Living with Less? Why?

 

In January, I decided that it was time to pay more attention to my health, starting with my weight. This morning the scale told me I reached a goal, 200 lbs. I shed about 25 lbs. People who take note always ask, “How did you do it?” It is a simple thing – I put less into my mouth and what I do eat is of a better quality. Candy, cake, and ice cream are reserved for rare and special occasions. Junk food like fries or mega-calorie appetizers are no longer on the menu for me, except very occasionally. “But, Jerry, isn’t it hard? Don’t you miss all that stuff?” Honesty, not really. A couple of weeks ago I ordered a sandwich and asked to replace the fries with a salad. The salad came and so did the fries, so I ate them. My body has changed so much that my system reacted to them.

 Like any change, taking control of our diet requires a shift in thinking, a reordering of priorities. When I figured out that losing weight would likely mean lower blood pressure, fewer headaches, and less joint pain, I found it much easier to choose a green salad and a grilled chicken sandwich! Most Americans resist the idea of less because they equate it with deprivation. “I have just got to have that,” we say. Some of us are convinced that missing a meal will ruin our life.  Some of us will not step away from a schedule packed with activities fearing that we will ‘miss out.’  We love all kinds of things that feed our appetites – pleasure, vacations, sex, drink – and they begin to own us. 

A pause is necessary here. God does not hate creature comforts and misery for its own sake will not make a great Christian! A great dinner is to be enjoyed. Caring for our appearance is part of healthy self-esteem. God created us with the capacity to experience pleasure and so we should!  Ascetic monks of the middle ages confused discipline with deprivation. They thought that they could get closer to God by wearing wool garments full of fleas, or by sleeping on hard stone slabs, or beating themselves with whips. Mostly their misery was wasted.

That said, let’s take a look at a practice well-known in the Scripture and nearly unknown among Christians today – fasting.  Don’t stop reading now!  Fasting is not just about food. It is not just a discipline for wild-eyes fanatics. Fasting is a discipline for all Christians.  Its purpose is to break our devotion to lesser gods. Fasting may be abstaining from food and it can (and should) involve many other appetites.  We can fast by limiting access to technology for a time, or not watching TV, or refusing to buy things for a season, for example.

Jesus tells us “And when you fast, don’t make it obvious, as the hypocrites do, who try to look pale and disheveled so people will admire them for their fasting. I assure you, that is the only reward they will ever get. But when you fast, comb your hair and wash your face. Then no one will suspect you are fasting, except your Father, who knows what you do in secret. And your Father, who knows all secrets, will reward you. “Don’t store up treasures here on earth, where they can be eaten by moths and get rusty, and where thieves break in and steal. Store your treasures in heaven, where they will never become moth-eaten or rusty and where they will be safe from thieves. Wherever your treasure is, there your heart and thoughts will also be." (Matthew 6:16-21, NLT)

For me it is  compelling to note that He connects fasting, setting aside something we enjoy for a time, with what we treasure. But it is so true. A fast is a way to re-adjust our perspective, to reorder our hearts, and to regain our first love. Nothing more.  In and of itself, fasting proves nothing about the depth of our spirituality, though it can be a reason for great spiritual pride. I have known Christians who looked like skeletons, who were proud as a peacock of their discipline.  Another mistake often made in fasting is making it something like a hunger strike. We might not actually say it, but underlying our fast is the idea, “God, I’m not going to do ______________, or eat __________ until I get that answer to prayer.”  He isn’t impressed. Fasting is for us, not Him!

When we fast to remind ourselves that our body is subject to the Spirit, that we can make choices that are difficult to honor God, fasting can help us grow in Christ. We are to love God - with all our mind, heart, and strength. In this, we find life to the full which He promised. We understand that the body is perishing and we do not despair because of that fact. We feed, clothe, and care for our body as the 'temple of the Spirit,' which it is, but we refuse to make it our god. Those who serve the belly god become enslaved by the search for more and more exotic experiences to sate the senses. Lust and gluttony corrupt every part of their lives, shape every interaction, and ultimately their god is wrenched from their grasp by age and death. Those who serve the Savior are led to life, know joy, and take mastery over their body and appetites even as they take hold of eternal life, right here, right now!

Consider the wisdom in this passage. "For many walk, (live their daily lives) of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ: whose end is destruction, whose god is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame- who set their mind on earthly things. For our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body that it may be conformed to His glorious body, according to the working by which He is able even to subdue all things to Himself." (Philippians 3:18-21, NKJV)

Are you worshipping your physical appetites, convinced that more is always best? Do you define 'the good life' by food, comfort, or appearance?  A good remedy is a fast – leaving Facebook for a week, eating only basic foods for a few days, turning off the television for a time – all for the purpose of listening closely to God, the Spirit.  The wisdom of God reminds us to "Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth. For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God." (Colossians 3:2-3, NKJV) Practice the discipline of fasting (not just food!) to allow the love of God to flourish. Cultivate the inner beauty of a clean and righteous heart that cannot be taken away by the passing of time.

Here’s a word from the Word.  Ponder this truth today before you dismiss it as irrelevant to life in the 21^st century.  Paul, deeply devoted to the Lord, a man of unquestioned maturity, acknowledges that failure stalks us all.  Here’s his counsel.  "Remember that in a race everyone runs, but only one person gets the prize. You also must run in such a way that you will win. All athletes practice strict self-control. They do it to win a prize that will fade away, but we do it for an eternal prize. So I run straight to the goal with purpose in every step. I am not like a boxer who misses his punches. I discipline my body like an athlete, training it to do what it should. Otherwise, I fear that after preaching to others I myself might be disqualified." (1 Corinthians 9:24-27, NLT)   

Let’s get ready to “discipline the body like an athlete, training it to do what it should.”

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Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus

(Lauren Daigle does this beautiful song in a way that leads me to worship)

 

Turn your eyes upon Jesus
Look full in His wonderful face
And the things of earth will grow strangely dim
In the light of His glory and grace

O soul are you weary and troubled
No light in the darkness you see
There's light for a look at the Savior
And life more abundant and free

Through death into life everlasting
He passed and we follow Him there
Over us sin no more hath dominion
For more than conquerors we are

His word shall not fail you He promised
Believe Him and all will be well
Then go to a world that is dying
His perfect salvation to tell

Oh turn your Oh turn your
Oh turn your eyes upon Jesus

 Dwan Hill | Helen H. Lemmel | Lauren Daigle | Paul Mabury

© Words: Public Domain

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Keeping score?

 

We are an incurably competitive lot here in America. We constantly measure our wins and losses. Why? Partially it is because we are a nation of many different people groups. Every immigrant group in our nation has had to struggle to gain a place, to find economic stability and social acceptance. In part we compete because of our deep belief that anyone who works hard enough can find great success. We love our rags to riches stories.  Woven into our national mythology is the idea that America is exceptional among the nations and therefore each of us is destined to be ‘successful.’ We strive, fight, and claw for that success, but too often our success is measured using the wrong metrics:  money, fame, and/or status. I’ll leave it to you to make your own conclusions about the value of all that striving.

Of special concern to me is this: when we drag the idea of ‘wins and losses’ to our relationship with Christ Jesus, a toxic religiosity replaces a healthy spirituality in us.

Our eyes lower from Christ Jesus to Self. That which should make life more full and rich becomes another source of angst. We turn into performers instead of worshipers. We compete instead of cooperating. When things go wrong and life gets hard, those who are comparing and measuring themselves against others conclude that it must be their fault; that they must be flawed, or that they need to work harder. In our gracelessness, we find no rest in the goodness of God.

Jesus teaches us to keep our hearts open before the Father, to seek Him, and warns of turning it into a show.  He said “Take care! Don’t do your good deeds publicly, to be admired, because then you will lose the reward from your Father in heaven. When you give a gift to someone in need, don’t shout about it as the hypocrites do—blowing trumpets in the synagogues and streets to call attention to their acts of charity! I assure you, they have received all the reward they will ever get. But when you give to someone, don’t tell your left hand what your right hand is doing. Give your gifts in secret, and your Father, who knows all secrets, will reward you.

“And now about prayer. When you pray, don’t be like the hypocrites who love to pray publicly on street corners and in the synagogues where everyone can see them. I assure you, that is all the reward they will ever get. But when you pray, go away by yourself, shut the door behind you, and pray to your Father secretly. Then your Father, who knows all secrets, will reward you." (Matthew 6:1-6, NLT)

What matters more to you, friend, God’s acceptance or the admiration and approval of others?  The question is not a simple one to answer because our hearts are complex, occupied by many mixed motives.  When we desire to know and love our Heavenly Father above all else we will begin to live in the contentment promised to us.

He also teaches us that God’s measure of success is not like the common ones of human beings.

"Real life is not measured by how much we own.” . . .  “Yes, a person is a fool to store up earthly wealth but not have a rich relationship with God.” Then turning to his disciples, Jesus said, “So I tell you, don’t worry about everyday life—whether you have enough food to eat or clothes to wear. For life consists of far more than food and clothing. Look at the ravens. They don’t need to plant or harvest or put food in barns because God feeds them. And you are far more valuable to him than any birds!" (Luke 12:15-24, NLT)

 Can you confess that God will supply you with all that you need?  I make no case for living as a fool and then expecting God to make up the difference! If you create a ton of debt, God is not obligated to pay off your credit cards. We will not be happier when we have a bigger house, a newer car, or the latest smartphone. Joy is found in contentment, the faith to receive His promise - “I’ll provide for your needs!”  The wisdom to know the difference between ‘what I want’ and ‘what I need’ is found in consistent worship, in feeding the soul with the Word of God. 

Paul gets right to the heart of the matter. "After all, we didn’t bring anything with us when we came into the world, and we certainly cannot carry anything with us when we die. So if we have enough food and clothing, let us be content. But people who long to be rich fall into temptation and are trapped by many foolish and harmful desires that plunge them into ruin and destruction." (1 Timothy 6:7-9, NLT)

As we close our time together today, let’s go to Jesus’ words about what it means to live a ‘blessed life.’ This passage which opens The Sermon on the Mount are words we admire for their beauty and simplicity. The true question is not whether we admire them but if we live them. Prayerfully meditate in this word from the Word. May they bring us life and peace, replacing that competitive spirit that so often makes us miserable.

“God blesses those who realize their need for him,

for the Kingdom of Heaven is given to them.

God blesses those who mourn,

for they will be comforted.

God blesses those who are gentle and lowly,

for the whole earth will belong to them.

God blesses those who are hungry and thirsty for justice,

for they will receive it in full.

God blesses those who are merciful,

for they will be shown mercy.

God blesses those whose hearts are pure,

for they will see God.

God blesses those who work for peace,

for they will be called the children of God.

God blesses those who are persecuted because they live for God,

for the Kingdom of Heaven is theirs." (Matthew 5:3-10, NLT)

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Be Thou My Vision (Slane)

(A prayerful hymn, listen and worship!)

 Be Thou my vision, O Lord of my heart
Naught be all else to me, Save that Thou art
Thou my best thought by day or by night
Waking or sleeping Thy presence my light

 Be Thou my wisdom, and Thou my true Word
I ever with Thee, and Thou with me Lord
Thou my great Father, I Thy true son
Thou in me dwelling and I with Thee one

 Riches I heed not, Nor man's empty praise
Thou mine inheritance, Now and always
Thou and Thou only , first in my heart
High King of heaven, my treasure Thou art

 High King of heaven, my vict'ry  won
May I reach heaven's joys, O bright Heaven's Sun
Heart of my own heart, whatever befall
Still be my vision, O Ruler of all

 Eleanor Henrietta Hull © Words: Public Domain

God in the questions

Questions are a part of my life. From an early age, I asked “Why?”  While a little boy I took my toys apart to see what made them run. As a young adult, I made authority figures uncomfortable by pushing back against policies that could not be explained, refusing to accept “that’s just the way it is.” Did I find all the answers I wanted? No, I did not.

As the road of my life lengthened I found that there are some things in life that will remain cloaked in mystery, unexplainable, unfathomable to my finite mind. Most importantly, I realize that most all of the problems and challenges are not the result of a single cause and effect. Pulling one string does not always unravel every knot!

Are you trying to make sense of life in a chaotic era? Does sorting through the pandemic information, the social protests, the ‘news’ that fills your TV and smartphone apps, only leave you asking more questions? The process of  inquiry is complicated by people who offer simplistic solutions, believing that our complex problems can be solved easily, quickly, with a single change.

For example, we know, or at least we should know, that there is no single answer for dealing with the pandemic and the disruptions that have come to us. It is not a ‘one size fits all’ kind of issue! Shouting at the world in anger is not going to make the virus go away. Hiding out in our homes is not a permanent solution either. So, we wisely try to put together a reasonable course of action that manages risk as we continue to live and work. WE can do it, IF we are willing to take responsibility and listen to people outside of our normal information stream.

Today, I want to remind you of things you probably already know.
As I do, my prayer is that you will find the stability promises by this word: "You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in you, whose thoughts are fixed on you!" (Isaiah 26:3, NLT)

Our foundation is critical!  

Long ago, I committed myself to the Living God, convinced of the truth of His Word. The Gospel is my solid rock. The love of God, shown to us in Christ Jesus, holds me secure. Come what may, I know that my eternal home is guaranteed by His grace and the Resurrection. The One in Whom I trust knows my yesterdays, my today, and my tomorrows. "All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be." (Psalm 139:16, NIV)  My faith may be battered but I can stand because there is a solid foundation in place.

Let’s not confuse faith with apathy.

To just say, “whatever” leaves situations unaddressed, leads to worship of tradition that loses touch with a changing world. Faith anchors in a Person who declares “I am God—yes, I AM. I haven’t changed.” (Malachi 3.6)  Faith bridges the gap between what I can see presently and God’s promise. And faith continues to be “careful to put into action God’s saving work in your lives, obeying God with deep reverence and fear. For God is working in you.” (Philippians 2:12)  

Humility is a key as we prayerfully ponder the mysteries of life.  

Angrily demanding that God’s answer or determining that we can find our own way without Him are both paths that will lead us to frustration. It may sound like a cliché but it remains true. God asks us to come to Him, fully expecting to find Him, trusting Him like a child trusts a beloved parent, so that we can be led by His Spirit.

Wisdom is important, too.

Knowledge is not the same thing as wisdom, is it? A person may know many facts and lack any real understanding of life itself. "Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise," (Ephesians 5:15, NIV)  "Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show it by his good life, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom." (James 3:13, NIV)  Asking our questions and choosing to trust Him while seeing the world with God’s wisdom creates a rich life of godliness that blesses our world.

Here’s an affirmation from the Word. Paul’s life was about to end. He’s in a Roman prison. Many have deserted him. He has some real questions – yet he is filled with faith and declares -  "I know whom I have believed and am persuaded that He is able to keep what I have committed to Him until that Day. … That good thing which was committed to you, keep by the Holy Spirit who dwells in us." (2 Timothy 1:12,14, NKJV)

The world in which we live needs people of deep faith, with wisdom, who will lead the lost, the confused, those without hope, to LIFE. We can, we must, we will!

______________

 Build My Life

(A song that points us to real faith)

Worthy of ev’ry song we could ever sing
Worthy of all the praise we could ever bring
Worthy of ev’ry breath we could ever breathe
We live for You 

Jesus the name above ev’ry other name
Jesus the only one who could ever save
Worthy of ev’ry breath we could ever breathe
We live for You We live for You

 Holy there is no one like You
There is none besides You
Open up my eyes in wonder and
show me who You are
And fill me with Your heart
And lead me in Your love to those around me

 I will build my life upon Your love
It is a firm foundation
I will put my trust in You alone
And I will not be shaken

 Brett Younker | Karl Martin | Kirby Elizabeth Kaple | Matt Redman | Pat Barrett © 2016 Martin, Karl Andrew (Admin. by Arkyard Music Services Limited) Kaple Music (Admin. by Bethel Music Publishing) Bethel Music Publishing

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The Active Pursuit of GOOD

Last Thursday I came home after an afternoon spent with other faithful people at our church’s food pantry.  That day we handed out a ton (literally) of groceries – canned goods, frozen foods, diapers, soap, shampoo, and fresh produce- to 43 households. Did we change the world? No. Did we save anyone from starvation? No.  We just did a little bit of good in Jesus’ Name, as we had the opportunity. As gratifying to me as it is to put a couple of bags of groceries into someone’s car, even more important is looking for a way to encourage with a word, to let that person know ‘you matter to me and to the Lord.’  Our pantry is a ministry, but we do not preach with words, nor do we push the Gospel in people’s faces. We try to live it!

The Word tells us that part of belonging to God, through Jesus Christ, is the responsibility of doing good every day. "For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do." (Ephesians 2:10, NIV)  Some of you who are tuned into church debates are ready to argue – “Jerry, sounds like you have sold out to the social gospel.”  The truth is that I am committed to the full Gospel, which involves pointing people to a saving relationship with Jesus Christ that changes their eternal destiny and bringing God’s good to the world in which I live by loving, giving, encouraging, feeding the hungry, standing with those who are broken, and resisting injustice. Both are part of our divine commission, dear Christian!

 

John Wesley taught his ‘methodists’ (those he led in personal spiritual renewal with practical methods 250 years ago) that God desired them to “Do all the good you can, by all the means you can, in all the ways you can, in all the places you can, at all the times you can, to all the people you can, as long as ever you can.”

Jesus says “You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven." (Matthew 5:14-16, NIV)  Yes, ‘good deeds!’   When we are made new through the Spirit, reconciled to our Father through Christ Jesus, there must be a change in the way we live – selfish to sacrificial, hating to loving, generous, kind, empathetic – GOOD. 

In his inaugural speech in 1961, JFK famously said, “Ask not what your country can do for you — ask what you can do for your country.”  In America, the year 2020 has brought us to a time of crisis. Our nation needs people who ask a new question of themselves regarding their faith life in Christ – “Ask not what Jesus can do for you, but what YOU can do for Jesus!”  It is so natural, so easy, to slip into a faith practice that creates a zone of comfort, in which we surround ourselves with people of similar interests, and pray only for more blessings.  My prayer is that God will burden us, once again, for the world – that we will pray and work for salvation and the Kingdom come. It is often a costly commission but what a rich reward awaits the faithful.

 IF you focus only on those things that you think will change the world, it is likely you will do nothing. If you take the opportunities you have, where you are, there will be change that God can bless and use, with results known only in eternity.  A little over twenty years ago, Rich Stearns, a successful business executive with a comfortable life, found himself in a mud hut in Rakai, Uganda. He began some soul-searching as he heard a heartbreaking story of an orphaned child.  He left his office at a great corporation to answer the call of God to serve the needs of the world’s poorest people.  He wrote a book a decade ago that remains a compelling and engaging presentation of the whole gospel-  a world-changing social revolution, a revolution that begins with each one of us.  

 Get a copy of The Hole in Our Gospel.  Remember you do not have to go to Uganda to answer the call. Serving in His Name starts in your home, extends to your town, through your community, in your church, and ultimately wherever God, the Spirit, leads.

 The word from the Word is an extended passage, Jesus’ commission to the disciples. Spend a few minutes prayerfully with the truth as you begin this week. 

“Don’t begin by traveling to some far-off place to convert unbelievers. And don’t try to be dramatic by tackling some public enemy. Go to the lost, confused people right here in the neighborhood. Tell them that the kingdom is here. Bring health to the sick. Raise the dead. Touch the untouchables. Kick out the demons. You have been treated generously, so live generously. “Don’t think you have to put on a fund-raising campaign before you start. You don’t need a lot of equipment. You are the equipment, and all you need to keep that going is three meals a day. Travel light. …

“Don’t be naive. Some people will impugn your motives, others will smear your reputation—just because you believe in me. Don’t be upset when they haul you before the civil authorities. Without knowing it, they’ve done you—and me—a favor, given you a platform for preaching the kingdom news! And don’t worry about what you’ll say or how you’ll say it. The right words will be there; the Spirit of your Father will supply the words. “When people realize it is the living God you are presenting and not some idol that makes them feel good, they are going to turn on you, even people in your own family. There is a great irony here: proclaiming so much love, experiencing so much hate! But don’t quit. Don’t cave in. It is all well worth it in the end. It is not success you are after in such times but survival. Be survivors! Before you’ve run out of options, the Son of Man will have arrived. "
(Matthew 10: 5-10, 17-23, The Message)

_________

So Send I You

 So send I you to labor unrewarded
To serve unpaid unloved unsought unknown
To bear rebuke to suffer scorn and scoffing
So send I you to toil for Me alone

So send I you to bind the bruised and broken
O'er wand'ring souls to work to weep to wake
To bear the burdens of a world a weary
So send I you to suffer for My Sake

So send I you to loneliness and longing
With heart ahung'ring for the loved and known
Forsaking home and kindred friend and dear one
So send I you to know My Love alone

So send I you to leave your life's ambition
To die to dear desire selfwill resign
To labour long and love where men revile you
So send I you to lose your life in Mine

So send I you to hearts made hard by hatred
To eyes made blind because they will not see
To spend tho' it be blood to spend and spare not
So send I you to taste of Calvary

As the Father hath sent Me so send I you

Margaret Clarkson © 1954 New Spring (Admin. by Brentwood-Benson Music Publishing, Inc.)

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