Archive for The Fruit of the Spirit
Kindness Instead of Quarrels
Posted by: | CommentsA couple of weeks ago, Michelle was asking me when I’d weigh in about the pastor who wanted to burn Qurans. Although we’re not talking about the pastor in particular anymore, I’ve found a place where I think the Bible weighs in on the controversy – and as always, right down to our hearts, too.
I am reading my way through 2 Timothy, a book I’d have to say I don’t know too much about other than the “famous” verses that pop out. It surprised me to find some thoughts about kindness and gentleness that sound all too a propos for these days.
I have a fondness for those fruits of the Spirit that seem to get lumped together and not discussed – goodness, kindness, gentleness. This started years ago when I was asked to speak on all three for 10 minutes in a presentation on the fruits. Someone put them all together, thinking they were basically the same thing. They are not! I tried to show that in my allotted ten minutes. Then it started me on the lookout to find these qualities in the Bible for the last 25 years.
These are instructions for anyone who wants to be “the Lord’s servant.”
And the Lord’s servant must not quarrel; instead, he must be kind to everyone, able to teach, not resentful. Those who oppose him he must gently instruct, in the hope that God will grant them repentance leading them to a knowledge of the truth, and that they will come to their senses and escape from the trap of the devil, who has taken them captive to do his will. – 2 Timothy 2:23-26
There are two ways to get into a quarrel: you are drawn into one when another person becomes combative, or you pick a quarrel, saying inflammatory things that you know will lead to quarreling. If we’re told to be careful not to get pulled in to a quarrel, we certainly shouldn’t be starting one.
Now, putting “Quran Burning” in huge letters outside a church is an extreme example. (An aside: many bemoaned the attention the media gave the story. I don’t know exactly how they found the pastor, but think about it: he wanted to be found. He was picking this quarrel and hoping to amplify it.) But at home, on the smaller scale, how many times have you heard someone say the “clever” snide remark that is going to humiliate and raise ire? The one that comes to my mind is the “joke” about Adam and Steve, by which some people feel they’ve handily put down their opposition. But then there are the people who say, “Those people who believe in eternal security, they….” or, “those people who speak in tongues, they….” I’ve worshiped with both of “them” over the years. It’s a disgrace to talk about other believers like that. Because
Instead, {the Lord’s servant} must be kind to everyone, able to teach, not resentful. – 2 Timothy 2:24b
To be kind to another, we have to be respectful of him as a human being, even if we cannot respect his viewpoint. To be able to teach, we have to know Scripture, not hearsay or smart remarks. To not resent the other person’s religion and what hurtful things that religion may have done, we have to put away our pride. We are not better than the other person or his ideas. We have found Someone better than both of us. Someone who ended quarrels. Someone who was not only kind, but even gentle and humble of heart (Matthew 11:29). Someone whose very name is above any other name – most certainly our names (Philippians 2:9). The very thought of my name compared to His makes me wither. We are supposed to introduce others to that Someone – Jesus – holy and true, not someone combative and prejudiced.
Those who oppose him he must gently instruct – 2 Timothy 2:25a
If you confront a person on any subject, you need to know what your objective is. Are you bringing up your points to bring harmony, or a greater understanding? If your objective is to show the other person “what’s what”, or to make sure they know you are right and they are wrong, then pride is leading the way, not reconciliation.
Here, the gentle instruction is going to lead to evangelism, the opportunity to share who Jesus really is with the person. Posturing and put downs are never going to do it. I doubt that anyone has ever said, “Now that you’ve shredded all my beliefs and made me look like a fool, I want to accept your Jesus.” You realize that’s ridiculous once I’ve said it; do we always realize it when we’re talking to someone?
That they will come to their senses and escape from the trap of the devil, who has taken them captive to do his will. – 2 Timothy 2:26
Paul says the unbeliever is trapped. They have been taken captive, and often have been taught to take more people captive into the same false religion or cult. There’s been an outcry about human trafficking in part because we can see, and hopefully stop, the horrible kidnappers and abusers. Even when people are being belligerent about an ungodly viewpoint, Paul is saying that beneath it all, they are trapped by the real enemy that we do not see. If we could see their captivity, would we argue with them? Wouldn’t we rather work with them gently and try to get them out of there?
Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. – Philippians 4:5
Lord, it’s a human failing to want to fight and put down others. Please help us all to be kinder and gentler the next time there is a conflict of opinion and remember it’s an opportunity to show Jesus’ kindness, gentleness and love. Amen.
Patience for his Perfect Work
Posted by: | CommentsAugust 12, 2010
The night my son was born was one of the greatest moments of my life. When he was put in my arms I could immediately sense that somehow this child was special. I know every parent thinks that, but there was just something about him. He was the first boy to be born in my family in 41 years; that boy, my brother, had died in 1965, so now there was only my 81 year old father and this new little life. My father had had strokes and couldn’t speak well, but there was no disguising how pleased he was. My son showed so much promise, especially in art, where he actually started out as a prodigy. I tried to give him extra exposure to art, and opportunities to explore music and sports as well. We saw a bright future ahead.
This morning one of the worst moments of my life took place as I watched my beloved 19 year old son plead nolo contendere to the felony of dealing marijuana. I listened as he addressed the judge clearly and politely; I listened as she explained the rights that were being taken away. It stung me as she told him that the most basic right of a citizen, the right to vote, would be refused him for five years.
He got the best sentence possible under the circumstances. He was being sent to drug rehab for six months to a year instead of being exposed to the harsh and dangerous environment in our state prison. It was the outcome we had all been praying for. But my son has already started detox and rehab two weeks ago. It’s been tough for him, and he has missed home terribly. He had hoped against hope that he would only be there for three months, at most six. When the sentencing finally came, he began to close up like a turtle resolutely drawing into his shell. My son wouldn’t talk to us and wouldn’t look at us. It brought my ex-husband to tears. I felt like crying, too, but I knew I had also won a years-long battle to get my boy the help he needed, painful though it was. My son was addicted to much more dangerous drugs than the marijuana. I had finally done the only thing I could do to get him help and hopefully make it end.
I finally had my cry at the end of the day while I thought of the beautiful baby I had 19 years ago and the young man who had to stand guilty before the court this morning. How it hurt to see him punished and to know he desperately needs the correction and discipline the rehab house will give him. I wondered if God “weeps”, or the spiritual equivalent, when we disobey and must receive harsh consequences. Do my actions hurt the heart of God the way my son’s actions hurt mine? It makes me think a lot differently about my own disobedience.
I was thinking tonight about a verse I must have learned decades ago because the way I recalled it was in the King James Version, which I haven’t used in a long time. This is the New King James Version of the verse:
My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing. – James 1:2 -4
Patience has its perfect work to do. Patience (or perseverance in the NIV) was the quality I need to call upon in the months ahead. Even though my son doesn’t trust in Jesus, he is going to have to learn patience, too. He needs patience with the situation he’s in and the rehab where he must stay. He needs patience with himself to face the feelings that led him to use street drugs and prescription drugs to feel better. And many of us are hoping and praying that someday he will have patience because he recognizes that it is the Lord who is bringing healing to his life.
Tomorrow is a new day to pray for my son. Tomorrow is also a new day for me to count my trials “all joy” and be patient while God works patience in me.
Postscript: It is now the end of August and Jon is beginning to enjoy the feeling of being drug free. He is starting to gain perspective and it’s wonderful to see the “real” Jon unmasked by the drugs. It’s a real encouragement to see him start down the right road.
Anointing with the Oil of Joy
Posted by: | CommentsMy last blog was about my son Jon’s near death experience with heroin and other drugs. I’d been studying rejoicing, one of the fruits of the Spirit. Rejoice in all things, Paul said. Now that “all things” weren’t so hot, I challenged myself.
The first reason to rejoice: my son lived. He awoke at the hospital and was able to talk to us. Later, while he slept, I watched his breathing the way parents watch a newborn’s little breaths while he sleeps. It seemed no less a miracle to me now as it had then. Looking into his groggy blue eyes, I was so thankful I was even seeing them again.
I rejoiced in what Jon had to say when he awoke. I’m really sorry, he said. I know I need help. I want to get clean. I want to go to rehab. Of course his bravado returned in a couple of days, but in all these years of drug use he had never, ever acknowledged that he was at rock bottom and needed help. Unmasked in the seriousness of the situation, he admitted that he’d lost control of his drug use.
Another blessing in disguise: Jon had pneumonia and had to stay in the hospital for a few days. There he was able to see how many people cared about him as friends visited. He was not so alone in the world as he had imagined.
Something unusual happened when we found Jon in his bedroom at home. He had been saving a two-liter soda bottle filled with water. His friend, Jesse, had brought it over the last time he visited us and had forgotten it there. After Jesse died Jon kept the water bottle on the floor like a relic, and it was by his feet when we found him unconscious. I knew that was “holy water” as far as Jon was concerned, but one of his friends grabbed the bottle and threw the water on his face to try and revive him. When I told Jon what happened to the water, he said, “So he saved me. Jesse saved me.”
At the most I would entertain the idea that the hand of Jesus was guiding Jesse’s when he left that bottle there almost two years ago. But after that Jon didn’t ridicule God again. If I mentioned God, he never again told me that there was no God and my beliefs were on par with the Tooth Fairy. He saw in that forgotten water bottle a spiritual intervention to save his life, and he gave up his insistence that the world consisted only of what we can touch and see. It’s a start. I rejoice.
I wasn’t prepared to be tested and tempted to display my worst attitudes.
After nine hours of standing watch over my son, I left the hospital. Getting away will be a relief from the tension, right? Oh, no. The assault came immediately.
I sat down to eat at a restaurant with family members. All I wanted was a respite and a bowl of soup. They had an agenda. (Do not eat with people with agendas. It spoils the digestion.)
I tried three times to change the subject, but one family member was completely undeterred. She was going to ask every question about Jon’s situation then and there. She caught me when I was tired, scared, and hungry. It was not a good conversation.
As we left the restaurant, she berated me for not “making connections” and not “giving trust”. She said that as I’d called her early in the morning about Jon’s condition, she was entitled to details. I said nothing, but I left the parking lot furious. Couldn’t she see I’d had enough? Why didn’t she care about the condition I was in? What made her think I owed her anything? Couldn’t she let me eat in peace?
I knew I needed to forgive them, but the restless waves that often form our family relationships rose to a tsunami. This has really crossed the line, I fumed. There was no consideration for me. She didn’t want to know about Jon, she wanted information for her own gratification. They think if they’d been Jon’s mother they’d be doing a better job. They’d know the answers. They’d get him in rehab. They think I failed.
I was upset, too, that anger and unforgiveness were getting the better of me. I kept thinking of the lines of an old gospel song: “Joy, joy, joy/ Joy in the Holy Ghost/ Don’t let anybody rob your joy/ there’s joy in the Holy Ghost”. In the hospital I had tried so hard to rejoice in this disaster. Now this situation had robbed my precious joy and replaced it with a rock-hard heart, and I hadn’t stopped it. I’d even reveled in it. Weren’t their bad behaviors rooted in attitudes I had suspected all along? Didn’t they deserve my contempt?
My mind came back to Philippians 2:5 – 7:
Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus:
Who, being in very nature God,
Did not consider equality with God something to be grasped,
But made Himself nothing……
Equality with God is a big deal for Jesus to let slip from His grasp. It’s one of the many humbling things He did for us. I have what I think of as my own big deals. I mean, they’re big deals to me, but God’s not so impressed. What if that passage said:
Anne should not consider being respected as something to be grasped; or
Anne should not consider always being right as something to be grasped; or
Anne should not consider always having her way as something to be grasped.
I have a feeling there could be a hundred more of those uncomfortable little phrases informing me I have to let my grasp go.
In Psalm 45, the bridegroom is praised in this way:
You love righteousness and hate wickedness;
Therefore God, your God, has set you above your companions
By anointing you with the oil of joy.
Psalm 45:7
I pray that I would hate the wickedness that would have my heart,
And I would lift my hands to praise God,
And He would anoint them with the oil of joy
So my grasp would slip from the things that would rob me.
Joy in the Trial
Posted by: | CommentsOne thing I’m noticing about rejoicing: we are told to rejoice in the most unlikely circumstances. The apostle Paul is full of joy while he’s under house arrest, while out on the streets of Rome, mixed in with true evangelists, men with false motives are also preaching the gospel. The book of James launches right in: “Count it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds…” (James 1:2) As I’m looking at Paul’s example and James’ lesson, I just knew the moment was coming for me to test this out.
Boy, did it ever.
Last Tuesday morning at 3 a.m. I found myself in my son Jon’s room. Two of his friends and I had found him unconscious in a chair. The air was thick with pot. Jon was covered in vomit, ashen, and not breathing. Not breathing.
“Call 911,” I ordered one of his friends while I picked up Jon’s lolling head and supported his neck. I pulled him upright and found it caused him to gasp for air past the vomit in his airway. I kept doing it. “Keep breathing, Jon,” I told him, but he wasn’t breathing except for those gasps I forced his lungs to take. As I looked at my hand behind his neck I had a flashback to supporting his newborn head in the first moments I had ever held him. Nineteen years later, was I doing this for the last time?
Of course, we didn’t arrive at this wretched scene from out of the blue. At the beginning, Jon was a longed for and cherished baby, the first boy in 41 years on my side of the family. We loved and nurtured him intellectually, spiritually and physically. But even as a baby Jon was stubborn. Every limit had to be tested, every barrier needed a battering ram.
Around the seventh grade the first strands began to unravel. There were sliding grades, problems at school, and the beginnings of drug abuse. Yes, there were serious problems in our home, but Jon was going out and heaping problem upon problem. We tried to get him help, but Jon was like a tornado headed out on his own path, churning up more trouble than we could keep up with.
Where did we go wrong? Did we go wrong? We certainly got plenty of advice. Advice, however, is cheap. Solutions were nonexistent.
There had been two other episodes with drugs and two other polices visits to our home. Each time we hoped it would be the clarion call that would wake up Jon. Then, when he was 17, one of his closest friends died in an accident. Jon became fatalistic and started taking unreasonable risks. Worst of all, he refused to believe in God.
Where was the little boy who loved Bibleman and Captain Bible, who sat on my lap for hours while I read Little Pilgrim’s Progress and The Chronicles of Narnia? We were forced to watch Jon’s faith sink into fatalism just as we helplessly saw the drug abuser’s mindset overtake him.
Tonight was by far the worst. As we waited for the police to come, one of his friends, a Christian boy he’d known all his life, prayed over him frantically. Once the policeman was standing by me, I remember saying, “Thank God”. Isn’t that what we always think? That the police and rescue will come, and they will fix it?
The police found the needle, and the tracks on his arm, and another dose of heroin in his room. Later we would find out that on this night, he’d used a concoction of Xanax, pot, vodka, and three shots of heroin. When he got to the ambulance, his respiration rate was 6. People on their deathbeds have rates of 6.
No one was offering any assurances that they caught him in time. They put him in the ambulance; the doors swung shut. The ambulance didn’t leave for a while. Not good. I looked at those closed doors and wondered if I would ever see Jon again. Jon’s 16 year old sister and I stood on the lawn and bawled, not caring who in the neighborhood would hear us in the middle of the night.
Count it all joy. Somehow.
More to follow about Jon later this week.
Goodness and the Heart
Posted by: | CommentsToday I noticed that two portions of the Word, the story of the rich young ruler and the parable of the workers, Matthew 19:16 – 30 and Matthew 20: 1 – 16 respectively, are meant to go together. Perhaps you have had an astute pastor who has pointed that out to you along the way, but I’d never realized it. Today I’m looking at the account of the young ruler.
The young ruler starts off by asking Jesus what good thing will earn him eternal life, but Jesus asks him,
“Why do you ask me about what is good? There is only One who is good.” – Matthew 19:17a
In the accounts of this story in Mark and Luke, the ruler calls Jesus “Good Teacher,” and Jesus replies to that also that only God is good. Jesus is the Son of God, but He knows that “Ruler” isn’t going to take Him that seriously as the story unfolds. It tells us, too, that the fruit of goodness is definitely not innately in ourselves. It is only gained by reflecting the goodness of God.
“For the Lord is good and His love endures forever; His faithfulness continues through all generations.” – Psalm 100:5
God’s goodness is rock solid and steadfast. Ruler is just about to start thinking that Jesus’ words are not so good.
Ruler wants to know how to be saved, and Jesus mentions several of the Ten Commandments which deal with how you treat others, and adds “Love your neighbor as yourself,” which appears later on in Leviticus. He does not confront Ruler with the commandments dealing more with our relationship to God. Why? Maybe because loving God with all our heart, soul, mind and strength is one commandment no one could have possibly kept fully. Maybe because Jesus knew Ruler was looking for something to do, or to avoid, and he wasn’t thinking of a deep love of God.
As it is, Ruler seems to feel assured that he has always treated others well, and tells Jesus that he has kept them all. But there is more. Jesus tells him that one thing is lacking.
Jesus answered, “If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow Me. – Matthew 19:21
Jesus speaks to what Ruler is interested in, his unblemished record. But to do something as difficult as leave his life as a rich man, Ruler will have to surrender his heart to God.
Jesus wants Ruler to change his ideas radically. His earthly treasure needs to be shared, even to the point that he would be wealthy no more. The new treasure his heart will be set upon will be in heaven. What he can see and hold here, and the security and enjoyment it brings, will go for good. What kind of treasure awaits him in heaven? He will have to trust that Jesus, as the Son of God, knows about that.
Moreover, I think the challenge Jesus sets before Ruler gives us a further clue about goodness. God is good, not just nice. Reflecting God’s goodness is not a show of good manners. Ruler has controlled his behavior toward others, but it takes a complete change of heart and a trust in the goodness and protection of God to give away his possessions to the point that he gives away his way of life.
In Ruler’s case this involves money and a privileged lifestyle. But the “riches” that hold us back may be our families, our relationships, our physical beauty or strength, our standing in our community, our advanced education. Anything that makes us feel superior and comfortable could be our riches. Jesus could be calling us today to put it at His feet, or if applicable, use our talents for those who have not, instead of building up ourselves.
When the young man heard this, he went away sad, because he had great wealth. – Matthew 19:22
This sad result is the reason I wondered at the beginning if Ruler understood that he was not talking to a good teacher but to the Lord Himself. A good teacher could give bad advice, but if he knew the advice was from God, would he have been so quick to back away?
Jesus tells his disciples that parting with riches is no small thing, and they make it difficult for the rich to enter the kingdom of God – but not impossible.
Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” – Matthew 19:26
Did Ruler realize that had he been willing, God would have given him the strength to make it possible? Do we realize it in what we’re facing today?
“Let goods and kindred go, This mortal life also
The body they may kill, God’s truth abideth still:
His kingdom is forever.”
– Martin Luther, from “A Mighty Fortress is Our God
The Fruit of the Spirit: The Bigger Picture
Posted by: | CommentsYesterday Michelle was kind enough to post for me on “my” day. I got up this morning and found that she had posted for me in more ways than one. Her message about freedom was very nearly the post I intended to write today. I’m going ahead because I am going to look at it from a slightly different angle, and because when God says something important in Scripture you find He has said it again, even a number of times. Maybe we need to hear this more than once because it’s so important to us right now. I know I do.
I started looking at the whole passage of Galatians where you find the verse about the fruit of the Spirit, Galatians 5:16 – 26. I’ve been blogging about some individual fruits of the Spirit without looking at the bigger picture.
First, Paul has laid out the reason why his instructions are so important: we are fighting a war.
For the sinful nature desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the sinful nature. They are in conflict with each other, so that you do not do what you want. – Galatians 5:17
"Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves." Where can I turn when what I see in the mirror of God's Word seems to condemn me?
The war is not overseas, it is right here in front of us. Worse, in this conflict between the Spirit and the sin nature, we feel drawn to the enemy side. We find the list of sins nauseating when we read them, but they don’t always seem so bad when the opportunity presents itself.
The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. – Galatians 5:19 – 21a
Sounds awful, doesn’t it, at the moment? Paul even trails off from naming them all. Our enemy has plenty of temptations and enticements. Following along with them brings dire consequences:
I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God. – Galatians 5:21b
Why would anybody who lives like this be interested in inheriting the kingdom of God, I wondered. Then I remembered those many who hear, and like what they hear, and do what they want anyway.
Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. Anyone who listens to the word but does not does not do what it says is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. – James 1:22 – 24
Have we walked away from personal inventory and forgotten what our own soul looks like? It is an inward act of the sinful nature that is potentially more dangerous than the ones in the list above. In this war, as a soldier on the Kingdom side, I do have my orders: stay away; flee; cast them off; push them away because they no longer have a part of you.
And we have help: God knows the battle we fight between our spirits and the sinful nature. “They are in conflict with each other, so that you do not do what you want.”
Thank God for the hope in these next verses. Paul proclaims decisively,
So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature. – Galatians 5:16
It doesn’t say, “With great and sad longing for your sinful ways, you can just eke out a victory, or a draw.” “You won’t feel freed up, but you can pull it off.” It says, “You will not gratify.” You can step forward and win the battle and be free, and get away from the law. After listing the results of living by the Spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control, Paul adds, “Against such there is no law.” – see Galatians 5:22 -24
Now both Michelle and I want always to stress that any command to do something outwardly flows from something inward. You can’t just take these lists and say, “Okay, don’t do this, do that, and I’ll go to heaven.” It leaves you still under the law, and you won’t win. Oh, you may think you win, but there will still be sin balanced against the good works, and the good works may not be as pure in motivation as they seemed, and you need to be cleaned from all sin. What will wipe clean the sin side of the scales once and for all?
The thing that has cleansed us, given us a second spiritual birth, and given us the power to do good things and feel free in doing them is our belief in Jesus – a belief that is so strong that we have given our lives over to Him. When we heard His words, when we saw our sinful souls in the mirror, we did not absentmindedly walk away. Inwardly we have made the decision to serve God. Look at the power that God gives us in this next verse:
Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires. – Galatians 5:24
We crucify the sinful nature. We admit our sins and call our sins a part of all the sins Christ paid for when He was on the cross. Now, because Jesus Christ is triumphant, we can win our battles.
The last verse in the passage is a warning:
Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other. – Galatians 5:26
In other words, avoid the trap of now weighing on the scales your success at producing fruit against that of others, or concerning yourself with the size and scope of the work you are called to in comparison to others. You just don’t know the way God is working in someone else’s life. Throw away the scales and let God prune His fruit trees as only He knows best.
Peace from the God of Peace
Posted by: | CommentsAs I came to the end of Philippians, I noticed Paul spoke about peace twice. He started his letter wishing them God’s peace, too. With all the previous talk of joy, wouldn’t you think joy could buoy you through anything? But no, and even in my own quiet time I found a verse where joy and peace in particular are working together:
You will go out in joy and be led forth in peace – Isaiah 55:12a
Paul is giving his final instructions and he tells the Philippians that they don’t have to be anxious about the things that concern them:
Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. – Philippians 4:6
God is ready to hear. But look at the promised result. It’s not, “Your prayer will be answered in the order in which it was received,” although sometimes we might like to hear that! The promise that comes in response to our requests is something very different:
And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. – Philippians 4:7
We are promised God’s peace. It’s not the peace we understand here, the absence of war, a quiet night, a unity between us and others. The peace of God is a deeper assurance than anything else we know of that God sees all, and all is at the right place at the right time. This is as best as I can do to explain it.
Not long ago I realized I didn’t have peace inside me, and I realized I’d never asked, either. When I asked God for peace I can only tell you what I received in my own human terms, which is ridiculous because God’s peace is not like the human version at all. For me, it felt as if He were showing me that He knew all my problems, all the discouraging details, and He had His hand on it all, so I could completely relax.
The last part of the sentence promises what this peace will do: guard our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Peace will guard us from the anxiety that so wants to return. When Jesus explains the parable of the sower, He tells us that some hear the gospel with joy and then wither in the face of trouble or persecution. Others believe but don’t see the fruits of the Spirit show up in their lives because of the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth (see Matthew 13:20 – 23). We can refocus on past worries, or become worried about something new. But we have a guard to protect us: the peace of God in Christ Jesus.
Paul goes on to remind us how to keep our minds focused on Jesus and not the former, or potential future, problems.
Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable – if anything is excellent or praiseworthy – think about such things. – Philippians 4:8
And then Paul gives himself as an example of one who has focused on Jesus. It sounds nervy. He’s not giving one example where his faith in Christ prevails. He says,
Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me – put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you. – Philippians 4:9
He offers the Philippians to look at his whole record, in person and in the letter. I think only someone who has really put his whole life in God’s hands and experienced His peace in an ongoing way could dare to do that. Notice that the promise for focusing on Jesus has changed: not God’s peace, but the God of peace will be with you. Focusing on Jesus brings us to see and know: God is present with us.
I shared this verse with a friend of mine this week. In Philippians, Paul explained how to give our problems and focus our minds on God. It’s a principle that Paul would have been familiar with from this wonderful verse in Isaiah:
God will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on Thee: because He trusts in Thee. – Isaiah 26:3, KJV
Joy in Serving Jesus – Song
Posted by: | CommentsToday’s blog is a companion piece to “Where is the Joy Part 3,” which I wrote last week.
When I wrote my blog about the joy in serving, I had an old hymn in mind. So old, in fact, that I went through four hymnals before finding it! Evidently this one, written in the early 1930’s, has been passed by over time.
The lyricist, Oswald J. Smith, found the secret that finding what Jesus would have you do lifts your own burdens and brings great joy. He writes about that secret in the fourth verse. He knows, too, that the joy that Jesus gives never fades. The last line of the chorus says, “There is joy, joy, joy that never shall depart.”
Mr. Smith had a real experience. He was not writing about doctrine he’d picked up somewhere. “Joy that throbs within my heart” doesn’t come from what he knows, it comes from what he’s lived. That’s what I love about this hymn. This heartfelt testimony about lasting joy is still true 80 years later, and we can still have that joy.
Joy in Serving Jesus
There is Joy in serving Jesus,
As I journey on my way,
Joy that fills the heart with praises,
Every hour and every day.
Chorus: There is joy, joy,
Joy in serving Jesus
Joy that throbs within my heart;
Every moment, every hour,
As I draw upon His power,
There is joy, joy,
Joy that never shall depart.
There is joy in serving Jesus,
Joy that triumphs over pain;
Fills my soul with heaven’s music,
Till I join the glad refrain.
There is joy in serving Jesus,
As I walk alone with God;
“Tis the joy of Christ, my Saviour,
Who the path of suffering trod.
There is joy in serving Jesus,
Joy amid the darkest night,
For I’ve learned the wondrous secret,
And I’m walking in the light.
Since I’ve come to realize this hymn is well known to me but probably not to others, I searched for a YouTube video so you can hear the song, composed by Bentley D. Ackley. This is definitely a home grown church video, but you’ll be able to hear the music and these words together.
I hope you enjoy this song and that it will encourage you all the more to draw on Jesus’ power and find the “Joy that never shall depart.”
Gentleness Evident to All
Posted by: | CommentsLately I’ve been looking at Philippians to learn about joy. Today I want to examine another fruit of the Spirit that Paul mentions in Philippians that we don’t often talk about.
Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. – Philippians 4:5
All of us who have felt the Holy Spirit was impressing something upon us, especially with words of correction, know that He is incredibly gentle. He doesn’t deal with us harshly.
“Come now, let us reason together,” says the Lord. – Isaiah 1:18a
The God of the universe is under no obligation to reason with us! He could simply proclaim His will and order us to do it. But God is love (1John 4:16b) and He lovingly chooses the way of gentleness.
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. – Matthew 11:29 & 30
This is Jesus describing Himself – gentle and humble – as He makes this offer of fellowship with Him. In contrast, some people have been taught that God is completely unknowable, or distant, or harshly judgmental. The gentleness and non-manipulative nature of Jesus is a distinctive of Christianity. It should, then, be a distinctive trait of His believers.
I used to think of the phrase “the Lord is near” as if it were saying, “Uh-oh, He’s watching us.” I’m changing my mind about that in this way: as we interact with others, the Lord is near us, as He always is. Our gentle words and actions should remind the believer, and show the unbeliever, that God is here with us.
Now the apostle Peter certainly did not cushion his evangelism by hiding any difficult truths. In the first sermon on the day of Pentecost, people were “cut to the heart” by his message and asked what they needed to do.
Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins.” – Acts 2:38a
There was no dancing around the sin issue here. But in his epistle Peter counsels us to remember gentleness when sharing the gospel:
Always be prepared to give and answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect, keeping a clear conscience, so that those who speak maliciously against your good behavior in Christ may be ashamed of their slander. – 1Peter 3:15 & 16
“But do this with gentleness and respect.” That should end the sharp reply, the clever put-down, the criticism of something we have barely heard out. Sometimes as we “set someone straight” we deliver a harsh and embarrassing rebuke to the other person. Moreover, the self righteous or “cute” answer is not limited to religious one-liners. If we are joining in making degrading “jokes” about someone’s clothes, demeanor, or activities, our gentleness is not evident to all – at all. If we have a family member or a co-worker that everyone seems to feel free to insult, the persecution (for that is what it is) needs to stop with us. God is calling us to gentleness, to see beyond the group mentality.
For those of us who are parents, sometimes we struggle to be gentle to an errant son or daughter. We become so concerned with the firmness they need that we forget to express our love and gentleness toward them. I have learned, and am still learning, that the firmness is necessary for his protection but the gentleness draws him home. He needs to see in me that I am disciplining one I love:
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.
- Hebrews 5b & 6
Gentleness, like every gift of the Spirit, makes me more aware of Jesus and of the way others need my gentleness in their lives. Now the Scripture I started with means so much more to me:
Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near.
Where is the Joy? Part 3
Posted by: | CommentsWhere is the Joy – Part 3
Paul mentions that the Philippians’ help to him and their service in response to the gospel is a great comfort to him.
But even if I am being poured out like a drink offering on the sacrifice and service coming from your faith, I am glad and rejoice with all of you.
For even when I was in Thessalonica, you sent me aid again and again when I was in need. – Philippians 4:16
I have long known that especially when I’m feeling down, giving help to others can be a great source of joy.
By service I am not talking about anything that you might have joined because you were urged to join a “ministry” and you were instructed that it was a necessary part of your Christian walk you needed to make sure you were doing. I am not talking about working for your local body because “everyone should”, although you may find the place God draws you to is a role in the local church. I hope, as you read this, you don’t find yourself in a situation doing work that does not bless you that you got into “because” of someone or some unspoken group pressure. You may have already found that it gives you more of a sense of obligation than of joy. The joy I’m thinking about, the joy that makes your heart light, is not that kind of service.
As you pray and look at Jesus as both your Savior and example, and as you come to love others while looking through His eyes, a change happens in your desire to reach out to other people’s needs. You start to hear the voice of the Holy Spirit nudging you to get involved in some way. You might meet someone who needs basics, like clothes or food. You might meet someone who needs help in an area you have a talent for, like cooking or carpentry. But you might meet someone who needs a friend, or just needs someone to be there with a hand to hold and a kind heart. And as you give that kind of help, He gives you an indescribably beautiful joy. It’s unforgettable.
Some believers pray that God gives them opportunities and expect He will ask them to be an outreach of Jesus’ love during the day. But even if you didn’t pray, sometimes when you least expect it, you can just feel the Holy Spirit asking you to do more for the person in front of you.
My friend Christa recently had just such an experience. She and her mom (Michelle, who writes the blog posts with me) were leaving the grocery store when an elderly woman asked them if they had a cell phone. Her car wouldn’t start and she needed to call AAA. Christa didn’t just hand her the phone. She called AAA for her, navigating through all the prompts and questions that can be difficult for older people who didn’t grow up in an automated world. Christa and her mom waited for the truck to arrive. They brought the woman and her groceries home. They learned that the woman lived alone and had no one. They left their phone number and made a friend that day.
You may be wondering why I haven’t mentioned giving people the salvation message. Many, many people emphasize that vital part of service, to “always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have.”(1 Peter 3:15b) I am just speaking today of the joy we have doing the quiet promptings Jesus gives us as we go about our lives to do something for others.
Jesus says unbelievers will recognize us by the way we love each other.
By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another. – John 13:35
One way this love becomes evident is in our serving each other, meeting the needs that are in the body of believers.
Share with God’s people who are in need. – Romans 12:13a
Some churches march out the door to reach the lost without realizing they’ve left the needy and broken of their body behind them. Those moments of salvation ministry will come, too, and the Holy Spirit is the one to direct us to them. But are we listening to the Holy Spirit to direct us to the needs of our brothers and sisters? Paul and others encourage us to see to the needs of believers. As we come to know, love and rejoice more in each other, we will learn how we can serve our brothers and sisters in love.
Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. – Romans 12:10b
When I was a little girl, I was taught to call the next-door neighbors Grandma and Grandpa. Grandma had several life threatening illnesses in the last years of her life, but she didn’t give a second of time to self pity. She spent her days making crafts for others. When I was sixteen, my sister lost her husband and daughter and came to live with us for a while. Grandma came to visit her every day, and never empty handed. She just brought little gifts, flowers from her garden, a cup custard from her cooking. I can just imagine her asking the Lord what she could do to bless my sister each day, and the joy she must have had in doing it. One day she brought my sister a book to read. Paula thought it was the last thing she wanted to do, but she started reading it. The book had an engaging plot and she found Grandma was right – it did help take her mind off things. Grandma was a shining example of doing what Jesus would do, and that humble service glows with joy 35 years later.
I don’t mean to disparage the kind of service where God leads you into a disciplined role. I have served in that kind of service extensively. One of my talents is music, and at times I have committed to being available week in and week out to a church because I knew God was encouraging me and blessing me in sharing both this talent and my faith in this way. I was contacted a couple of weeks ago about playing next weekend. I didn’t really want to, but I know that God has blessed me in this area. I am good at going to a church I don’t know and filling in. And these are God’s people asking me for help. As I’ve been conversing with these people, I can tell they are so grateful that they found an organist for the holiday weekend that I can already sense the joy. I am busy, and it will be a challenge to make the time to prepare for them, but I already sense that the coming Sunday will be great.
So while God may speak to you about a major role in Christian service, He will definitely speak to you about the little things you can do to ease someone’s way and show them His love. Be looking forward to what He will say to you and me!
