Little League and Jesus

Swing and miss. “Tommy, look them over. Choose your pitch!” the coach urged from the sideline as Tommy swung, once again, at a ball that bounced on the plate.  Pop! It’s a hit and the ball shot up the field between second and third base, with the players making dodges, passing one, then two, then three until it rolled to a stop in the outfield. Once retrieved, the ball was thrown towards first, wide and high.  The guy in left field got distracted by a worm. “Coach, there is worm here.”  All the while, the coach kept up a constant stream of correction and ‘atta boys’ from his place in the middle of all those uniforms. Yes, they were just little boys, 7 and 8 years of age, learning to play baseball. They adjusted their hats, kicked up the dirt, and held gloves at the ready – just like the players they watch on TV- but their skills are just being developed. If I see some of those same boys playing in 10 years in high school, it will be different!

Watching those little guys play ball, I was thinking about larger issues of life.  We do so well giving our children things, feeding their bodies, and even taking them to baseball games. What are we teaching them about being human, about relating to others, about the value of things, about how to cope with stress, how to endure hard times, about being productive, about what life means? Do we think that they will just somehow absorb the skills they need for life by watching us?

Are we intentionally coaching them, teaching them, urging them to try, letting them ‘fail’ enough, and commending their efforts to learn how to live best? The transfer of values, life skills, and love for God to the next generation must be our priority. Moses counseled the people of Israel with these practical words. “Listen, O Israel! The Lord is our God, the Lord alone. And you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your strength. And you must commit yourselves wholeheartedly to these commands that I am giving you today. Repeat them again and again to your children. Talk about them when you are at home and when you are on the road, when you are going to bed and when you are getting up. Tie them to your hands and wear them on your forehead as reminders. Write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates." (Deuteronomy 6:4-9, NLT)

The Word says that of first importance is our own love for God.  If we hope to instill devotion and develop disciples, we must be what we teach. If we profess to love God but chase stuff, success, and happiness with our full energies, our children will ignore the words and imitate the choices we make.  “Commit yourselves wholehearted to the commands!”

We also must be unafraid to actually talk about the things of God. “Jerry, I do not want to preach to my kids.” Who said anything about preaching? Moses said that we bring God into everyday life – at home, on the road, at bedtime! Our true values creep into conversations, they don’t have to forced. Be intentional with those teachable moments. Invite the hard questions and if you do not know the answer, admit it. Children spot inauthenticity just like adults. Coach your children with conversations that allow a topic to develop rather than handing out an edict or a simplistic answer. Love for others is never simple or easy. Knowing how to honor God is not an easy thing for an adult to discern. It is no different for your child. And remember, they deal with a sin nature and temptation, just like you do! Some days they will do better than others so teach them love, grace, and forgiveness. Knowing how to recover is a skill we all need, right?

Pray with your child, not just for them. “Pray all the time, about everything,” Paul says.
Are they frustrated by a bully at school? Invite them to pray with you about that.
Are they anxious about a test? Pray about it with them.
As the day closes, are they feeling guilt about some mistake?
Listen to their ‘confession,’ and go with them to the Throne of Grace to find mercy.  

 Cover their day by taking a moment to pray out loud with them before they head out the door. Yes, I mean it! 

Let them hear you talk to the Lord about them.  I heard my Mom to talk to God about me and even now, though I am 60 years of age, those prayers echo in my memory, powerful reminders of the immediacy of her faith.

Here is a word from the Word. Inspire us with wisdom to make disciples of our children.

"Great is the Lord! He is most worthy of praise! No one can measure his greatness.
Let each generation tell its children of your mighty acts; let them proclaim your power." (Psalm 145:3-4, NLT)

"Then little children were brought to Jesus for him to place his hands on them and pray for them.
But the disciples rebuked those who brought them.
Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them,
for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.”
When he had placed his hands on them, he went on from there." (Matthew 19:13-15, NIV)

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Throw away your bucket list

The phrase ‘bucket list’ refers to those things we want to do, to see, to go before we ‘kick the bucket.’ I am all for living life to the full because of an awareness of the brevity of our days here on this planet. In a hundred years, nobody will remember my name, probably not even my great grandchildren.  So, common sense tells me to “go for it,” to make the most of the few days left, to feel and taste and smell and hear! That is a terrible mistake that misses the heart of Jesus’ message and promise. 

IF we really believe what we say we do about heaven and eternal life, we will throw away those bucket lists that imply that when the lid of our coffin is closed that it is ‘game over.’

Would you read the prelude to a book and assume you know the whole story? That is a silly suggestion, isn’t it? But, that is how most of us live. Our journey through sunrises and sunsets is only the prelude to our forever existence yet we spend our energy and resources as if death is the end. What does it imply about our understanding of reality that we talk about an ‘after life?’  We are presently living in the ‘before life’ and our full lives await. We are not created just to find the next great meal, the best sex, or to make the most money! We are made to live in the Kingdom of God, in His reign, for His purpose, starting now.  We should know that the fullness of that life is only revealed when we transit from this world to the next. And, knowing that, we should live to the full, but not with experiences of temporal pleasure. We should start discovering the joy of the Kingdom life now!

The way we live implies that what we actually believe is that Jesus is just making noise, reaching for fairy tales when He promises “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die.” (John 11:25)

We need a richer understanding of Heaven. Truthfully, if all we have to look forward to is sitting around singing “10,000 Reasons” forever while we swap tales of the life we lived on earth, it sounds boring. The glimpses of Glory that we do catch through the window of the Word show us that we join our Father in a life full of creativity, full of discovery, full of the richest of relationships – all without any of the complications of disappointment, failure, or endings. "Now our knowledge is partial and incomplete, and even the gift of prophecy reveals only part of the whole picture! But when full understanding comes, these partial things will become useless. When I was a child, I spoke and thought and reasoned as a child. But when I grew up, I put away childish things. Now we see things imperfectly as in a cloudy mirror, but then we will see everything with perfect clarity. All that I know now is partial and incomplete, but then I will know everything completely, just as God now knows me completely. Three things will last forever—faith, hope, and love—and the greatest of these is love." (1 Corinthians 13:9-13, NLT)

The hope of the Resurrection Life, when understood and believed, changes everything about this day, this time! Jesus invites us to know the ‘secrets of the Kingdom.’  And knowing the reality that is hidden from those who are not alive in the Spirit He tells us -“Don’t hoard treasure down here where it gets eaten by moths and corroded by rust or—worse!—stolen by burglars. Stockpile treasure in heaven, where it’s safe from moth and rust and burglars. It’s obvious, isn’t it? The place where your treasure is, is the place you will most want to be, and end up being." (Matthew 6:19-21, The Message)

Toss the bucket list and make a ‘heaven’ list, things that must be done before you go home, things that will survive your death. I am certain that those two lists will look very different, one focused on Me, on senses and sights; the other shaped around ‘faith, hope, and love’ those things that last forever.

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Father, thank you for opening our minds to

the secrets of the Kingdom,

to the knowledge of our eternal existence.

Keep us from treating it like a fairy tale.

Forgive us for being so short-sighted.

Lift us up to catch glimpses of Life there.

And, lead us to the full and abundant life here

that prepares us to enter into LIFE with YOU forever.

Oh, put Heaven in our hearts, we pray.

In Jesus’ Name.  Amen

What Path For Me?

I am facing some decisions in my life that could change my life and affect the lives of others. They are not just about what color shirt to wear or about what I’ll eat for breakfast! I am blessed to have a choice in those matters. But, there are larger choices that have a ripple effect in the world, which need to be made thoughtfully and, as a Christian, with an awareness of God’s will.  

Aside from trusting Jesus as my Savior, the best decision I ever made was the pursuit of Bev with whom I enjoyed 41 years of life- partnership in our calling, raising children, and finding joy.  I am glad she chose to say “yes” to that marriage proposal back in August, 1974! It was a choice that changed everything for me.  Since her death 5 months ago, I have pondered the pathway ahead, praying often about the choices to be made about the future.

God has many messengers, if we are ready to listen. Yesterday, after I led a funeral service I was visiting with a friend. In our casual conversation, out of nowhere he remarked, “Pastor, what you do is so important. Your life touches so many other lives, making a real difference for them.”  His words were encouraging and sobering, reminding me of the importance of seeking to know the will of God as I make choices about life.

Are you choosing wisely?
Are you actively desiring the will of God for your life?

James counsels thus: "Look here, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we are going to a certain town and will stay there a year. We will do business there and make a profit.” How do you know what your life will be like tomorrow? Your life is like the morning fog—it’s here a little while, then it’s gone. What you ought to say is, “If the Lord wants us to, we will live and do this or that.” Otherwise you are boasting about your own plans, and all such boasting is evil. Remember, it is sin to know what you ought to do and then not do it." (James 4:13-17, NLT) The Spirit warns us of thinking that we are little gods in control of life.  We are wise to acknowledge the uncertainty of life, humbling knowing our lives are secure only in Christ’s care. From that humility, we are taught to be constantly looking to the Spirit for guidance.  And, when we know God’s will, we must do it! If we press ahead with what pleases Self, the Word bluntly says we sin.

Living under the guiding hand of the Lord is our privilege but we cannot assume that everything will just work out for the best as we stumble along. We need to be purposeful, wise, actively living in ways that please and honor the Lord. Consider this wisdom - "You know that under pressure, your faith-life is forced into the open and shows its true colors. So don’t try to get out of anything prematurely. Let it do its work so you become mature and well-developed, not deficient in any way. If you don’t know what you’re doing, pray to the Father. He loves to help. You’ll get his help, and won’t be condescended to when you ask for it." (James 1:3-5, The Message) Those difficult situations in our lives can become an opportunity to know God and His will more fully.  Like a student struggling with his lessons, wondering if he will ever just ‘get it,’ we find ourselves in times when we can do nothing but the basics, seeming to do that same thing, over and over again. Finally, the practice yields mastery of the concept.  God says that when we keep on keeping on, even when we want to quit, a beautiful kind of character develops. Along the way, we are invited to ask God to reveal the way ahead. He will not be impatient with us. He won’t berate us for our dullness. Instead, He will help.

Remember this about the will of the Lord. The aim is not perfection but progress. If perfection is our goal, we will be fearful, most likely, near paralyzed, unable to move ahead. With a heart that loves Him and a mind that is fed by His Word and wisdom, we choose today and He will guide. Memorize this passage. It is a life principle. "Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take." (Proverbs 3:5-6, NLT)  

Pray!
Actively listen for the Spirit’s inner voice!
Do what you know is right TODAY!
Learn and do the Word!
Find and accept the counsel of the wise!

Here is a word from the Word. Live confidently in the promise. "My choice is you, God, first and only. And now I find I’m your choice! You set me up with a house and yard. And then you made me your heir! The wise counsel God gives when I’m awake is confirmed by my sleeping heart. Day and night I’ll stick with God; I’ve got a good thing going and I’m not letting go." (Psalm 16:5-8, The Message)
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Jesus Led Me All The Way

Someday life's journey will be o'er

And I shall reach that distant shore.

I'll sing while ent'ring Heaven's door-

Jesus led me all the way.

If God should let me there review

The winding paths of earth I knew,

It would be proven, clear and true,

Jesus led me all the way.

And hither to my Lord has led,

Today, He guides each step I tread,

And soon in Heav'n it will be said,

Jesus led me all the way.

Jesus led me all the way,

Led me, step by step, each day!

I will tell the saints and angels,

As I lay my burdens down,

“Jesus led me all the way!”

John W. Peterson

© 1954. Renewed 1982 John W. Peterson Music Company

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