Maybe it is something that isn’t necessarily a major sin, but you know that God has been asking you to let go of for quite some time.  Maybe you are carrying around a load of guilt and regrets for things you have done in the past.  Maybe it is worry that is weighing you down.  Maybe fear is what keeps you from moving forward and living the life that God wants to give you.  Jesus said, “Come unto me all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.  Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.  For my yoke is easy and my burden is light (Matt. 11:28-30).”  It is quite obvious that God never intended to lay such weight upon us that we would be unable to endure and live out His purposes for us.  If you feel like some great weight has been placed upon you, it isn’t God who put it there.

The reference here to the “sin which clings so closely,” in the Greek has to do with that which can so easily constrict or squeeze us (think python here), because it is so much a part of our lives, e.g., in our work-settings, our friendships, or our personal circumstances.  At times, we may have trouble even realizing that it has this effect on us.  But, we feel it.  The root of the Greek word is often translated “distress.”  This type of sin has the potential to create further stress in our lives and restrain us, keeping us from being able to run at all.

In order to run with perseverance the race marked out for us we need to lay aside the things that are weighing us down, remove the sins or remove ourselves from the situations, relationships, or circumstances that have the potential to cause us such distress as to, literally, choke the life out of us.

What weight do you need to lay aside?  What changes do you need to make in your life so that the stress isn’t keeping you from being able to run your race?

Run...with perseverance!

“Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses…(Heb. 12:1).”

The author here, presumably Paul, reminds these early Christians of the heroes of their faith, men and women who had endured persecution, suffering, and even death, because of their beliefs.  They were witnesses who had run their own races and were there to encourage and give an example to follow.  Most of us have had those that we have looked up to, who have been an example for us and encouraged us in our faith development—parents, Sunday School teachers, youth group leaders, and others.  Most likely, none of them have died for what they stood for, but their dedication to their faith and their witness has influenced us in some way.  The witnesses Paul speaks of had paid dearly for practicing their faith.  We often speak of having a witness, but seldom do we think it will cost us in the same way.  Yet, we are called to be witnesses (Matt. 18:18-20).  And, sometimes we are called to bear witness in the midst of difficult situations.  One of my favorite witnesses was Cecil.

Cecil was in her late 80s when I met her in a nursing home and she had been there awhile.  Cecil had cancer and because of the chemotherapy, her bones had become brittle.  One day, she fell in her own home and broke her neck and became paralyzed from the neck down.  Cecil and I met every week for almost a year after that before she died.  She often wondered why God would allow her to continue to live when it seemed she had so little to offer.  Cecil was not feeling sorry for herself, but wanted to feel useful.  All of her adult life, she had been a faithful witness, a Sunday School teacher, a mentor to younger women, had written books and poetry, and served the Lord in many other ways, and now she felt useless.

My encouragement to Cecil was that if the Lord chose for her to remain in her situation and in her condition, He had a plan to use her in some way.  I encouraged her to take stock of what she had left that God could use, and to trust that what she had was enough.  What Cecil still had was an audience.  Cecil had more visitors than any other resident of that nursing home.  I encouraged Cecil to use her ears to listen, her mind to consider, her mouth to speak and counsel and to encourage others.  In other words, I encouraged her to continue to witness.  Even her smile could be a witness to the ones that waited on her and an encouragement to them, that one could have joy no matter the circumstances.

What keeps you from being a witness?  Maybe it is something tangible, like the physical disability that Cecil had to endure; maybe it is something not so visible, like a fear or a perception that we aren’t worthy to serve in God’s kingdom.  Maybe it is a doubt that God is able to work through you.  Paul wrote to the Romans, “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose (Rom. 8:28).”  God can use us no matter our circumstances.  We just need to make ourselves available.

Who stepped in on you?

In the 1984 Olympics, American champion Mary Decker competed with the darling of South Africa, a runner by the name of Zola Budd in a 3000 meter race.  As the runners were nearing the finish line, Zola Budd attempted to pass the other runners on the outside and stepped in on Mary Decker, causing her to stumble.  Mary Decker attempted to regain her balance, but another contact sent her sprawling to the ground.

This is the image I always picture when I read Paul’s comments to the Galatian church, “You were running a good race.  Who cut in on you and kept you from obeying the truth (Gal. 5:7)?”  The question Paul was asking was addressed to a church that was being misled into following laws from which Christ had set them free.  Paul wanted them to remember that they had been saved by grace in spite of what others were trying to get them to believe.  As a result of their listening to these others, they were actually falling away from grace and missing out on the blessings available to them in Christ Jesus.

Many of us are like that.  We believe we have to submit to a particular lifestyle, practice certain habits, or give up certain things, in order to please God.  This may result in our resenting the intrusiveness of the Lord in our lives, feeling as though we are restricted by what He expects of us.   In Psalm 118:5, the writer states, “In my anguish, I cried to the Lord, and He answered me by setting me free.”  Zorn, in interpreting this passage, believes the writer is saying that God takes him from a place of distress, a “narrow place” to a “broad, wide-open place,” a place where he is freer to move around.  In other words, rather than keeping us from enjoying ourselves as we often think, the Lord wants to give us even more options and better ones.  As David writes, God wants to give you the “desires of your heart (Ps. 37:4).”

As we run our race, we need to be on watch for those who would mislead us into believing something other than the truth.  Paul wrote, “Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit (v. 25).”  In order to experience God’s blessings on our family, our work, our personal lives, we need to continually be developing our ability to discern what the Lord would have us to do.  We can only know the truth through reading the Scripture, and continually being in prayer about these things.  But, as we discover the truth and are able to discern what the Lord has in mind, we will begin to experience the joy that comes from the abundant life that He wants for each one of us.

Godspeed

Run...to win!

“I don’t drink and I don’t chew and I don’t go out with girls who do.”  Somehow this is where I arrived as I was trying to explain to Jacob, my 10-year-old, that we are to do good, but doing good wasn’t enough to get you into heaven.

Paul tried to help the Corinthians with this same issue.  Many of them were still practicing the forms of legalism they had given in to before they had become Christians.  At the same time, other Christians were not inclined to submit to any law, believing they had been delivered by Christ from having to do so.  Their use of that freedom resulted in overindulgence and conflict with their brothers and sisters in Christ, and was hurting their witness.

In one sense they were both right, but in another sense, they were both wrong.  As Christians, we do not live by a list of dos and don’ts.  Yet, we must be careful that the “exercise of our freedom does not become a stumbling block to the weak (I Cor. 8:9).”  We are to live out our lives as we are prompted by the Holy Spirit to do so.  This means that there may be some things that are okay for us to do, but others that are wrong; because, they get in the way of what the Lord wants to do in our lives, especially as He may want to use us to witness to the world around us.

What was most important to Paul was to live his life in such a way as to win others to Christ.  He tried to be “all things to all men so that by all possible means I might save some (9:22).”  He used the analogy of a race.  For him, it wasn’t enough to just run the race.  He wanted to win the prize…to help others to know the Savior.  He did not need to live by a bunch of rules.  He knew he was free to do what he wanted; but, in order to reach others, he would have to watch out for what would prevent others from listening to the message of the Good News.

We, too, need to watch out for what might hurt our witness to others.  As Paul describes, we may need to go into “strict training” so that we are not “disqualified,” so that we don’t lose our audience when they see how we live.  This may mean a regular practice of reading the Scripture and praying, meeting with other Christians who can help us to grow and hold us accountable, putting into practice the things that we learn from the Word, and learning to let go of those things that may interfere with our witness to others.

Run the race…but, run to win!

Finish the Race

Jacob, my son joined the cross country team this year.  It was a bit of a surprise as he had never shown any interest in running and I was certain he wouldn’t enjoy it.  But, having several of his friends also on the team was motivation enough for him.  At first, we told him to keep his goals simple.  We didn’t want him to get discouraged.  All we wanted for him to try to accomplish was to finish the race.

In one of the most moving stories of the New Testament, Paul is saying farewell to a group of elders in Ephesus.  This was a place where Paul had served “with great humility and tears,” and had been tested severely.  But, he had obviously become quite fond of the people in this particular church.  Paul was going to Jerusalem, but he had been shown by the Holy Spirit that, once there, he would be facing prison and hardship.  As Paul shared this with the elders, he also told them he would never see them again.  They began to weep, to embrace Paul, and to kiss him.

A scene such as this might have led Paul to want to abandon his trip to Jerusalem.  I imagine the thought had to have crossed his mind that if he stayed in Ephesus he would be safe.  These people loved him and they would protect him.  And, he could continue to minister to them.  But, Paul would have none of it.  His words to them were, “I consider my life worth nothing to me, if only I may finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me—the task of testifying to the gospel of God’s grace (Acts 20:24).”

So often, we may be tempted to quit.  The race is difficult.  It takes everything we got to keep living our lives in the way that we have been called to do.  The temptation may be to take an easier path, settle into a lifestyle that is more comfortable, one that is safer in some way.  But, what have we been called to do?  Where have we been called to go?  We, too, must finish the race, to continue to allow the Lord to use the circumstances of our lives, the difficulties we face, the obstacles we have to overcome, to His glory and to accomplish His purpose.

Couldn't God...?

In the recently popular book, “The Shack,” the author has the character portraying God (referred to as Papa) say, “You can have understanding or you can have God, but you can’t have both.”  There is a certain element of truth to what the author is saying.  We won’t always understand God and His ways.  This can sometimes lead to frustration or even anger towards God.  However, there are two reassuring things that we can know about God.  David wrote in Psalm 62:11-12, “One thing God has spoken, two things have I heard: that you, O God, are strong, and that you, O Lord, are loving.”

Several times this week, I spoke with individuals who wondered why God would allow certain events to happen in their lives, knowing that the consequences would be difficult for them.  It wasn’t that they denied doing something that perhaps deserved the consequences, because they knew they had done something wrong.  But, all of us have seen situations where others deserved consequences, when they weren’t forthcoming (e.g., the guy who passes you doing 85 mph on the highway and doesn’t get a ticket).

God’s ways are not our ways and His thoughts are not our thoughts.  We will not always understand why God does or doesn’t act in the way that we think He should.  God could…but He doesn’t always choose to do things the way that we would prescribe.  For us to challenge or question the ways of God is to judge God, to find fault in Him.  In the story, Papa tells the father to give up being God’s judge and know God for who He is…”embrace His love (even) in your pain, instead of pushing Him away with your self-centered perception of how you think the universe should be.”

Zorn notes in his commentary on this passage, “The power of God makes certain that the outcome of events will be according to His will; the love of God assures that His will is righteous and just and compassionate.”  We wouldn’t want it any other way.

What's wrong?

Today, I saw a colleague who had recently entered the mission field.  Being interested in his work, I asked how things were going.  “Terrible,” he said.  He proceeded to tell me how his wife had her purse stolen, they had totaled their van, and just yesterday, their toilet pipes had broken and flooded their home.  That was a lot to deal with, but he seemed to misunderstand that I was asking about his ministry.  I offered him some emotional support, and eventually, we did talk about that.  The ministry was going great.  But, all this other stuff had become a distraction.  I could see how it could be.  It was probably very discouraging.  I have to confess, that is sometimes how I feel when things seem to go wrong.  Discouraged.  Distracted.  While I didn’t want to seem indifferent to his difficulties, I felt the best thing I could do was to try to help him to gain a perspective, similar to the one that I wrote about in my last blog.

First, I wanted him to be able to see that the enemy was behind this distraction.  The enemy wanted him to be discouraged and to lose his focus.  I wanted him to realize the enemy hadn’t been able to keep God from working through him in his ministry and from giving him success.  And the enemy wouldn’t be able to interfere with what God planned to accomplish.  When I feel attacked, it has helped me to see that God is still at work and to know that the enemy cannot prevent God from being successful.  Oswald Chambers, in his classic, “My Utmost for His Highest,” wrote that the enemy knows he can win if he is able to distract us.  What he wants is to be able to “make us lose…the possibility of being of value to God.”  But, he can’t stop us if we keep our focus.  Jesus told His disciples that “not even the gates of Hell” will be left standing when God’s church is on the attack (Matt. 16:18).

A young Joshua, getting ready to lead the nation of Israel was told by the Lord, “Be strong and courageous.  Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go (Josh. 1:9).”

Jesus tried to prepare His disciples in a similar way.  “In this world, you will have trouble (John 16:33), He said.”  “But take heart!  I have overcome the world.”

Why do the wicked prosper?

Have you ever wondered why those who don’t appear to have a relationship with Christ still seem very happy, prosperous, and successful?  I mean, doesn’t it seem like that should be the reward for those who are trying hard to be faithful?  David seemed to wonder about this as well.  In Ps. 73, he admits he envied the wicked because of their prosperity, their apparent carefree life, their good health and even their good looks.  They seemed to have nothing to worry about; whereas, David felt as though he was continually struggling.  He went so far as to say he felt like he was being “punished every morning.”  He felt as though his attempts to live the right kind of life were “in vain.”

Have you ever felt this way?  As though it wasn’t worth it to be honest?  To do the right thing even when it may end up costing us?  To be considerate of others and what they wanted?  How do we justify being good when it does seem like a struggle and there doesn’t seem to be any payoff for doing so?

What helped David was going to God and gaining a change in perspective.  It helped him to see that unlike the wicked, God was always with David, giving him counsel and showing him His will for David’s life.  David wrote, “You hold me by my right hand.  You guide me with your counsel.”  Knowing that God was with him, guiding him, led David to say “…and being with you, I desire nothing on earth.” However, instead of looking only at the immediate, David looked a little further down the road…towards eternity.  That change in frame of reference helped him to see that “their final destiny” was going to be quite different than his own. 

When we find ourselves envying the wicked, wanting what others have, we need to remember what we have already been given, as well as what is promised.  We need to draw near to God and experience the relationship that is available to us.  Like David, we can say, “As for me, it is good to be near to God.”  Further, we need to recall that we will spend eternity with Him.

“For the Lord watches over the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked will perish (Ps. 1:6).”

If you have the opportunity, spend some more time with Psalm 1 this week.  It is quite rich.

What are you worried about?

A young child in my office once told me that when she gets in the shower and shuts the curtain, she is afraid that sharks and alligators might get her.  Pretty silly, right?  But, aren’t all our fears pretty silly as well?

Paul wrote to the Philippians, “Be anxious for nothing (4:7).”  We might interpret that as don’t be afraid, but literally the Greek could be translated as, “Don’t be concerned.”  How is this possible?  Is it possible to live without concern, without worry, without being afraid of what might happen?

Most of us think that in order to have no fear we must be in control.  In some form or fashion, our fears are related to feeling that we don’t have control over something and, as a result, there may be consequences that we don’t desire.  We spend an enormous amount of energy trying to keep that from happening, by attempting to control everything that might affect us in some way.  But, as the young people are apt to say, “How’s that working for you?”

We are delusional if we think we have that much control in the first place.  The circumstances of our lives are often not of our own doing.  Things happen.  What we do control is how we react to what happens to us; but for the most part, the circumstances are outside of our control.  However, there is one who really is in control.

What Paul is suggesting in this letter to the Philippians is for them to pray, to bring their concerns, their worries, and their fears to the Lord.  Today’s English Version simplifies it by paraphrasing this passage as follows, “Ask God for what you need.”  How does this help?  Asking God for what we need puts God in control of our situation.  When we do this, Paul writes, God’s peace will cause our hearts and minds to feel safe; because we know that God cares for us.

David wrote something similar in one of my favorite Psalms, “Trust in the Lord and do good; dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture.  Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart (Ps. 37:3-4).”

What makes you happy?

It's been one of those weeks.  Three days of the flu put me behind at work and I didn't feel very productive when I did get there.  I can't say that I was feeling very happy.  Too often, when I am feeling like that, I look to find something that will make me happy, make me feel good.  Often, it's an iced mocha-flavored coffee.  What makes you happy?

Paul admonished the Philippians to rejoice in the Lord always (Phil. 4:4).  Today's English Version reads, "May you always be joyful in your life in the Lord."  I am sure if you have been a Christian for any length of time, you have heard that to be joyful isn't the same thing as being happy.  I feel like, in some ways, that is a cop-out, as though following Jesus isn't supposed to make me happy.  It may be harder to get to that place of actually smiling, but I have plenty to be happy about, even if it isn't always what I turn to make me feel that way?

What is there to rejoice about?  We can rejoice because we have heard the good news.  We can rejoice because we have been delivered from our sin.  We can rejoice because He paid the price for our salvation by dying on the cross and He lives again.  We can rejoice because we can have new life as well as the hope of eternal life in heaven.  There's more.  We can rejoice in the abundant life that we can have here and now.  We can rejoice even in our suffering because God is at work bringing about good for those who love Him and are called according to His purpose (Rom. 8:28).  We can rejoice because He has promised that He would always be with us.

Maybe it isn't the same thing as being happy; but I have to say, when I stop to think about it,  I am glad for all the Lord has done for me.  I am happy for all His promises that are true for me today, and for the hope I have in the future.  I just need to remind myself of these things.  What about you?  Are you happy?

If you are happy and you know it...say Amen!

What do you want?

What do you want?  If I had asked that question of you a year ago, 5 years ago, ten years ago, would you say today that you have what you wanted?  How would you describe the state of your heart?  Are you satisfied? Happy? Frustrated? Waiting for the next thing to come along?

What should determine what we want for ourselves?  Some Christians have a hard time with this question because they have read the passages about denying themselves, considering others interests as more important than their own, not loving the things of this world.  These are passages that have significant relevance to the growing Christian, but they need to be read in context.  These passages are not saying that we should not want anything.  Denying ourselves and looking out for the interests of others has to do with helping to bring them into a relationship with Christ.  They also have to do with growing ourselves in our knowledge and understanding of Christ and His will for our lives.

However, we are cautioned against becoming too attached to the things of this world.  John writes, "Do not love the world or anything in the world...For everything in the world--the cravings of sinful man, the lust of his eyes and the boasting of what he has and does--comes not from the Father but from the world (I John 2:15-16)."  Instead of loving these things and allowing them to become too important, we need to learn as Paul exhorts us, to be "content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want (Phil. 4:12)."

It isn't only things that we become attached to as John points out.  We can also become proud of what we do, our jobs, our status in the community, even in the church.  So, what should we want?  Above all else, we should want to be growing in our relationship with the Father.  We should want anything that would assist us in becoming more like Christ.  We should want the things the Lord desires to give us, the things that He has already blessed us with, the things that He has entrusted to us to accomplish His purpose.  Anything beyond that, as Paul would say is "rubbish (Phil. 3:8)."

Spiritual Equipment

This is the first post for my new blog, "Spiritual Equipment."  My prayer is that God will use this tool to further equip you for the work He has called you to, and to help bring you to maturity, "attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ (Eph. 4:11ff.)."

Let's face it, most of us spend our whole lives striving to measure up to someone's expectations.  It may start out when we are young, trying to please our parents, then our teacher's, our peers, and eventually someone of the opposite gender that we find attractive.  Eventually, we spend an inordinate amount of time trying to measure up in our careers.  For what?  What is all this striving about?  What do we hope to gain?  Jesus had this to say, "What good will it be for a man if he gains the whole world, yet foreits his soul (Matt. 16:26)?"

One of the wisest and most successful men who ever lived said that he "wanted to see what was worthwhile for men to do under heaven during the few days of their lives (Eccl. 2:3)."  What he eventually determined was that it was all meaningless, "a chasing after the wind," nothing could be gained unless, in their efforts, men were trying to please God.

Think about it.  Read the following questions, but take the time to answer them.  Who are you trying to please?  What are you doing to measure up?  What good will it do for you?  What will you gain?  What will it cost you?  Now, ask yourself, "What do I really want?"  "What truly matters to me."

Consider:  What one thing can I do this week to re-order my life to reflect what is most important?

Most importantly, we need to consider whether God is pleased by what we have made important in our lives.  In the long run, everything else is meaningless.

Godspeed, Phil