Crosswalk.com--The Devotional

[Judy Harder]

July 20, 2009

When God Says "No"
by Laura MacCorkle, Crosswalk.com Senior Entertainment Editor

Consider what God has done:  Who can straighten what he has made crooked?  When times are good, be happy; but when times are bad, consider:  God has made the one as well as the other.  Therefore, a man cannot discover anything about his future.
Ecclesiastes 7:13-14, NIV

Who likes to hear someone say "no"? I know I don't.

Actually, as an average American female I can think of only two questions for which an answer of "no" is gratefully and enthusiastically received: "Do I look fat?" and "Do I have to pay full price for this?"

This year, the Lord said "no" to me regarding two different situations in my life for which I had asked Him--pleaded with Him--to say "yes." In both cases, "no" was painful to hear and not the answer I wanted. So it took me a while to accept.

Many times, it's seems easier to hear God say "no" when you can take a hard look at the facts and see why this is a good thing. But how about the alternative:  Everything looks right on paper. This matches with this and that fits nicely with that. The timing is "perfect." In fact, it's the perfect [FILL IN THE BLANK] that you've been waiting for. So why, WHY, isn't it a part of God's life plan for you?

When you break it down, of course everything we can see makes sense to us. And therein lies the problem. We're relying on our OWN knowledge and our OWN perspective to determine what is right.

But what we don't know is everything that God knows. In other words, He knows everything about EVERYTHING that is going on in the plan for our lives. He is sovereign. And we only have an obstructed view through a scratchy, distorted lens.

So one would think that we'd gladly hand over our life decisions to Him. Whatever He says to us is gospel. Literally and figuratively. But we hem and we haw. We struggle, and we hold on tightly. We don't like it when God says "no."

From the Bible, we read of how God said "no" in the lives of Sarah, Moses, Job, Jesus, Paul and others. Sometimes the "no" was in response to disobedience or related to timing. Sometimes it was due to someone taking matters into his or her own hands, and other times there wasn't an explanation at all. But in all cases, God's "no" was part of His plan.

In the end, the same God who says "no" is the same God who says "yes." We can't do anything that will change that, and we won't always understand. But how blessed are we to have a God who cares so deeply about the most minute details of our lives!

In good times and in bad, let us trust God and know that His purpose for our lives--even when He says "no"--is perfect and far better than anything we could ever plan for ourselves.

Intersecting Faith & Life: Has God told you "no" to a specific request? Write down the most recent "no's" and thank Him for His providential hand in your life and how He is working everything for His good--even when you don't understand His ways. Ask Him to help you submit to His will for your life.

Further Reading

Philippians 4:19
The Power of Inward Perception
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[Judy Harder]

July 21, 2009

Care Casting
by Shawn McEvoy, Crosswalk.com Senior Editor

Likewise, ye younger, submit yourselves unto the elder. Yea, all of you be subject one to another, and be clothed with humility: for God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble. Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time:  Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.
1 Peter 5:5-7, KJV

Peter was a fisherman. It's little stretch to imagine that his livelihood affected his ministry and his writings. At least, that's what I notice when I read one of his most-quoted verses, the one about "casting" our cares.

The word Peter uses here for "cast" is a less-usual one. The only other time the word epirrhipto is used in the New Testament is in Luke 19:35: "they cast their garments upon the colt, and they set Jesus thereon." Epirrhipto means "to throw upon, or place upon."

Keep that in mind now as you imagine...

You are Peter. You're in a boat, afloat upon a vast body of water. Your method of fishing is not the rod-and-reel. Instead, you have this tangled, twisted mass that is your net. It's heavy, burdensome. Hard to work by yourself. Even so, you take this soggy, cumbersome thing... and you fling it away from you. Give it up. Let it fall trustingly upon the sea. Leave it to Providence.

The net represents your "cares," your anxieties... whatever is weighing you down. Don't carry it in your boat; that's not what it's for. Believe it or not, it has a purpose. That is, your own twisted mass of cares exists for the sole reason of trusting it to the very mighty arms that are supporting you.

And what happens then?

Well, let's check in on those cares. Go ahead, haul up the net. Chances are, it may just be full of fish. Has the simple act of tossing away your cares brought an abundance back upon you? Did humbly offering your net up to the one keeping you afloat bring back a yield of met needs? What would have happened if you had kept hold of that heavy mass and fretted over it yourself in your little boat? Yeah, nothing.

What's got you in a tangle? Finances? Marriage? Singleness? A dried-up spiritual life? All of the above?

Let it be so. Take that twisted thing from off your shoulders and huck it out upon the ocean. You can trust God. This is your act of submission, surrender. Peter tells us this is a path of humility. Admit that all your net-mending isn't doing a thing to bring in any fish, you fisher of men. So really chuck it out there. Let it land upon Him. And don't even ask why, because Peter tells us why: God cares for you. You are His own "care." He will bear you up for His own purposes.

And when He calls you to check in on those cares again, just be prepared for what comes to the surface.

The very things that entangle may become a snare for blessing and sustinence instead when given to the Lord.

Intersecting Faith & Life: Have you ever handled a real fisherman's net? I haven't, but I intend to get my hands on one and see just how big, mended, and heavy it is. To see how it works. To ask how one knows where to set it down in the water, and how many fish it can bring up. Make a net of your own cares and anxieties and physically fling it out upon God's ocean of grace.

Further Reading

Getting Acquainted with Peter
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[Judy Harder]

July 22, 2009

It's Delightful
by Shawn McEvoy, Crosswalk.com Senior Editor

Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart.
Psalm 37:4


Today's verse is one of the first I ever learned as a Christian. You probably know it by heart, too. Seems like everyone quotes it. When I learned it as a kid, I couldn't help but thinking it sounded really good, with overtones of blessings and whatever my heart desired, which in later years came to be symbolized in my own mind as a Corvette... even though I would always be one of the first to tell people that's not what it meant.

But it wasn't until the last few years that I came to understand it on another level. Fatherhood will do that to a guy in a lot of ways. When my kids were infants and dependent upon me and my wife for absolutely everything, I saw our own dependence upon God in a whole new light. Now that the kids are six and four, I'm getting a new take on what it is to "delight" in the Lord.

I of course recognized there should be joy in following God, and that He was in all ways wonderful. But never did I come into His presence like my children now regularly come into mine, especially when I come home from work. The screaming, the jumping up and down, the laughing. The rush to tell me everything about their days, both the triumphs and the things they got in trouble for. The hugs, the requests to be tossed in the air or chased, the search in my briefcase to see if any treasures have found their way home with me, it all comes with a priceless gleam in their eyes as they search me to know themselves better.

That's delight.

And the Bible says that's what causes God to give us the desires of our heart? Honestly, that kind of delight, that kind of amazing high, is kind of a euphoric state of its own. I mean, what more does one need but to feel like that about God? Most days, I'd give anything to feel that kind of rush it seems my kids must feel.

It's almost like that's my heart's desire.

And it's like this verse is saying that desire is right here for the very taking, that all I have to do is act on it. I'm a child of the King, and He's never away at work. I don't even have to wait for him to come home. I'm welcome to come boldly into the throne room and praise the wow out of Him. To marvel, wonder, and laugh giddily at His handiwork and what He's done for me. To rush to tell him everything about my day, both the triumphs and the spots where I got myself into trouble.

Admittedly, though, we do have other desires, such as physical needs being met, love, etc., and I don't mean to suggest that they're unimportant. Just that on this day, I'm thinking about what the desires of my heart have actually been, and almost unilaterally, they've been about freedom. At various times in my life, I desired to be free... from depression, from sinfulness of all kinds, from lack of understanding, from loneliness, from fear. And looking back at how God set me free in each circumstance, I honestly see that I never even had to enter in to those places of searching to be filled or delighted in the first place. He was all I needed, I just wasn't seeing Him as one to delight over.

Each coming year is going to pose more challenges for me and my family, but also more growth, more freedom, and more delight. It's like they are all interwoven and dependent upon each other, just like the two parts of this verse.

Intersecting Faith & Life: Today, consider what your own definition of "delight" involves, and meditate on how that meshes with the truest, deepest, most meaningful desires of your heart.

Further Reading

Isaiah 58:10-14
Sacred Delight
Does God Really Give us the Desires of Our Hearts?
'

[Judy Harder]

July 23, 2009

Living Outside of the Box
by Meghan Kleppinger

For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb. I will give thanks to You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Wonderful are Your works, and my soul knows it very well
Psalm 139:13, 14


I'm going to a funeral today.

Both my immediate family and my church family lost a beloved friend this week in a tragic accident. I've been journaling and writing a lot lately about the importance of not limiting God in the way we live our lives.

What I loved about this dear life that has gone on to be with our Father is that who he was wasn't defined by what he did for a living or any of his accomplishments, it was defined by Whose he was. He lived his life knowing He was a child of God and had a love and passion driven by the Holy Spirit.

I started to write the devotional for today weeks ago about not limiting God and living a life outside of the box. It seems that we are born with a need to be labeled.

My fellow editor and friend, Sarah, has an identical twin sister. She told me how annoying it was that people wanted to put the twins in categories when they were younger. "Oh, you're the intellectual and you're the cheerleader," as if those were titles that defined who they were.

This doesn't just occur with twins, it happens to all of us and it starts early. In school there were the smart ones, the athletic ones, the tomboys, the princesses, the divas, the quiet ones, the pretty ones, the nerds, the popular ones, etc.

Then the birth order books were published and sold to the masses to help our parents define who we should be. The oldest child is supposed to be the responsible, straight A's, people pleaser. The middle child is typically the independent and wild one. The youngest is, well, the baby.

When we enter adulthood we become workaholics, stay-at-home mothers, businessmen, career women, or worst of all ... "and this is so-and-so, our single daughter."

Order and definition is good, but putting ourselves in these categories limits who we can be and what God has planned for us.

Psalm 139:13, 14 is etched on the inside of my high school class ring. At the time, I chose it for its significance in the battle for the unborn. As I entered into adulthood, God used it and continues to use it to remind me of Who I belong to, and what I mean to Him.

Wonderfully in Psalm 139:14 is translated from Hebrew to mean "to be distinct, marked out, be separated, be distinguished." God made each of to be special and different from each other, and He made each of us with a specific purpose in mind.

Sometimes I think we feel important or empowered when we carry around the labels of this world, but the truth is they are really just boxes that trap us... What God has planned for us is so much better.

The funeral tonight will also celebrate the life of a man who was a father, a husband, a loyal employee, a friend to many, a dear friend to my family, a servant, and so much more -- and I hope to share more about his life one day -- but he would never say that any of those things or roles defined him. He would simply explain that he was a fearfully and wonderfully made child of God living the life his Father designed just for Him.

Intersecting Faith & Life: The National Eating Disorders Association's current motto is "Be comfortable in your genes." The idea is to encourage young women to be comfortable with their predisposed body types and to help them breakaway from the desire to achieve an unattainable cookie-cutter image. I encourage you too, to break away from the labels of this world and to live the life God made just for you

Further Reading

Ephesians 2:10
Your Divine Design
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[Judy Harder]

July 24, 2009

Look What I Did!
by Laura MacCorkle, Crosswalk.com Senior Entertainment Editor

Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.
James 4:10, NIV


"So... have we talked about me, yet?"

Several years ago, my good friend Jeremy and I would always kid each other with that question during our conversations. It was said usually after one of us realized we were talking waaaaay too much about ourselves. About our accomplishments. Or about anything that we wanted the other to know so he or she could give up some praise and props.

It was said in jest, but also with an ounce of truth. For we really were so self-focused that the other would periodically enter into the "conversation coma" while listening. You know... the whole eyes glazed over, occasional nodding of the head and maybe an "uh huh" every now and then type of thing.

I have gotten that a lot with my friends over the years. But I used to just think, Well, I'm just very verbal and like to over-describe things and tell really good stories... so that must be why people can't stay focused on what I'm talking about. Right.

Several times recently, the Holy Spirit has checked me on that interpretation. In one instance, I was sharing with a small group about my "ministry" of reaching out to back-burner Christians. I think if I had just simply said that I feel like the Lord surrounds me with these people and has allowed me to speak into their lives and that's all, then that would have been fine.

But ohhhhh no. I had to go on and on and list example after example of how I had "helped" and "ministered" and said exactly the right words to help a brother or sister see his or her bad life decisions, so that they would get back on track with the Lord.

I didn't realize what kind of a peacock moment that was 'til later. I've also noticed that I tend to be less than humble when it comes to sharing about my acts of service. I won't fall into my own trap and list them all out right here and now. But I sure would love to. Why? Because I want the praise. I want the exaltation. I want the recognition. I want to feel like Sally Field at the Oscars and know that "You like me... you really like me."

And that's where I get it all wrong. The Bible says that the Lord is the one who is supposed to lift us up. Not ourselves and not our fellow man.

"This is the one I esteem:  he who is humble and contrite in spirit and trembles at my word." (Isaiah 66:2b, NIV).

Even if no one ever found out what my "good deeds" were or how I prayed for this person or how I gave financially here and there, I should still be satisfied in knowing that God knows. Because everything I do should be for His glory and not my own. It's a tough pill to swallow for someone who enjoys running her own fan club. But Jesus tells us to live counter to our culture and to our fleshly desires.

Let us encourage ourselves--and one another--to seek humility and look to what HE is doing in our lives!

"Be careful not to do your 'acts of righteousness' before men, to be seen by them.  If you do, you will have no reward from our Father in heaven.  So when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honored by men.  I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full.  But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret.  Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you."
--Matthew 6:1-4, NIV

Intersecting Faith & Life: Think about an upcoming good deed that you are planning (providing dinner for a sick friend, babysitting, helping someone move, etc.). Tell no one what you are going to do or what you've done after it is completed. The Lord knows. You will have glorified Him, and He will be pleased. That's all that matters.

Further Reading

Matthew 23:12, NIV
The Promise of Humility
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[Judy Harder]

July 27 9, 2009

The Perfect Heart
by Meghan Kleppinger

"But the LORD said to Samuel, 'Do not look at his appearance or at the height of his stature, because I have rejected him; for God sees not as man sees, for man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart'."
1 Samuel 16:7, NAS


"I have made a very important decision," I announced to fellow editors, Sarah and Shawn, shortly after arriving at work today.

Piqued curiosity gave way to undivided attention, so with a stage set, I continued.

"I have decided to marry A) an Englishman, or B) an American willing to live in England, or C) an American willing to put on an English accent for the duration of our marriage."

My co-workers responded exactly the way I hoped they would... and the way I needed them to so I could write this devotional! It was meant to be a somewhat humorous declaration because everyone knows I'm an anglophile. Yes, more than one visit to the country turned me into a lover of nearly anything British including, but not limited to, the actual country, literature, movies, chocolate (Cadbury chocolate is the best ever), and of course the smooth accent.

I did get a laugh or two in response, and, in reference to my seemingly juvenile and superficial decision I was asked jokingly, "So, when will you be turning eighteen?"

Poor Shawn, he walked right into my trap. "How," I asked, "is this any more superficial than someone saying, 'I won't date anyone shorter than 5'9', or with brown eyes, or younger?'" He agreed and mentioned the human habit to create wish lists.

We do that, don't we? We create lists, have ideals, and look for what we think would be the perfect candidate -- whether it be for a marriage, a friendship, or a position for a job that needs to be filled. Once upon a time, back in college, I created my "perfect guy" list.

I found him, too. He lined up with everything on my list down to the occupation he was entering. Not only was he a Christian and genuinely nice guy, he was what I had dreamed about -- the right hair color, height, and age too! He wanted to find the right girl, get married, and settle down... I'm telling you, he was great.

You won't believe this, but I broke up with him! This wonderfully perfect young man, who literally made the list, bored me to tears. The lesson God taught me was two-fold. First, He taught me that I had no idea of what I really wanted or needed, but more importantly, He showed me that the perfect person for me is more important than finding a seemingly perfect person.

When the prophet Samuel hiked up to visit Jesse and his sons, I'll bet he had an idea of what God's choice for Saul's replacement should look like. He probably got excited thinking about the tall, strong, mature and wise leader who would rule Israel. Samuel saw Jesse's son Eliab and thought "Surely the Lord's anointed is before Him" (1 Sam. 16:6b). That is when the Lord shared with Samuel, "Do not look at his appearance or at the height of his stature, because I have rejected him; for God sees not as man sees, for man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart."

God was looking for the right heart, not the right body. He chose a young shepherd boy named David. I love Ray Boltz' song, "Shepherd Boy." One of the verses in the song that refers to this event goes,

Well it wasn't the oldest
It wasn't the strongest
Chosen on that day
And yet the giants fell
And nations trembled
When they stood in his way

The chorus, and the point of the song is, "When others see a shepherd boy, God may see a king."

So, what is my point? Well, first, when we look at others, we obviously need to look beneath the surface, but that's something we've been taught since preschool. My point is that we need to start looking beneath our own surfaces because that's where God is looking.

There was a time I was up for a position that I was excited about and had the heart for, but I knew I wasn't qualified and that there were better candidates. I was chosen, however, and went in to the job feeling the weight of intimidation and inadequacy. The skill set was way beyond what I could handle at first.

My mother encouraged me by reminding me that God works that way sometimes and that He prefers imperfect willing vessels because not only does it give Him something to work with, and not only does it make His vessel completely dependent on Him, but when success is achieved, it's so obvious that it occurred because of Him.

David knew he was not only small and young as well as untrained, but he also understood that God was bigger than any of his shortcomings. God used this weaker of vessels in mighty way. A Giant fell, nations trembled, and God was glorified through it all. Have you ever wondered what would have happened if David had said, "I can't do that because I'm just a shepherd?"

Don't let what you think you are lacking keep you from what you know God is calling you to do. There may be gaps in your skill set, but if you have the willing heart and workable spirit desires, He will fill those holes with Himself.

On another note, if you know anyone who is English or can imitate an English accent, please let me know! (Just kidding, of course... I think).

Intersecting Faith & Life: Remember that God will equip you for whatever He has called you to do. Pastor and ministry leader, Adrian Rogers once wrote, "There are two things that form the vessel: the touch of the Father's hand and the turning of the wheel. The wheel represents the circumstances of our daily lives. God sees to it that our lives revolve around certain events, and the whole time God is touching our lives and making them what He wants them to be."

Further Reading

2 Timothy 2:21
Why God Chooses the Wounded and Broken
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[Judy Harder]

July 28, 2009

What's There to Gain from Loss?
by Laura MacCorkle, Crosswalk.com Senior Entertainment Editor

At this, Job got up and tore his robe and shaved his head. Then he fell to the ground in worship and said: "Naked I came from my mother's womb, and naked I will depart.  The LORD gave and the LORD has taken away; may the name of the LORD be praised."
Job 1:20-21, NIV


In the next-to-last chapter of Dr. David Clarke's The 6 Steps to Emotional Freedom:  Breaking Through to the Life God Wants You to Live, a few sentences stand out in regard to our personal response to loss:

"You're stuck if you have not genuinely changed as a person, in your relationships with others, and in your relationship with God. The whole point of loss is change.  Each loss ought to move you ahead in these three areas... God wants you to experience positive change, and one of His main methods to promote change is loss."

Whoa. When's the last time any of us has looked at a loss in our lives as something good? As something meant for positive change? As something from which we can gain?

It's so much easier to become bitter, to stay depressed, to go into denial or to lash out in anger at those closest to us. 

When I think back about all the loss I've experienced in my lifetime, I don't know if I can see resulting positive changes every time. Divorce, death, job lay-off, broken relationships, a church split... these are some of the losses that have impacted my life so far. Yes, some have grown me and strengthened my spiritual life.  But others are still a painful work in progress.

In the Bible, Job has got to be the No. 1 poster child for loss. He had it all: great wealth, good health and multiple children. And then one by one, God allowed it all to be taken away.

There was great suffering. Job agonized and felt alone. He cursed the day of his birth. I can imagine him thinking, Please, God, I am so tired of hurting. I have nothing left. Why are you allowing this to happen to me? I don't know how much longer I can be 'strong,' hold it together and act like everything is fine.

But despite losing nearly everything, Job never curses God (although he is honest about his feelings). He honors His Creator and is faithful. Job sees that God's way is the right way. He repents. And then God blesses him, giving him TWICE what he had before.

God doesn't explain to Job why he allowed the suffering. And Job is okay with that. In fact, he goes on to live another 140 years: "He saw his children and their children to the fourth generation. And so he died, old and full of years" (Job 42:16-17).

We see that Job's loss didn't cripple him. He didn't shrivel up his spirit and choose the bitter route for the rest of his days. No, what happened to Job only strengthened his relationship with God and matured his spiritual understanding. And that is the ultimate gain.

Like Job, we are to be faithful to God even when we endure loss in our lives.

Intersecting Faith & Life: Ask God today how, through your loss, He can help you gain positive change as a person--in your relationships with others and in your relationship with Him. Ask Him to use your experience to encourage someone else who has also suffered loss.

Further Reading

James 5:10-11, NIV
Handling the Losses of Life
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[Judy Harder]

July 29, 2009

Consistently Inconsistent
by Shawn McEvoy, Crosswalk.com Senior Editor

But if you're not sure, if you notice that you are acting in ways inconsistent with what you believe - some days trying to impose your opinions on others, other days just trying to please them - then you know that you're out of line. If the way you live isn't consistent with what you believe, then it's wrong.
Romans 14:23, The Message


Never brag on a four-and-a-half year-old.

This past Saturday, my wife and I could not have been more proud of our son, Jordan. He had been invited to a good friend's birthday party at a local YMCA, where they have a rock climbing wall, and the party was going to be Jordan's first chance to try it out. He'd been gearing up for it all week, even telling the stylists at the hair salon that he was going to get to climb a wall - just like Spider-Man. He also opted out of a post-haircut lollipop, completely on his own, rationalizing that because he'd be eating cake and ice cream later that day, he didn't want to have too many sweets.

Anyway, his mom had in her mind that the party was from 3:00 to 5:00 on Saturday afternoon. But as Valerie drove into the parking lot, she saw people leaving. Uh-oh. Yep... the cake was mostly eaten, the presents were being packed, and Nathan's birthday party had actually been from 1:00 to 3:00.

How would you expect the typical four-year-old boy to react to the news that he had just missed the whole party?

Well, when Val got down on her knees and looked him in the eyes and told him what had happened, he threw his arms around her neck and hugged her. He said, "I love you even when you mess up, Mommy." Nathan's mom invted Jordan over to their home to watch Nathan open his presents (they hadn't done this at the party) and play. Jordan eagerly accepted. To my knowledge, he didn't even have any cake. But when he came home, he told me this had been, "the best day ever," as it had also included going to the gym and to get a haircut with daddy that morning, and now he was going to get to watch some football.

It was his mom who was beating herself up, but the boy was as calm and pleasant and forgiving and full of joy as ever.

That night, at a fellowship for our Adult Bible class from church, some friends asked about the kids, and we told the story of Jordan's day. Jaws dropped. I went to bed feeling like the world's most blessed dad.

Then came Sunday morning.

First, Jordan decided he wanted neither a shower nor a bath, though he needed one. This may sound normal to you, but this boy generally loves getting clean. After we got him dressed he was fine. In the car, he informed me he didn't want to go to church. This wasn't unusual, as it was just a statement, one he has made before. But when we got to the church parking lot... he WOULD NOT get out of the car. When we finally got into the education building... he WOULD NOT go into his class. He was in between crying and screaming. Where did this come from?! We pulled out every prayer and parenting trick we know. Ultimately, we presented our son a choice, and made it clear: go into the class, which would be fun (it always is! He always has loved it and participated and knows the Bible stories), or - go home with Daddy and face not only a spanking but an entire day in his room, without watching sports with Dad, without his toys, without his games. He said he couldn't choose. We told him he had to. He chose option B, one that would literally be, for a boy of his age (and for his parents to carry out as well), Hell on earth for a day. My son, the same one who had mused to me the day before, "I think Heaven is going to be just great," the same one who had wowed us with a positive attitude and forgiveness beyond his years, was choosing, essentially, Hell, the worst possible day we could give him.

But we did give him one more chance. And another. Valerie went into class with him. He screamed. The teacher tried to soothe him with "Mommy's coming back" talk, but this was no separation anxiety issue. This was, for whatever reason, the day my boy decided to exert his will at any or all costs.

I honestly feel bad in some way that we still put him in the class - not only for disrupting it but because we so didn't want to see him suffer the consequences of a choice we WOULD have carried out because HE had chosen it. We just knew he'd be happier going forward with class.

***

So that's where I am right now - in my own Sunday School classroom in the same building as Jordan, at 9:23 a.m., writing this on my laptop (which I only have with me because I take the notes for our class) since I was too bothered to go sit in the service. Nobody else is here yet. But even before I have actually "had church" this Sunday, I have learned two huge lessons:

1) Inconsistency, thy name is humanity. Jordan sure is his father's son. If there were one thing I lack that I would prize above all other things in my life it would be consistency - of actions, thoughts, behavior, character. To not go lax on a health plan the moment people start to notice and give me praise. To not raise my voice or let the wrong word slip a day or two after studying how the man of God should speak. To act like I believe the things I say.

A good friend in college was once asked by a young friend what he thought it was most important for the Christian to achieve. "Consistency," he said. I overheard that... and it has stung like a barb in my brain ever since, as I knew the only thing I was consistent about was being inconsistent. Honestly, it's what I sympathize for my wife most about - that I am not sure she can count on my action or reaction to ever be what she expects, or the same from one situation to another. And oh Lord if that doesn't sting again seeing the same potential in my son. But then there's the flip side: is Jordan really behaving like me, or have I for too long behaved like him? I think that's more likely. And eye-opening. Perfect Christian with spot-on answers one day, sheer rebellion the next. Great in a crisis, raging at petty things. I've been living like an almost-five-year-old for most of my life.

2) That age-old theological question about free will and Heaven and Hell and God's role in sending people to one place or the other? It plays itself out all the time, I see now, in people of all ages. I love my son to no end, but no matter how we tried to "share the good news" with him, he was "hell-bent" to choose utter torment... almost just because he could. At the same time, we loved him so much that we were determined to: make sure he knew the consequences of his choices and actions, give him extra chance after extra chance, and in the end help him find the right way.

I didn't relish what I was willing to let happen if my son had willed it. But let it happen I would have. And rightly, so will our Father, if his children - who are by nature completely inconsistent - insist on their own way.

Jesus was marvelously, amazingly consistent. No wonder He is the model, He is the way, He is life, and the only hope we have to avoid a hellish eternity.

Intersecting Faith & Life: What action can you do today that would show someone important in your life that you are taking steps to be more dependable, consistent, trustworthy, or more grown-up?

Further Reading

Hebrews 13:7-8
Commitment to Consistent Parenting
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[Judy Harder]

July 30, 2009

Conforming or Tranforming?
by Meghan Kleppinger 

And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.
Romans 12:2, NAS 

"Character is always lost when a high ideal is sacrificed on the altar of conformity and popularity."
--Charles Spurgeon


Reading down a top magazine's list of the 100 best English-language novels published since 1923 made my pulse quicken and my heart sink. As an avid and admittedly often obnoxiously-distracted-in-public reader (I always have a book on me in case the opportunity to read arises -- like when I'm waiting for coffee, caught up in traffic, or standing in a line at the department of motor vehicles, to name a few examples), I just couldn't believe what I was seeing.

I nearly had a panic attack, not because of any distaste or disagreement over the books chosen, but because of the number of books listed that I haven't read yet. Quickly, I made my way to both the local library and Amazon.com websites and planned to start building my reserve list and filling my online shopping cart. As I moved my mouse to the search box so I could enter my selection, a little something I like to call "common sense" came over me.

Scolding myself, I whispered with clenched teeth, "Meghan, get a hold of yourself!"   

After a few deep breaths, there was a point of rational thinking when I realized that I didn't even know who wrote the list and that more than half of the books selected would never have been personal choices simply because of my dislike for the authors or the types of literature. I know and read what I like. Occasionally, I'll try something new or especially challenging just for fun, but mostly I'm loyal to a small circle of favorite authors.

Isn't easy to get caught up in what everybody is doing? Polls, magazines, television advertisements and movies are constantly telling us how to think, what to wear, who to vote for, what to watch, and in this case, what to read.

As Christians, we need to be especially careful with messages dictating what is "in." This list of books, for example, had several titles I shouldn't read simply because I am a Christ follower. It's not about whether I can "handle" the content, it's about living a life that reflects and pleases Christ. When I choose to read a book, I'm making a decision to commit hours and hours engrossed in that story.

As we choose what to wear, listen to, watch, or read, we need to be remember what Scripture says about how we spend our time and what we spend our time focusing on.

"...Whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things." (Philippians 4:

A friend shared with me that a literature teacher at her Christian college was constantly putting down Christian authors and their books, and encouraging the students to read "good" literature instead. Our discussion concluded with a couple of great thoughts.

First, just because something is written well, doesn't make it "good" or appropriate for Christians. In the same way, just because something is written by a Christian, doesn't mean it makes for a good read. Most importantly, however, how can we justify spending time on books that don't glorify God when there are countless wholesome and well written books available... written by both Christian and non-Christian authors?

In light of eternity, when I face Jesus one day, I don't think the excuse that I "dwelt" on something that didn't glorify God was because, "It was an award-winning book or movie," will fly. Actually, I would be ashamed to say I let popularity or a good story get in the way of my relationship with Him.

Basically, when my time on earth is through, I want it to be clear that transforming into the likeness of Christ was more important to me than conforming to the culture

Intersecting Faith & Life: As Christians, we need to remember that everything we have belongs to God... and with that in mind, consider how we are spending His time

Further Reading

Psalms 90:12
Choose This Day
How God Develops Christian Character
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[Judy Harder]

July 31, 2009

A Divine Design
by Laura MacCorkle, Crosswalk.com Senior Entertainment Editor

I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.
Psalm 139:14, NIV


"I am a divine design... I am created in His image by God's hand ..."

These are some of the lyrics from a song I learned while at Pioneer Girls camp many, many summers ago when I was still young and impressionable. My best friend's mother wrote the curriculum for our week-long Bible study that year, and it focused on the fact that we are all wonderful creations--made exactly as God has designed us to be.

It was a lesson from the Word that came at a perfect time, especially for young girls who were beginning to notice boys and the fact that our attractiveness by the opposite sex was determined by certain factors--mostly outlandish ideals and unachievable expectations--that we couldn't really control.

I was already feeling unattractive by that time in my life. Like many young girls, I wore glasses. Yes, they were great in that they helped me to see the blackboards, the maps of the world and my teachers who were standing at the front of the classrooms. But, they weren't so great in that they made me feel ugly and undesirable. Especially in junior high and my first year of high school (during which time I also had braces--a double-whammy for a gal's image). 

But the summer between my freshman and sophomore years of high school, I was allowed to get my first set of contacts. Freedom! How I had so looked forward to this time in my life! No more glasses, and finally I wouldn't be overlooked anymore and might begin to feel pretty.

And I did. For a while. But in college and for most of my 20s, I got sucked back into the vortex and continued to struggle with image and comparisons. Thankfully, in my 30s, I finally started to get it and realized that it was an insult to my Creator when I rejected myself, his carefully designed creation. What matters most is my inner beauty and that will always overshadow anything external.

While I still struggle somewhat with appearance, these days I feel like the battle is more with character issues and mindset. God, why did you make my mouth big enough for my foot to fit in there? Why am I constantly complaining? Isn't there an over-the-counter medicine for oral dysentery? Why am I never content? Why am I so quick to judge? Why can't I be as godly as her? And so forth.

But you know what? All of this--my struggles, my desires, my thoughts, my dreams--is part of God's divine design of ME! I am created in God's image. A masterpiece in the making. Purposeful cracks and all.

Now I'm sure my friends and family would tell you that they have "thankful hearts" over the fact that the mold was broken after I was made. And we're ALL glad that the Designer is not done with me yet. He'll be molding and shaping and using his tools to cut in here and cut away there until I go home to be with Him in heaven one day.

When I think of how God cares about me so much that He still takes time to work in my life so that I will be more like Him, it brings me to tears. He hasn't thrown his hands up in "artistic disgust" and walked away from this lump of clay. 

He is constant and remains unchanged so that I may be changed. Thanks be to God!

Intersecting Faith & Life: Are you struggling with something about yourself that you just don't like?  If this is something that cannot be changed, know that the Lord can still use you JUST as you are.  But if he is prodding you to make some adjustments in your character, seek his direction and know that he can move mountains and conform you into his image.

Further Reading

Genesis 1:27
Your Divine Design
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