Suck it Up!

Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him. But he must ask in faith without any doubting, for the one who doubts is like the surf of the sea, driven and tossed by the wind. For that man ought not to expect that he will receive anything from the Lord, being a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways. James 1:2-8



I'm going to try and not turn this into Whiner-fest '99 but we are turning out a generation of wimps and whiners. For years we've allowed Christians to portrayed in movies & t.v. as whiners and wimps. I remember a good friend of mine several years ago saying "Christians are not weak-kneed, wishy-washy wimps!" It's time to challenge ourselves to have the biblical version of "belief" and "hope". We intimidate our kids by telling them they have it harder than anyone else has ever had it. Instead we should focus on the FACT, not theory, that Jesus has overcome the world!!!! Mike Aquilina gave us some insight to the challenge given to the children of the 1st Century Church




"How did the Fathers do it? They made wild promises.They promised young people great things, like persecution, lower social status, public ridicule, severely limited employment opportunities, frequent fasting, a high risk of jail and torture, and maybe, just maybe, an early, violent death at the hands of their pagan rulers. The Fathers looked young people in the eye and called them to live purely in the midst of a pornographic culture. They looked at some young men and women and boldly told them they had a calling to virginity. And it worked. Even the pagans noticed how well it worked."



All humans to some degree are selfish and it's something we fight all of our lives but many Christians out there are not fighting it. Unfortunately it's passed on to their kids. I guess what I'm challenging myself to do is to continue to press on to the maturity ("perfect and complete") mentioned in the previous verse.

James tells us the only path to maturity in Christ is to suffer. Suffer with the right attitude. Remember how Jesus told the disciples to fast? He told them not to do it like the hypocrites, who whined and made it known how uncomfortable they were (Matthew 6:16-18). James picks up where Jesus left off by starting with the attitude we are to have when faced with hardship. He said "Consider it all joy", some translations say "Count it as a pure gift from God". Everytime we face a hardship, we must fight our selfishness and look at it as an opportunity to get better! We would do well to remember there are at least two forms of criticism, positive and negative but even the negative from the Christian perspective should be well recieved. I know from experience this is not easy but I'm thankful I didn't have a parent who crippled me by running to protect me from every form of discipline or hardship. It seems everyday I have to remind myself that "God disciplines those whom He loves"(Hebrews 12:5). God's love is shown by His willingness to do whatever it takes to have a relationship with us (John 3:16). Our love for each other is so often shown by doing and saying what other's would not, no matter how much they may say they hate us for doing it. God took that chance and so we must do the same.

Better

And you have forgotten that word of encouragement that addresses you as sons: "My son, do not make light of the Lord's discipline, and do not lose heart when he rebukes you, because the Lord disciplines those he loves, and he punishes everyone he accepts as a son." Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as sons. For what son is not disciplined by his father?

~Hebrews 12:5-7

I remember growing up and hearing adults often say, “I want my kid(s) to have it better than I did as a kid.” A statement filled with good intentions but unfortunately it can, if taken too far, have a very negative impact on young people.

First of all, due to technology and other advances kids really can't help but have it better than their parents, in some aspects. What this statement often means is the removal of some or all hardships from a child or teenager's life. Which in turn ill-equips young people to deal with problems that they will inevitably face.

I know I'm a big hypocrite because I have reaped many benefits by my mother's and other's hard labor. I have a nice cushy job teaching namely because of the hardships I've seen my mother face. I was on the other hand at least told “no” from time to time and had to work from the time I was 15. I appreciate my mother, who demanded me to get a job or face the alternative of “no car.” Why? Well because it helped me to make decisions about what was really important to me and it taught me how to balance work, school and extracurricular activities. It also taught me about contentment and the desire to better myself. I know those sound like polar opposites but a good understanding of where you should be and how to get better the “right way,” is healthy.

Another learning experience my mother forced on me was working for my hometown gas department one summer during my college career. I spent the summer digging ditches and hearing some of the most awful jokes you can imagine. My Christianity was tested everyday. Most of you may be thinking, ‘how could a mother put her son in such an awkward situation.’ Well, take it from me, there are several benefits. First of all, I came out of that summer more determined than ever to get a college degree. Second, I learned how to deal with those I don't see “eye to eye” with even if they are louder than me (yeah it's possible). Third, it re-confirmed there is great benefit in hard labor. I came home worn out everyday and it felt great!

I can't see God making the “I want my kids to have it better” statement because He's already given us the best (Ephesians 2:1-9)! If you are like me it's really easy to lose sight of that fact. Remembering what He has already done for us with the possibility of rejection, helps me remember the passage from Hebrews 12:5-7. I like how in verse seven it basically defines the parent/child relationship by the discipline aspect. Now I'm not coming out in favor of the constant belittling of a child or “fathers provoking children to wrath” but a good healthy, loving parent/child relationship is outlined with great communication and discipline!

Now, please pray for me to remember this article when my time comes as a parent.

I Can Do Nothing

Before reading opinion read the truth: John 5:16-23

One of the most amazing statements found in the New Testament if not the Bible is when Jesus says ". . . the Son can do nothing of Himself, but what He sees the Father do"(John 5:19). Keep in mind this is the same person that John said "All things were made through"(John 1:3). Not only was Jesus there with God when the world was created but it could not have been made without Him. Yet, He says I can do nothing without the Father's approval.

Several points can be made from this and hopefully I won't get too "preachy". 

I guess the first is how important our influence is to those around us. I remember the phrase "Like father, like son". We all have a responsibility to influence others for the right but it gets difficult when we fail to realize how self absorbed we can be. Which leads me to the next thought I had.

How much influence for good can we be without the supreme standard of righteousness in complete control of our lives? One of my good friends says often "We all have as much of God as we want." If we are really honest with ourselves how much can we accomplish without God? Who provides the air we breath? Who provides the grace that allows us to mess up in the presence of the supreme standard? God provided an instruction manual to inform us of the standard.

This instruction manual isn't treated as a life saving tool. Our sense of urgency towards the word is often surpassed by our sense of entertainment. Ok now I know I sound "preachy" and even hypocritical sense I'm in a band. How are we to know "what Jesus would do" if we don't know what He did when He was here in the flesh?

Really it all goes back to humility. Am I humble enough to "allow" the Father to direct my every thought just like Jesus.

This was all started when I noticed just how self absorbed middle schoolers are and wondered where they learned to be that way. Surely not me. . .

Fine China or Paper Plate?

Before reading this opinion, read the truth: John 4

Yahweh: Fine China or paper plate? 

I recently asked myself this question. Is God something to be put up and only used during special occasions such as a funeral or a celebration?  Is God versatile, like a paper plate, able to contain a sloppy joe or chicken casserole. Yahweh can be reused or provide a clean slate when necessary (for those of you who are particular about your food). 

The Jews were sternly instructed to be very careful of Yahweh because if they came in the presence of God, he would break out against them because of their defiled hearts. Not just anyone could run into the Holy of Holies and try to give God a "five" and ask God, "How have you been?" There were rituals and laws that provided for the careful guidance of entering God's presence. We have several occasions when the Israelites slipped up and people lost their lives because of a lapse in judgment. 

Keeping that in mind, can you picture how the Jews would've felt when John wrote about the "Word was God", "Word became flesh and dwelt (tabernacled) among us" (John 1) and "touched with our hands the Word of life" (1 John 1). John is speaking of the same God who warned the Israelites about coming into his presence, much less touching him. Yet, John is proclaiming to have seen, embraced, and heard God! Can you imagine how a conservative Jew would've thought about such a blasphemous statement? You'd receive a similar reaction, if you went home right now and started throwing your mom's fine China around like a football.

John is saying to the Jews (in my words of course): "Stop going to the Temple to find God because He ain't there, He lives in you!" Before I pick on the Jews too much let's take a look at our mixed signals. Remember the song "Tip Toe in God's House", (don't get me wrong I loved over-exaggerating the tip toes) what does that tell our kids? 

1. BEWARE, God is going to get you!

2. God's presence resides at "enter your church address here" and that is where He belongs.

3."If I could just get my "heathen" friends in that church building, I know they'd be what "I" wanted them to be!

First of all the song has good intentions but it promotes a respect of God that is unbalanced. Too much fear without enough love makes us too scared to truly seek out God's heart. We can't find God's heart until we seek his presence. We can never find God's heart if we lock Him up in the church building after services are over. This is why my "heathen" friends never saw the inside of the building because they didn't see the true church (God's presence/kingdom) living in me. They certainly could be like me without going to church.

So really we are just as bad about locking God down to one spot as anyone. So is God, China or a paper plate? Is he an everyday deity or an every once in a while kind of deal? Before you give me the answer I want to hear (read or etc.), THINK and let your actions reveal the answer  to you! 

Story time: An elder was asked once, "Where is your church located?", he looked at his watch and replied "One is delivering the mail, one is teaching second grade, and another is driving a bulldozer."

(Just in case you didn't follow instructions)

The woman said to Him, "Sir, I perceive that You are a prophet. Our fathers worshiped in this mountain, and you people say that in Jerusalem is the place where men ought to worship." Jesus said to her, "Woman, believe Me, an hour is coming when neither in this mountain nor in Jerusalem will you worship the Father. You worship what you do not know; we worship what we know, for salvation is from the Jews. "But an hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for such people the Father seeks to be His worshipers. "God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth." 

John 4:19-24 (NASB)