Regret

"The tragedy of life is what dies inside a man while he lives."--Albert Schweitzer

"What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, and yet lose or forfeit his very self (Luke 9:25)."

When I was about 9 or 10, my dad was a volunteer chaplain at Michigan City Prison.  As such, he was allowed to accompany a group of prisoners outside the prison walls, where they would put on a program in churches, singing and sharing the Gospel.  I will never forget a man named Frank Dunn who was in prison for life with no chance of parole.  He had a beautiful bass voice and sang a song that haunts me to this day, "Wasted Years."

I praise God that He redeemed what was left of Frank's life and used it to His glory.  But, it reminds me of how important it is to allow God to redeem the days we have left.  There are times I regret the years I wasted when I was not in a relationship with God; but, I also regret that even as a follower of Christ, I still waste a lot of time, resources, opportunities, focusing on what I want and my will instead of God's.

Right before Jesus made this statement recorded by Luke, He told His disciples, "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me."  Being a good steward isn't only about our money and giving our tithes.  It is also about giving our time, our energy, our other resources, our talents and abilities, our hearts, minds, and all of our strength.

Being a true disciple of Jesus is also about realizing that there are others around us who are wasting their lives, not at all fulfilled, in need of knowing the Savior that we serve.  Let's not waste another moment.  Ask the Holy Spirit to bring to mind all that we are able to do, what He would have us to do, and how we can reach others for Jesus.

Godspeed, Doulos

 

Terminated!

Recently, several of the individuals I have been working with lost their jobs.  In today's economy that can be a very scary thing.  It can lead to feelings of anger, anxiety, depression, and discouragement.  In times like that, it can be very difficult to trust God.  Why would He allow this sort of thing to happen?

In Daniel 6, we read of a Biblical hero who lost his job.  Daniel was a devout follower of the Lord.  He was also an exile, a young man who had been taken as a prisoner and removed from his homeland and made to serve the king.  So, to begin with, this wasn't the dream job he had hoped for coming out of college.  Nonetheless, Daniel "so distinguished himself...by his exceptional qualities that the king planned to set him over the whole kingdom (6:3)."  What were these "exceptional qualities?"  Daniel was "trustworthy and neither corrupt nor negligent (v. 4)."  Daniel was a man of integrity, such that when those who were jealous of him attempted to find fault in him, there was none to be found.  The only way they were able to get to Daniel was to deceive the king into passing a law against praying to any man or god other than the king.  Daniel continued his practice of praying to his God and lost his job.  He almost lost his life, but you probably know that part of the story (if not, read it).

When I was a younger Christian, I remember the challenge, "If you were on trial for being a Christian, would there be enough evidence to convict you?"  Daniel had done nothing wrong.  The individuals I mentioned above did not lose their jobs because they had done something wrong.  In fact, in one situation, the individual had left her job because she believed God would not want her to continue working in that environment.

It still isn't certain why God did allow these individuals to lose their jobs.  I don't believe God is ever caught off guard.  He knew what was going to happen and He continues to have a plan and a purpose for each one of them.  This wasn't about God punishing them.  I also don't believe it is about God needing to grow them in some way, nor using this as a form of discipline.  I am not certain it is about them at all.  At times like this, we search for what God may be wanting us to do, how He would have us to handle the situation, what He would have us to learn.  Sometimes, all God wants is for us to trust and obey.

Daniel survived "because he trusted in his God."  As a result, the king "wrote to all the peoples, nations and men of every language throughout the land...people must fear and reverance the God of Daniel.  For He is the living God and He endures forever; His kingdom will not be destroyed, His dominion will never end.  He rescues and He saves; He performs signs and wonders, in the heavens and on the earth (vv. 26-27)."

We need to trust God even when we lose our jobs, even when we end up in a pit full of hungry lions.  As hard as it is to face these types of trials, we need to continue to trust and obey God.  Our experiences, as Daniel's, can be used to bring glory to God.

 

Summon bonum

"Summon bonum" is Latin for "the highest good" or "the supreme good."  What is the highest good?  There are many good things that we enjoy in our lives.  I enjoy good food, a good book, a good friend.  But, is that the highest good?  I know many good people who do good things.  There are many good things that we could do.  But, what is the highest good?

Jesus said, "What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, yet forfeit his soul (Mk. 8:36)."  By way of contrast, Jesus is saying that to pursue the things of this world and to make these our priority could be very costly.  I know many, and I am sure so do you, that have wasted their lives on the pursuit of wealth, status, position, or reputation.  But, we are admonished not to become attached to the "things of this world (I John 2:15-16)."  Though God is not against personal wealth or any of these other things, these should not be our goals.  Paul was able to say that he had learned to be content with plenty and want (Phil. 4:12).  When we fail to be content with what is from the Lord, we miss out on what His plan is for our lives.  Are we willing to spend our whole lives pursuing what others have referred to as the "good life," if that means that we miss out on the blessings of seeing God working through us and accomplishing His purpose?  Are we willing to make these things a priority if it means we neglect our relationship with our Lord and, ultimately, lose our own soul?

And what about the souls of others?  Are we willing to do only the good that brings us pleasure if it means that others are lost for eternity.  Jesus made it clear that the greatest good that we can do is to love God and to love one another (Mk. 12:31).  What did He mean when He referred to this type of love?  He also said, "Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends (John 15:13)."  This means we are willing to forego the pleasures of this world (I John 2:15-16), so that the love of God can flow through us to those in need.  That is God's purpose for us.  "For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do (Eph. 2:10)."

Godspeed, The Teacher

God Space

I am sure you have heard of the importance of creating and using green space.  This week I read a report from a neuropsychologist recommending a client make use of green space to help relieve some of her stress.  What she was suggesting was that the client find some place "green" to get away from the sources of her stress to be able to relax (think woods or park here).  Her life was out of balance, too full of the things that were taking from her and not enough of what was giving back.

Over the years, I have worked with a number of individuals whose lives were out of balance.  Some issue had become a major drain on their lives.  Their personal lives were affected, their marriages, their relationship with their children, their work, and even their faith.  They often shared how they had turned to something else to try and re-establish the balance in order to feel better.  I remember a young guy who confessed he had been drinking more coffee during the day to keep himself going, and then having to drink more wine at night to be able to calm down.  Others turn to food, prescription or illegal drugs, pornography, affairs, or sometimes more extreme measures.  The imbalance can lead to depression, stress/anxiety, panic attacks, heart problems, just to name a few of the possible consequences of this type of imbalance in an individual's life.

As I spoke with this young man, it was obviuos how he had gotten there.  It was the result of taking on too many additional responsibilities at a time when he was ill-prepared to do so.  He had stopped his regular practice of Bible study and prayer.  As a result, he was missing out on being able to know what God's will was for him in his situation.  My recommendation to him was to create more "God space" in his life.

Paul writes in Phil. 4:6-7, "Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.  And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."  I don't know who said it first, but it is a profound truth, "No God, no peace.  Know God, know peace."  Unless we are willing to spend time with God, we cannot know His will and, thus, we cannot know His peace.  God cannot work to bring about peace unless we are first willing to create space for Him to work.  This is not a one-time deal.  Paul says this is in every situation, i.e., work, family, social life, every situation.  We need to present all of our lives to Him and be willing to let go of anything that is not a part of His plan for us.  This may take time because of commitments we have already made.  But, it will be well worth it.

"It's wonderful what happens when Christ displaces worry at the center of your life (The Message)."