Don't Try to Impress Others

I received a package recently that was in a box much larger than its contents. The box was stuffed mostly with packing paper. It got me thinking about packages and packaging. There are all kinds of reasons companies package items the way they do. Sometimes packaging is about shipping costs. Other times, it’s an attempt to reduce shoplifting. Fragile items are protected during shipping by packing peanuts or bubble wrap. Small, expensive, and desirable items are put in those frustrating “clam shells.” I tend to scratch my head when a small item arrives in an oversized box filled with packing. I think, “Look at the waste. Why did they use that box? There must have been a cheaper way to ship this.” My thoughts then drifted to parallels in people. We all know big people who have lots of packing material but very little substance. They might look impressive when you meet them, but when you get to know them, they are mostly filled with “packing peanuts.” You’ve met them. They talk a great game, but they don’t have game. They like to talk about themselves, who they know, and their accomplishments. They seem to be a little item in an oversized box. I started checking my own life. Am I a little item in an oversized box - filled with packing peanuts and air? Or am I the real deal in the right-sized box? “God opposes to the proud but gives grace to the humble!” 1 Peter 5:5 (NLT) Lord, teach me to walk in humility! “Don’t try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves.” Philippians 2:3 (NLT) Jesus, correct me when I start trying to impress others! “Examine yourselves to see if your faith is genuine. Test yourselves.” 2 Corinthians 13:5 (NLT) Jesus, I want my faith to be genuine and not just packing! Jesus, do your work in me!

Perception, Reality and the Truth

Earlier this week I heard someone say, “the first casualty of the continual spiritual battle between good and evil, light and dark, God and the Devil is truth.” I can’t get that idea out of my mind. The Apostle Paul wrote, “We battle not against flesh and blood, but against spiritual forces.” (Ephesians 6) The battle is real, but it is not what we usually think it is. The battle is a battle for truth and the truth. When an angry confrontation occurs, it is not just a battle of wills; it is a battle for truth. It’s possible that I’m angry because I believe something that is not true. It’s possible that the other person is angry because they believe something that is not true. Most likely, we both believe things that are not true. The untruth, deception, or distortion we believe leads us to take up an adversarial position. In an angry moment, the appropriate response is to check the story I’m telling myself. Do I have the right story or do I have something out of place. I need to check the story I’m believing before I worry about the story the other person is telling themselves. Often, we’ve told ourselves stories about situations and people that were distorted, imagined or simply not true. The battle is not with the other person. The battle is about perception, reality and truth. None of us can compromise the truth. We can’t back down, give in, or to surrender lies. Jesus’ brother Jude encouraged the early believers to “defend the faith.” “Dear friends, … now I find that I must write about something else, urging you to defend the faith that God has entrusted once for all time to his holy people. I say this because some ungodly people have wormed their way into your churches, saying that God’s marvelous grace allows us to live immoral lives.” Jude 1:3-4 (NLT) Jude’s words illustrate that the battle for moral purity and integrity is not a battle against flesh and blood but for truth. Stick up for the truth, don’t back down, and don’t give in. Stand firm in the faith. BUT IN EVERY INTERACTION, RESPOND WITH KINDNESS! We can “defend the faith” and stick up for truth without being ugly or unkind! That’s the Jesus way.

Ask Questions

If you’ve spent any time reading the accounts of the life of Jesus in the New Testament, you probably noticed that Jesus asked a lot of questions. His practice was to ask questions. When people questioned him, he questioned them in return. When someone tried to challenge him, he responded with a question. Jesus didn’t ask questions because he didn’t understand. He understood everything. He knew what people were thinking before they opened their mouth. He asked questions to get other people thinking. Jesus asked the “rich young ruler,” “why do you call me good?” He asked the woman, the religious leaders dragged before him, “where are your accusers?” When he sensed that “power had gone out from Him,” He asked those around him, but to no one in particular, “Who touched me?” When people were abandoning him and the disciples challenged him, he asked them, “do you want to leave also?” Asking questions is an art. Questions say to the other person, “What you have to say is important” and “I don’t know everything” and “I can learn from you.” When a person asks questions and listens, they are telling the other person you are important and valuable. James Thurber correctly states, “It is better to ask some of the questions than to know all the answers.” When Jesus’ brother James wrote, “Be quick to listen, and slow to speak” he could have just as easily written, “Be quick to ask, and slow to answer.” Too often we’d rather hear our own voice, give our opinions, and make our point than ask questions and listen. We’d rather be heard than hear. The Apostle Paul wrote: “Don’t be selfish; don’t try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves. Don’t look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too.” Philippians 2:3-4 (NLT) One of the best ways to “take an interest in others” is to ask questions and listen. Could it be you and I can learn from others? Is it possible that asking questions and listening is the way forward in our fractured world? Could asking questions and listening to those we don’t agree with or find appealing is the key to building bridges between divided people and groups? “The person who asks is a fool for five minutes, but the person who does not ask remains a fool forever.” Unknown

Be Kind

“Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you.” Ephesians 4:32 (NLT) “Since God chose you to be the holy people he loves, you must clothe yourselves with tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience.” Colossians 3:12 (NLT) “Sympathize with each other. Love each other as brothers and sisters. Be tenderhearted and keep a humble attitude.” 1 Peter 3:8 (NLT) “It is good when you obey the royal law as found in the Scriptures: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’” James 2:8 (NLT) “Dear children, let’s not merely say that we love each other; let us show the truth by our actions.” 1 John 3:18 (NLT) The letters of Paul, Peter, James, and John provide clear directives about how followers of Jesus should treat other people. The directives and principles apply in fair weather situations and stormy situations. Inexperienced pilots utilize visual flying and fly in good weather, when roads, rivers and other landmarks are clearly visible. Experienced pilots not only fly in calm conditions but when there is a cloud cover, the wind is blowing, and conditions are subpar. In stormy weather, experienced pilots read their instruments and gauges in the cockpit and respond appropriately. Following Jesus requires more than visual flying. Following Jesus requires reading, interpreting, and believing in the instruments of spiritual flight. We can tell if we are following Jesus in stormy weather by checking ourselves for the qualities of kindness, forgiving, being tenderhearted, humble, loving, demonstrating truth – these are the readings of our “instruments”. If the instruments reveal we are not acting in kindness, forgiving, showing compassion, humility, showing or living truth; we must adjust! Kindness, tenderheartedness, forgiveness, mercy, humility, gentleness, patience, sympathy, and obeying the royal law are crucial in stormy relationships and situations. Most people can follow Jesus when the conditions are favorable. Stormy relationships and conditions reveal healthy followers of Jesus. Jesus, teach us how to read the instruments and fly with you and for you in stormy conditions. Amen

The Father's Reward

Year after year, for 61 years, Gallup’s 10 Most Admired Men included the evangelist Billy Graham. Graham excelled in integrity, devotion and faithfulness. Graham also excelled in generosity. From his life of generosity Graham learned, “God has given us two hands—one to receive with and the other to give with. We are not cisterns made for hoarding; we are channels made for sharing.” You have two hands. One is for working, investing, earning and receiving. The other hand is for giving. One hand is the inlet, and the other hand is the outlet. The Dead Sea in Israel is dead because there is no outlet. If a person doesn’t exercise their outlet hand, they will be a “Dead Sea.” In Jesus’ longest recorded teaching he said: “When you give to the needy, sound no trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may be praised by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.” Matthew 6:2-4 (ESV) Jesus gave three instructions for giving. I want to learn these, and I hope you want to learn them too. Don’t toot your horn! Tooting your own horn for your generosity is hypocritical and praise seeking. Don’t let your left hand know what your right hand is doing. Don’t let your inlet hand know what your outlet hand is doing, and don’t let your outlet hand know what your inlet is doing. If your inlet hand thinks your outlet hand is giving too much, your inlet hand will throw a tantrum. Don’t let your inlet hand know what your outlet hand is doing. Give in secret. When a person gives without tooting their horn, they open their outlet hand and keep it secret, “your Father who sees in secret will reward you.” I don’t know about you, but I can’t think of anything better than the reward of the Father! I want the Father’s reward! How about you?

The BIGNESS of God

I have been thinking about the BIGNESS of God this week. When a person’s view of God is accurate, it impacts every other area of a person’s life. If I view God incorrectly, I cannot help but perceive my importance and the importance of others inaccurately. 3,000 years ago, King David wrote about his view of God. “When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is mankind that you are mindful of them, human beings that you care for them?” Psalms 8:3-4 (NIV) David was pondering the universe, galaxies, stars, and the moon, and he realized how insignificant people are. My paraphrase of the question David posed to God: “You are so big and what you’ve created is so vast, why would you ever think about us?” When I understand how big God is, it puts me in my place. He’s big, I’m little, and I’m the same size as everyone else. I’m no bigger than anyone else, I’m no better than anyone else, and I’m driven to see others appropriately. I’m driven to be “mindful” of others and “care” for them. If God is GREAT BIG and is mindful of others and cares for others, surely those made in His image should do the same. “Who among the gods is like you, LORD? Who is like you—majestic in holiness, awesome in glory, working wonders?” Exodus 15:11 (NIV) Is it any wonder the Scriptures describe Moses as “a very humble man, more humble than anyone else?” Moses’ view of the grandeur of God seeded humility in his life. I want a clearer view of the awesomeness of God! God, Help me see you clearly. Amen

The Hard Work of Humility

Since I pastor a local church and have been in church leadership for 40 years, I follow the church world fairly closely. During times of crisis or transition and around elections, Christians often quote 2 Chronicles 7:14. The setting for the oft quoted verse is the completion of Solomon’s Temple. Solomon prayed a dedication prayer over the Temple and prayed for God’s favor and blessing. He then petitioned God to show mercy and forgiveness, when the people of God sinned against God and other people. One night following the dedication of the Temple, God appeared to Solomon in the night and spoke to him. “At times I might shut up the heavens so that no rain falls, or command grasshoppers to devour your crops, or send plagues among you. Then if my people who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sins and restore their land. My eyes will be open and my ears attentive to every prayer made in this place.” (2 Chronicles 7:12-15 NLT) God spoke the promise to Solomon regarding times when God might bring and allow hardship on His people. “At times I might shut up the heavens and no rain will fall; I might send grasshoppers and plagues.” It is under those conditions that God gave Solomon, his descendants and the people of God the if/then promise “IF my people who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, [THEN] I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sins and restore their land.” My experience is that Christians emphasize the middle part of the verses, “pray and seek my face,” but not so much on the beginning, “humble themselves,” and the end “turn from their wicked ways.” Prayer and seeking God’s face are the convenient and simpler portion of the verses. Humbling ourselves and turning from wicked ways is inconvenient and hard to do. The humbling process is hard and painful. Who of us enjoys admitting that they are ignorant, selfish, self-centered, and wrong? God requires humility AND turning from wickedness for him to hear our prayers. “Know-it-all” attitudes, pettiness and judgmentalism expose the sins of pride and arrogance. “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” James 4:6 I’m on a crusade to humble myself! I depend on God’s grace, so I must humble myself.

The Second Mile Way of Living

Jesus often taught counterintuitive truths and principles: “Give and you will receive,” and “Keep your life and you’ll lose it, lose your life and you’ll save it,” and “If you want to be the greatest you must become the servant of everyone.” I’m convinced that most of Jesus’ teachings caused the hearers to scratch their heads in confusion. One of the counterintuitive principles that Jesus taught is “If anyone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles.” (Matthew 5:41 ESV) I bet there were more than a few raised eyebrows from angry, frustrated, and irate people who heard Jesus' teaching. “Really Jesus? Someone FORCES me to go one mile, and I’m supposed to volunteer to go two miles with him?” Jesus' statement requires some details to understand what he was saying. In Roman occupied Israel, a Jewish Roman law required someone to carry the belongings of a Roman soldier who demanded it but only for one mile. Jesus multiplied the one-mile requirement to two miles. Jesus was saying, “If a soldier demands you to carry his pack one mile, carry it two miles.” Refusing to carry the pack, even one mile is intuitive, volunteering to carrying a pack two miles is counterintuitive. Fully committed followers of Jesus are “second mile people.” Jesus’ way is to travel the extra mile unless the first mile is immoral, unethical, or disobedient to God’s way. If it would be wrong for a person to go one mile, then obviously the second mile would also be wrong. If authorities demand that a Jesus follower, pastor, or teacher stop speaking against abortion, that would violate God’s standard and the demand would call for civil disobedience. It would be wrong, disobedient, and immoral to help a woman abort her baby. If one mile is wrong, then the second mile is also wrong. If in the current context, wearing a mask and social distancing is the required one mile. What is the second mile? Wearing a mask without complaint? Are you seeking to live as a “second miler?” The first mile is obedience. The second mile is the Jesus’ way.

Quick To Listen and Slow to Speak

I’ve spent hours listening over the last few weeks. Listening to preachers, politicians, reporters, farmers, athletes, and many others concerning the protests and race issues our country is swimming through. I’ve been looking over my shoulder, both left and right, because I realize I have “blind spots.” I only see what I see, and I only understand what I understand.

By listening, I’ve learned about the “red line,” “Juan Crow Laws,” “In-groups” and “out-groups.” I’ve learned about the difference between bias, racism and discrimination. I am in elementary school about these issues. I’m learning about “espoused theory” and “theory in use.” I’m listening to descriptions of “white girl hair,” and learning that every person is 99.5 percent identical in genetic makeup. I’ve learned that saying “I don’t see color” is divisive, even when said with or from the motive of inclusiveness and love.

Jesus’ brother James wrote: “You must all be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to get angry.” (James 1:19 NLT) Too often when I face trials and struggles, I am quick to speak and too slow to listen. In the struggle our society is facing, I am intentionally closing my mouth, opening my heart and listening intently. I have an incredible amount to learn about the issues we are all facing.

Micah, the prophet who spoke for God 700 years before Jesus said: “He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the LORD require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?” (Micah 6:8 ESV)

What is good? What does the Lord require? Do justice, love kindness, and walk humbly with God.

Jesus, teach me. I want to live justly, practice kindness and walk humbly with you.

Confessing The Sins of America

I have been considering an example from the Jewish Scriptures, when one of the leaders of God’s people confessed the sins of the Jewish people. Daniel had not participated in the sin, but he was part of the people group or nation that perpetuated it.

As a POW in Babylon, Daniel was reading the words of the prophet Jeremiah. As he read, understanding of their situation and the seventy years they were to spend in Babylon broke his heart. Daniel recorded his actions: “So I turned to the Lord God and pleaded with him in prayer and fasting. I also wore rough burlap and sprinkled myself with ashes.” Daniel 9:3 NLT

Daniel had not been part of the sin, rebellion, and disobedience, but he was Jewish, and these were the sins of the Jewish people. Daniel Chapter 9 is the record of Daniel’s repentance and confession of the sins of Israel. Daniel saw it as his responsibility as a member of the Jewish nation to confess the sins of his nation. “I prayed to the LORD my God and confessed: ‘O Lord, you are a great and awesome God! … We have sinned and done wrong. We have rebelled against you and scorned your commands and regulations. We have refused to listen … as you see, our faces are covered with shame. … O LORD, we … are covered with shame because we have sinned against you.’”

Daniel 9:4-11 NLT

I am an American and therefore I am responsible for injustice and need to do my part to bring about justice. I have spent time this week confessing the sins of America. As a nation we have oppressed people and continue to oppress people. We are guilty and we are responsible. I’ve been praying that God will have mercy on America and Americans. I have been praying that God would raise up leaders who can show the way through the racial darkness.

God, have mercy on America and move us forward in racial equality. Amen

Humility

One desperately needed characteristic today is humility. The age of superstars, celebrity brands, selfies, and social media feeds pride, the opposite of humility.

While writing about humility and pride C. S. Lewis wrote, “A proud man is always looking down on things and people; and, of course, as long as you are looking down, you cannot see something that is above you.”

Long ago, Friedrich Nietzsche observed that the “will to power” is the basic drive in human nature. There is no need to teach a child to exert their will in a power play. Grasping for power runs through people of every age and every level of social strata. Pride is both the fertile soil where the “will to power” grows and the fertilizer that boosts its growth.

Three thousand years ago Solomon included these words in his collection of Proverbs. “Pride comes before destruction” and, “humility comes before honor.” (Proverbs 16:18, Proverbs 15:33) The Apostle Peter commented on the juxtaposition of pride and humility when he wrote, “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” 1 Peter 5:5 ESV.

Rick Warren shortened a definition that C. S. Lewis wrote of humility by saying; “Humility is not thinking less of yourself; it is thinking of yourself less. Humility is thinking more of others.”

Jesus, work humility into my life and into the lives of those that I influence. Amen.