Crosswalk.com--The Devotional

[Judy Harder]

Mini-Miracles
Shawn McEvoy, Crosswalk.com Managing Editor

So they all ate and were filled. Mark 6:42

The title of my devotional today strikes me as oxymoronic. Miracles, after all, are defined as acts of God, amazing and marvelous events, and "seals of a divine mission" (Easton's 1897 Bible Dictionary). Generally speaking, there's nothing small about them.

What I'm talking about then, are instances of heavenly intervention in the lives of believers that impact what we would consider "minor" areas of our existence, the things that cause us to make statements like: "It showed me that God cares about even the small things in our lives," always as if that's a profoundly shocking proclamation. Nobody ever responds by saying, "Well, duh..."

I think that's because it never stops being a mind-blowing concept - the Creator of the universe, who hears the prayers and praises of billions simultaneously and loves each one the same, provided, perhaps, just the right amount of money for a struggling single mom to buy her child a pair of shoes. It's not the parting of the Red Sea to preserve for Himself a people, or the resurrection of His son to purchase the redemption of humanity. It's, for lack of a better term, a mini-miracle.

I remember one time in our Adult Bible Fellowship class my friend Karen stepped in to teach our continuing series in Mark's gospel. We were in Chapter Six, focusing primarily on the Feeding of the 5,000. As she began her lesson, Karen admitted that she'd never quite been able to visualize this scene, or understand exactly what the miracle was meant to show. I mean, there is the lesson of provision, but the human body can go without food for quite some time. Jesus Himself fasted in the wilderness for 40 days (Matthew 4:1-4). So it's not like life and death were hanging in the balance if the people who had followed Him to this "desolate place" went without dinner that night. 

It could be, Karen suggested, Jesus just didn't want the people to go away - He had just suffered the death of His cousin John the Baptist, and recently endured the "amazing unbelief" (Mark 6:6) of those from His hometown of Nazareth. It could be Jesus took immense delight in this multitude foregoing their bodily needs to attend to His Word. It very well could be our Lord simply wanted to do something "just for them."

Maybe, Karen said, that's why she always tended to overlook this miracle a little bit. "You know how sometimes when God does something that you know was 'just for you,' and you tell someone else about it, and they're like, 'That's cool and all,' but it just doesn't carry the same meaning for them?"

I knew exactly what that was like, and I liked where she was going. I could see an even greater personalization in mini-miracles, in God drawing delight from blessing our socks off in ways that speak to our individual hearts. The idea also gave me greater permission to attribute to the Lord all sorts of transpirings that I had chalked up to my own efforts, happenstance, or even worse, had gone without noticing.

If, for instance, I told you about the time we thought we'd lost my wife's keys - including several costly ones - only to find them sitting precariously on a single steel beam of the trailer behind our moving van, maybe you'd respond the way my friend Scott did: "You got lucky, dude." Yeah, well, that's why Karen says sometimes these events are "just for us." I saw those keys, I knew the bumpy route we had traveled, I was astounded, I was humbled. I decided that giving credit to the Lord for things that bless you is never wrong, as suggested by James 1:17.

I just don't do it enough.

I wonder how many mini-miracles I've missed out on by being impatient, angry, or inattentive. Donald Miller, in Blue Like Jazz, has Moses tell those worshipping the golden calf: "Your problem is not that God is not fulfilling, your problem is that you are spoiled" (92). Romans 1:20 would seem to indicate that the Lord's hand is evident everywhere - "people can clearly see His invisible qualities." I like that verse very much, because I like to think of myself as on the lookout for God.

But that brings me to the other ways to miss miracles - by not accepting them or expecting them, by resenting them or wanting to earn them. I quote from Blue Like Jazz again, where Miller admits, "I love to give to charity, but I don't want to be charity. This is why I have so much trouble with grace" (84).

Intersecting Faith & Life:  Can we get past the affront of accepting a free gift? If we can, we might see the Lord trying to say through the Feeding of the 5,000 and even today, "Here I Am, stay here, spend more time, no need to go away, please accept this, put yourself in My hands, keep your eyes open, I love you."

After all, says Matthew 7:11, "If you sinful people know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give good gifts to those who ask him?" (Matthew 7:11). Mini-miracles are the treats God brings home to His kids, those who seek him with childlike faith, those who consider themselves "the little things in life." Well, duh...

Try bringing something small home to a loved one today to remind yourself of how much joy the Lord gets from giving.

[Judy Harder]

For Rainy Days
Ryan Duncan, TheFish.com

"And the ransomed of the LORD shall return and come to Zion with singing; everlasting joy shall be upon their heads; they shall obtain gladness and joy, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away."- Isaiah 35:10

Recently, my Small Group decided to take a weekend retreat down to the east coast. I've got to say, I was pretty excited. In the days leading up to the weekend I couldn't help but imagine hanging out at the beach, playing some football with the guys, and grilling copious amounts of meat for evening meals. When Friday finally rolled around, we loaded up our cars and made the two hour trip down to the coast where we had rented our cabin. Well, it rained. All weekend.

It wasn't the fun kind of rain either, the kind where if you get a few people brave enough you can run around outside like maniacs until you're soaked. No, this was the cold, unrelenting, kind of rain that makes you want to crawl back in bed and hibernate for a week. So I was a little surprised when Stephanie, one of the girls in our group, announced that she wanted to get baptized. She had planned on doing so at the beginning of the trip, and decided that she was going to follow through despite the weather.

She couldn't have picked a more miserable day. The sky was gray, the sea was white and foamy, and as we stepped onto the beach, I knew it would only be minutes until we were all close to freezing. I remember watching Stephanie and her friend wading into the sea and thinking that when I got baptized it would be somewhere tropical and sunny. But when Stephanie broke the surface, the joy on her face seemed uncontainable. You couldn't help smiling with her as she climbed out of the water.

Suddenly the sky didn't seem so gray, the rain wasn't so bad, even the wind, which was just as cold as ever, didn't bother me so much. It was one of those moments where you knew God was there. Life is full of bad moments and rainy days, and it's tempting to think God doesn't care when cloudy skies remain the same. But here's the thing about God, you never know him better than after he's taught you to laugh in the rain.

Intersecting Faith and Life

Take a moment to find Joy in the life God has given you.

Further Reading

Psalms 16:11

[Judy Harder]

Spiritual Health
by Ryan Duncan, Editor at TheFish.com

"Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your heart be troubled, nor let it be fearful. – John 14:27

Lately I've been reflecting on the story of Jesus and the paralytic. You've probably heard it before; it appears in Mark chapter 2, when four men break through a roof to bring their friend to Jesus.

And many were gathered together, so that there was no longer room, not even near the door; and He was speaking the word to them. And they came, bringing to Him a paralytic, carried by four men. Being unable to get to Him because of the crowd, they removed the roof above Him; and when they had dug an opening, they let down the pallet on which the paralytic was lying. And Jesus seeing their faith said to the paralytic, "Son, your sins are forgiven." But some of the scribes were sitting there and reasoning in their hearts, "Why does this man speak that way? He is blaspheming; who can forgive sins but God alone?" Immediately Jesus, aware in His spirit that they were reasoning that way within themselves, said to them, "Why are you reasoning about these things in your hearts? Which is easier, to say to the paralytic, 'Your sins are forgiven '; or to say, 'Get up, and pick up your pallet and walk '? But so that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins "-He said to the paralytic, "I say to you, get up, pick up your pallet and go home." And he got up and immediately picked up the pallet and went out in the sight of everyone, so that they were all amazed and were glorifying God, saying, "We have never seen anything like this." – Mark 2:2-12       

What gets me when I read this story is that, after all these men did to get their friend to Jesus, the first thing he does is say, "Your sins are forgiven.". I must have read this story a hundred times, yet I always seem to forget that Jesus healed the man's soul before he healed his body. I don't know about you, but it bothers me how easy it is for us to focus so much on our physical needs that we overlook our spiritual ones. They don't necessarily have to be selfish needs either.

"Please let me be healthy, please let me find a job, please let my car not break down."These are things everyone prays for, but what happens when we grow so concerned about our lives that we forget to ask God for more faith, or wisdom, or opportunities to exercise His Grace? Walking with Christ means balancing the physical with the spiritual, because while our bodies were made for this world, our spirits were made for somewhere else.                     

Intersecting Faith and Life

Are your physical needs overshadowing your spiritual ones? Take time to pray and meditate on his word.

Further Reading

Hebrews 11   

[Judy Harder]

How Are Your Thoughts?
by Anna Kuta, News & Culture Editor at ReligionToday.com

"Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are honest, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue, and if there is anything praiseworthy, meditate on these things" (Philippians 4:.

We've all heard the phrase "Garbage in, garbage out" – it's a statement that originated in reference to computer input and output but is now often applied to other areas of life. I, for one, heard it countless times growing up when it came to healthy food versus junk food, and I'm sure you've heard it used to refer to something along similar lines.

And as I was reading today's verse a few days ago, I realized Paul is using the same principle here in reference to our minds. In instructing the Philippians about how to live godly lives, he includes this verse about what they should be thinking about and focusing on. Whatever things are true, honest, just, pure, lovely, good, virtuous, praiseworthy – this is what he tells them to meditate on. "The things which you learned and received and heard and saw in me, these do, and the God of peace will be with you," he goes on in verse 9.

As Christians, our aim is to live a life pleasing and obedient to God. Our Christian lives should show a pattern of growth and sanctification – becoming more like Jesus and less like the sinful people we were before. But before our actions can line up with Jesus, our minds and hearts have to. Do we expect to live lives reflecting of Him if our minds are focused elsewhere, on sinful things? No, our minds should focus on godly things – things that are true, honest, just, pure, lovely, good, virtuous and praiseworthy. Godliness in, godliness out.

Obviously, there are many terrible things in the world that we cannot escape – and indeed we as Christians are called to be in the world but not of it – but that just means it's especially crucial to keep our minds focused on things that mirror and reflect God's nature and goodness. It actually goes further than just our thoughts – it means guarding our thoughts as well: being careful just what we willingly let in to our minds and hearts. As Proverbs 4:23 says, "Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it."

No, I may not have any control over things I see and hear in the world on a daily basis, but I can choose what I decide to fill my mind with on my own time. The music I listen to, the books I read, the conversations I take part in, the movies and TV shows I choose to watch – are they things that will help my thoughts have the characteristics Paul talks about in today's verse? If not, I truly need to reevaluate what I am feeding my mind.

And, of course, when in doubt, we all should remember that there is no better true, honest, just, pure, lovely, good, virtuous and praiseworthy thing to meditate on than the word of God itself.

Intersecting Faith & Life

Where do your thoughts go when your mind wanders? How have your thoughts today lined up with Paul's description of what we should think about – things that are true, honest, just, pure, lovely, good, virtuous and praiseworthy? Pray that God will reveal areas in your life that are not producing godly thoughts, and pray that He will help you desire to focus on things that are pleasing to Him.

Further Reading

1 Peter 2:12

Romans 12:1-2

Proverbs 4:23

[Judy Harder]

Let Me Take Care of That For You
by Debbie Wright, Editor at Crosswalk.com

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

I recently had a bit of a three-ring-circus to deal with trying to pay a toll. Our lovely Richmond, VA is indeed a beautiful city, but we sure do have some tolls. In fact, depending on where you're going and from where you're coming, you may have to pay 3 or 4 tolls in one trip. That happened to me a few weeks ago. As I left the office (right in the middle of the city) and headed southside to visit a friend, I realized too late that I didn't have enough cash to pay the final toll. With a sigh, I asked for a receipt from the toll booth and went on my way.

I won't bore you with the details, but let's just say I talked to far too many people on the phone, hand-delivered my toll payment in some city office, and still got a "Toll Violation" notice in the mail. This resulted in mild deflation of my spirits. My family said, "Debbie, don't worry. Just call them and explain." I tried to, but was informed that not only was there no record of my payment, but that I would be forced to pay an extra $13 (on a 70 cent toll!) for a vague "Administration" fee.

Come on, I kept thinking. I'm just trying to live my life and pay my toll.

In one last valiant move to get some help, I walked back to the aforementioned office on my lunch break the next afternoon. As it so happened, a high ranking administrator happened to be there right when I was. As I explained the situation, he made a copy of my toll notice and immediately got someone on the phone.

"I can dismiss this for you," he said.

"What do I need to do?" I asked, skeptical. "Who do I need to call and follow up with?"

"Nope. Nothing," he said. "Here's my card. If you get another notice, just call me."

I left the office that day with a spring in my step and a burden off my shoulders. I was no longer going to be hounded by the toll agencies!

"See, we told you," my family said. "You shouldn't have worried."

Isn't our relationship with Christ a lot like that, sometimes? I feel like I have worried and fretted about so many things, only to realize in retrospect that God was trying to tell me, "Baby, let me take care of that for you."

Jesus told his disciples,

"Look at the birds of the air: they neither reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?" (Matthew 6:26)

Intersecting Faith and Life

When you're dealing with a frustration, no matter how small, remember that God is asking you to stop worrying and let him carry you.

Further Reading

Philippians 1:6

Matthew 5:1-12

[Judy Harder]

All Saints' Day
by Alex Crain, Editor of Christianity.com

"Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us." Hebrews 12:1, NAS



There's an old country-western song that says "Me and Jesus got our own thing going" (Tom T. Hall). And I have to admit, there's a part of me that likes that message. It's the sinful, self-absorbed part of me, but the words of that song have a dark appeal. Sometimes, I just don't want other people looking at my life. I don't want to be questioned. I want to be affirmed. But that kind of "Mind your own business. Me and Jesus got our own thing going" attitude isn't from God. He doesn't teach His children rugged individualism. He connects us to something bigger than our stand-alone, little lives. Every follower of Christ is a part of something grand and ancient. A yearly reminder of that fact is the holiday known as "All Saints Day."

Who is a saint? Well, you are, if you're a believer. The Bible says that—by God's grace, with all our blind spots, flaws, and all—God calls saints those who trust in Christ alone for salvation. Because Christ lived a perfectly obedient life and died on the cross for our sin, it's paid for and forgiven (Romans 5:1, 5:8, 8:1). We're also clothed in the righteousness of Jesus (2 Cor. 5:21). God then uses His saints with feet of clay to further His kingdom. This brings Him glory and makes His grace shine clearly.

All Saints Day dates back to about A.D. 610 when the Pantheon in Greece, turned into a Christian Church, was dedicated to all saints. The 1662 Book of Common Prayer says that the holiday stands for "the unity of Christians of all ages, countries, and races in Christ, and the perfection of that unity in heaven."

The Bible doesn't teach us to pray to the saints (Matt. 6:6), through the saints (1 Tim. 2:5) or for saints who have already gone to heaven. Instead, we remember the saints and to allow the memory of their faith spur us on to deeper worship and greater service to the Lord.

Hebrews 11 gives us examples of the great cloud of witnesses who are called so, not because they are watching us, but because they testify of God's grace to them. These saints of the past remind us:

"God is faithful."

"The Lord is good, trust always in Him."

"God's grace was sufficient for me and it will be for you too."

There's a hymn that's traditionally sung around this holiday called "For All the Saints." It encourages believers to look across 2000 years of Christian history and think of the millions now enjoying rest and salvation in the presence of God. It's also meant to provide encouragement to believers here and now to press on, looking forward to the glorious day...

"And when the strife is fierce, the warfare long,
Steals on the ear the distant triumph song,
And hearts are brave again, and arms are strong.

Alleluia, Alleluia!"

Intersecting Faith and Life

How do you tend to view your Christian life? An individual self-improvement project? Or is it a life of connection to the body of Christ?

Further Reading

Take a moment to reflect on the words of "For All the Saints." If you've never heard this great song of the faith, here are two recordings you might listen to as you reflect on the lyrics below:

Choir of York Minster, England (traditional arrangement)
Indelible Grace (contemporary arrangement, track 14)

"For All the Saints"

(Lyrics: William How; Music: Ralph Vaughan Williams)

For all the saints, who from their labors rest,
Who Thee by faith before the world confessed,
Thy Name, O Jesus, be forever blessed.
Alleluia, Alleluia!

Thou wast their Rock, their Fortress and their Might;
Thou, Lord, their Captain in the well fought fight;
Thou, in the darkness drear, their one true Light.
Alleluia, Alleluia!

For the Apostles' glorious company,
Who bearing forth the Cross o'er land and sea,
Shook all the mighty world, we sing to Thee:
Alleluia, Alleluia!

For the Evangelists, by whose blest word,
Like fourfold streams, the garden of the Lord,
Is fair and fruitful, be Thy Name adored.
Alleluia, Alleluia!

For Martyrs, who with rapture kindled eye,
Saw the bright crown descending from the sky,
And seeing, grasped it, Thee we glorify.
Alleluia, Alleluia!

O blest communion, fellowship divine!
We feebly struggle, they in glory shine;
All are one in Thee, for all are Thine.
Alleluia, Alleluia!

O may Thy soldiers, faithful, true and bold,
Fight as the saints who nobly fought of old,
And win with them the victor's crown of gold.
Alleluia, Alleluia!

And when the strife is fierce, the warfare long,
Steals on the ear the distant triumph song,
And hearts are brave, again, and arms are strong.
Alleluia, Alleluia!

The golden evening brightens in the west;
Soon, soon to faithful warriors comes their rest;
Sweet is the calm of paradise the blessed.
Alleluia, Alleluia!

But lo! there breaks a yet more glorious day;
The saints triumphant rise in bright array;
The King of glory passes on His way.
Alleluia, Alleluia!

From earth's wide bounds, from ocean's farthest coast,
Through gates of pearl streams in the countless host,
And singing to Father, Son and Holy Ghost:
Alleluia, Alleluia!

[Judy Harder]

The "Whys" of Life
by Kelly Givens, Editor at Salem Web Network

"He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away." -Revelation 21:4

Towards the end of work some weeks ago, our office was informed that a few cars in our parking deck had been broken into. The vandalism and robberies had been contained to Level 2—the level I had parked my car. Thankfully, my car had been left untouched. The SUV directly across from me, however, hadn't fared so well- the shattered glass on the ground evidenced the vandals' quick and effective work. As I began my drive home I prayed God would give the owners of the busted up cars a measure of his peace, mercy and patience.

Nearing my exit, I noticed cars slowing down, and around the bend in the road I saw why. A cop was getting out of his car; he had been called for a minor fender bender and traffic was slowing to accommodate. I inched past, glancing at the guy in truck that had been hit. He had his head in his hand and was looking up at the sky in exasperation. You could tell he was thinking, "I can't believe this happened. Why me?! What did I do to deserve this?!" I thought back to the owners of the cars in the parking deck, knowing they would be asking those same questions when they discovered their vehicles had been broken into.

The "whys" of life point us to a story larger than our own. When we ask why bad things happen, we're acknowledging that the way life is right now is not how it ought to be. Why is that significant? It's significant because, in a world which wants us to believe we were created at random and have lived on through survival of the fittest or just good luck, our souls actually cry out against randomness and unjust advantage. We crave order, justice, and mercy, and we feel angry and sad when a seemingly arbitrary, awful thing in life happens. There's a disconnect between what we believe should happen and what really does happen.  I find it interesting that my friends who believe in a random, chance creation still feel indignant when apparently random, chance events work against their lives. Their heads may believe one thing, but their hearts believe something else.  As Christians, our heads and hearts are more aligned. 

At the beginning of Creation, we're told "God saw all he had made, and it was very good" (Gen. 1:31). You were created to live in a perfect world, where the question of why bad things happen was never supposed to exist. But then man sinned and the world was corrupted (Gen. 3: 6-7). Adam and Eve immediately recognized sin for what it was, and in their guilt hid from God (Gen. 3:10). In the same way, we recognize evil as evil because it goes against the very nature of our intended existence. We cry out against suffering because we were never meant to suffer. We get overwhelming distraught over death because no one was ever supposed to die.  As believers, we can take encouragement from this gut reaction to pain and suffering. It reminds us we were created for a world absent of these things, and we can look forward to the day when Jesus comes back and takes away our tears and frustrations. We will never utter "Why me?" again.  Everything good that can be, will be. Everything evil will be undone. That is such good news; it fills me with joy and hope to think on it.

Intersecting Faith and Life: Are you experiencing seemingly random suffering and sorrow in your life? Cling to the comforting truth of your faith - all suffering is temporary, it is not random, and Jesus is coming soon to restore this world and everything in it - including you - to perfection.

Further Reading:
Isaiah 25: 6-9
Romans 8: 18-39

[Judy Harder]

Engraved in His Hand
by Fred Alberti, Salem Web Network Director of Social Media

"Can a mother forget the baby at her breast and have no compassion on the child she has borne? Though she may forget, I will not forget you! See, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands..."
Isaiah 49:15-16

Sometimes we find ourselves in harsh circumstances. We feel isolated from the Lord and begin to ask ourselves, "Is He really there? Has He forgotten me?" Today's passage is a stark reminder that there is no way our Lord will forget us or forsake us.

Being the father of six children I have been blessed to witness the beautiful scene of a mother feeding her baby. I've seen both mother and child relax and share that bond that comes through breastfeeding. It is that beautiful analogy that is drawn in Isaiah. A mother does not forget the child she is nursing, she and the baby are in a deep bond that is difficult to be ignored. Likewise, our Father in heaven is in no way going to forget His love for us. But even if a mother were to forget, the Lord proclaims that even if a mother were to forget, He never will.

Dear child of God, you will never be forgotten!

In the midst of losing your house to foreclosure, you will not be forgotten.

When worrying how you are going to deal with the high gas prices, you will not be forgotten.

When struggling to budget the grocery bill, you will not be forgotten.

God will never forget you.

Why not?

This brings us to the second half of our passage.

"See, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands..."

As we were reading this in church one Sunday my wife was quick to point out an interesting observation. She felt, and I agree, that this was a messianic prophecy.

Our names were written into the palms that would bear the nails that hung our Lord on the cross at Calvary.

Your name, my name, and that of every other believer in Christ Jesus has had our names engraved by the nails that bore our Lord to a cruel tree.

You will not be forgotten because He loves you so much that He was willing to die for you. 1 Cor. 6:20 says, "...you were bought at a price."

That price was paid on a cross between two thieves.

That price was endured until the last breath when Jesus said, "It is finished."

With that proclamation, let's turn to 2 Cor. 1:8-11 which says this:

"... We were under great pressure, far beyond our ability to endure, so that we despaired even of life. Indeed, in our hearts we felt the sentence of death. But this happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on God, who raises the dead. He has delivered us from such a deadly peril, and he will deliver us. On him we have set our hope that he will continue to deliver us, as you help us by your prayers."

Friend, it is our hardships which cause us to turn and rely on God. Set your hope on Him and pray for those who are in distress.

He has engraved you on His hand and He will deliver.

Intersecting Faith & Life: Do a study of the different names of the Lord and write each name on the palm of your hand. As you go throughout the day take time to pray for those who are in distress. See someone in a grocery store with a stern look? Pray for that person. See another person standing at the pumps with a furrowed brow? Pray for that person. Pray for them as the recipients in Paul's letter prayed for him.

Further Reading

On the Bottom Looking Up
He Is Our Joy!
Never Unloved

[Judy Harder]

Living With Need
Ryan Duncan

"Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble. – Matthew 6:34

It all began with an enormous doctor's bill. Over the past few months I had been trying to do a better job at budgeting my finances. This had never been one of my strong points, but slowly, surely, I felt like I was starting to make progress toward becoming a true, independent adult. Then the doctor's bill came. Aside from putting a huge dent in my finances, what made things even more frustrating was that I began to recall the appointment in question.

The doctor had been almost two hours late and had left me waiting in one of those small service rooms, convinced I'd die of old age before he arrived. After that, there had been the tetanus shot that left my arm feeling stiff and sore for the rest of the day. Now I was looking down at a small piece of paper that told me I was expected to pay a ridiculous sum of money for the inconvenience of both. I decided the first thing to do was pray and ask God to help me with my finances. Once I had finished, I began flipping through my Bible for some sense of assurance.

I finally landed on this verse in Philippians,               

I rejoiced in the Lord greatly that now at length you have revived your concern for me. You were indeed concerned for me, but you had no opportunity. Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content. I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. I can do all things through him who strengthens me. Yet it was kind of you to share my trouble. – Philippians 4:10-14

This was not the answer I had hoped for. No one likes being told to tighten their belt, and as I began cleaning up my apartment I couldn't help feeling a little annoyed at God. Midway through my work, I realized I had just enough food in my pantry, my rent was paid, and my car hadn't died on me yet. So maybe I'd have to eat leftovers for a few meals or spend an evening reading instead of going out, so maybe I was living with a little bit of "need;" I had a lot more than most did.

Sometimes it's easy to overlook the ways God has blessed our lives. We worry about what we don't have, instead of looking around and acknowledging what God has already provided. So when times of need start to make you worry, remember that God will always provide, though not always in the way you might expect.

Intersecting Faith and Life

Count your blessings. There's almost surely more of them than it may seem at first.

Further Reading

Philippians 4:4-7

[Judy Harder]

Ambition
by Shawn McEvoy, Crosswalk.com Managing Editor

Make it your ambition to lead a quiet life and attend to your own business and work with your hands.
1 Thessalonians 4:11

Quaint, right?

Be honest; read today's verse and then try telling your children that such is all they should aspire to; that, essentially, unheralded blue collar work should be their ambition. Aim high? Sounds more like settling for anonymity.

What could Paul be getting at? Sure there are times we all grow tired of the rat race and perhaps dream about a scenario where we forsake the city and a high-pressure job for a more pastoral setting, crafting furniture and knick-knacks, living in harmony. Is that what this verse is getting at?

Let's look deeper.

The Greek word philotim means to labor, endeavor, strive, study to become. It is used in three places in the New Testament. The first is quoted above, regarding ambition, which sounds not much like what we typically imagine when we think of things to be ambitious about.

Another place the word appears is Romans 15:20, where Paul writes, "And thus I aspired to preach the gospel..."

In 2 Corinthians 5:9 we read, "We have as our ambition... to be pleasing to Him."

Contrast these goals with the first defitinion under "ambition" on Dictionary.com:

1. an earnest desire for some type of achievement or distinction, as power, honor, fame, or wealth, and the willingness to strive for its attainment.

I thought so. The more I study, the more I philotim to know God, the more I understand how different the Word and the world really are. Perhaps folks who live in other parts of the globe are less shocked to learn such lessons. For me, born, raised, working, and raising children in these United States, the lesson is always one of dichotomy, paradox, and sadly wondering if I'm handicapped beyond repair from truly following.

One of my bosses is fond of saying that in business, it's crucial to determine early on whether a person you are dealing with is a "make me rich" or a "make me famous" person. Everyone, the story goes, is either one or the other at heart. And truly, according to the world's definition of ambition, that makes sense. We all have something we want that drives us.

Lately I've been wondering a lot at where this has gotten me. Everything I have done, accomplished, purposed, learned, studied (i.e. "philotim-ed") in life has led to... what, exactly? What goal? When I pray that the Lord would make my life useful and provide for me and let me know His will and keep me safe it's all so... what? So I can watch my TV programs every night without acid in my stomach and with an easy feeling in my chest? As opposed to having to really live by faith?

Today I read this quote by the English poet Samuel Johnson: "To be happy at home is the ultimate result of all ambition." Instantly my face fell. I knew that feeling all too well. All my aspirations only lead to the place of comfort, happiness, the path of least resistance. What's wrong with that? It quickly becomes a place that feels too far from God, too self-centered, too out of the loop, too far removed to be making a real difference.

So what then is the ambition of the Christ-follower?

Lead a quiet life
Attend to your own business
Work with your hands
Preach the gospel
Be pleasing to Him
In other words, don't stress yourself with fame, or getting and spending, always climbing, making more more more. Don't bother with being a busy-body or a gossip. Be creative; let God work through you. Tell others about Him. And live by faith.

It's so simple, almost too simple. Ambition isn't something far out there, some unabashed worldly success beyond our dreams, though that's where God may take us. It all goes back to the very reason God made man in the first place - to have someone to know Him.

And there's just not anything quaint about that.

Intersecting Faith & Life: The bulleted points above might sound too easy, too simple. And they can be. But when was the last time you made any or all of these your ambition? Pick one and practice it today, perhaps preaching the gospel to someone, perhaps seeking God's pleasure more than your own in any decisions you make.

Further Reading

What Motivates You?
Romans 15:20
2 Corinthians 5:9