Crosswalk.com--The Devotional

[Judy Harder]

March 2, 2010

Are You Just Reciting the Gospel to Yourself?
Alex Crain
Editor, Christianity.com

"...with Him... Moses and Elijah, who, appearing in glory, were speaking
of His departure which He was about to accomplish at Jerusalem."
Luke 9:30-31 NASB

If you're following along in our weekly journey through the works of Francis Schaeffer, the Scripture passage above appears in chapter two of True Spirituality where there is a lengthy discussion about the centrality of death in the Christian life. Much needs to be said about the practice of dying daily to self and about taking up one's cross to follow Christ. But we cannot progress there before dealing with a more foundational matter.

In Old Testament times, the highest concentration of recorded miracles occurred during the ministries of Moses and Elijah. Christ's earthly ministry was obviously characterized by miracles as well. One might think that their conversation could have revolved around great miraculous wonders that they had been a part of, but no.

In our Scripture passage today we see Moses and Elijah speaking with Jesus at the Mount of Transfiguration about His impending departure—His death. And they're not just making a passing mention of the fact. The sense of the original text is that they were actively and continuously speaking about it—dwelling on it. Of course, it makes sense that the gospel would be the central focus of their conversation. After all, the salvation of Moses and Elijah depended upon the substitutionary death of Christ too.

But I imagine that their gospel conversation resembled nothing of the detached rehearsal of orthodox beliefs that sometimes echoes down the icy corridors of our thoughts. After all, the Object of their redemption was standing right there with them. Profound and grateful recognition of all that Christ was about to endure for them must have been integral to the moment. His presence energized their orthodoxy.

While it is certainly a good and positive thing that the phrase "Preach the gospel to yourself everyday" has become a buzz term in Christendom—and we should do that—we don't merely recite orthodox beliefs to ourselves alone. Christ is not a remote figment of man's imagination. He is the God Who is there. Just as Moses and Elijah were "with Him"... in His presence, so we too must continuously rehearse the gospel while recognizing that we are in the presence of the God Who is there. The Christian life flows from the constant spring of dwelling on the gospel with the Redeemer Himself.

Intersecting Faith & Life: 
It is said that John Owen (1616-1683) often prayed, "Lord, may I commune with You in the doctrines I espouse." Let us make this our prayer and our experience as well.

Further Reading:
John 15
The Gospel in Six Minutes

While all that borrows life from Thee is ever in Thy care;
And everywhere that man can be, Thou, God art present there.
"I Sing the Mighty Power of God" ~ Isaac Watts

[Judy Harder]

March 3, 2010

Working Forgotten Muscles
by Katherine Britton, Crosswalk.com News & Culture Editor

"Rather, train yourself to be godly. For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come." - 1 Timothy 4:7b-8

Well, it's that time of year again - the time when I shake out the running shoes and hobble through training for a 10k after bumming through the winter. My hearty congratulations to those of you whose diligence makes that distance seem puny, but I suspect many of you empathize more than you'd prefer. My inner athlete is an uncoordinated middle school kid perpetually stuck in gym class, so it's taken some coaxing to begin workouts again.

After last year's run, I knew that I'd regret letting my body relax into semi-hibernation this winter. So why didn't I persevere with crunches, stair steps, or walks on sunny days? I could give you a load of excuses, but you've heard them all before. The bottom line is that power walking a 5k feels like a workout right now. I'm barely thinking about running twice that distance. My husband's prodding has goaded me in walk-jog mode, but I hit the wall more often than I experience a runner's high.

There are no shortcuts available to me in the next month. The only thing that will keep me from making a fool of myself or passing out are consistent training sessions and workouts. Right now, I could sprint a half-mile if I had to, but the distance requires enduring strength, not a short burst of energy. A 20-minute power walk every couple days won't really help me get ready. Real training requires setting the bar a little higher every time, forcing myself to stretch a little farther than the time before, and keeping my appointments on the training schedule.

Strength. Consistency. Goals.

The discipline of running a race means waking up muscles I forgot I had and teaching them a little more every day. Without those practices, I'll be hobbling across the finish line with the last of the stragglers.

It's too easy to kid ourselves that taking the stairs here, walking a little further there, doing a few crunches or pushups one day a month is real exercise. Sure, it's better than nothing, but where's the discipline? Short answer: nonexistent. We wake up our muscles just long enough for them to grumble at us and go back to sleep.

Likewise, I can deceive myself about spiritual disciplines. They require every bit as much training, consistency, and sense of purpose. What good does it do me to pray for five minutes before bed, really? If I want to learn to better speak with God, then I need to do some more praying, more training, trying out the deep prayers of the Bible. Then, maybe I would better understand what a habit of prayer looks like. Do I want to be more generous? More loving? More patient? We've got to do more than let our spiritual muscles wake up and fall asleep again.

In his book, "Disciplines of Grace," T.M. Moore notes that real spiritual training is marked by a transformation of our souls. He writes:

"Disciplines that do not produce growth are not disciplines at all. Rather, they have become mere routines, done to satisfy some sense of "oughtness" or duty but with little sanctifying effect. God has given us the disciplines of grace so that, as we are exposed to his glory from one encounter to the next, we will be progressively transformed into the very image of Jesus Christ, and, being transformed, nothing and no one we encounter will remain the same."

Intersecting Faith & Life: Why do you work out your spiritual muscles? To say that you "exercised" and did your part for the day? Or do you have a purpose in mind for your training - to finish more like Christ than you started?

 

[Judy Harder]

March 4, 2010

Men & Christian Friendship: It Won't Just Happen on its Own
by Shawn McEvoy, Crosswalk.com Senior Editor

A friend is always loyal, and a brother is born to help in time of need.
Proverbs 17:17, NLT

I own many books, but the ones I reference often I keep above my desk at work. One of these is a 1983 edition of David W. Smith's The Friendless American Male. It's a title that, sadly, has only grown more accurate in the last 27 years, its content more applicable. Men, especially us hard-working, married-with-children types, are lacking in close biblical friendships. The reasons are varied and several, and it's not my intent in the space of this devotional to present or solve them all. Suffice to say that most men I talk with vouch for the lack of friends in their life, even if they speak of different reasons for the condition.

It's something I worry about, something I marvel at when I consider some of the differences between myself and my own father. Back when my father was climbing the ladder in the Tucson Real Estate industry and had children aged 6 and 4 like I do now, his weekends were all his own. Tennis in the morning on both Saturday and Sunday. Soaking up sun at the pool or doing yardwork in the afternoons. Watching sports or working in the evenings. A quarterly fishing trip with his buddies. Several of these activities involved his friends and acquaintances. Now, it's important to point out that he didn't know the Lord at this time in his life, but also important to note that, to the best of my recollection, we weren't starved for his attention or affection. It still seemed like we were close, and had plenty of time together. So, I use him as an example only as an indication of what I think men were expected (allowed?) to do and be in the 1970s.

At some point things changed, and yes, in most ways, for the better. Men began leaving their work at work. Being conscious about setting aside time for family activities. Reserving weekends for playing with their kids and going to soccer games rather than hitting the tennis court or the golf links or the lake. Furthermore, technology, instead of saving us time, only seemed to create more ways in which we could spend it working. Where my father routinely met his buddies for a beverage after work, it's all I can do to rush home, swallow some food, and not leave my wife and kids feeling neglected before I log on for another couple hours of work and then an exhausted collapse into bed. Meeting another dude for a beer or coffee? Seriously, I don't want to laugh, but when? Even if I had a hole in my schedule, what makes me think the person I might invite (even if I knew someone well enough to want to spend time with him) would have time and desire, too? I've been heavily involved in our Adult Bible Fellowship class at church for over five years now, and I can count on one hand the times I've done something outside of church with any of the men in that group.

So, something is definitely missing. Somewhere, we went too far. I remember being single and having the privilege to work with some very close friends in our college admissions office, both of whom were newly-married. Getting them to do anything outside work was just about impossible. One of them wouldn't even go see a movie with me - one that I was offering to pay for - on the night his wife was busy studying for her nursing final exams. The other wouldn't even ask his wife whether he could put off lawn mowing for one more day to attend a minor league baseball game with a mutual friend who was in town for one night. What was going on?

Sure, I was tempted to blame their wives for not letting their husbands out to play, but even if there was truth to that notion, it wasn't the issue. The issue was, and is, that men simply are not bonding much these days... that the Bible speaks about friendship and male leadership and iron sharpening iron... and we are either purposefully choosing or unwittingly failing to make bonding and sharpening a priority.

So how do we purposefully choose?

For me, the solution lies partly in my favorite time of every year, mid-March. That's when I and 13 of my friends from college and camp get together for a long weekend of fishing, good food, fantasy baseball drafting, and most importantly, fellowship. We call it "Draftmas" because it's very much like a holiday for us, and it centers around our fantasy baseball draft and league as a device to draw us all together, give us common footing. But to a man, most would tell you that the baseball is not the point. So what is?

Back to Smith's book; on page 52 he writes: "Close friendships don't just happen. They result from the application of priciples recorded throughout the Word of God." He contrasts the kindness and affection that David and Jonathan shared with the "lack of sympathy" and "overt emotional harrassment and condemnation" Job experienced with his pals Zophar, Eliphaz, and Bildad. The difference, Smith says, can be found throughout the Bible in these six principles of male friendship:

God-Centered
Formation of a covenant
Faithfulness
Social involvement
Candor
Respect
Just as Amos 3:3 says, "Do two men walk together unless they have made an appointment?", so do we display an intentional commitment to this activity as central to who we are as men, to who we want to be the rest of the year for our families and each other. While having close friends who don't live near me (but whom I'm always in contact with) does, admittedly, sometimes hinder me making new friends locally, it also serves to remind me how making new friends is possible and necessary. And I can see Smith's principles at work in this treasured group: God is indeed at the center of each of our lives; we've formed an agreement to meet together and communicate together around something we all enjoy, and are faithful to that agreement, to God, and to each other. We all fill roles, and are active socially and economically with each other, lending a hand in often amazing ways when needs arise; we speak freely and candidly, and we respect the various issues everyone brings to the table.

This year more than any other year in the past, those issues are big ones. Joblessness. Crises of faith. Being overwhelmed. Economic hardship. Remarriage. Career decisions. Waiting on God. Loneliness. Autism. Health. I'm really wondering how different this gathering is going to be from past ones. With so many of us suffering so many trials of life right now, some might think this sure sounds like a downer of a man-cation. I don't think it will be. In fact, I can't wait to get out of town to really bounce ideas and prayers off my friends, really seek out ways we can help each other, while at the same time destroying them by catching more fish and outbidding them for Albert Pujols.

It's an amazing dynamic, one I could not live without. One of our group recently told me, "You know this is only going to get harder to keep up the older we get." I disagreed. I know that myself and several others are only finding it easier. For one thing, our wives have finally seen the difference in their men when they spend this time with each other. Mine practically pushes me out the door even though the event is usually over her birthday weekend. It's not a perfect answer to what I'm missing and seeing so many other men miss in their lives, but it's a start, and even, I realize now, a model.

Intersecting Faith & Life: What common interest can you center a group of Christian men around? It should be an excuse, a starting point, a conversational diving board. While things like sports, fishing, golfing, and other stereotypical male things are good, bear in mind that no one man enjoys all of these activities or subjects, and often, it's a sore spot with them, one that might be the very thing that, deep down, has them feeling like not as much of a "man." Wives, you can help "wake up" your listless man by hooking him up with his friends (not YOUR friends' husbands on a grown-up play-date, mind you), letting him reconnect with those who share his memories and activities he used to enjoy. Several healthy couples I know set aside one weekend every year for each person to spend a same-sex getaway with close friends, while also not feeling threatened by the idea of an evening here, an afternoon there causing any damage to the relationship. If anything, it'll make your marriage healthier, and bring back some things to talk about and pray for.

Further Reading

1 Samuel 18:1-4; 19:1-10
The Making of a Friendship
Why Men Need Friends

[Judy Harder]

March 5, 2010

I Got Nothing
by Laura MacCorkle, Crosswalk.com Senior Editor

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Romans 15:13

"I got nothing."  Ever have one of those weeks where you've felt like that?

You can't point to anything specifically that's bringing you down, but there's an overarching malaise that's coloring your world.  And it just leaves you feeling blah.

And so you try to adapt and console yourself by wearing your favorite sweats.  Or you drink some hot chocolate.  Perhaps you reach for your favorite comfort food.  And then like Greta Garbo, you just want to be alone.  So you stay home.  You warm up under a fuzzy afghan.  You flip through the television channels with semi-interest.  You check your e-mail (and then once more for good measure).  And then you try reading.  Nope, can't focus.  And then you crawl into bed earlier than usual, even though you're not that physically tired.  Still, it seems like the right thing to do.  Maybe you'll just sleep off whatever it is that's ailing you.

Frustrating, right?  It's the kind of vague malady that stands in stark contrast to someone who's got a specific diagnosis—like my friend who is undergoing chemotherapy right now for a particular type of cancer.  He knows exactly what is causing him discomfort and uncertainty in his life.  But me?  Not so much.  Physically, I'm fine.  But emotionally?  And spiritually?  Why do I feel so bankrupt?  What is causing me to feel so empty this week?

I'm still not sure.  But as a child of God, I am sure of where to go when I feel like this.  So I found myself being drawn to the Word, to be reminded of the Truth of who I am and of what I have in Christ—no matter how I may feel.

But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us.  We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed.  We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body. For we who are alive are always being given over to death for Jesus' sake, so that his life may be revealed in our mortal body (2 Corinthians 4:7-11).

Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.  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 11:28-30).

He does not treat us as our sins deserve or repay us according to our iniquities.  For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his love for those who fear him; as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us (Psalm 103:10-12).

He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds (Psalm 147:3).

He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak.  Even youths grow tired and weary and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength.  They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint (Isaiah 40:29-31).

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.  I can do everything through him who gives me strength (Philippians 4:12-13).

And so we know and rely on the love God has for us.  God is love.  Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him (1 John 4:16).

Reading through these verses, I am reminded of how much I really do have in Christ.  Even though it sure feels like I've got nothing right now, I know that my cup is not empty.  It is full.  And I am blessed beyond measure—and loved forever!—by my Lord and Savior who has chosen and rescued me and knows exactly what is going on with me, even when I don't. 

Intersecting Faith & Life:  "What's wrong?"  That's the last question you want to hear from someone when you really don't have a good answer in return.  Sometimes we can't pinpoint what is going on in our hearts, but God surely can.  Seek him today.  Ask him to restore you, to humble you, to cause you to trust in him and give him thanks and to give you his joy—the joy of his salvation.

Further Reading:

Psalm 51:10-12

Lamentations 3:22-24

Romans 8:26-27

[Judy Harder]

March 5, 2010

I Got Nothing
by Laura MacCorkle, Crosswalk.com Senior Editor

May the God of hope fill you will all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Romans 15:13

"I got nothing."  Ever have one of those weeks where you've felt like that?

You can't point to anything specifically that's bringing you down, but there's an overarching malaise that's coloring your world.  And it just leaves you feeling blah.

And so you try to adapt and console yourself by wearing your favorite sweats.  Or you drink some hot chocolate.  Perhaps you reach for your favorite comfort food.  And then like Greta Garbo, you just want to be alone.  So you stay home.  You warm up under a fuzzy afghan.  You flip through the television channels with semi-interest.  You check your e-mail (and then once more for good measure).  And then you try reading.  Nope, can't focus.  And then you crawl into bed earlier than usual, even though you're not that physically tired.  Still, it seems like the right thing to do.  Maybe you'll just sleep off whatever it is that's ailing you.

Frustrating, right?  It's the kind of vague malady that stands in stark contrast to someone who's got a specific diagnosis—like my friend who is undergoing chemotherapy right now for a particular type of cancer.  He knows exactly what is causing him discomfort and uncertainty in his life.  But me?  Not so much.  Physically, I'm fine.  But emotionally?  And spiritually?  Why do I feel so bankrupt?  What is causing me to feel so empty this week?

I'm still not sure.  But as a child of God, I am sure of where to go when I feel like this.  So I found myself being drawn to the Word, to be reminded of the Truth of who I am and of what I have in Christ—no matter how I may feel.

But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us.  We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed.  We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body. For we who are alive are always being given over to death for Jesus' sake, so that his life may be revealed in our mortal body (2 Corinthians 4:7-11).

Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.  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 11:28-30).

He does not treat us as our sins deserve or repay us according to our iniquities.  For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his love for those who fear him; as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us (Psalm 103:10-12).

He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds (Psalm 147:3).

He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak.  Even youths grow tired and weary and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength.  They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint (Isaiah 40:29-31).

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.  I can do everything through him who gives me strength (Philippians 4:12-13).

And so we know and rely on the love God has for us.  God is love.  Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him (1 John 4:16).

Reading through these verses, I am reminded of how much I really do have in Christ.  Even though it sure feels like I've got nothing right now, I know that my cup is not empty.  It is full.  And I am blessed beyond measure—and loved forever!—by my Lord and Savior who has chosen and rescued me and knows exactly what is going on with me, even when I don't. 

Intersecting Faith & Life:  "What's wrong?"  That's the last question you want to hear from someone when you really don't have a good answer in return.  Sometimes we can't pinpoint what is going on in our hearts, but God surely can.  Seek him today.  Ask him to restore you, to humble you, to cause you to trust in him and give him thanks and to give you his joy—the joy of his salvation.

Further Reading:
Psalm 51:10-12
Lamentations 3:22-24
Romans 8:26-27

[Judy Harder]

March 9, 2010

The First Fruit of the Gospel
Alex Crain
Editor, Christianity.com

"For whosoever shall be ashamed of Me and My words, of him shall the Son of Man
be ashamed, when He shall come in His own glory..."
Luke 9:26 NASB

This week in chapter two of Francis Schaeffer's True Spirituality, we build upon the foundation regarding our need to daily encounter Christ the Living Redeemer in His gospel.

It is important to be clear in our understanding about the substitutionary nature of His death for sinners. Second Corinthians 5:21, "He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf that we might become the righteousness of God in Him." Nothing—not good works, religious rituals, not anything can add merit to His perfect work of atonement.

That is not to say, however, that virtue does not flow from His work in our lives. Schaeffer discusses at length at least one necessary result of the gospel in our lives; that being the practice of dying daily. He insightfully takes us to Luke 9:22-26 where Christ tells His disciples the certain order of events that would soon occur to Him... that He would be rejected, slain, then raised. And then points out that Christ immediately relates this order—rejected, slain, raised—to the Christian life. Luke 9:23-24 "And He was saying to them all, "If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross daily and follow Me. 24 "For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake, he is the one who will save it."

"Jesus is talking here about our death by choice in the present life. He applies it to a specific situation to make it more concrete. "For whosoever shall be ashamed of Me and My words, of him shall the Son of Man be ashamed, when He shall come in His own glory..." (Luke 9:26)

"The Bible is not speaking of some romantic feeling, some idealization, some abstraction. Jesus carries this concept of facing the rejection, being slain, down to a very practical situation: facing an alien world. It is the saying "no" to self when our natural selves would desire acceptance by the alien world—a world in revolt against its Creator and our Lord.

"...this command of Christ is not limited to one situation; it is that which is to be the whole mentality and outlook of the Christian's life.

"As Christ's rejection and death are the first steps in the order of redemption, so our rejection and death are the first steps in the order of true and growing spirituality.

"As there could be no next step in the order of Christ's redemption until the step was taken, so in the Christian there can be no further step until these first two steps—rejected, slain—are faced; not in theory only, but at least in some partial practice."

Intersecting Faith & Life: 
Is the gospel bearing fruit in your life in this way? Put another way, do you increasingly treasure Christ so that things and self receive less and less of your time, attention and resources?

Pray for family, friends and loved ones who are infiltrated by the world with its attitudes that God would make them willing to walk, by His grace through the steps of being rejected and slain, and that they would know the blessing of a resurrected life.

Further Reading:
The Expulsive Power of a New Affection

[Judy Harder]

March 10, 2009

Seduced by Cool
Mike Pohlman, Editor, Christianity.com

Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world.
James 1:27


I love chapter 3 in Tullian Tchividjian's new book Unfashionable: Making a Difference in the World by Being Different. The chapter is titled "Seduced by Cool" and couldn't come at a more appropriate time. The American church (there are beautiful exceptions) has been tripping over itself for years trying to keep up with cool. Pastor Tullian offers what amounts to a cold bucket of water in the face as a means of shocking us out of our infatuation with showing the world how relevant, cool, hip, etc. we can be.

Enough.

The chapter opens by quoting Spurgeon--which is almost always a good thing: "He who marries today's fashion is tomorrow's widow." From here Tchividjian launches into his jeremiad:

According to Jesus, Christianity is not cool.
   There, I said it.
   I'll even go a step farther: if what's fashionable in our society interests you, then true Christianity won't. It's that simple.
   Think about it. Jesus said some pretty unfashionable stuff. If you want to live, you must die. If you want to find your life, you must lose it. He talked about self-sacrifice and bearing crosses and suffering and death and the dangers of riches. He talked about the need to lay down our lives for those who hate us and hurt us. He talked about serving instead of being served, about seeking last place and not first. He talked of gouging out our eyes and cutting off our hands if they cause us to sin.
   He was making the profound point that daily Christian living means daily Christian dying--dying to our fascination with the sizzle of this world and living for something bigger, something thicker, something eternal. Jesus calls his people to live for what is timeless and not trendy, to take up the cross and follow him, even when it means going against social norms.
   Of course, all this is flat-out uncool in a world that idolizes whatever cultural craze is in style, whatever is fashionable.

My guess is few professing Christians would disagree with Pastor Tullian's exhortation. Indeed, it will be in the main greeted with hearty "Amens."

The problem comes in resisting the allure of the world and actually embracing biblically unfashionable living for the glory of God. Tullian warns that many of us are so entrenched in the sinful patterns of this world that God's ways have become far too distant in our vision:

   Our being cognitively and morally entrenched in the ways of this world is just what the devil wants. His main strategy is the same for both Christains and non-Christians: keep them feeling comfortably at home in this world. The real danger for many of us is that the longer we live, the less conscious we become of the fallen patterns, the less resistant we are to their entanglements. Though believers in Christ, many of us are attached to the world in ways that show we've forgotten our identity as exiles. For too many of us, the patterns of this fallen world have grown all too familiar, while the ways of God seem distant and strange.

Pastor Tullian presses the point throughout the book that when Christians succumb to worldliness not only is God not honored, but people are not helped. In other words, more than our "cool" people need Christ--the One who proclaimed "I am not of this world" because "My kingdom is not of this world" (John 8:23; 18:36).

In the end, blessed are the uncool.

Intersecting Faith & Life:

What are some of the best ways we can resist the allure of the world? What are the marks of someone who is not "worldly"? In other words, what does the person look like that is "unstained from the world"?

Further Reading

God in the Wasteland, David Wells
Unfashionable, Tullian Tchividjian
Blessed Are the Uncool, Paul Grant
1 John 2:15-17

[Judy Harder]

March 11, 2010

Child-Like Trust in the Lord
by Shawn McEvoy, Crosswalk.com Senior Editor

O Lord, my heart is not proud, nor my eyes haughty;
Nor do I involve myself in great matters, or in things too difficult for me.
Surely I have composed and quieted my soul;
Like a weaned child rests against his mother,
My soul is like a weaned child within me.
Psalm 131:1-2, NAS

This song, like most of the Psalms, was written by David - the man who would be Israel's greatest king. Is David who comes to mind when you think of someone "not involved in great matters" (kingdom conflicts, maybe)? Or unbothered by "things too difficult" (slaying a giant, anyone)? No, to me, this doesn't really sound like David. Doesn't really sound like me most of the time either.

Let's take a quick look at three things that stand out about this little Psalm:

1) Attitude. David's "heart" - his inner being, his spirit, is not proud... of things he's done, of where he's been and where he's going... but neither is he beating himself up. He is just... content.

2) Appetite. David's "eyes" - his senses - are not haughty. He's not seeking to please them. He doesn't have the look of arrogance. He knows Whose he is, and that his needs are met not of himself. He is not restless to feed like an infant, he is not stalking around asking to eat out of boredom like my 2-year-old.

3) Aptitude. David places the responsibility for this peaceful state upon himself. Not circumstances, not achievements, not even on God. "Surely I have quieted my soul," he says.

All together, this is what trust looks like, and why it brings such soothing peace. Jesus said we must have faith like children to come to Him. Apparently, trust is also best exemplified in little ones. David's "talk" is of not being proud; his "walk" then backs it up by what he "involves" (or doesn't involve) himself in. This doesn't mean God hasn't given him - or you - important stuff to get done, just that David has "declared himself free from excessive ambition" (Ryrie study notes). To sing not of self, to seek not to fill the senses, to seek the will only to be quiet before God - that is trust. A "weaned child" knows instinctively where to find it. By extension, and through the example of "the man after God's own heart," so do we.

Intersecting Faith & Life: "Involve" yourself in a small, humble matter today - perhaps a child's squabble, creating a meal, or going for a walk - and see if you can compose your soul.

Further Reading

Matthew 18:4-5
When Old Men Trust, by Calvin Miller

[Judy Harder]

March 12, 2010

It's Good for Your Character
by Laura MacCorkle, Crosswalk.com Senior Editor

Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope.  And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us.

Romans 5:3-5

I grew up in a very special church back in the '70s and '80s. It was nondenominational, had tremendous traditional worship and congregational singing, and was attended by many seminary professors and students. 

Seeds that were sown in my life in those early years of my spiritual growth are now sprouting, and I'm drawing upon what I have learned as I make my way through adulthood. 

From time to time, I flip through a bound collection of meditations or sayings that my pastor put together. He would regularly refer to these life principles from the pulpit, and today, whenever I hear them (or similar concepts) being said by others, I remember what he preached on them many years ago.

"It's good for your character," he would often say. And here's how he explained that further:

"God uses the routine, the difficult, even the painful to develop in us qualities of Christlike character that can be learned in no other way."

When we begin to see our lives from this perspective, that's when we've turned a corner. But in order to keep thinking in this way, we have to make daily readjustments, as we don't always want to see the routine, the difficult and even the painful in this way.

But it is the right way to look at any uncomfortable situation in our lives. The classic passage regarding trials in James 1:2-4 is wonderfully helpful and instructive:

Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.

Let's break down this outlook:

Consider it pure joy. How do you do this when you're going through a divorce? Or in the aftermath of a departed loved one or the loss of a job? What will it take to see the joy despite the circumstances? Only God can give us this joy and change our perspective.

Testing develops perseverance. In order to learn how to persevere, we have to go through some trying times. Think back on the trials in your life. What were the results? Did you make changes in your life? Did God help you get through them? Remember that as you continue to serve him.

Perseverance must finish its work. We can't go from diapers to dungarees in the snap of a fingers.  Living takes time. And there are "pains" that go with it. Sure, it hurts sometimes, but know that the uncomfortable seasons mean that you're growing.

Be mature and complete. When you were a child, you didn't have a bulging file folder of life experiences to draw from. Now that you're older, hopefully you can see how you have grown closer to the Lord and how he has changed you. Draw from past lessons as you choose to live and think differently today. 

Intersecting Faith & Life:  Can you look back on "the routine, the difficult, even the painful" times of your life and see how God has developed your character? List some specific trials and the resulting changes that have been made in your character and praise your merciful Savior for his patient, loving and transformative work in your life.

Further Reading:

2 Corinthians 4:7-12

How God Develops Christian Character

[Judy Harder]

March 12, 2010

It's Good for Your Character
by Laura MacCorkle, Crosswalk.com Senior Editor

Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope.  And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us.

Romans 5:3-5

I grew up in a very special church back in the '70s and '80s. It was nondenominational, had tremendous traditional worship and congregational singing, and was attended by many seminary professors and students. 

Seeds that were sown in my life in those early years of my spiritual growth are now sprouting, and I'm drawing upon what I have learned as I make my way through adulthood. 

From time to time, I flip through a bound collection of meditations or sayings that my pastor put together. He would regularly refer to these life principles from the pulpit, and today, whenever I hear them (or similar concepts) being said by others, I remember what he preached on them many years ago.

"It's good for your character," he would often say. And here's how he explained that further:

"God uses the routine, the difficult, even the painful to develop in us qualities of Christlike character that can be learned in no other way."

When we begin to see our lives from this perspective, that's when we've turned a corner. But in order to keep thinking in this way, we have to make daily readjustments, as we don't always want to see the routine, the difficult and even the painful in this way.

But it is the right way to look at any uncomfortable situation in our lives. The classic passage regarding trials in James 1:2-4 is wonderfully helpful and instructive:

Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.

Let's break down this outlook:

Consider it pure joy. How do you do this when you're going through a divorce? Or in the aftermath of a departed loved one or the loss of a job? What will it take to see the joy despite the circumstances? Only God can give us this joy and change our perspective.

Testing develops perseverance. In order to learn how to persevere, we have to go through some trying times. Think back on the trials in your life. What were the results? Did you make changes in your life? Did God help you get through them? Remember that as you continue to serve him.

Perseverance must finish its work. We can't go from diapers to dungarees in the snap of a fingers.  Living takes time. And there are "pains" that go with it. Sure, it hurts sometimes, but know that the uncomfortable seasons mean that you're growing.

Be mature and complete. When you were a child, you didn't have a bulging file folder of life experiences to draw from. Now that you're older, hopefully you can see how you have grown closer to the Lord and how he has changed you. Draw from past lessons as you choose to live and think differently today. 

Intersecting Faith & Life:  Can you look back on "the routine, the difficult, even the painful" times of your life and see how God has developed your character? List some specific trials and the resulting changes that have been made in your character and praise your merciful Savior for his patient, loving and transformative work in your life.

Further Reading:

2 Corinthians 4:7-12

How God Develops Christian Character