Crosswalk.com--The Devotional

[Judy Harder]

Being Quick to Listen in a World of Talk
by Mike Pohlman

Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger; for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness that God requires." –James 1:19-20

We live in a world of talk. Talk, talk, talk. Speak, speak, speak. Ours is the age of talk radio (news talk, sports talk, money talk, self-help talk, car talk, I-just-want-to-talk talk), podcasts and cell phones. Everyone, it seems, wants to be heard. 

Speaking of cell phones, the other day I was in line at one of my local Starbucks and the gentleman in front of me was ordering a caramel macchiato while talking to a buddy on his iPhone. The barista was more than gracious as the customer stopped and started his order apparently not able to put his other conversation on hold. (I like what one coffee house in Bellingham, Washington has done by posting a sign that says, "We'll serve you once you hang up the phone.")

But it's not just at Starbucks. After arriving home recently from a business trip, I left Los Angeles International Airport in one of those shuttle vans. I shared it with seven other passengers that were making the 40 mile trip north. While most of us were quiet, preferring to read or look out the window at the sea of cars that had us moving at a crawl, there were two college-age men who had to talk. They made call after call on their cell phones to chat with friends about all the amazing things that must have happened during their several days away. I got to hear about the party later that night, the car that broke down, the lonely girlfriend and the overbearing parents. Let's just say they were conversations I didn't need to be a part of.   

We have become a culture full of talking heads regardless of where we find ourselves. And the chatter is deafening.

Into this noise come the words of James: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak. This exhortation is almost unintelligible to a culture intent on talking. We have it backwards: we are quick to speak, slow to hear.

But God would be the primary voice heard in the universe. He is the One who has much to say. He speaks, in the Bible, of the riches of His mercy in Christ. He broadcasts His forgiveness and love. He heralds the wonder of redemption. He calls us to repent and beckons us to draw near.

Am I listening?

Do you remember the story of Martha and Mary in Luke 10:38-42? Luke offers us a helpful contrast in speaking and listening. Martha was frantically trying to make dinner preparations for Jesus and the disciples. I envision her running around the house uttering things under her breath like, "I can't believe Jesus is here on such short notice—not to mention all his disciples—and I have to pull this dinner together." And, "Why doesn't Mary get in here and help me?" Unlike Martha, Mary "sat at the Lord's feet and listened to his teaching" (10:39).

Not surprisingly, Martha gets a bit frustrated at Mary's lack of effort with the event. So Martha does what we probably all would do under similar circumstances—she starts talking: "Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Tell her then to help me" (10:40). We are not left to wonder which course of action Jesus commends. We see it in his gentle rebuke: "Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things, but one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen the good portion, which will not be taken away from her."

Mary was quick to listen and slow to speak. She knew when to be quiet. In a culture full of chatter I want to learn the discipline of silence so I can hear what the Lord wants to teach me. He's speaking; am I listening?

Intersecting Faith & Life: What radical measures can you take to help you listen not only to God but to other people? What things in your life are blocking out the voice of God?

Further Reading

Psalm 46:10

[Judy Harder]

Deconstructing David
by Ryan Duncan, Crosswalk.com Entertainment Editor

But the LORD said to Samuel, "Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. 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 16:7

The first time I read the story of King David, it was from a small, animated Bible my parents had bought me as a boy. As I flipped through the pages of that little book, I can remember looking on David as something of a superhero. Think about it: he defeated Goliath with nothing but a sling and five stones. After that, he became King of Israel, replacing Saul, who had done a pretty terrible job to begin with. He was referred to as a man after God's own heart, and nothing could touch him.

After a while, I began to see the life of David as more of a fairytale. I still believed it to be true, but a part of me resented God for showing David so much favor. Why had his life been so perfect when the rest of us had to struggle? Why did God allow so many people to suffer pain, but always seem to step up for David? It wasn't until I was a teenager that I stumbled onto this psalm written by David:                       

"Save me, O God, for the waters have come up to my neck. I sink in the miry depths, where there is no foothold. I have come into the deep waters; the floods engulf me. I am worn out calling for help; my throat is parched. My eyes fail, looking for my God. Those who hate me without reason outnumber the hairs of my head; many are my enemies without cause, those who seek to destroy me. I am forced to restore what I did not steal. You know my folly, O God; my guilt is not hidden from you." – Psalm 69:1-5

Now that I'm older I realize David's life wasn't perfect; in a lot of ways it was actually pretty lousy. He was hounded by Saul for years, he lost loved ones to sickness and war, and he even committed some pretty serious sins. Being a man after God's own heart didn't mean David would be shielded from harm, and being a Christian doesn't guarantee us prosperity. The thing that made David a great man, and the thing that makes our lives as Christians meaningful, was that he never turned away from God. We will all experience trials and tribulations in our lives, but by trusting God we can overcome them.

That is how we become people after God's own heart, and in the end, that's all God really wants.

Intersecting Faith and Life: Take a moment to look past your troubles and consider what can bring you closer to God.

Further Reading

Psalm 69

[Judy Harder]

Being Approachable
by Debbie Holloway, Crosswalk.com Family Editor

"Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death - even death on a cross!" (Philippians 2:5-8)

It is nigh impossible to be wholly truthful and also be universally liked. It is very difficult to believe strange things and be popular. It is unlikely than one who lives as a servant will draw fame and admiration from people in high places.

Thankfully, Jesus calls us neither to be universally liked, popular, famous, or admirable in the eyes of wealthy men.

But hold it – we can't just stop there. Beware, lest we swagger with pride in the knowledge that being disliked, unpopular, and obscure will place us in high standing with our Lord. God has a distinct mission for us: to reach the world with the Gospel (that is, John 3:16). He has also set a distinct example for us to follow as we live and try to proclaim that gospel through our words and actions. All too often, however, we fall short of his example and become entirely unapproachable to the exact people we should be loving and reaching with God's truth and love.

Was Jesus unapproachable? Did his firm stances on God's truth leave others afraid to challenge him, ask questions, or be imperfect in his presence? Let's look to Scripture.

1. People were also bringing babies to Jesus to have him touch them. When the disciples saw this, they rebuked them. But Jesus called the children to him and said, "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these" (Luke 18:15-16).

Not only does this infer that children were at ease in the presence of Christ, but that parents were comfortable handing their infants to this man to hold and bless! If you are a parent, you understand the implications of these verses. If not, then know: it's a big deal to give someone your kid. Jesus lived in such a way that not only did children trust him, but parents trusted him with their children.

2. While Jesus was having dinner at Levi's house, many tax collectors and "sinners" were eating with him and his disciples, for there were many who followed him. When the teachers of the law who were Pharisees saw him eating with the "sinners" and tax collectors, they asked his disciples: "Why does he eat with tax collectors and 'sinners'?" On hearing this, Jesus said to them, "It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners" (Mark 2:15-17)

In this passage Jesus attracts both the wicked and the righteous – neither group seems afraid to approach him. But while the Pharisees consistently attack Jesus with purposes of trapping or confounding him, the sinners and tax collectors love to walk with him, eat with him, drink with him, listen to his words. His sermons don't scare them away; his words aren't laced with shame and guilt-trips. Rather, he speaks of how to please God, how to love one another, and he fascinates them by turning old notions of righteousness upside down – all in a way that makes people want to listen to him and follow him. He patiently administers to sinners as a doctor gently aids a sick man.

3. Jesus answered, "If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me." When the young man heard this, he went away sad, because he had great wealth (Matthew 19:21-22).

It's true, people did leave Jesus. People rejected him and turned away from what he had to say. But notice in this passage of the rich young ruler, Jesus did not reject him. Jesus did not turn him away – rather the man "sadly" left Jesus because his heart did not truly seek perfection by God's standards.

Are you regarded with suspicion in the eyes of others? Do sinners keep their distance, knowing you are not a safe place for them to live imperfectly? Do you turn people away because of their reluctance to follow Kingdom standards? If so, you may need to revisit the Jesus of the Gospels.

Intersecting Faith and Life: Think of one area in your life that needs a good dose of humility and servitude, and interject some Jesus into it!

Further Reading

Matthew
Mark
Luke
John
Can I Love Sinners Too, Lord? Yes, Permission Granted

[Judy Harder]

Christianized Karma
by Katherine Britton

"...but sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts, always being ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you..."– 1 Peter 3:15

Christians give really good hugs during trials and tragedy. As my own family has experienced recently, the body of Christ has long arms to embrace those in need, easing the burdens of bad times. The church at work offers silent – and strong – evidence of grace when we pick each other up off the ground.

Now, imagine for a moment that your community didn't provide any support during a trial. Imagine that instead of offering encouraging words and providing meals or other support after a tragedy, the whole community pulled away. Imagine if they acted like you were a disease they didn't want to catch while you shouldered the burden alone. And not only that -- they believed that your problems were your own fault, pure and simple.

That's karma at work. And it's a lonely road.

A missionary couple recently visited our church before heading to London, where they planned settle in an immigrant community that's mostly Hindu. The wife expressed her desire to see people set free from the bonds of karma. That caught my interest. I'd slipped into viewing karma through an Americanized lens, as a pseudo-Christian philosophy of reaping what you sow (Galatians 6:7). Faithfulness and selfishness often have their rewards in this life, after all, and good deeds are often repaid with a smile and expression of gratitude if nothing else. Karma may not be the full picture, but it seemed like an innocuous truism to me.

The missionary went on to describe the ugly side of karma, in which the community pulls away from its members who are suffering. Lose a job? It's a karmic effect – you must have cheated your employer or at least talked badly about him. Did you – heaven forbid – lose a child? Somehow, that's your fault too, as the universe balances out some evil you've done. If such horrible things are somehow your fault, it would also make sense for people to pull away. That's the bond of karma.

Christians rely on the promise that "all things work for the good of those who love God" (Romans 8:28). We fight to believe that, while "no discipline seems pleasant at the time... later on it produces a harvest of righteousness" (Hebrews 12:11). Like Job, we may never know the reason for our earthly suffering. But we know that, because of grace, suffering is not a quid-pro-quo retaliation for our sins. Even our suffering has been redeemed by God's grace through Christ's supreme act of love.

Intersecting Faith & Life: Unlike the Hindu system of karma and its effects, we know even our pain is used by a loving God. Because of that, we have real hope for tomorrow – because our future doesn't depend on us! No matter what trials we experience, we can rest in the knowledge that even when we are not good, God is. That's mercy, and that gives hope. Are you ready to give an answer for that hope?

[Judy Harder]

High Infidelity
by Alex Crain, Editor, Christianity.com

"...you also were made to die to the Law through the body of Christ, so that you might be joined to another, to Him who was raised from the dead, in order that we might bear fruit for God."

Romans 7:4 NASB

Usually, we think of "having faith" as simply "trusting, believing." And while that is true, it can be incomplete if we forget that, as Christians, we are also joined to Christ as our Bridegroom. In other words, there is a real relationship with Him—the living Christ—that is at stake. It is not just a matter of possessing correct content of what we believe about the person and work of Christ. And although we never have a legitimate cause to do so, we often break faith with and betray our faithful Bridegroom.

Francis Schaeffer talks about this in chapter seven of True Spirituality where we continue our journey with him this week. Citing the passage above, he notes that since we have been rescued from the tyranny of the devil and placed safely in the arms of the Lord Jesus Christ—we are now positioned to bring forth His fruit.

Schaeffer expands upon the simple, yet remarkably powerful word picture in Romans 7:1-4 to make the point plain:

"Imagine a married couple both of the one color of skin. Suddenly the wife brings forth a child clearly of another race [sic]. All the world would know that she has been unfaithful to her proper mate. So it is with us."

When we do not bring forth His fruit—love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control (per Galatians 5:22)—but bring forth immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, disputes, dissensions, factions, envying, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these (Gal. 5:19-21), it is because we have broken faith with Him and are in the state of infidelity of the highest order.

What generally causes us to distrust Christ and leads us to break faith with Him and run to the arms of another is the fact that we often think that we have a better way. We think that, somehow, God really doesn't have our best interests at heart. I know for me, personally, this happens mostly when I am "Law-minded" in a way that discounts or obscures the gospel. One writer, Milton Vincent, in his A Gospel Primer for Christians provides a helpful counter to this erroneous and sinful way of thinking (p. 18):

"...when I begin my train of thought with the gospel, I realize that if God loved me enough to sacrifice His Son's life for me, then He must be guided by that same love when He speaks His commandments to me. Viewing God's commands and prohibitions in this light, I can see them for what they really are: friendly signposts from a heavenly Father who is seeking to love me through each directive, so that I might experience His very fullness forever." (see Deut. 5:29)

Not only are they friendly signposts, they are friendly love letters from our faithful Bridegroom who has done nothing to warrant our distrust. By His life-giving Spirit, He is actively seeking to love us and bring forth His fruit in us today. What is the state of your union with Him?

Intersecting Faith & Life: In light of today's devotional, contemplate afresh Schaeffer's summary of the life of faith: "The how of the Christian life is the power of the crucified and risen Lord, through the agency of the indwelling Holy Spirit, by faith moment by moment."

For Further Prayer & Study:
If repentance for spiritual infidelity is in order, reflect on Isaiah 30:15 "Thus the Lord GOD, the Holy One of Israel, has said, 'In repentance and rest you will be saved, In quietness and trust is your strength.'" For further study, read Romans 6-8.

[Judy Harder]

Enough Already
by John UpChurch, Senior Editor, BibleStudyTools.com

"The man from whom the demons had gone out begged to go with him, but Jesus sent him away, saying, 'Return home and tell how much God has done for you.' So the man went away and told all over town how much Jesus had done for him." Luke 8:38-39

I knew I'd feel inadequate, but once they slapped the Journeyman mic on me and the congregation sauntered in, the word inadequate became inadequate. Over my head, crazy, off my rocker—those shot through my mind a time or two.

Yes, I had notes. Yes, I'd practiced. Yes, I'd taken public speaking courses. But none of those really prepares you to face a congregation on Sunday morning. Nothing gets you ready to reach into Scripture and yank out the good stuff. You're dealing with potent material here, the kind of thing you don't want to get wrong. And out there are the faces of those who may never come back through the door of a church again.

No pressure.

And that's how my first sermon started. Actually, I don't remember much of it. It just kind of started and then ended. If there weren't a recording, I don't think I'd even know what I said. But, alas, said recording does exist (no chance of being linked here), and the final verdict is... let's just say mixed. At least no one left, and given the size of the church, I would have noticed.

In many ways, I felt like that formerly demon-possessed man whom Jesus told to go tell it on the mountain. Jesus didn't give him much in the way of lessons or practice. He just sent the man home to talk about God healing him. And as far as we know, the man went and did just that. Since it made it into the gospel accounts, I'm chalking that up as a success. All the man needed to know was that Jesus healed him, and—boom—he started sharing the good news.

Too many times, I've been shut down by the notion that I need to know more before I can say more. I can't tell this person about Christ because I haven't finished my study on Galatians. I can't share how God changed me because I only spent 15 minutes in prayer this morning. I can't start a small group in my house because I'm not the perfect husband or dad.

It's hard for me to say, "Enough already." I know enough already to preach a sermon, even if I'll keep learning and growing for years. I know enough already to share that God wrenched me out of depression, even if I don't know how to answer every question about the Bible. I know enough already to share my home, even if I'm still working on keeping my smartphone off during family time.

After all, I know enough to know that Christ is the one who does the saving, not my faulty words.

Intersecting Faith and Life: Here's the secret. None of us will ever be adequate for sharing our faith, for discipling others, or for preaching God's Word. We just aren't. You could study your entire life and not be. So, shake that monkey off your spine and say, "Enough already!" You have enough to start.

You'll make mistakes; you'll blow it; you'll say dumb things. But it doesn't depend on you. You know enough because you know Christ. Keep growing and share from where you are.

For Further Reading

Luke 8:26-39

Colossians 2

[Judy Harder]

The Power of Words
by Anna Kuta, Editor, ReligionToday.com

"Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruit" (Proverbs 18:21).

We've all heard the phrase "Sticks and stones can break my bones, but words can never hurt me." In my mind, that statement couldn't be further from the truth.

Words are powerful. We've all, no doubt, been wounded at some point by careless, unkind or mean statements. Their effect on our lives, even years later, is undeniable. No matter how much we deny it, it still makes us cringe to remember the taunts of the second-grade bully on the playground and makes us want to crawl under a rock to think of that rumor spreading through the high school hallways.

"Death and life are in the power of the tongue," Proverbs 18:21 says. The impact our words have on others cannot be overstated. One small comment or remark can make the difference between building a relationship up or tearing it down. We have the power to either encourage or destroy others with our speech.

The Bible speaks extensively about the power of words – especially positive ones – and warns about the dangers of careless ones. "A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger," says Proverbs 15:1. "Pleasant words are like a honeycomb, sweetness to the soul and health to the bones," Proverbs 16:24 adds. Ephesians 4:29 says, "Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear." And Matthew 12:36-37 says: "But I say to you that for every idle word men may speak, they will give account of it in the day of judgment. For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned."

One particular instance of the power of words in my life stands out in my mind – one that, without exaggerating, very likely changed my whole course at that time. It was early in the second semester of my sophomore year of college, and I was trudging up the stairs of the journalism building to turn in an assignment. Freshman year and the first half of sophomore year had been rough for a variety of reasons, and now I was struggling to juggle my classes, work and personal issues and keep my head afloat. I had to officially declare my major in just a few weeks, but I had no idea what I wanted to do with my life. It was one of those weeks where I seemed to be failing on every assignment, and to top it off, I had just come from a disastrous meeting with an econ professor who made me feel stupid for not understanding an "easy" problem. Even in my journalism classes – my best subject – I couldn't seem to get into the swing of things. The harder I tried, the worse the results seemed to be. I was beginning to worry that majoring in journalism would be the most terrible idea of my life, and I was, in all honesty, becoming more and more tempted to give it all up completely and go take a semester off somewhere.

On my way out of the journalism building, I passed two of my professors talking in the hallway. I said hi to them and kept walking, but after I rounded the corner I stopped short as I heard one of them say to the other, "Anna is one of the most hard-working and good journalism students." I don't know if he meant for me to overhear his statement, and I don't remember hearing either of them say a single other thing, but his words made me freeze and stand there for a good 10 seconds. A good student – that's really what he thought? My work was paying off? I wasn't a total journalistic failure who would never succeed as a writer? It was like right then and there something went off in my mind. I hadn't even realized I needed the encouragement, but suddenly my whole outlook changed. If that's what my professor thought of me, then I was determined not to let him down. Many times throughout the rest of college when I doubted myself or just needed a pick-me-up, I thought back to his comment. He became one of my most trusted mentors, and before I graduated I was finally able to tell him how his words that day had probably been the turning point in my whole academic career. To this day, I still don't know what it was about that one simple statement – but I do know its impact went a thousand times beyond what my professor could have ever imagined.

A kind, positive or encouraging word at the right time can truly be life-changing. Your words hold the power to breathe an attitude of death or life into others – which will you choose?

Intersecting Faith & Life: Let us strive to remember the power of our words and their impact on those who hear them. Think twice before making a negative statement, and instead find a way to pass along an encouraging word today.

Further Reading

1 Peter 3:10

Colossians 3:8

Proverbs 15

[Judy Harder]

I'm a Hypocrite
by John UpChurch, Senior Editor, BibleStudyTools.com

"And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full." Matthew 6:5

The college-me would call the current-me a hypocrite. That's what I did back then. Anyone claiming to be a Christian automatically earned that prestigious title. I could judge, after all, because I sat in my lofty seat in the college library and weighed such grave matters in my head and in my poetry. My pencil could strike down any Christ-follower with a witty rhyme. I knew they were all fake.

So, I had a lot to learn about love. But I was right about the hypocrisy thing. The current me is, in fact, a hypocrite.

Jesus warned us not to be like the hypocrites, those who put on a show but don't let the show touch their hearts. And when I'm honest, that's exactly what I do sometimes. My worship becomes a series of movements, a tentative toe-tap into the spiritual waters. All the while, my mind has drifted off to my bank account, my schedule, and my Instagram feed.

That type of worship isn't worship. It's a show put on for my own gratification, one that makes me feel better about doing the "Christian thing." In those moments, I'm exactly what my college self accused me of.

Hypocrite.

Thankfully, Jesus warned me about all this ahead of time. When my body and mind get out of sync, when my devotion becomes a demonstration, His warnings inevitably hit me in the chin. Matthew 6 cues up on my audio Bible, His admonitions pop up on someone's blog, or I just catch myself in the act. That's when I see just how much I'm simply going through the motions.

Unlike my college self, who judged to feel superior, God unmasks hypocrisy because He wants me to get real. His gentle (and not-so-gentle) nudges snap me out of my one-man show.

Intersecting Faith and Life: When Jesus warned His followers about hypocrisy, He knew they'd need the reminder. He knew we would need the reminder two thousand years later. Why? Because humans like to put on a good show and we don't always live what we believe. Our hearts skip off like sheep while our bodies do those "Christian duties."

Thankfully, God's in the shepherding business. He knows how to shear that acting junk right off.

For Further Reading

Matthew 6

Isaiah 29

[Judy Harder]

You Can Do This
By Ryan Duncan, Crosswalk.com Entertainment Editor

Give to everyone who asks you, and if anyone takes what belongs to you, do not demand it back. – Luke 6:30

Every other day, just after finishing with work, I head to the gym and spend some time exercising. I like to work out. It's a great way to stay healthy and burn off stress at the same time.

My routine is pretty simple. I start by running on a treadmill, then I wander around the free-weight section for a variety of exercises. Finally, I try to finish off by swimming a few laps in the pool. When it's over I always feel tired and sore, but good that I completed such a full workout.

One day, I was invited to work out with a friend of mine. As we made our way around the weight room, my friend stopped at the bench press and placed two huge weights on the side of the bar. Immediately, I became nervous. I had done the bench press before, but never with that much weight. I wasn't sure I'd be able to lift it. Pride got the better of me though. Instead of saying something, I just braced myself and lifted the bar with all my strength.         

To my surprise, it wasn't that heavy. Sure, it took more effort than usual, but I realized my continuous workouts  had made me a lot stronger. I had underestimated my own strength. 

I think Christians can sometime have the same problem when it comes to their faith. We keep telling ourselves we are not ready, that we need just a little more time to prepare ourselves. We underestimate our ability to be of service to God. Take a moment to read this excerpt from the book of Acts.

After this, Paul left Athens and went to Corinth. There he met a Jew named Aquila, a native of Pontus, who had recently come from Italy with his wife Priscilla, because Claudius had ordered all the Jews to leave Rome. Paul went to see them, and because he was a tentmaker as they were, he stayed and worked with them. – Acts 18: 1-3 

Acts continues to explain that while Paul ministered in Corinth, Aquila and Priscilla opened their home, helped with his teaching, and even followed him on some of his travels. Now read the verse again. Aquila and Pricilla weren't anything special, they were tent makers. If anyone had an excuse to think they weren't ready for ministry, it was them. Instead, they gave what they had while serving where they could and God did amazing things through them.

So, instead of wondering if you ready to serve, ask yourself what could you do to serve?

Intersecting Faith & Life: Make a list of your strengths. How can these be used to serve God?

[Judy Harder]

A Stubborn Intolerance for Joyless Christianity
Alex Crain, Editor, Christianity.com

"Though the fig tree should not blossom, nor fruit be on the vines, the produce of the olive fail and the fields yield no food, the flock be cut off from the fold and there be no herd in the stalls,
yet I will rejoice in the LORD; I will take joy in the God of my salvation."
Habakkuk 3:17-18

Should one's relationship with the infinite and personal living God be joyless? Francis Schaeffer didn't think so. Yet there he was, a joyless man. Technically, he was theologically sound, but there was no denying that he had become a completely joyless Christian man. If that had continued, no one would be speaking of Schaeffer or his writings, or his legacy today. Thankfully, he was stubbornly intolerant of joyless Christianity. 

In True Spirituality, Schaeffer tells how the spiritual reality, which would become the hallmark of his life, came about only after a time of great personal crisis. It was 1952. Schaeffer had become a Christian from agnosticism years before. After that, he had been a pastor for ten years in the U.S. and was now a missionary in Switzerland living with his wife and young children. Over a period lasting several months, Francis worked through the disturbing gap that he saw between the large amount of Bible data he claimed to believe and the lack of genuine spiritual joy in his life. 

One significant and challenging question that caused Francis to ponder long and hard is recounted by his wife, Edith, in her book, The Tapestry, p. 356 ff.)... 

"I wonder what would happen to most of our churches and Christian work if we woke up tomorrow morning and everything concerning the reality and work of the Holy Spirit, and everything concerning prayer were removed from the Bible? I don't mean just ignored, but actually cut out—disappeared. I wonder how much difference it would make?"   

Apparently during that period, it was making no difference in Schaeffer's life. His doubts had cut the nerve of faith. And over those months as he walked in the mountains, Francis re-thought the doctrines of the Bible, the reality of the Holy Spirit, and each of his reasons for being a Christian.   

At last, he declared...

"Gradually the sun came out and the song came... I 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. 

"Interestingly enough, 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).

That time of crisis—and more importantly, his rediscovery of the meaning of the finished work of Christ for his present life—settled the crucial issue of spiritual reality for Schaeffer. Francis saw and believed that the finished work of Christ really is the source of the Christian's life. Rather than pursue the trappings of Christian leadership while personally being a joyless Christian, he determined to wait for a greater reality of knowing God. With such a solid spiritual basis for his own life, he went on to become a great source of help for countless others.

Intersecting Faith and Life: 
Are you stubbornly intolerant of joyless Christianity in your own life?

What would happen if you woke up tomorrow morning and everything concerning the reality and work of the Holy Spirit, and everything concerning prayer were removed from the Bible? Not just ignored, but actually cut out... How much difference it would make in the way that you live?

How can you grow to become a greater source of spiritual help for others?

Further Reading:
John 6:68
Ephesians 4:17-24
Ephesians 5:18-21