Friday, March 30, 2018

Blessed Assurance

A sister in Christ has been dealing with cancer for years. That "clean bill of health" continues to elude her (for now). To look at her, I don't think you'd ever know. She gets tired or doesn't feel well, but I doubt you'd expect "The Big C." She just doesn't "act" like somebody with cancer (she's been told that). She smiles. She helps others. Her world has not stopped because she has something in her that could be fatal. And let's face it, we all have something in us that could kill us -- a seventy-year old heart, damaged kidneys, a defective gene. Eventually, something will get us all. She doesn't see herself as an inspiration or an anomaly; she is "just living the life she has been given." My sister realizes three things:

1) She is no better or worse off than anyone else. Some people have obvious physical disabilities; some people have mental or emotional impairments. Some people live in financial poverty; some are spiritually empty; some live in impersonal or abusive relationships. What makes one trouble greater than another? If physical existence proves fatal for everyone, why do we stress so greatly over the things that befall one person, but not the problems that befall another?

2) She is safe from the one thing that would do her in eternally. Our bodies will fail; we all know it. But there is only one thing that results in death: sin. Each of us was condemned to death and eternal punishment from the time we were conceived. (I just heard a pastor explain it this way: It's the off-sides rule. One player is off-sides, the whole team is penalized. Adam, the father of the human race, sinned, and we are all condemned. Not to mention our own sin!) Jesus' death on the cross paid the penalty for that sin. ANYONE who claims that salvation for him/ herself is covered by His selfless act; their debt is paid through Jesus Christ. No condemnation.

3) Her circumstances do not determine the joy of the Lord that lies deeply within her soul. Her joy comes from a clean slate. Quick story -- Another friend gave me a beautiful, colorful apron. I had an apron. It worked just fine. But this precious gift from a dear friend, this brightly adorned treasure worked better. It inspires me to create! It is a constant reminder of her love for me. Each time I tie it on, I am covered in newness and cleanliness. That's just an apron! What does the forgiveness of all our sins do for us? JOY! And a new life -- here on earth and later in heaven. That's what Jesus' resurrection promises. However my sister's life on earth ends, she can't lose! Problems, infirmity, drama, injustice, failure in this life will not rob her of the joy of a clean slate or an eternal life!

Be blessed on this GOOD Friday!

The Freedom of Stewardship

German blood runs through these veins. My parents were born at the start of the Great Depression. Food stamps, government cheese and hand-me-downs were part of my childhood. It is my natural inclination to be cheap. Now, a couple of years ago, I might have written: "It is my inclination to be frugal," but I was in some serious denial. I have come to find, I was cheap. And selfish. And faithless. And missing the entire point of this life I have been given.

My husband is the spender; I am the saver. Only by God's grace (and because Scott is a much more gracious human being than I) does that work. About a year and a half ago, I had reached my limit. I was exhausted with all the couponing, bargain hunting, slashing and cutting expenses any way I could, going without, walking places to save fuel, nagging Scott about the rising cost of cigarettes, nagging God about Scott's refusal to quit smoking, saying "no" every time he wanted to order out -- like I don't have enough to do! Something had to give; I cried out to the Lord.

Things started happening. Radio broadcasts, sermons, devotionals, discussions with friends -- at every turn God was talking to me about choosing the better thing, real treasure, His provision for even the least of His creatures. And He began showing me things He wanted to change -- in me. I saw the foolishness of struggling to change others. He showed me our finances were only a small portion of all He had given me to steward. What about our marriage? How was I being a good steward of my time with our children? Was I being a good steward of my health?

God wants me to enjoy every blessing He has given me; He wants me to live in every moment He has ordered for me. By being so anxious and worried over every dime we spent, I was alienating my family. By obsessing over the ways Scott was spending money -- something I cannot change -- I was becoming frustrated and resentful toward my husband. By agonizing over bills, I was not allowing God to provide, or trusting that He would, or sitting back and appreciating the ways He had! All that stressing and striving was terrible for my health and my relationships, and it was taking time and energy from the things I needed to be doing.

First thing, I apologized to God. Then I apologized to my husband. Then I asked God to help me prioritize.

My family is important, and spending time with them is as well -- just as important as keeping a roof over our heads or putting food on the table. We could lose our home if we don't treat our mortgage seriously, right? Why did I think the same couldn't happen if I didn't take my family's interests seriously? Besides, sometimes a girl needs a hot, delicious meal she hasn't cooked! And our friends and extended family, who care for us and want to see us on occasion? Hadn't God provided for us to visit their homes once in a while? Who made me the money police anyway?! I was so tired of always having to be the bad guy! (Here's a tremendous benefit to following the Lord and seeking His will: I DON'T EVER HAVE TO BE THE BAD GUY AGAIN!!!! EVER!!! IF I seek the Lord first, whatever happens, whatever I do and say, is all orchestrated and protected by Him, for His glory!)

So, after all that, what happened? God changed me. And then, God changed what was going on around me. Scott has been a non-smoker for one whole year! Cha-ching! Scott also revamped his business and cut out huge expenditures -- expenditures that, two years ago, were making me nuts! I LOVE going out to dinner with friends and family, and picking up the tab -- not because we are generous like that, but because God is! Over the past year, we have paid bills in advance, traveled more, given more, and smile a whoooole lot more. I can't tell you the last time a stressed over paying a bill -- and trust me, they haven't stopped coming.

I'm not talking about a recklessness with money. I'm talking about a real enjoyment of all the things God has given us. We are not putting ourselves in debt -- in fact, we are paying down debt we incurred when I was being so crazy trying to avoid it! I'm talking about balance, priorities and giving the Lord all we have: leisure as well as business, income and expenditures.

Stewardship is using all He has given for His glory as He directs! And it is freeing!

Tuesday, March 27, 2018

Heaven Is Not for Good People

My mother always read the obituaries. I'm not sure why -- morbid curiosity? gratitude her name was not listed? A few years ago, a coworker informed me my cousin had passed -- eighteen months before. I started reading the obituaries. One day I hope mine uses words like "celebration, reunion with other saints, face to face with Jesus, rejoicing." I am going to Heaven, and I am excited about it.

But, why? Who wants to sit around in white robes playing harps and "eternally resting"? Well, I've never been to Heaven -- obviously -- and the Bible doesn't give a lot of specifics about the things I will encounter there, but I know God never does anything halfway. The season of Easter does not end with Jesus hanging on a cross, sins atoned, and death in all its finality. Easter ends with a tremendous celebration of L-I-F-E!! Eternal life! Earth quaking, stone rolling eternal life that begins the moment we choose to make Jesus the King of our lives. It is a life of victory and blessing. It is a life of unexpectedness and challenges, a life of excitement and mystery. Somehow, I cannot imagine Heaven being less than the life we have come to know here on earth.

What makes me so sure I am going? Well, I am not a good person. My behavior in my twenties and thirties probably warranted psychiatric help. I can revert to some of my old habits so quickly even I am surprised. I am not in church every Sunday. I do not make three or four Bible studies or services every week. I do not give tons of money to churches, overseas ministries, animal shelters or homeless shelters. If this life, with the God of the universe always watching, always seeing what lies in my heart, was an attempt to earn my way to Heaven, I'd be lucky to make it to the first rest stop. I am simply a person whom God loves. I acknowledge what He did for me in sending Jesus to pay for my sin, and I know how greatly I need that forgiveness each and every day. Because of His tremendous love for me and the Gift of Jesus that makes relationship possible, I desire that relationship. I want to speak to Him, to listen to His direction, to serve Him and demonstrate my love for Him, and tell others of His love for them as well; I want to do all I can to bring Him the glory to which He is entitled. But I know none of this would be possible without the presence of His Holy Spirit in me. The selfless, loving, patient, gentle, kind, faithful things I long to do are simply the overflow, the evidence of His work in me. The certainty of my eternal destiny rests entirely in my life becoming Christ's, my will becoming His, and His grace empowering and sustaining all of it. I am no good without Him and only capable of good because of Him. The more work He does in me on earth, the more eager I become to meet Him face to face. My eternal life of seeking God and serving Him doesn't end with a dirt nap. In fact, it doesn't end at all! I will simply relocate to Heaven when this aging, aching body wears out. And while we may not have all the details we'd like, Scripture tells us Heaven is a place for surrendered, faithful people saved by God's grace alone.

If you are trying to be a good person, if you love someone who is a good person, if you are inspired by someone who is a good person, please, please, please, read the Bible. Find out what God says about Heaven and how to get there. Put your worldly ideas about becoming an angel, or keeping an eye on your grandchildren from above, or messaging your husband from the afterlife that he can marry your replacement, or being "selfless" in your own strength, or taking in more cats than the law should allow, or being charitable because you should, and know that God is far more than we can imagine and so is His Heaven. You do not have to be good to get there.

Monday, March 26, 2018

Loving Judas

Easter is only days away, and I cannot help but spend a little extra time meditating on Judas' betrayal of Jesus. It is as fascinating to me as it is disturbing. I have as many questions as reasons to be eternally grateful.

For instance, how did Judas eat, sleep, walk, and worship alongside the King of kings, the Messiah, the Lamb, for something like three years, and still sell such a Man for the price of a slave? 

In my youth, I betrayed some very dear people. I never set out to hurt anyone, but I never set out to truly help anyone either. That is, anyone but myself. I was playing both ends against the middle, pretending to have it all together. I wound up hurting people who trusted me, people who cared for me. On some level, I guess I can identify with Judas, doing wretched things -- even to good people -- as a means of looking out for #1. After all, when you are a child of the world, that's all you've got.

How did the other disciples eat, sleep, walk, and worship alongside a thief and traitor like Judas, and not know what he was? 

Years ago, I was involved in litigation. My child had been abused. The testimony of a witness would have prevented my child's abuser from any further contact with us and, by extension, any further abuse. There was such a witness. Who took the stand and lied. She betrayed me and my innocent child, sentencing us to years of turmoil. I was nauseous, terrified, hopeless, and profoundly crushed. To this day, I have no idea what possessed her to do such a thing; I never saw it coming.

Though the disciples may not have known Judas' heart, Jesus did. How did Jesus lovingly, selflessly, for three years, minister to the man who stole from His ministry, who lived for that which was contrary to everything Jesus taught, who would one day betray Him unto death? 

There is someone in my life who hates (?), really dislikes (?), is jealous of (?), cannot stand the sight of (?) me. My regular interactions with this person are like nailing Jell-O to the wall. This person insists on his/her own way to the point of being beyond reason. If this person is not permitted to steal from me or infringe on my personal property in some way, this person will throw a tantrum. (I am not joking, nor am I exaggerating. I have never seen anything like it in my life.) The police, the House of Representatives, the United Nations and any other form of authority you can imagine could waltz in with multiple writs of prohibition, and this person would insist on his/her right to do exactly as he/she pleases. Once I got past the point of arguing and fighting with this person, I began laughing at the absurdity of it all. But the Holy Spirit has been telling me that is not the correct response either.

Love them. Do good to them. Bless them. Pray for them (Luke 6:27-28). That's what Jesus tells us. And the Holy Spirit through Paul tells us how to love: with patience and kindness; humbly and selflessly; honestly, hopefully, and endlessly (1 Corinthians 13:4-8). Specifically, in Romans: "If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink" (12:20). And again, God speaks through Peter: "Do not repay evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary, bless, for to this you were called," (1 Peter 3:9). All this Jesus did for the one He knew would betray Him; Jesus saw it coming and loved anyway. 

In spite of, or perhaps, because of a traitor, Easter is the celebration of what Jesus did -- for all. He loves each one of us with everything He's got. Even those who betray Him when given the chance. 

Sunday, March 25, 2018

My Sunday Morning Prayer

Sunday morning, and millions of Christians all over the world are tuning in to Christian programs, coming before You in their homes and places of quiet, entering houses of worship. All with the intent of giving You praise and honor, and seeking more of You.

Why? Why would we think the God who created mountains and ocean trenches, galaxies and microscopic systems would be interested in anything we have to offer? Even our best is never all You deserve.

Why would we think the God who oversees the world -- for ages!! -- would want to speak to us, dwell within us, move us, exalt over us? We are stiff-necked and self-sufficient by our nature. We exist for only a split-second in all eternity.

Because of who You are, made possible by what You have done! Praise Your name, O God! Glory to You, O Father!

"The Lord your God is with you,
    the Mighty Warrior who saves.
He will take great delight in you;
    in his love he will no longer rebuke you,
    but will rejoice over you with singing." ~ Zephaniah 3:17 (NIV)