50 years from now, what will they say about you?

About 75 years ago, Walter Scott walked down the sawdust trail at a tent revival in Truesdale, Iowa to accept Christ. A Danish immigrant who was fond of his liquor and quick to swing a fist, he was changed! His conversion was solidified a few years later when a terrible automobile accident left him unable to care for his farm. Members of the local Assembly helped out  while he healed. Their concern for him drew into faithful Christian service and he became part of a little country church that changed my life!  Grandpa Scott's example pointed my Dad toward Christ.  Dad responded to the Spirit and made his own decision to embrace Christ as Lord.  Dad and Mom were Christians, first, all else second. So, I was raised in a home where I was led to love God. As a child I obeyed the Spirit and received Christ as Lord. My children received the Word, taught the knowledge of the Holy One, and each has made a decision to trust Christ.  They are pursuing His will in their lives. And now... my grandchildren are being trained to pray, to trust, to look to eternity.

The long line of influence ripples through time, across miles, and into eternity because of the decision made by  a man that my children never knew, Walter Scott!

What effect will ripple through time from your life? Positive, joyful, encouraging, life giving actions? Critical, embittering, crippling choices? Uniting or dividing words? We do not live without influence, though we sometimes have no idea who will be influenced by what we say and/or do!

Influence that ripples out into the lives of others does not require that we shout our message or overwhelm the world! Jesus says we influence others like  "salt and light."  "You are the salt of the earth. But what good is salt if it has lost its flavor? Can you make it useful again? It will be thrown out and trampled underfoot as worthless. You are the light of the world—like a city on a mountain, glowing in the night for all to see. Don't hide your light under a basket! Instead, put it on a stand and let it shine for all. In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father.” (Matthew 5:13-16, NLT) Salt is a critically importance ingredient in so much of our food, but it doesn’t take much! Light is a powerful influence. Put a brightly colored rug in front of a sunlight filled door. It will fade quickly! Plants bend toward the source of light.

I bless Walter Scott’s memory!  In the mystery of the will of God and the response of man, he played a critical part in changing my destiny, and hopefully, through me, the destinies of many others. Will my grandchildren bless my memory, remembering me as salt that preserved their lives from the rot of evil and light that dispelled their darkness?  I pray I am answering that question with daily decisions of faithfulness to God and His will!

Pray this prayer with me today:

“Heavenly Father, may a ripple of grace follow me today.

Let my conversation be full of grace,
my life marked by compassion.

Create a wholeness in me that

lifts the hearts of those come through my life this day.

I thank you for the faithfulness of those who influence me.

Make me a salty saint, a bearer of the Light, as I

give you honor and worship in my thoughts, words, and actions.

I pray in the Holy Name of Jesus Christ.”  Amen

____________

I would be true,

For there are those who trust me;

I would be pure,

For there are those who care;

I would be strong,

For there is much to suffer;

I would be brave,

For there is much to dare!

I would be friend of all,

The foe, the friendless;

I would be giving,

And forget the gift;

I would be humble,

For I know my weakness;

I would look up, and laugh,

And love, and lift!

I Would Be True

Walter, Howard Arnold / Peek, Joseph Yates © Public Domain

So, you want to be spiritual?

Eugene Peterson, best known for his work in bringing us the paraphrase of the Bible called The Message, was a pastor of a small church in Maryland for 3 decades. He observed, "The people who give me the most distress are those who come asking, "Pastor, how can I be spiritual?" Forget about being spiritual. How about loving your husband? Now that's a good place to start. But that's not what they're interested in. How about learning to love your kids, accept them the way they are?" (Christianity Today, March, 2005)

In my years of ministry, there have been those who questioned whether I was truly spiritual because I don't speak in deep reverential tones in my sermons. When I pray in church I feel no need to address a two syllable "Gaa-awd!" I love to laugh, play a practical joke, and eat bean burritos with all the consequences that go with them. I confess that I don't spend hours each day on my knees in the church's sanctuary. I like country music and enjoy a good action flick. Does that mean I am not spiritual? To some, perhaps. Spirituality often gets confused with quietness, introspection, and pious acts.  Is that what it is all about?

The disciples in the Church in the city of Corinth got all excited about being 'spiritual,' and they thought they were quite impressive because they spoke at length in tongues, prophesied, and had meeting that were chock full of Holy Spirit manifestations. Paul wrote a long corrective letter them that all those who aspire to spirituality need to read. Imagine the shock they felt when they heard his letter and he said, "Dear brothers and sisters, when I was with you I couldn't talk to you as I would to spiritual people. I had to talk as though you belonged to this world or as though you were infants in the Christian life." (1 Corinthians 3:1, NLT)

He went on to point out that despite their all their spiritual gifts, their lives were a mess! They fought with each other. They lacked love. They would not serve each other. They sued each other in the courts. They would not deal with open sin in their own congregation. They were proud of their knowledge of spiritual freedom and cared little if their actions caused someone less mature in faith to be offended.  Pastor Paul told them, "You think you're so spiritual, but you're really not very deep in God, at all! You have not even grasped the basics!" Throughout his letter, he reminds them that true spirituality will produce a transformation of character, that being spiritual is always show by a deep and consistent love for God and others. Note the underlying attitude of loving service that informs his instruction about their 'spiritual' worship. "What then shall we say, brothers? When you come together, everyone has a hymn, or a word of instruction, a revelation, a tongue or an interpretation. All of these must be done for the strengthening of the church." (1 Corinthians 14:26, NIV)

True spirituality does not really grow out of mastery of church doctrine, or the ability to speak in tongues, or learning to pray in 16th century Elizabethan language, or from following forced practices of external piety.  Genuine spirituality is about two things. I have that on the best authority!  Jesus Christ Himself said that all God’s requirements for our lives are summed up in two statement – “Love God and love others!”  Want to grow in grace, to develop a great soul?  Get serious about repentance when you sin against God, about choosing daily to die to our need to be first or to have your efforts recognized by others.  Choose to give yourself; body, soul, and spirit, to the Lord.

A by-product of self-made ‘spirituality’ is arrogance, something Paul called being ‘puffed up.’  He reminded the Corinthian Christians who were so ready to proclaim their spirituality "… you have become arrogant … I will come—and soon—if the Lord will let me, and then I’ll find out whether these arrogant people are just big talkers or whether they really have God’s power. For the Kingdom of God is not just fancy talk; it is living by God’s power." (1 Corinthians 4:18-21, NLT)  If we try to make others think of us as 'spiritual,' we will become actors and looking good will replace being good!

I pray those who interact with me today will see Jesus in me. I hope that they will find in me a loving heart full of real concern for the world around me.  I pray that in all I say and do the desire to do His will be self-evident.  If I am living to honor the One Whom I call, "Lord" with integrity; I will be ‘spiritual’ without the forced behavior or pious pretenses.

Here's a word from the Word. I pray it will lead us to truer spirituality today! “Remember, we will all stand before the judgment seat of God. For the Scriptures say, " 'As surely as I live,' says the Lord, 'every knee will bend to me, and every tongue will confess and give praise to God.' " Yes, each of us will give a personal account to God. So let's stop condemning each other. Decide instead to live in such a way that you will not cause another believer to stumble and fall." ... So then, let us aim for harmony in the church and try to build each other up." (Romans 14:10-13, 19)

I won't get caught

Ed and I were talking about his choices. “There are two ways to look at your behavior,” I said. “You can make me act like a policeman to monitor you, or you can choose wisely for yourself, for the sake of your integrity.”  He’s 11, so I do not know how much of that he understands.  I face the same decision every day. Will I choose to do what I know is right even though I know that the chance of being caught is non-existent?  Will I keep my marriage vows? Will I fulfill my obligations to others? Will I speak truthfully?   

Once erosion of character starts, it is hard to stop. A little compromise turns into major sin.  Hidden sin eats away inside of us like termites eat away the supporting structure of a home. On the outside all looks well, but the beams are weakened as their cores are eaten away.  Unless stopped, there will be a catastrophic collapse!  James describes the process of sin this way:  “each one is tempted when, by his own evil desire, … enticed. Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.” James 1:14-15 (NIV)

Integrity is a treasure!  We are wise to guard it. What is it?

Dictionary.com defines it:

1. adherence to moral and ethical principles; soundness of moral character; honesty.

2. the state of being whole, entire, or undiminished: to preserve the integrity of the empire.

3.  an, unimpaired, or perfect condition: the integrity of a ship's hull.   

After Pilate questioned Jesus he returned to report, “I find no cause for charges in this man.”  That’s the way I want people to talk about me.  What about you?  A person’s integrity becomes a safeguard.  Many years ago, during a meeting in which another man’s dishonest dealings were revealed  someone wondered if I were also involved.  Another said of me, “We knew he was not interested.”  Those who were in on the scheme had not even offered money to me. Why? Because my honesty was obvious.  Thank the Lord for the gift of integrity that protected me even from being tempted! “May integrity and honesty protect me, for I put my hope in you.” Psalm 25:21 (NLT)

Does your reality match your image?  Are you the same inside as out?

Integrity comes from a genuine respect for and awe of the Lord. When we are made right with Him through Christ and the Cross, we must not turn again to living only in the fear of man.  God offers wholeness to us.  He sees us as we are and loves us! But, He will not overlook our willful sins.  Knowing this we pray as Jesus taught, “Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.”   Nehemiah saw this quality in his brother and rewarded it.  “I put in charge of Jerusalem my brother Hanani, along with Hananiah the commander of the citadel, because he was a man of integrity and feared God more than most men do.”  Nehemiah 7:2 I

Immaturity says “I won’t get caught.”  A person of character says, “I will walk in integrity.”  That one knows peace with God and others. He enjoys trust.

Here’s a word from the Word. "The man of integrity walks securely, but he who takes crooked paths will be found out." (Proverbs 10:9, NIV)

Slimed

Slimed!

Up until last week, much of the ground beef sold in these United States included an ingredient called, "finely textured lean beef." It is made from the trimmings leftover after the more readily accessible cuts are removed. A nutritionist concerned about the process used to produce it nicknamed it 'pink slime' and the story went viral on the Internet, fanned by breathless reporting on ABC News! When it's called "finely textured lean beef," I might eat it. I find "pink slime" disgusting. Now that the hysteria has died down, we see that the pejorative name is not quite deserved. But, it's too late for the 200 Americans out of job and a company that had to shut down production yesterday.  

My point is not to argue for or against this product. I want to point out the power of words.

Ever slimed anyone?

Ever been slimed?

With a little shift in tone or choice of adjectives we can turn a suspicion into an accusation. A reputation built over a lifetime can be destroyed overnight. A friendship can be ripped apart with just a phrase. A church can be sent into division with a couple of half-truths. Slimed!  

I wonder what kind of crisis inspired James, pastor of First Church in Jerusalem to write this? "A word out of your mouth may seem of no account, but it can accomplish nearly anything-or destroy it! It only takes a spark, remember, to set off a forest fire. A careless or wrongly placed word out of your mouth can do that. By our speech we can ruin the world, turn harmony to chaos, throw mud on a reputation, send the whole world up in smoke and go up in smoke with it, smoke right from the pit of hell." (The Message)

Our words are invested with great power for good, too. Listen to a loving mother murmur to her child and the words are like a caress, soothing. Listen to a leader with vision inspire, building a future for those who hear him with nothing but his words. Remember the encouragement that came your way at just the right moment that kept you going when you felt like quitting? The Proverb tells us that such words are like beautiful jewelry, "A word aptly spoken is like apples of gold in settings of silver." Proverbs 25:11 (NIV)  

Let's not settle for simply being 'nice' in our speech. As Christian disciple, the Spirit will fill us up. When His life is shaping our life, the overflow of our words will be a 'river of living water!' "Lord, make my words as refreshing as a clear mountain stream!" Even the hard truth can be healing if spoken with evident love.

Slimy words are full of self-interest, gossip, half-truths, innuendo, and death. Words that give life are full of truth, love, and hope. So this practical challenge is given to us, "Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen." Ephesians 4:29 NIV

So this is the word from the Word, a prayer for today. "May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, O LORD, my Rock and my Redeemer." Psalm 19:14 (NIV)

Burger King's philosophy- Have it your way

Burger King's philosophy - have it your way!

People, including me, love to do things 'our way.'  Americans are consumers who like personalized service. All of this comes at a cost to cooperation, which leads to the destruction of our community structures - government, neighborhood, and Church. Individualism is not a bad thing when we are ordering a burger for lunch.

However, when we drag the assumption that "the world owes me happiness" into church, it is especially destructive. Selfless service is a fundamental expression of our discipleship!  Jesus, our Model, "came to serve, not be served-and then to give away his life in exchange for the many who are held hostage."  (Matt. 20:28)

Consumer Christians who are focused on 'me, myself, and I' say things like: 

"The church has nothing to offer me."
"My needs are not addressed by the church so I'll form my own fellowship."
"I don't need the church to serve Christ."

  Brian McLaren observed that he believes that many Christians have bought into a 'gospel of self-enhancement. They have turned the Bible's declaration that "God loves the world," into "God loves ME!" (lecture delivered at Moravian Seminary in Bethlehem, PA) Jesus did not come to give us the ability to become self-actualized - more healthy, more wealthy, and more happy than our neighbors. He came to restore us, individually, to the image of God; calls us into the Church, and from a place in the Church, requires that we find ways with other disciples to lovingly serve the wide world around us. 

The whisper of the Spirit, deep within us, is insistent that we exist for some reason greater than piling up lots of stuff to play with or carving out a place of comfort where we can live out our days in self-indulgence. Jesus says that if we embrace self-sacrifice, only then do we truly find life! His word challenge us - "If any of you wants to be my follower, you must put aside your selfish ambition, shoulder your cross daily, and follow me. If you try to keep your life for yourself, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for me, you will find true life. And how do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose or forfeit your own soul in the process?" (Luke 9:23-25, NLT)

Here's a word from the Word. As you read pray that the Holy Spirit will let you appreciate the joy that can be found in humble service to God, expressed in serving others.

Think of yourselves the way Christ Jesus thought of himself.
He had equal status with God but didn't think so much of himself that he had to cling to the advantages of that status no matter what. Not at all. When the time came, he set aside the privileges of deity and took on the status of a slave, became human! Having become human, he stayed human. It was an incredibly humbling process. He didn't claim special privileges.

Instead, he lived a selfless, obedient life and then died a selfless, obedient death-and the worst kind of death at that: a crucifixion.Because of that obedience, God lifted him high and honored him far beyond anyone or anything, ever, so that all created beings in heaven and on earth-even those long ago dead and buried-will bow in worship before this Jesus Christ, and call out in praise that he is the Master of all, to the glorious honor of God the Father. - Philippians 2:5-11 (The Message)

Do something for someone today for which you expect NO THANKS. It doesn't have to be grand. Maybe it's listening to somebody's story, or washing your kid's clothes, or picking up trash in the parking lot. Pray for the most miserable person you know, asking God's blessing for them. No complaining, no angling for recognition. Be a servant for Jesus' sake and let God bless you.