Crosswalk.com--The Devotional

[Judy Harder]

January 7, 2011

The Problem with Perception
by Sarah Phillips, Crosswalk.com Family Editor

The Lord does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.
1 Samuel 16: 7b 

A few years ago, an acquaintance of mine mused, "Why are people like Paris Hilton so unhappy? They have no earthly excuse to be." It's human nature to look at snapshots of someone else's life and conclude that they somehow have it better than we do. Too many times I've allowed my perceptions of someone else's happiness to create discontent in my own world. I wonder, "God, why are you blessing them and not me?"

Not only is it tempting to make assumptions about those who've achieved worldly success, but I've caught myself and others making wrong assumptions about what it means to be a godly person, a "good Christian." I hear fellow believers say they feel small or inadequate next to some perceived spiritual giant or that they envy some gift or perceived virtue of another.

I recently came across a reflection from a young woman that gave me a fresh perspective on those I perceive to be "perfect." St. Therese of Lisieux, a Carmelite nun who lived in the late 19th century, was a model Christian very young in life. Yet, a few years before her own young death at 24, she reflected on how others perceived her in her autobiography Story of a Soul:

"I cannot say that Jesus makes me walk the way of humiliation exteriorly. He is content to humble me in the depths of my soul; in the eyes of creatures, I succeed in everything."

Therese expressed much discomfort in the compliments lavished on her because, as she so matter-of-factly states: "I remember who I am." She knew the intimate details of her faults even while others could not see them, and often felt the difference between her and the great Saints like Aquinas was as vast as a grain of sand at the foot of a mountain.

St. Therese wasn't alone in her discomfort of others' perceptions. Mother Teresa often tried to deflect attention because she knew she wasn't really the true source of her "success." Mother Teresa's personal letters revealed her own private periods of darkness laced throughout her extraordinary life.

Sometimes, the unseen crosses weigh us down more than any outward suffering ever could. There is so little we truly know about other souls -- only that which others are willing to share with us. This is why the comparison game is such a sham. It creates a toxic cycle of private shame and envy that isolates individuals in a world where we're all trying to "measure up" to fabricated standards. Jim Hancock, author of Posers, Fakers, and Wannabes, expressed the dangerous game of comparison like this: "I judged what I knew about me by what I didn't know about them."

Life, of course, does not have to end with each one of us locked in a private world of faults and failings. Even with their interior crosses, both St. Therese and Mother Teresa knew they did not have to live a life of disconnection, shame or envy. They knew true inner peace rested with the only One who is perfect and yet, with full knowledge of our faults, loves us unconditionally.

Not only does God love us as we are, but He's ready to use even our failings for incredible good - perhaps even greater good than had we been "perfect." When we stop comparing and put energy towards building the most important relationship we'll ever have, doors open to a life greater than we could have planned or achieved on our own.

Intersecting Faith & Life: Americans are reportedly some of the loneliest people on the planet. Intimacy flourishes when we let our guards down and allow others to see who we really are, imperfections and all. Set aside a little time this week to strengthen a relationship with a friend or family member. Be open to talking about what's really going on in each others' lives so that you can build each other up in the faith.

Further Reading

2 Corinthians 12: 7-9
Luke 9: 46-48

[Judy Harder]

January 10, 2011


Letter from Dad
by Shawn McEvoy, Crosswalk.com Managing Editor

Abba! Father! All things are possible for you.
Mark 14:36

My son was having a problem at school. Not with his schoolwork, or even socially. It was a personal problem, and it was minor, but it was of some concern to his mother and me. And if he didn't solve it soon, it would become of greater concern to him as well.

We tried all sorts of encouragement (even forms of discouragement). We did everything we could within the bounds of letting him feel secure, making sure we knew he was excelling at the important first-grader-type stuff, making sure he didn't develop a complex. Still, nothing was working. Basically, he'd get so involved and engrossed in whatever he was doing that day or at that hour that he just couldn't remember to take care of other important items. A multi-tasker he is not yet. Nor must he be. Laser-like focus and concentration is a trait I know many parents wish their children displayed.

Anyway, as with many things, the solution came from him. One morning as we were praying and encouraging him about the issue before school, he suggested a note. He said it might really help him if I wrote him a note - a special, secret note in a code just for us - that he could keep in his chair-pocket at school, one he could take out every day and read and think of me and remember what he was supposed to do.

Immediately I got out some paper, wrote out a message of love and encouragement that also contained a hidden meaning for Jordan, and sent him on his way, not knowing what to expect.

More than three weeks later, he'd not had an instance of the problem. He credits the letter from dad, says he takes it out before every class. It makes him smile, it makes him feel loved, it reminds him who he is and what he needs to do.

We all have one of those, you know. A letter from Dad. Something to read at the start of every day that tells us we're loved, encourages us, challenges us, reminds us who we are and what we need to do. A note that has surprising power to heal our woes and solve our problems.

Intersecting Faith & Life: Have you read yours today? 

Further Reading

Proverbs 3:3
Deuteronomy 6:6-7   

[Judy Harder]

January 11, 2011

The Year of Hidden Blessings
by Katherine Britton, Crosswalk.com News & Culture Editor

"For he wounds, but he also binds up; he injures, but his hands also heal." Job 5:18

Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows. - James 1:17

I know New Year's Eve was a couple weeks ago, but I'm still evaluating all that happened last year. Sorry, I'm a slow poke on that front. I always appreciate the post-holiday lull in January that allows for more quiet reflection, even if I don't go crazy on the New Year's resolutions. I need that time to stop going, going, going, and just take a look at what God has done.

In summing up 2010, I'm calling it the year of hidden blessings. I nearly burned my house down in February, ended up the smushed middle car in a five-car highway accident in May, nervously watch the school system where my husband works make staff cuts, and more. I feel lucky to have survived 2010, and I don't mean that as an exaggeration. Mentally, I know that I'm dependent on God's sustaining grace every year. This year, though, I practically had my nose rubbed in the fact. All the close calls made me face "what could have happened" and respond with thankfulness that it didn't. But the crazy thing is, the Lord didn't just deliver me through all these instances unscathed. He used my own stupidity to bring about good things. In other words, I experienced a whole lot of divine grace this year.

In what has become known as "The Fire" (that's capitalized), half our cabinets burned, our refrigerator and stove were effectively destroyed, and various portions of drywall got pulled down by a fire department focused on safety precautions. But in the aftermath of The Fire, we found out insurance would pay for much of the remodel . So we went to work installing a much more functional - and beautiful - kitchen. For me, this was an object lesson in how God rescues his people. I'm a results-oriented person, so I often struggle with being "good enough" for God, with "earning" favor by being a good little Christian. But Christ provides us with the gift of life despite our best efforts to fumble it. As I looked around my soot-stained kitchen, knowing that my actions had caused the destruction, and that someone else would finance the essential repairs... believe me, that's humbling.

I could go on about the other life scenarios we lived through this year, but you get the idea. In any case, each circumstance began with heartache and a "what do we do now" cry. Each ended with God making his provision known in funny, little ways. Sometimes the situation was made better materially; sometimes relationally; sometimes spiritually. Now, in 2011, I look back on each of those minor catastrophes and see that God was at work. He truly does work for the good of those who love him.

Intersecting Faith & Life: Everyday mercies surround us. After this year, I'm convinced that God uses every circumstance to bless us. That doesn't mean we will never suffer or that we will always come out on top. Instead, it means that he will use our circumstances to bring us closer to himself. That's the greatest gift we can ask for.

[Judy Harder]

January 12, 2011 

Authentic Christianity
Alex Crain
Editor, Christianity.com

"...be filled with the Spirit...
singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart,
giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father
in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ."
Ephesians 5:18-20 ESV

Months ago, I began a journey through the works of Francis Schaeffer beginning with the book True Spirituality. I've been writing about that here at Crosswalk the Devotional and am now in chapter seven. There is still time to catch up if you want to join the journey, and I hope you will. 

As C.S. Lewis once said: "First-hand knowledge [of great authors] is not only more worth acquiring than second-hand knowledge, but is usually much easier and more delightful to acquire." (Quoted from his introduction in Athanasius', On the Incarnation, St. Vladimir's Seminary Press: Crestwood, New York, 1993, p. 3).

In other words, you'll probably enjoy Francis Schaeffer much more than reading my devotionals on Francis Schaeffer. But it is not just your delight in reading a great man that is at stake. No. Schaeffer's message is a much-needed remedy for the low condition of joy and genuine faith that seems to plague this generation.

And Schaeffer knows something about that. He was once a joyless Christian himself. 

In 1971, Schaeffer published True Spirituality to help people experience the reality of Christ in daily life.  Not just at the moment of salvation. At first, his book was a series of Bible lessons. He taught them to his family and students who gathered regularly in their home in the Swiss Alps. But before they ever became that set of lessons to others, Schaeffer taught them to his own heart.

Before Schaeffer ever became the famous author and Christian leader that he eventually became (and prior to the time that L'Abri began), Francis went through a dark period lasting several months. He was troubled by the disproportion that he saw in himself between the large amount of Bible data he knew and claimed to believe and the lack of genuine spiritual joy in his life.

Over those months as he walked in the mountains, Francis rethought his reasons for being a Christian and, at last he...

"...saw again that there were totally sufficient reasons to know that the infinite-personal God does exist and that Christianity is true.

"In going further, I saw something else which made a profound difference in my life. I searched through what the Bible said concerning reality as a Christian. Gradually, I saw that the problem was that with all the teaching I had received after I was a Christian, I had heard little about what the Bible says about the meaning of the finished work of Christ for our present lives.

"Gradually the sun came out and the song came. ...and although I had written no poetry for many years, in that time of joy and song I found poetry beginning to flow again—poetry of certainty, an affirmation of life, thanksgiving, and praise. Admittedly, as poetry it is very poor, but it expressed a song in my heart which was wonderful to me."  (from True Spirituality, p. 196 in The Complete Works of Francis Schaeffer, vol. 3 © 1982 Crossway Books, Wheaton, Illinois).

Francis Schaeffer saw and believed that the finished work of Christ really is the source of the Christian's daily life. He grew deeply convinced that the Christian life is not just about conversion, but about moment-by-moment living out of the grace of God today, in the present by the power of the Holy Spirit.

While what I've been writing at Crosswalk the Devotional faithfully summarizes Schaeffer' message, I suspect that my writing carries only a fraction of the impact that reading True Spirituality would have upon you. God has used this book to shed light and build faith in the hearts of many for years. And as C.S. Lewis said, there really is something special about reading the greats for yourself. Only then can you experience the transforming progression of Schaeffer's argument, the clarity of his thought, and his wise use of Scripture and illustrations throughout his book. 

Think about it: If it suddenly became possible for you to be personally mentored by Dr. Francis Schaeffer, would you take the opportunity? In a way, you can. Pick up True Spirituality, then follow with us on the trail of his thought.

Intersecting Faith and Life: 
Imagine that a friend or family member is called upon to testify of the presence of spiritual reality in your life. What evidence would they give?

Think through the reasons why you became a Christian. Reflect on what it means to have an authentic relationship with the infinite-personal God who is there.

Further Reading
Psalm 16
John 6:68
Ephesians 5:1-21

[Judy Harder]

January 13, 2011


Be a Friend to Have a Friend
Laura MacCorkle, Crosswalk.com Senior Editor


A friend loves at all times. Proverbs 17:17, NIV


Christmas is just about three weeks past us, but the remnants remain on a bulletin board in my office.


There, I have thumb-tacked various holiday family pictures and newsletters that I received in the mail from all different friends and acquaintances.  I decided that that's how I would "handle" these materials this year, instead of putting them in a pile to collect dust and go forgotten.


As I look at the bulletin board each day, my heart is warmed as I see the faces of friends who have played different roles in my life:  comforter, truth-teller, listener, hugger, encourager, constructive criticizer, relationship decoder/investigator, and so forth.


I see so many ways of serving and giving from so many different types of friends.  And I am blessed as I am reminded of what they have done for me.  And then I am also convicted:  What am I doing for my friends?  How am I pouring into their lives as they are pouring into mine?  How is God moving me to be part of their worlds?  And am I responding to his instruction and guidance in my life?


Ralph Waldo Emerson famously said:  "The only way to have a friend is to be one."  And he was so right about that.  Friendships don't just happen.  They take time.  They take effort.  They take upkeep.  And that means we all have to do something if we want to cultivate, grow and nurture relationships with others.


When I look at my bulletin board of friends, if I am truly willing to be a friend "who loves at all times," I know that that means I have to always be ready to shelve or alter my plans in order to help meet the varied needs of others. 


It's something God has been working on me for a while now.  Am I willing to lay down my plans and sacrifice my time and my desires for my friends?  Or is it more important that I get done today what is on my list and what I think is right for me?  Am I seeking the Lord for his direction?  Am I paying attention to the Holy Spirit for conviction?


Let me warn you, though.  Don't ask God to move in your life in this way unless you really mean it.  Because when you do ask him to help you be a better friend and to help you reach out to others, he will give you plenty of opportunities that may or may not be what you had in mind.


You might be asked to ...

Offer your professional skills to someone else in need for free.
Forgo your after-work errands or agenda to just sit, listen and offer a warm hug/
Give up your Saturday to help someone move, paint a house or run a garage sale.
Better yet, you might be moved to ...


Give financially to someone you don't even know.
Befriend the "different" or "difficult" person whom no one else likes.
Not take careless words or confusing situations personally and instead choose to "cover" these minor offenses with love. 
That's what a true friend does:  gets outside of themselves and gives.  And gives.  And gives!  Are you up to it?  I'm asking myself the same question.  For friends both new and old, how can we be a true friend to someone else today?

Intersecting Faith & Life:

No doubt, at some point in your life you've known what it's like to be on the receiving end of someone who has been a good friend to you.  But what's it like to be your friend?  Do you take more than you give?  Are you ever around?  Do you take time to listen and care about others' concerns and life matters?  Take a friend inventory today and see what changes you might need to make in your outreach to those you call "friend."


Further Reading:

John 15:13


1 Corinthians 13:4-7

[Judy Harder]

January 14, 2011



Love is a Decision
by Sarah Phillips, Crosswalk.com Family Editor


Every one then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house upon the rock; and the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat upon that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock. Matthew 7: 24-25

Our family is in the middle of one, long wedding season. I spent 2010 planning my November wedding, and over Christmas one of my sisters announced her engagement. It looks like 2011 will be their year. I've also attended more weddings of friends than I can count.

In the midst of these fairy tale weddings, though, I've found myself absorbed in the vows more than the frills of the celebration. Watching young couples pledge their lives to one another somehow transcends the romance of the wedding day. The joining of two lives until death is so sublime many have questioned if such love can truly last or if the idea of finding one's soul mate is just as much a fairy tale as the wedding day itself.

But many a seasoned couple will tell the cynics that while feelings of passion may have initially fueled their decision to marry, much of the success of married life depends not on the whims of feelings or the circumstances of life, but on the free will choice to be together and stay together. To quote the pastor's words during a traditional wedding ceremony, these couples "come freely and without reservation" to each other not just on the first day, but every day of life. And while this daily decision to love the other does not always come easily, combined with God's grace, it allows two people to experience intimacy that surpasses all other human relationships.

You've seen them - older couples who have twinkles in their eyes and cherish their years together.

As I watched each newly married couples begin their journeys -- and begin my own -- I couldn't help but ponder how God's design for earthly marriage mirrors our faith walk. Marriage, after all, is one of the most profound symbols found throughout the Old and New Testaments.

Just as couples must enter freely into marriage, Christ freely suffered and died for us, and in turn, our faith journey begins with a free will decision to accept His gift. And just as the initial commitment on the altar requires daily decisions to love for the marriage to thrive, our initial acceptance of Christ leads to a series of decisions to love God and continue to walk in the faith.

Our deacon, reflecting on the verses above, pointed out the emphasis Christ puts on our actions, our will. Even when the storms of life beat us down, our decision to remain committed to Christ and the Christian life will keep us connected to God, helping us navigate the unknowns. And ultimately, the decision to love will allow each one of us to know divine love that surpasses all human relationships.


You've seen them - individuals facing death or old age with twinkles in their eyes and peace in their hearts.


Perhaps you're going through a dark time where God feels distant. In a culture that increasingly sees divorce as no big deal, you may be finding the decision to stay on the narrow path of faith, to daily choose virtue over vice, exhausting and even foreign.

The good news is that no matter how weather-beaten we get on our journey, God is the perfect Spouse, forever faithful and forever walking beside us even when we stray from the original path. His unwavering grace and love are always available to us, and He welcomes us with open arms when we come home.

Intersecting Faith & Life: Just as God gives spouses the gift of each other in marriage, I've found God often works through others to encourage us in our faith. Think about the people He's placed in your life right now. Is there someone who needs you to walk along side them for support? Or perhaps you're struggling. Take comfort in knowing that storms are normal, and God especially treasures our decision to remain faithful when the decision is made during tough times.

Further Reading

Ex 6: 7
Ps 36: 5

[Judy Harder]

January 17, 2011 


A Life Dedicated to the Gospel
by Sarah Phillips, Crosswalk.com Family Editor

For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me and for the gospel will save it. Mark 8:35


"To love God as He ought to be loved, we must be detached from all temporal love." ~ St. Peter Claver

Sometimes God asks us to faithfully follow Him in the everyday tasks, and sometimes He calls us to do something really big and really hard. This is the kind of calling I stumbled across when I read about a man named Peter Claver while researching Christian heroes of days gone by. While our lives are playing out in different times with different issues, reading about his courageous devotion to the Gospel is a good reminder to me of what it looks like to live for God instead of myself.

Born in 1581, Peter Claver's beginning reads like the typical story of a man growing up in 16th century Spain. He studied theology and joined the Jesuit order of priests. But in 1610, Peter left his homeland to become a missionary in the country we now call Colombia.

Columbia was the center of the slave trade in the New World during this time, and while church officials had openly condemned the injustices of the African slave trade, the industry continued to flourish. Peter's mission in this foreign land would be to minister to fellow foreigners, the African slaves.

Bought, sold and treated worse than animals, thousands of African men and women were shipped into the wealthy city of Cartagena to be sold to plantation owners. An estimated one third to one half of them died on the journey over, unable to endure the horrific conditions - conditions so putrid, it would make you feel ill if I described them in depth. By the time Peter Claver met them, these men and women were starving, dying, dirty, and mentally broken.

Peter Claver was known for boarding the suffocating ships immediately upon arrival with food and medicine, caring for men and women in a situation most would find unbearable.

But Peter's ministry did not end with meeting physical needs. He trained interpreters to communicate with the diverse array of African dialects, assuring each person of their dignity and worth as human beings created in God's image. After sharing the Gospel in their respective languages, he baptized men and women before they were sold.

While Peter Claver was powerless to stop the slave trade, he worked hard to defend African men and woman against their oppressors every chance he got. He visited their plantations to encourage them and exhorted the plantation owners to treat them well. He even assembled African slaves for worship services during Easter and did everything he could to fight for their freedoms and meet their needs.

Claver not only displayed Christ-like love to the oppressed but with God's grace he overcame personal shortcomings. Born with a timid nature, Claver displayed uncharacteristic boldness in his ministry. He endured hatred from the slave traders and societal rejection from the citizens of Cartagena. Even some Christians thought he was wasting his time, but Claver continued his work. He baptized an estimated 300,000 African men and women in his 33 years of ministry.

Claver ultimately became a societal force for good in Cartagena, and after his death, the "apostle to the slaves" was openly granted the respect he never received in his lifetime.

How can a man give up all that is familiar and comfortable to spend a life defending those few were interested in saving at that time? Claver was not holier than you or I, he simply followed God's leading in his life. His love for God and for those in need superseded everything else, and no doubt he enjoys many friendships in heaven.

Intersecting Faith & Life: Has God ever asked you to do something hard, something that felt impossible or threatened your reputation? What was your response? Ask God for the grace to do His will, even in the face of personal sacrifice.

Further Reading:


John 12: 20 - 36

William Wilberforce: The Man Who Didn't Desert


*Details of Peter Claver's life from: "St. Peter Claver", "Saint of the Day, September 9th," "Saints and Angels: St. Peter Claver"

[Judy Harder]

January 18, 2011

A Mathful God?
by Shawn McEvoy, Crosswalk.com Managing Editor
God doesn't count us; he calls us by name. Arithmetic is not his focus.
Romans 9:28, The Message

Thank God that he calls us by name, that our names have been written in the Book of Life. He knows us intimately. We are not just numbers to him, as the scripture above reminds.

That said, have you ever looked at the face of a calculator and marveled at how completely God is involved in all of those functions? He adds, he subtracts, he multiplies, he divides. Positives, negatives, rationals, irrationals, imaginaries, radicals... all indicate some aspect of God and what he does, how he interacts with his creation.

Let's take a look at some examples of the most basic of these functions, and how they suggest a perfect sum of completeness and trust. He's worked it all out. The numbers add up. The whole world - its time and history and future - is well calculated, and safe in his hands.   

ADDITION

Day by day continuing with one mind in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they were taking their meals together with gladness and sincerity of heart, praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord was adding to their number day by day those who were being saved. --Acts 2:46-47, NAS

So then neither is he that planteth any thing, neither he that watereth; but God that giveth the increase. --1 Corinthians 3:7, KJV

"Nothing in Scripture and in the life of Christ could be clearer: Wealth is not an objective of the spiritual life. When we encounter money on the path of life, we are encouraged to do one of three things with it: Turn and walk in the other direction; pick it up and give it away; or use it for the necessities of life. It's this last part that I think has become skewed over time. Our list of 'needs' is much greater today than it was in 1900 and their list of needs were certainly greater than during the time when Christ walked the Earth. Now I know that here in the year [2010], it is countercultural to give money away. It is countercultural to seek your security in things that aren't man-made. But, remember what Jesus promised, 'But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you' (Matthew 6:33, NKJV)."  --Steve Scalici, "Should Christians Strive for the American Dream?"

SUBTRACTION

The next day he saw Jesus coming to him and said, "Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world! --John 1:29, NAS

If you subtract from the words of the book of this prophecy, God will subtract your part from the Tree of Life and the Holy City that are written in this book. --Revelation 22:19, MSG

"Our spiritual engrafting provides an eternity of new life. While the struggles of our present earthly existence cause momentary, light affliction, the life to come for those who are in Christ Jesus will last forever. There will be no more heartaches, no more pain. He has taken our heart of stone and replaced it with a heart of flesh. He died so that we might live."  --Peter Beck, "Engrafted for Life"

MULTIPLICATION

For when God made promise to Abraham, because he could swear by no greater, he sware by himself, Saying, Surely blessing I will bless thee, and multiplying I will multiply thee. --Hebrews 6:13-14, KJV

Now He who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will supply and multiply your seed for sowing and increase the harvest of your righteousness. --2 Corinthians 9:10, NAS

"I would be afraid to bring children into this world if I did not know God. But because I know God, I am free to encourage you to have children... God's people are the ones who ought to be bringing a godly seed into this world. What does the world need? Jesus. How are they going to hear if the light goes out?"  --Adrian Rogers, "Bringing Children into the World"

DIVISION

So you shall divide this land among yourselves according to the tribes of Israel. --Ezekiel 47:21, NAS

And the people of all the nations will be gathered before him. Then he will divide them into two groups, just as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. --Matthew 25:32, GNT

"God is in the business of division. As in creation, He divided whatever was necessary in order to bring order. He divides light and darkness today also. That is why His people are in this world but not of it. God's children are separated from the world as they are sanctified, or set apart, for the things of God. As Christians, we think of the Lord as One who wants to make "everything ok" or to bring peace to a given situation. However, the Lord Jesus clearly said that He came to divide. 'Do not think that I came to bring peace on earth. I did not come to bring peace but a sword' (Matt. 10:34)."  --Tonilee Adamson & Bobbye Brooks, "Division"

The Sum of the Equation

I know that whatever God does will last forever; there is nothing to add or subtract from it; and God has done it so that people will fear him. --Ecclesiastes 3:14, CJB

Then Job arose and tore his robe and shaved his head, and he fell to the ground and worshiped. He said, "Naked I came from my mother's womb, And naked I shall return there. The LORD gave and the LORD has taken away. Blessed be the name of the LORD." -- Job 1:21, NAS

You can't take any of this stuff with you. Enjoy it and praise God for all of it. Instead of counting widgets, count blessings, count it all joy. Let him do the math of your life: be your accountant, buyer, salesman, financial planner, marketer and profiteer.

[Judy Harder]

January 19, 2010
Freedom from the Bonds of Sin
Alex Crain
Editor, Christianity.com

"...if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live."
Romans 8:13



While reading this week in chapter eight of Francis Schaeffer's True Spirituality where he is speaking about freedom from the bonds of sin, I was reminded of the story of an experienced, 27 year-old rock climber named Aron Ralston. One beautiful spring morning in 2003, he jumped into his truck with just enough food and water for the day. He took off by himself and drove a hundred and fifty miles south of Salt Lake City to his favorite spot—a remote canyon area that used to be the hideout for wild-west outlaws Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid.


By afternoon, he was suspended seventy-five feet high off the canyon floor—climbing in a crevice that was just a few feet wide. It was a perfect day. But then without warning, a boulder suddenly broke loose from the rock wall above him, hurtled down and trapped Ralston's right arm against the wall, completely crushing his hand. At that instant, Aron's hand—one of his greatest assets—had now become his greatest liability.




Five whole days passed as he tried various ways to free himself—all to no avail. His efforts to chip away at the boulder with a pocket knife only made a small dent. Rigging up a pulley system to move the boulder proved fruitless.




Finally, a moment of decisive clarity came. The thoughts came fast and furious: he could break his forearm, cut through the muscle with his dirty pocket knife, detach his arm, and use a piece of rope as a tourniquet.




Aron explains that he was driven by "some sort of autopilot" as he went about the gruesome task of amputating his own right arm just below the elbow. After he was finished, Aron lowered himself down and began trudging slowly in the direction of his truck. Later, he stumbled across two hikers who used a mobile phone to call in a rescue helicopter. Amputating his right arm was a radical act, but it was one that saved his life and reunited him with his family.



God calls us to deal with sin in our life in a way that is surprisingly similar. The Bible doesn't offer a laid-back, live-and-let-live approach at all. It's so radical, that we don't really like hearing about it or talking about it. Recall what Jesus said in Matthew 5:30, "If your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and cast it from you; for it is more profitable for you that one of your members perish, than for your whole body to be cast into hell." While Jesus was not literally talking about physical amputation, He was saying that sin's deadly effects call for extreme measures. Even though it hurts, we must rid sin from our lives. In fact, our eternal destiny hinges on how we deal with sin.




Really? Well, why else would Jesus talk about hell in the same breath that He talks about how we are to deal with sin if He didn't mean to teach that our eternal destiny hangs in the balance? Clearly, it's a matter of preferring one destiny over the other. Outward behavior indicates what the heart primarily loves. If Aron Ralston had stayed there on the canyon wall with his hand pinned down by the boulder, he would have died. But because he was willing to kill his hand, his life was saved.




The same goes with us as we deal with sin. It really comes down to what we value most. Colossians 3:5 says, "Put to death your members which are on the earth: fornication, uncleanness, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry." The world may tell us to laugh about sin, to lighten up about it, to tolerate it, and just let it be... that it's not idolatry; it's not an issue of worship. God says the opposite is true.


Intersecting Faith & Life: 
What is robbing you of the blessings of peace with God?
What is keeping you from treasuring the Lord Jesus Christ above all other things?
Pray for grace to heed God's radical call to amputate sin from your life in His strength.

Further Reading
Romans 8:10-18

"Is Christianity just a bunch of rules for how to live?" (by John Piper, DesiringGod.org)

Between a Rock and a Hard Place (by Aron Ralston, © 2004 Simon & Schuster)

[Judy Harder]

January 20, 2011

No Worries
By Ryan Duncan, TheFish.com Editor



Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you. 1 Peter 5:7

 

A few nights ago, I was driving back home when I reached a stoplight just in front of my apartment. It was late, I was the only car on the road, and to be honest I wasn't paying much attention. I automatically made a left turn into the nearby parking lot and suddenly, out of the corner of my eye, I thought I saw a flash. I felt my stomach twist into a knot. Had I just turned on a red light? Had that flash been a traffic camera? Was I going to get fined?

In retrospect, it wasn't that big of a deal, but I was still worrying about it the next day when I went off to work. Would I be receiving a ticket in the mail? How much would I have to pay? With a poor driving history and not much money in my bank account, all I could think about was the humiliation of having to pay a fine and watching my insurance rates go up.

It's amazing how we let fear and insecurity rule our lives. If something as small as a possible traffic ticket can ruin our whole day, how will we be able cope when real tragedy strikes? Surprisingly, many Christians can't let go of their worries, or worse, don't seem to know how. Philippians 4:6 reads "Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God." Despite this, I think we sometimes hesitate to bring our problems before God. It may be because A.) We don't want to sound like we're whining to God, or B.) We know that praying to Christ does not guarantee things will turn out the way we want them to.       

But there is more to praying about problems than simply asking God for a solution. God wants us to rely on him fully, even in the worst circumstances. When we give our cares to Him, we are reminded that He loves us, and that He is in control. I'm pretty sure that soon I'll have to pay for running a red light, but by bringing my worry before God I was able to accept it and move on. Don't let life's worries get you down. As my Dad used to say, "The most common phrase in the Bible is 'Fear not.'"

Intersecting Faith and Life

Is their anything you're worried about? Take some time to simply pray about it to God.

Further Reading

Matthew 6:25-34