Crosswalk.com--The Devotional

[Judy Harder]

You're Right! 
Shawn McEvoy, Crosswalk.com Managing Editor

"I've laid down a pattern for you. What I've done, you do.
I'm only pointing out the obvious...
If you understand what I'm telling you, act like it - and live a blessed life."
John 13:15-17, The Message

I was very close to my father. He was the best man in my wedding, and growing up, when a lot of my peers were spending their weekend nights partying, I was usually happier to spend an evening with my dad watching a movie over ice cream.

One of the reasons I loved spending time with him was because I knew the Lord in a personal way... and he didn't. Sure, he was raised a "cultural Catholic," and was even an altar boy, but he'd definitely fallen away from any semblance of faith, and we all knew that he'd never been saved.

For several years, Dad was pretty much my pet project. I was always sharing with him when I could, always witnessing, always loving on him. I was continually lifting up prayers to God for his salvation, always trusting and somehow knowing it would eventually come to pass. And it did, 17 years after it had for me, and four years before he died. It's one reason his death - even though he was only 57 - wasn't nearly as devastating as it might have been to me.

He passed away in August of 2001. I stayed with my mom for a few weeks to help out before flying home on the evening of September 10 - yep, the night before a whole lot more stuff changed for a whole lot of us. I was in graduate school at the time, though I ended up taking a semester off to deal with all that had happened. So that Fall was a very strange time for me.

But then, as is so often true, there was Christmas...

We were at my in-laws' house that year. Somewhere in the middle of the night on Christmas Eve I was awoken, not by reindeer on the roof, but by a rainbow in my mind. It came to me in a dream, out of the darkness, but as if I were awake. One minute there was an immense, black screen before my eyes. Then, just like in a cartoon, someone pushed a section of the blackness out of the way, revealing just a square inch of the most amazing colors. It was my dad.

He was young, tan, and radiant, and he was wearing a smile bigger than any he'd smiled on earth. He didn't linger long. He simply said, "Shawn! Shawn-o! You were right! You were right about all this! But you're not living like it!"

Intersecting Faith & Life:  The rest of this story is mine, and for the most part, I'm blessed to say I'm "living like it" a lot more since then, a few bumps in the road excepted. Ask yourself: if it were confirmed to you that everything you believe from the Word of God, and everything you've preached was true, right, and absolute, what would you do? What would you no longer waste time doing? With whom would you share, and how would your purpose and daily life change? Because guess what... it is true! You're right!

Further Reading

Live Today in Light of Heaven 

[Judy Harder]

No Empty Labor
by John UpChurch, Senior Editor, BibleStudyTools.com

On the surface, Ecclesiastes paints a pretty morbid picture about human labor. Here's ol' Solomon's pep rally:

What does man gain from all his labor at which he toils under the sun? (1:3)

So my heart began to despair over all my toilsome labor under the sun. (2:20)

And I saw that all labor and all achievement spring from man's envy of his neighbor. This too is meaningless, a chasing after the wind. (4:4)

Naked a man comes from his mother's womb, and as he comes, so he departs. He takes nothing from his labor that he can carry in his hand. (5:15)

Enjoy life with your wife, whom you love, all the days of this meaningless life that God has given you under the sun--all your meaningless days. For this is your lot in life and in your toilsome labor under the sun. (9:9)

I'm sure you can relate. Day by day, you swim through a tidal wave of emails, swing a hammer, or stare at the same spot in the assembly line you've been looking at for months. You're glad to have the work, of course, but no matter how much you get done, it's as if you never really make any progress at all. Tomorrow, those emails will be there, nails will still need to be smacked in, and the assembly line will keep churning along.

Sometimes, all you can really think is this: The job pays for the car that you need to get to the job. "Chasing after the wind," indeed.

In some sense, nothing brings us more face to face with the Fall of Humanity than work. In toil we see how the earth no longer produces like it once did (Genesis 3). In bitterness we see how "the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride in possessions" (1 John 2:16) can get us stuck on an endless uphill treadmill. In sorrow we can easily get burned (and burned out) by life "under the sun." If our eyes can see no farther than "this world," our work has nothing to offer beyond a paycheck.

But under the Son, labor takes on a completely different dimension—a Kingdom dimension. No, that doesn't mean work suddenly becomes always awesome. It means that we recognize work as part of our calling, our marching orders to make Jesus-followers wherever we are. The true labor isn't in email or hammers or assembly lines; it's in throwing out nets and harvesting grain. We are where we are as a sliver of light to those around us.

Christ answered Solomon's questions from all those years before. Carpenters, fishermen, tentmakers, shepherds, clothiers, tax collectors, soldiers, priests, and beggars, all found what gain there is in labor. It's not empty toiling under the sun at all. It's Christ in us, the hope of glory (Colossians 1:27).

Intersecting Faith & Life: Work is a calling, but that calling isn't in the day-to-day tasks you're doing. No, the calling is for you to bring the Kingdom with you. Whether we love our work or, at times, despise it, our focus makes all the difference.

For Further Reading

Acts 18

Labor Day: 8 Biblical Principles of Work

[Judy Harder]

3 Simple Steps to Surmounting the September Slump
by Stephen Sanders. A/V Editor at Salem Web Network

You observe days and months and seasons and years.
Galatians 4:10 (NASV)

Yeah, so it's that time of year again... September. Or as I like to call it: the month where nothing happens.

Think about it. What happens in September?

OK... Labor Day and that's pretty much it. Some of us get a paid holiday for Labor Day, which is awesome.

Well, that and some retail stores use Labor Day as an excuse to have "the best sale ever."

But let's face it... that's the only 2 reasons why most of us even know that Labor Day exists. Other than that one meaningless holiday, September is easily the most uneventful month we have.

On the flip side, isn't it ironic that one of the greatest dance songs ever is called "September?"  I mean nothing gets the party started like some Earth, Wind and Fire, am I right? They make September sound like so much fun! Magical even!

But they deceive us. September isn't magical. It's dull. And it's right in the middle of this insane monotony that I begin to feel restless... like I need to do more with my life.

We've just gotten back from vacation. Summer is ending. The kids have just started a brand new school year. So naturally, it's time to take things up a notch, right? Am I the only one?

"I should really read my Bible more."

" I should do _________ less frequently."

"Christmas will be here before you know it."

Usually, I have to admit, these feelings tend to overwhelm me a bit. But this year, I've decided to break the monotony of September by doing a few very basic things that, between you and me, I should be doing anyway:

1. Read a Proverb a Day: Yes, I know there are 31 Proverbs and only 30 days in September. We can blame September for that. Besides, most of the people who are reading or listening to this devotional are pretty familiar with most of Proverbs 31 anyway. The point is: it's an easy goal with a big payoff. Not only are the Proverbs applicable to our daily lives, they are quite challenging.

2. Start a Prayer List: It's hard to deny the importance of praying for others. For one thing, it takes the focus off our problems. Secondly, you will discover that there is no shortage in the amount of prayer requests you will receive once you let people know you are starting a prayer list. You'll find the key to this exercise is to, not only compile a prayer a list, but to also actually pray for people once you create it.

3. Random Acts of Kindness: I love this one for so many reasons. For one, it's almost always something totally spontaneous. It can be as simple as picking up that piece of trash that you walk by or as complex as taking 30 minutes out of your day to be there for that annoying someone that you'd normally make excuses to avoid. Like the Proverbs challenge, you could settle for a "one a day" quota, but I usually find that once I get started it becomes quite contagious.

Intersecting Faith and Life: There you go. Three simple things you can do to feel like you aren't being a slacker in September. All three take very little time and just a little stick-to-itiveness. And, most importantly, all three are sure to bring you closer to your beloved Creator.

For Further Study

Proverbs 1:1

Earth, Wind and Fire – "September"

[Judy Harder]

Do You Pray?
Kelly Givens, iBelieve.com Editor

Editor's Note: The following devotional is based on J.C. Ryle's A Call to Prayer (Banner of Truth, 2002).

"So I say to you: Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you."  Luke 11:9, NIV

Do you pray? In J.C. Ryle's small but important book, A Call to Prayer, he challenges readers with this simple question. Ryle asserts "there is no duty in religion so neglected as private prayer." I'm sure many of us would agree; of all the spiritual disciplines, prayer is often the hardest habit to form and one that is most quickly broken. However, we should strive to pray often, because prayer is an incredibly important element of our faith.

Here are a few reasons Ryle gives for why prayer is so important:

1. A habit of prayer is one of the surest marks of a true Christian. The greatest heroes and heroines of the Bible often shared a similar attribute- they were men and women of prayer. To take your frustrations, challenges, joys, hopes and dreams to God on a regular basis requires a great deal of faith - you are essentially relinquishing control and telling God, "I trust you will work on my behalf in this situation." Do you have this kind of faith? Do you pray?

2. A habit of prayer brings great encouragement to the one who prays. In the Bible, we see that prayer moved God to raise the dead, heal the sick, save souls, draw water from a rock and send bread from heaven. Prayer even made the sun stand still! The fact that prayer moves God to action should be a great encouragement to us. Are you encouraged by God's provision and power? Do you pray?

3. A habit of prayer creates holy men and women. The more we seek God out in prayer, the more our hearts are aligned with what God desires for us and we become holier men and women in the process. Are you growing closer to God? Do you pray?

4. If we do not pray, we run the risk of backsliding in our faith. Let's be clear - Ryle doesn't mean we should fear losing our salvation. However, without prayer we run the risk of becoming stagnate in our faith, if not falling back into sinful habits and temptations we had once overcome through prayer. When a relationship turns sour, often a main cause is poor communication. So too with us and God. Do you feel stagnate in your faith or distant from God? Do you pray?

5. A habit of prayer brings peace and contentment. We live in a sin-filled world. Sorrows and troubles abound. So how do we combat sadness, disappointments, fears, slanders, and hurt? When we cry out to our Father, he offers us peace that transcends our understanding. This is one of the richest blessings of our faith. Are you experiencing this blessing? Do you pray?

Intersecting Faith and Life:  Ryle says, "In every journey there must be a first step." If you desire to become a more prayerful person, take time today and go somewhere quiet, shut the door and pray aloud that God would give you the grace and strength you need to develop a habit of prayer. Then be encouraged- God greatly desires you to be in regular prayer with him- if we ask, seek and knock, he will open the door for us to a richer prayer life.

Further Reading:

Hebrews 5:7

Matthew 6:5-6

Romans 8:26

[Judy Harder]

Toys into Tools 
Shawn McEvoy, Crosswalk.com Managing Editor

From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked. Luke 12:48



With the start of football season this month, I've heard the phrase, "to whom much is given, much is required" used a lot... and that's a good thing. A great thing. Athletes, profiled on sports shows, have been given chances to explain how they are using their celebrity and money to help mankind, or even spread the gospel.



One prominent athlete was interviewed about wanting to use what he's been given as a platform to further the Kingdom of God. His goals were reminiscent of the parable Jesus told about the difference between faithful and unfaithful servants, stewards of the kingdom. Faithful servants are to be about their master's will, not doing their own thing, not squandering what they've been given. They realize how much they've been granted, and understand there are punishments awaiting those who knowingly disobey (and even for those - albeit less severely - who unknowingly disobey. Seem harsh?).



Nonetheless, I enjoy verses like our main verse today, where a concept is repeated synonymously for effect. The Bible's wisdom literature is ripe with this structure, and Jesus makes use of it here. The phrase "Everyone who has been given much" is echoed by "the one who has been entrusted with much," and "much will be demanded" becomes synonymous with "much more will be asked." It drives the point home.



We often hear the first part of this verse quoted, and it works fine by itself: "To whom much is given, much is required." That concept even works well in the secular world, so much so that non-Christians quote it, perhaps without even knowing it's biblical in origin, and superhero movies use it as a thematic element.



But this week, after seeing and reading those profiles of Christian athletes, I read the verse in its entirety, and it opened up a new level of meaning for me.



Generally, when I think of things I've been "given," or "gifts," I tend to think of presents, possessions... toys, even. Things that are mine. Things I can hoard, break, forget about, get tired of, use for personal gain, waste, sell, or lose. Some things we are "given" include salvation, spiritual gifts, genetic gifts, talents, financial blessing, testimonies, family, forgiveness, love, and more.

Now, does your perspective shift at all if you think of those things not merely as "things given," but as "things you are entrusted with"?

For me, the ante gets upped. There's a new level of seriousness. The steward who has faith must, by definition, be faithful.

My toys, as I grow up, must become my tools - the things the Master has given that He expects will be used to build and further His Kingdom.

Intersecting Faith & Life: What gift have you been entrusted with that you are still just playing with? Or hiding? Or wasting? Knowing the Master's will, decide what you would say if He returned today to find you not busy at Kingdom work. Then decide one way you can use what you have been entrusted with to edify others this week. You may not have the platform of a Tim Tebow, but you've been given all the requirements necessary to do the job assigned to you.

Further Reading


James 2:14-18
1 Corinthians 4:2
Envisioning Your 'God-Sized' Calling

[Judy Harder]

Unfulfilled Desire
by Sarah Phillips

"I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do everything through him who gives me strength. Philippians 4: 12 - 13

"For a long time I have not belonged to myself since I delivered myself totally to Jesus, and He is therefore free to do with me as He pleases." ~ St. Therese of Lisieux

Do you have unrealized desires? They have a way of burning up our insides, don't they? Perhaps you wish to be married, but year after year remain single. Or you wish for children, but remain childless. Or maybe you want to write books, but never make any headway.

Confusion and despair over unrealized desires feel the most intense when they seem natural and God-honoring. Doesn't the Lord want me to be married? Didn't He place in me this desire to be a pastor? Didn't God give me these gifts? So why do all the doors remain closed?

I've been noticing a theme lately in the stories of revered Christian heroes. Most of them had personal desires that were put on hold or even went completely unfulfilled - at least from the outside observer's perspective. Some of these desires seemed especially holy.

Take St. Martin of Tours for example. From an early age, this Christian convert's sole desire was to be a monk. But the laws in 4th century Rome required him be a soldier  - an occupation that did not suite him well. Even after the military finally released Martin, his plan to dedicate his life to solitary prayer never played out as he hoped. Martin's unique spiritual wisdom drew crowds to him and ultimately, the beloved monk was ordained a Bishop against his wishes.

St. Therese of Lisieux is another example. This French beauty from the 19th century longed to be a Carmelite nun and a missionary. While Therese's first desire came true at the early age of 15, her second never did. At 22, tuberculosis limited her to her French convent.

Why does God allow some desires to go unfulfilled? There's no simple answer to that question, however, I think it's fair to say that when good desires lay dormant, God does important work through us that might not otherwise have been possible. Paul articulates this when he is torn between two holy desires: a desire for heaven and a desire to continue to build up the Church on earth. Through eyes of faith, he sees how God can work through both outcomes.

I am torn between the two: I desire to depart and be with Christ, which is better by far; but it is more necessary for you that I remain in the body. Convinced of this, I know that I will remain, and I will continue with all of you for your progress and joy in the faith Philippians 1: 23 - 25

The same peace we see in Paul can be found in the stories of countless Christians who set their personal preferences aside.

In her autobiography Story of a Soul, St. Therese reflected, "God cannot inspire unrealizable desires. I can, then, in spite of my littleness aspire to holiness." Therese recognized that her earthly desires really boiled down to a desire for God, and while her personal limitations frustrated her, they did not limit God's work in her life. Therese spent her remaining two years on earth "in the mission fields" by praying for and corresponding with missionary priests who drew much strength from her support.

St. Martin of Tours also accepted God's calling with peace in his heart. He made an excellent Bishop in spite of his introverted ways. The key to his contentment? His love for God enabled him to love needy souls more than his solitary lifestyle.

While it's hard to accept that our personal desires sometimes have to be put on hold, it's also incredibly freeing. I think if you had a chance to speak with Paul, Therese, or Martin they'd all agree that life is much more fulfilling when the Creator of the Universe is in control instead of our little selves. What desires can you hand over to Him today?

Intersecting Faith & Life:  What dreams have been put on hold in your life? Think of ways God has worked for good in your waiting. Write down one (or more) blessings you may not have received had your original dreams come true.

Further Reading

James 4: 1

Psalm 37: 4

Realizing Your Dreams

[Judy Harder]

That Verse Before
by John UpChurch, Senior Editor, BibleStudyTools.com

"I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want." Philippians 4:12

I'd rather live a Philippians 4:13 type life. But that verse before it always gets me. I'd rather jump right into the "doing all things through him who gives me strength" without slogging through the "content in any and every situation" part. The second verse makes for such great posters, but now, when I read it, all I can think is "whether living in plenty or in want."

Talk about a buzzkill.

But God's plans come in a larger size than my earthly satisfaction. He wants my sanctification, my being-made-more-like-Jesus-ness. He wants me to see that His riches don't come with dour-looking presidents or expiration dates or limited warranties. They aren't earned by the sweat of my brow. Instead, His riches come pouring down in my contentment.

Paul told Timothy that "godliness with contentment is great gain" (1 Timothy 6:6), and he's driving at the same thing here in Philippians. "Strength," according to the world, boils down to laying claim to the most stuff—power, model spouses (emphasis on the plural), houses, and influence. But those who think that way can never be content no matter the situation. When their "strength" disappears, they wilt. Some do whatever it takes to get back to where they were; some end up in rehab; and some see no reason to live. Some strength, huh?

Jesus doesn't play by our rules, though. His Beatitude bunker busters make that pretty clear (see Matthew 5). The weak, the poor, the hungry—those are the ones who receive the treasures. You see, Jesus does want us to get to Philippians 4:13, but to do that, He has to demolish our strongholds by taking us through Philippians 4:12. We're strong through Him only when we've learned to clear the detritus of what we think we need in this world and see Him for the all-sufficient treasure that He really is (Colossians 2:3).

We can do all things through Him who strengthens us. But to get to that point, we have to learn satisfaction in His "all things," the plans He has for us. That's because it's His strength, not ours.

Intersecting Faith & Life: God's plans for us don't always send us down the paths we might choose. Okay, they rarely do. That's why true contentment becomes so vital for the Christ follower. And the only way we can get there is to die and die and die. Every day we die to the things that supposedly make us strong in this world. Every day we kill the need to have more, to be more. Every day we die for Him.

You are strong—right where your contentment in Christ begins.

For Further Reading

Matthew 5

You Cannot "Do All Things" through Christ

[Judy Harder]

I Hate You, But with Love
by Ryan Duncan, Crosswalk.com Entertainment Editor

If anyone considers himself religious and yet does not keep a tight rein on his tongue, he deceives himself and his religion is worthless. – James 1:26

I once heard a story of a certain churchwoman who loved to criticize others. Whether by gossiping, or by simply stating things up front, she had a reputation for being extremely hurtful. What made it worse though, was that she always disguised her remarks as helpful suggestions. She claimed to be speaking out of love, but all her words did were hurt and discourage. I bring this up because I feel that hurtful speech has become all too common in the Church.   

Now that the internet has provided people with an easy way to speak while avoiding accountability, some Christians have taken the opportunity to post bitter messages and spiteful blogs online. Ironically, after spending an entire paragraph detailing why certain persons are going to Hell, many Christians finish up by saying "I'm just speaking the truth with love." Popular writer Jon Acuff wrote an article about this two years ago on the CNN website, where he encouraged his Christian brothers and sisters to remember what Jesus told his disciples in Matthew 22,

"Hearing that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees, the Pharisees got together. One of them, an expert in the law, tested him with this question: 'Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?' Jesus replied: 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.'" – Matthew 24:34-40

Jesus called these two "The Greatest Commandments", and it seems like they should be pretty easy to follow since you can't love God if you're not loving other people. It doesn't stop there however, the gospel is overflowing with verses telling us how the only way to know God is by loving others, even our enemies.

"We love because he first loved us. If anyone says, 'I love God,' and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen. And this commandment we have from him: whoever loves God must also love his brother." – 1 John 4:19-21

"If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal." – 1 Corinthians 13:1

Even the famous verse John 3:16 speaks of God's compassion for everyone,     

"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life."

Notice the verse says "the world" and not "certain Christians". The wonderful, beautiful, message of the gospel is that God loves us and asks us to love in return. There is no room in the body of Christ for a cruel tongue, so guard your words, search your thoughts, and the truth really will be spoken with love. 

Intersecting Faith and Life: Carefully examine your words (both online and off), are you truly speaking with love?

Further Reading   

Matthew 5:43-48

[Judy Harder]

When Sin Bubbles Up
by Kelly Givens, Editor, iBelieve.com

"Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of Life has set me free from the law of sin and death."  Romans 8: 1-2

A few weeks ago, after realizing I had somehow missed reading this children's classic as a child, I found myself speeding through the entire Anne of Green Gables series. The books captivated me, and for good reason. Written in the early twentieth century by Canadian author Lucy Maud Montgomery, the series chronicles the life of red-headed Anne Shirley, an orphan adopted by a brother and sister pair who really wanted a little boy to help on their farm. Eventually, they learn to love the little girl brought to them, as do all readers of Montgomery's classic. Anne is a true literary heroine. We identify with her weaknesses: her spiritedness, quick-temper and vanity, and we strive for her strengths: bravery, generosity, and a heart overflowing with love for life and people.

As I read through the books, I was struck with the number of times Montgomery used Anne's character to illustrate deep truths about the human condition. There were many examples, but one stood out in particular to me.  After being picked up from the train station by Matthew, Anne begins describing her life in the orphanage. Realizing she was exaggerating just how badly things were, Anne apologizes, saying, "It's so easy to be wicked without knowing it, isn't it?"

Indeed, it is. Throughout the Green Gables series, Anne repeatedly found herself unexpected moments of "wickedness," forced to repent to neighbors, family and friends for some fiery retort, vain action or other impulsive sin. We can all relate to Anne- I know there are days I have to apologize over and over for the same sin- it just somehow keeps "bubbling up" in me.

The Apostle Paul dealt with this too. In his letter to the church in Rome, he wrote "For what I do is not the good I want to do; no, the evil I do not want to do--this I keep on doing" (Romans 7:19). What causes us to do the very things we don't want to do? Why does our sin seem to bubble up in us—overflowing like a pot of boiling water? Paul understood: it is our indwelling, sinful nature fighting against our desire to do what is good. He goes on to say:

"For in my inner being I delight in God's law; but I see another law at work in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within my members. What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death?"

Thankfully, Paul's question is rhetorical; he knows the answer. "Thanks be to God - through Jesus Christ our Lord!"  After acknowledging God to be our ultimate rescuer from sin, he writes some of the most encouraging verses of scripture found in the Bible, reminding us that through Christ's death on the cross we have all we need to fight the wickedness that bubbles up in us.

"No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us." Praise God! Our sinful nature is no match for the redemptive power of the cross.  Yes, as Anne said, it is easy to be wicked- in fact, it's unavoidable. Thankfully, Christ has already taken the punishment for our wickedness, and even more- he has credited his righteousness to us, giving us all the means we need to conqueror the sin in our lives.

Intersecting Faith & Life: Are you like me and Anne, feeling the weight of your sin and maybe a little powerless to stop it? Then cling to the encouragement that Paul gives us in Romans - through Christ's sacrifice on the cross we are justified and are being sanctified from our sin.

Further Reading:
Romans 7-8
Galatians 5: 13-18
Timothy 1: 12-17

[Judy Harder]

Pushing the Red Button

John UpChurch, Senior Editor, BibleStudyTools.com


Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God. (Matthew 5:9, ESV)

Up till then, we'd crushed the competition. Granted, this wasn't a sporting event. In fact, the most physically taxing aspect involved pressing a red button. But we had other skills—scholars' bowl skills. We could answer questions, rack up points, and bury other teams with our wit and finely honed memorization. In fact, we'd rarely been challenged.



Then came the county tournament. I grew up in a sparsely populated county. As far as scholars' bowl competitions, this was it. Sure, we traveled outside the area and competed for exhibition prizes, but the county tourney meant validation at home. And we knew we could win.



In the two-bracket competition, each team in the county usually played every other team. That only worked because it amounted to playing around three games apiece (as I said, a small county). At the end, the last team standing in the winners' bracket played the last team standing in the losers' bracket.



Match one involved our team pressing those little red buttons into submission. We outscored the other guys by something close to a two-to-one margin. In other words, we cleaned house in our nerdy way.



And then came match two against Maury Middle School. We went in glowing; we came out stunned. Let's just say that they completely trounced us—wasn't even close. Afterwards, we rebounded to an easy win in the last match, but that only meant we had to play Maury again in the championship.



What happened? If you guessed the underdogs roared back to take the trophy, then I would love to confirm that. But, no. In front of our families and teachers, we got beaten even worse than before. In fact, I remember the match being out of reach soon after it started and all of us feeling powerless to do something.



We'd practiced, studied, and prepared ourselves. We'd won match after match prior to the tourney. But still, we couldn't overcome this one team—even when given two shots. Our superiority turned into inferiority in a single day.

Intersecting Faith & Life:  If there's one thing I've learned about human effort and human ability, it's that there's always someone better. Someone can always write better, think more creatively, or hit the ball farther. Someone can always outscore, outplay, or outcompete. And, yet, we humans spend so much effort trying to overcome, overwhelm, or just plain win. We compete, and we fight to prove ourselves.

Jesus brushes all that aside in a single sentence: Blessed and happy and satisfied are those who seek peace with God and peace with others. This isn't a condemnation of competition, but it is a blunt reminder of the point of our lives. We're not here to see who's the best at sword swallowing or chicken juggling. God calls us children when we seek the good of other people above our own good.



If we win or if we lose (or if we get completely whipped twice by the same team), God's blessing on our life doesn't increase or decrease based on the score. Instead, He expects us to love Him and other people—even the ones who are better than us at something.

Further Reading

A Season of Need: Maintaining a Heart that God Blesses

When There's Strife, There's Self: In Pursuit of Radical Humility