Anything But Jesus

http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Mark%2012:30&version=NIV1984

http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Phil%203:13-14&version=NIV1984

http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matt%206:33&version=NIV1984

I’m not sure where he picked it up but somewhere along the line our 5-year-old grandson Brett came up with the word ‘options’.  If dessert is available he wants to know what his options are.  The same is true when he is being punished.  And other aspects of his life.  It seems that at an early age Brett has learned that there are many choices in life

The reality is that there are many options of how we can live our lives.  We all have a number of interests.  Some people like work.  Some like school.  Some like gardening.  Others like watching TV.  Some like listening to music.  Some like shopping.  The number of things that are of interest that we can pursue are literally endless.  We enjoy these activities.  We spend countless hours pursuing them.  And money.  When we aren’t engaged in them we are thinking about them.  And planning how we are going to pursue them when we have the time.  Why is this?  Because we like them.  They challenge us.  They energize us.  They relax us.  They bring us satisfaction.  Fulfillment.  A sense of accomplishment.  If they didn’t, chances are that we wouldn’t engage in these interests.  It’s that simple.

The Bible makes it very clear that Jesus is supposed to be the center of our lives.  The reason why we live.  We are saved by Him.  We worship Him.  We serve Him.  We are supposed to find our joy and satisfaction in Him.  I use the word ‘supposed’ because we all know that this is not always reality.  Going back to our interests, oftentimes they are like a magnet.  Everyday we are tempted to leave Jesus and go to them for purpose.  Meaning.  Excitement.  Fulfillment.  It is a constant battle.  There are times when it seems as if our lives are ‘anything but Jesus’!  As if He is the most boring, uninteresting way that we can spend our time.

Before we quickly dismiss this as not applying to us, think about it.  Does the prospect of  going to church, or praying, or reading our Bible, or spending time with Jesus, excite us?  Is it something that we think about?  Anticipate?  Can’t wait to do?  And when we do get the opportunity to spend time with Jesus, does the time seem to fly by?  Or drag?  Are we excited?  Or bored to tears?  These are challenging questions to answer.

Now there is nothing wrong with having interests and hobbies.  God has made life interesting with a wide variety of things that we can pursue.  It’s a part of His creative genius.  And His love for us.  These interests have been provided for us for our enjoyment.  Our pleasure.  The problem comes when our interests take precedence over Him.  When they become an ‘idol’.  Something that is given excess time, money and devotion.

As I think about it, I fight this ‘anything but Jesus’ issue all the time.  I am tempted to get all excited about my favorite sports team (depending upon the current season).  I want to watch them play on TV and read articles about them.  I might even keep track of their progress.  And anticipate the playoffs.  Or I might want to read a couple of books that interest me.  It is with joy that I find myself a cozy chair and commence reading.  Or I might spend an entire day thinking about my softball game that evening.  Or go to bed at night replaying the game.  Again, these is nothing wrong with hobbies and interests, whether it be fishing, shopping, playing video games, etc.  The problem becomes when we derive our joy, satisfaction and meaning from them.  The reality is that any or all of these things could be suddenly taken away from us.  Then what would we have left?  Our relationship with Jesus.  Knowing this, doesn’t it make sense that we ought to make sure that Jesus is our priority?  Our life? 

So as we pursue the various interests in our lives, we should give them some thought.  Do our lives reflect a ‘anything but Jesus’ attitude?  Or do they say, ‘Jesus first, then everything else’?  The choice is up to us.  Choose Jesus!

Lord, I thank you that You died for me.  Because You love me.  You want to be my life.  My all in all.  Unfortunately I find that many times I give more time, energy and interest to other pursuits.  Help me to put my life in order.  To put You first.  To love You with all my heart, soul, mind and strength.  And everything else second.  In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Geodes

http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1%20John+3:2&version=NIV1984

http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=2%20Corinthians+3:18&version=NIV1984

http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=2%20Corinthians+4:6-8&version=NIV1984

Geodes.  They are an interesting study in contrast.  If you’ve ever seen the exterior of one you know that they are not much to look at.  They are usually roundish, dusty, rather unsightly.  In fact, to the untrained eye, a geode might look like an ordinary rock.  But that would be wrong.  Contrary to the dull, plain appearance a geode is a wonder to behold when it is opened.  There inside, is a treasure for any pair of eyes.

Depending upon the minerals inside, a geode can be blue, purple, pink, white, or any combination of colors.  Not only are the colors rich and vibrant, most geodes contains crystals.  These range anywhere from hundreds of small ones to several large quartz ones.  I actually happen to have a geode in my office.  Many years ago, after we first moved to Kalispell, my son Luke purchased one for me.  It had been cut in half and is highly polished.  This particular geode is unique in that the inside is not hollow.  Instead it is entirely filled with mineral.  Apparently geodes are relatively plentiful in the Copper Canyon region of Mexico.  I didn’t know it at the time or I would have been on the lookout for a couple when I was down there several years ago.

In many ways geodes are a good picture of Christians.  On the exterior we may not always be very attractive.  It could be that we never really had good looks to begin with.  Or it may be that an accident or illness robbed us of some of our looks.  Or, if we live long enough, age seems to take away whatever looks we had.  But this is where the good news comes in.  Just like a geode, our beauty is on the inside!  The fact is that every believer has the Holy Spirit inside of them.  He took up residence there the moment that we put our faith in Jesus.  One thing to remember about the Holy Spirit is that He is God.  And wherever God is, there is glory.  It is an indispensable part of His nature.  What is that glory like?  From Scripture we see that it is bright, penetrating, awe-inspiring.  So deep inside each of our souls is the glory of God.  We can’t always see it, but it’s there.  Once in a while we see a little glimmer of it in others.

In Romans 8:18, the Apostle Paul wrote the following - “I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us.”  Do you understand what Paul is saying here?  That someday, God’s own glory that He has placed inside of us, is going to be revealed.  In other words, everyone will be able to see the glory of God shining from us.  Everybody!  This glory will be revealed either at death or when Jesus returns.  Whichever comes first.  If we were to see that glory in each other right now I have no doubt that we would be tempted to bow down and worship each other.  God’s glory is that spectacular!

So the next time you see a geode I hope you remember the connection.  We, and other Christians, might not exactly look like much on the outside right now.  But we have God’s glory inside of us.  The only reason we can’t see it is that our flesh is doing a pretty good job of hiding it.  But it’s there.  Waiting for the right time to be revealed.  Now if that doesn’t get us excited, I don’t know what will!  And when we see and talk to other believers, we should keep in mind that someday, we are going to see the glory of God that is now hidden in them.  Wow.  What a great thought that is.  And what a wonderful thing to look forward to!

Lord, I thank you for Your glory that is in my life right now.  I may not be able to see it but it’s there just the same.  Someday Your glory in me is going to be revealed.  Revealed so that I can see it.  And others can see it.  What a fantastic day that will be.  And I will radiate Your glory for all eternity.  In Jesus’ name, Amen.

The Eraser

http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1%20John%201:7&version=NASB

http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Ephesians+1:7&version=NIV1984

http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Revelation+1:5&version=NIV1984

Edward Naime.  I seriously doubt that you have heard of him.  He would be great for a trivia question.  Naime’s claim to fame (like the rhyming?) is that in 1770 he invented the rubber eraser.  You know, that rubber thingy at the end of a pencil.  Prior to his invention people used bread crumbs as erasers.  Sounds like fun doesn’t it?  I can just see school children eagerly eating their erasers because they are hungry!  The story goes that one day Naime went to erase something and picked up some rubber instead of the bread crumbs.  The rest, as they say, is history.  Over the past 250 years, millions of school children, not to mention accountants, bookkeepers and other ‘pencil pushers’, have owed a huge debt of gratitude to Naime for his invention.

Of course, the eraser is what I would classify as a ‘negative’ invention.  I mean if no one ever made a mistake when using a pencil no one would ever need to use an eraser, right?  But, alas, we are human.  And humans make mistakes.  Plenty of them.  Fortunately, at least as far as pencils are concerned, an eraser can take care of them.  Gone.  Never to be remembered anymore.  That is the enduring value of an eraser.

In this world, we have another eraser.  It’s a spiritual one.  It’s called the blood of Jesus.  That Good Friday when Jesus died on the cross it was His blood that became the universal eraser for sin.  It didn’t matter how many sins a person committed.  Or how serious they were.  When the blood of Jesus was applied to them they disappeared.  Completely covered. Gone.  Never to be remembered anymore.  That is the enduring value of Jesus’ blood.

Sadly, many people today don’t know about Jesus and His eraser.  They are like a person who has a pencil without an eraser.  Remember those days when our eraser was worn down too far to be any good?  Or perhaps it broke off because we abused it?  What happened then?  I’ll tell you what.  Severely smudged papers that were unsightly and barely readable.  I don’t recall getting very many good grades for those kind of papers.  In the same way, people who don’t know about the ‘Jesus’ eraser don’t fare very well in their lives.  They try all kinds of things to erase their sins.  Good deeds.  Charitable donations.  Going to church.  But none of them works.  In fact, these only make things worse! Lives become unsightly.  Smudged. Unattractive. And yes, a failing grade is the result.

This is why the cross is so important.  The blood of Jesus is the only way to have our sins removed.  Jesus mentioned the importance of His blood on the night before He died.  While in the upper room with His disciples they celebrated the Passover.  Afterwards He instituted what would later become known as ‘Communion’ or ‘The Lord’s Table’.  Jesus took the cup of wine.  He gave thanks for it.  And then He said the following in Matthew 26:27-28 - “Drink from it, all of you.  This is My blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.”

Yes, we owe a great debt of gratitude to Jesus for His eraser.  Without it we would be condemned to an eternity in Hell.  Now that is what I call one valuable eraser!  And it’s available for free.  Without cost.  Paid for by Jesus Himself.  At the cost of His own life.  No wonder we love Him so.

Lord, I thank you that my sins are all forgiven.  Completely covered and erased by the blood of Jesus.  What an amazing act of love and compassion.  Jesus sacrificed His life so that I could live.  Someday I’m going to see Him.  Face to face.  And I am going to fall down at His feet in worship.  And thank Him for His eraser!  In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Cruise Control - Part III

http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Rev%203:15-16&version=NIV1984

http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm%2063:1&version=NASB

http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Romans%2012:11&version=NIV1984

The past 2 days I have been talking about the virtues of cruise control in a vehicle.  Now for another little story.

Several years ago I was coming back from Billings, MT with 2 youth pastors in my car.  Since the trip is 450 miles I used my cruise control quite a bit.  So far, so good.  Except that it was winter.  The roads were clear and dry so this wasn’t a problem.  However, while ascending Homestake Pass I hit a patch of black ice.  With my vehicle being on cruise control it spun out of control.  We spun around 1 ½ times and slammed head-first into the concrete barriers separating the east-bound lanes.  In the providence of God, there were no vehicles along side of us and no one hit us.  As we came to a halt, though my car was pretty banged up on the front end, no one was hurt.  And I was able to drive my vehicle the rest of the way home.  Several weeks and $4,500 later, my car was as good as new.  The point is that cruise control also has its downside.  The same can be said about cruise control and life.  Let me explain.

As a pastor I do a good deal of people-watching.  Observing.  I watch and hear what others  say and do.  Sadly, it is my experience that a number of Christians have their lives on cruise control.  That is not a good thing.  By ‘cruise control’ I mean that they are going through the motions.  Everything in their life is on automatic.  For example, they might be having their  devotions on a daily basis.  But their hearts are not in it.  Read a portion of the Bible.  Say some prayers.  Go out about their business.  Day after day.  Week after week.  Year after year.  They also attend church in much the same way.  Show up.  Sing when they’re supposed to.  Put something in the offering plate.  Listen to the message.  Go home and resume life.  Just the way they did before.  Their whole lives are marked by complacency and routine.   Nothing much exciting ever happens.

Now besides being boring this kind of behavior is death to spiritual vitality.  No thinking.  No soul-searching.  No stretching.  No new insights.  No change.  Everything is status quo.  Now if we quit eating our bodies will begin to use the fat and protein stored in them to continue to function.  Beyond this our bodies will begin to slow down.  Waste away.  It is the same principle with spiritual cruise control.  There is no spiritual food being ingested.  We are living off what we know or did in the past.  Eventually we become weak.  Powerless.  An easy target for temptation and defeat.

Over the years I have found that I can get into cruise control in my own life.  Settle into a routine.  Get everything under control.  Sit back and go through the motions.  Day after day.  Week after week.  Pretty soon nothing much is happening spiritually in my life.  My prayers are lifeless.  My spirit is weak.  God seems far away.  Unfortunately, cruise control and living by faith are mutually exclusive.  Cruise control means routine.  Faith means adventure.  Cruise control means playing it safe.  Faith means taking risks.  Cruise control means very little prayer or trusting in the Holy Spirit.  Faith means fervent prayer and a deep trust in the Holy Spirit.  So which one would you choose?  Cruise control or faith?  Better yet, which one do you think God would have you choose?  I think you already know the answer.

So, what can we do to avoid putting our spiritual lives into cruise control?  Allow me to provide several suggestions.  First, worship God.  By all means read the Word and pray but do it with heart.  With passion.  Let your soul yearn for God.  Secondly, step out in faith.  Whether it’s something big or small doesn’t matter.  It’s the act of putting yourself in a position where you have to trust God that’s important.  Thirdly, witness.  There is nothing like sharing Jesus to get us fired up for God.  Fourthly, disciple someone.  For the same reasons as witnessing.  Last, but not least, serve others.  Serving never become old.  Boring.  Routine.  Serving brings life and vitality.  It is the opposite of cruise control.

So, yes I want cruise control in my vehicles.  But I want to avoid it in my life.  I want my life with Jesus to be fresh.  New.  Exciting.  Dynamic.  Full throttle.

Lord, there is such a strong tendency toward cruise control in my life.  To become comfortable.  Complacent.  To get into a routine and stay there.  Help me to break free of this.  Help me to live by faith.  To have fire, passion and love for You.  And for doing Your will.  In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Cruise Control - Part II

http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Proverbs%201:32&version=NIV1984

http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Luke%206:25&version=NIV1984

http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Rev%203:2&version=NIV1984

So as we continue on our 1,000 mile journey, I begin to get fatigued.  Especially since I am doing all of the driving.  Oh, and did I mention the fire?  Yes, we had a fire on this trip.  It happened when we stopped for lunch in Ann Arbor, Michigan.  It seems that the underbody on our car had rusted through.  During the first leg of our trip the pressure from Beth’s feet on the floor caused the carpeting to come into contact with the catalytic converter below.  You may not know this but catalytic converters get very hot.  Well, the constant contact of the carpeting with the catalytic converter caused the inevitable.  The carpet below Beth’s feet caught on fire.  Talk about an emergency!  Beth looks down and there are flames licking at her feet!  She moves her feet to the sides and is beginning to panic.  Meanwhile, I also see said flames inside our car.  Since we are in traffic I do what any other driver would do.  I speed up.  Do you have any idea what happens when you speed up and supply more air flow to a fire?  If you don’t, I can tell you.  The flames get higher!  Finally, I managed to pull of to the side of the road and we extinguished the flames.  Long story short, we managed to get a piece of wood over the hole and continue on our journey.  I guess at this point I should also mention that another valuable feature we did not have in our vehicle was air conditioning.  Enough said.

Remember how I mentioned earlier the positives of taking a long trip?  The anticipation?  The excitement?  The new sites?  Well, those vanished long ago, somewhere about mile marker 300.  Now I am in conquer mode.  I am so sick and tired of driving I can barely stand it.  (That’s why I am sitting!)  It is summer.  The day time temperature is 99 degrees.  The heat from the road combined with the heat from the catalytic converter had made the inside of our vehicle into an oven.  Forget the fact that we have every single window open.  It doesn’t help.  Meanwhile my right leg is still steadily on the gas.  Despite the fact that it is now numb below the knee.  Despite the fact that the hot air which is coming from the road and the catalytic converter is cooking it.  Despite the fact that my right hip is screaming in pain.

Well, we finally made it safely to the college.  Of course, when we arrived there we tried to make ourselves look as presentable as possible.  Beth had so many tangles in her long hair it’s a wonder she could get a brush through it.  And we both looked like we had just crossed the desert.  On foot.  But we made it.  We toured the college.  Made the return trip home.  (The conditions were only slightly better.)  Then we moved to Minnesota to attend college.  Which enabled me to be at the church that I currently serve.

After that experience, when we went to purchase our next vehicle, I didn’t care what model it was.  Or what color it was.  I didn’t care how stylish it was.  All I cared about is that it had cruise control.  “What’s that?  You have a brand new vehicle that I can have for free?  Oh, it doesn’t have cruise control?  That’s OK, I think I’ll just keep looking!”  Yes, the next vehicle that we purchased had cruise control.  And oh how I loved it!  There were quite a few more long trips in our future.  When we took them I simply put on the cruise control.  It didn’t make the trip any shorter.  And sitting behind the steering wheel of a vehicle for 18 hours was still a trial by endurance.  But it made the trip so much better.  My right leg was so happy it could barely stand it!

The spiritual application of this story in tomorrow’s post.

Lord, I thank you for getting us safely to St Paul Bible College all those years ago.  Despite not having cruise control.  Despite the fire.  Despite the heat.  You were with us all the time.  What a life-changing trip that was.  Everything that has happened to me since is a result of the success of that trip.  Thank you that not only were You with me then but that You are with me now.  Through the journey of life.  In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Cruise Control - Part I

http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Amos%206:1&version=NIV1984

http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Rev%202:4-5&version=NIV1984

http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Zeph%201:12&version=NIV1984

In some ways I suppose I’m not your typical guy.  One of the reasons why I say this is that I really don’t get into automobiles.  I do when I drive them.  (I knew what you were thinking!)  But they are not a passion of mine.  Certainly I like a nice looking, high quality vehicle.  But I don’t drool over how they look.  Or how much horsepower they have.  Or how quickly they go from 0 to 60 mph.  And I don’t get overly excited about the options either.  (Personally, I think that sunroofs are highly overrated.)  Maybe it’s because I am a guy but I don’t need a GPS either.  I have been finding my way around for more than 40 years.  I don’t need anything to help me.

That being said there is one feature that I really, really like.  Because it is so useful.  And that feature is cruise control.  I thank God for whoever invented it!  Now when you’re driving in the city you really don’t need it.  But when you begin to drive outside of the city, when you start driving for hours at a time, it comes in very handy.  I still remember our initial trip to visit St Paul Bible College back in June 1988.  The trip from Niagara Falls, New York, where we lived at the time, to the other side of the Twin Cities in Minnesota, was about 1,000 miles.  Up until that time in my life I had never driven that far.  I was soon to find out why.

At first, taking a trip of this length is fun.  It’s always fun to ‘get out of Dodge’ as they say.  A sense of adventure sets in.  You are going places you’ve never been before.  You are seeing sights you’ve never seen before.  And, in my case, I was getting to spend an entire week with Beth.  By ourselves.  After the arrival of children this never happens.  So I was looking forward to this.  Armed with our road maps (GPS wasn’t available in those days - not that I would have used it anyway!) we headed off into the sunset.  (I can say this because we were basically driving west.)  I don’t mind driving.  I don’t know that I love it, but I don’t mind it.  At the time the vehicle we owned was a ‘77 Buick LeSabre.  It wasn’t a bad vehicle by any means.  But it was old.  And, as such, it didn’t have many of the newer features.  Such as cruise control.  That was unfortunate.

Well, after several hours of driving, a couple things begins to happen to a driver.  First of all, the right leg begins to get tired.  The problem is that as soon as you let off the gas pedal, even the slightest amount, the vehicle begins to slow down.  This is not good thing to have happen on a long trip.  So after a while of maintaining constant pressure on the gas, your leg gets tired.  Very tired.  It might even begin to cramp up.  Or your hip might start to hurt.  In some cases your rear end goes numb.  Who knew?  The simple truth is that when you are driving, there isn’t much of an opportunity to change positions.  I suppose that I could have stopped more frequently.  But I am a 'driven' person!  (The puns keep coming.)  I want to get there sooner, not later.  So driving long distances ultimately becomes a test of endurance.  Secondly, your right foot begins to get heavier.  This translates into going faster.  Now going faster is not usually a problem except that there is such a thing as a speed limit.  It seems that the law enforcement personnel of each location get upset if you exceed that by too much.  They pull you over.  They give you things such as speeding tickets.  This not only costs you money, it costs you precious time.  Now your long trip has been made even longer.

I will continue the best part of our trip in tomorrow’s post

Lord, I thank you for much of the modern technology that makes my life so much easier.  Things that give me more time.  Things that reduce stress in my life and wear & tear on my body.  They are blessings from You.  Help me to use them wisely.  To maintain my control over them and not allow them to end up controlling me.  In Jesus’ name, Amen.

My Daily Verse

http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Romans+8:13&version=NASB

http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Romans+6:11&version=NASB

http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Galatians%202:20&version=NIV1984

Approximately 25 years ago I developed a personal prayer that I say every day.  I ask God to help my eyes to look only at what is good; my ears to listen to His voice; to guard my tongue; to help my hands do His will; for my feet to walk in His path; to have the mind of Christ; and to love God with all my heart, soul, mind and strength.  I also have a Bible verse that I say every day as well.  It is found in Galatians 2:20.  I first became familiar with it as a teenager when I memorized it as part of some Navigator’s Discipleship material.  The verse goes like this - “I am crucified with Christ, nevertheless I live.  Yet not I, but Christ lives in me, and the life which I now live in the flesh, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself or me.”  I became reacquainted with this verse about 2 years and have said it every day since.

I like the verse because it helps me to understand spiritual reality.  That reality is that when I came to Jesus, I died.  The ‘old man’ or ‘flesh’, as Scripture sometimes likes to call it, was crucified on the cross.  This meant that my goals, dreams and plans for the future were surrendered to Jesus.  I died.  At least in theory.  In my place, Christ now lives in me.  Pretty heady stuff if you ask me.  Jesus has taken over my body through the Holy Spirit.  Now it is His goals, dreams and plans for the future.  Of course, as the verse says, this happens by faith.  I surrender myself to Jesus and now He is living through me.

What this means, on a theoretical level, is that I am dead to everything around me.  I don’t get a big head when I receive praise because I am dead.  It has no effect on me.  I don’t worry when people say bad things about me because I am dead.  It has no effect on me.  I  don’t get upset when I am slighted or when others get the recognition that I deserve because I am dead.  It has no effect on me.  The same is true about such things as envy, jealousy, persecution, etc.  They have no effect on me because I am dead.  The fact is that you can do all kinds of things to a corpse.  But it won’t have even the slightest affect on it.

The problem is that on a practical level, I keep coming back to life.  When I do, then I find that such things as praise or lack of it, slights, lies, hurtful comments, and the like bother me.  They get under my skin.  And cause me distress, worry and discontentment.  The solution?  What the Apostle Paul said in I Corinthians 15:31.  (The resurrection chapter, ironically.)  “I die daily.”  I have to get back up on the cross and die to self.  It’s hard to do.  And there are times when I want to do anything but.  This is why I say Galatians 2:20 every morning.  It reminds me of the need to be crucified.  And that Jesus is now in control of my life.  Unfortunately, Jesus only had to die once.  I find that I have to die a thousand deaths.  Death to self is hard.  And everything in my being resists it.

But Galatians 2:20 is far from a negative verse.  It also has a positive side as well.  For when I am dead to self it means that I am alive to Christ.   Instead of being affected by all of the negative things in life, I am now affected by all of the positive things in life.  I am open to the Holy Spirit’s voice.  I see the good in situations.  What God is doing.  I don’t complain as much.  I am thankful for what I have.  I hear Jesus whispering words of comfort and assurance to me.  I hear His words of strength and guidance.

As I mentioned, I don’t live out the reality of this verse perfectly.  But it reminds me of where I need to be.  Dead to self.  Alive to Christ.  It’s the way to spiritual power and vitality.  For me.  And for you.

Lord, I thank you for Your Word.  And the power that it has to transform my life.  I thank you for my special verse that I say every day.  It reminds me of my true spiritual condition.  That I have died to self.  To the world.  To any and all things that would affect me in a negative way.  That I am alive to You.  And Your Spirit’s work in my life.  In Jesus’ name, Amen.

God Is Like A Grandmother

http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Zeph+3%3A17&version=NIV1984

http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Jeremiah+31:3&version=NIV1984

http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Ephesians+1:3&version=NIV1984

There are many conceptions of what God is like.  The Bible alternately portrays Him as a King, Father, Shepherd, Judge and a Consuming Fire, just to name a few.  And there are the conceptions that we, as humans, have.  That He is a police officer, with arms folded, just waiting to catch us doing something wrong.  Or that He is some sort of Heavenly Grandfather who winks at sin and accepts everybody, no matter what they do.  (Both of these are actually misconceptions.)  Well for the past few days I have developed my own conception of God.  That He is like a grandmother.  Yes, a grandmother.  Let me explain.

My wife is a grandmother.  (Never thought I’d be married to one of them!)  As such, she loves our grandchildren.  We are very blessed by God to have all 5 of our grandchildren near.  They all live less than 2 miles from us.  And we get to see them almost every day.  In fact, Beth watches them at our house 4 to 5 days a week.  They eat lunch with us, occasionally they stay for supper, and then we see them at church on Sundays and Wednesday nights.  Again, we are very blessed!  Now to the grandmother part.  

Since the grandchildren stay over our house so much this involves buying food for them to eat.  And snacks.  Juice and flavored water.  Then there are wipes.  And diapers for the young ones.  On top of this are high chairs.  And booster seats.  And car seats.  Not to mention all of the toys that we now have at our house.  Building blocks.  Plastic tools.  Dolls.  Stuffed animals.  A play kitchen.  And a grill.  Three small cars.  All kinds of sports stuff - plastic bats, balls, bowling pins, you name it.  Then there are the DVD’s.  Veggie Tales.  The Super Friends.  The Wiggles.  Franklin.  And let’s not forget the clothes.  Or the sneakers.  Or the coats.  All of this stuff and more was purchased by Beth.  For the grandchildren.  This doesn’t count periodically taking them out to Costco for lunch.  Or to MacDonald’s for a meal.  Nor does this factor in birthdays.  Or Christmas and Easter.  It doesn’t matter when or where Beth goes to the store, she is incapable of coming home without buying something for the grandchildren!  Why?  Because she loves them.  Not only does she take care of their every need she likes to give them some extras.  Things that she knows they will like.  Things that will make them happy.  This is why I say that God is like a grandmother.

In Philippians 4:19, a verse I shared at our Leadership Team retreat last night, we are told, “And my God will meet all your needs according to His glorious riches in Christ Jesus.”  In other words, as Christians, any need that we might have in this life God will take care.  Food.  Clothing.  Shelter.  Companionship.  Strength.  Comfort.  Peace.  Guidance.  The list is pretty long.  But the fact is that God never stops at just meeting our needs.  Heavens no!  (I thought that this phrase really applied here!)  The truth is that God always go over and beyond.  He meets a lot of our wants and desires in addition to our needs.  An unexpected bonus or raise.  A smoking-hot deal on a vehicle.  New relationships.  Good health.  An all-expenses- paid vacation.  You name it.  All kinds of extras.  Little perks.  Why?  Because God loves us.  He thinks of us all the time and He can’t resist blessing us.  Not always because we deserve it.  But just because He wants to.

So I am glad for the picture of God that I have right in my own house.  For a grandmother who would do almost anything for her grandchildren.  Now if I can just get into the action a little I think I’d be happy as well!

Father, I thank you that You care for me.  24/7/365.  It shows that You are always thinking about me.  Not only this, You are constantly coming up with new ways to bless me.  Little surprises here and there that make my day.  Things that bring a smile to my face.  That make me feel loved and treasured.  How generous You are!  Thank you, thank you, thank you!  In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Would God Send Me To Hell For One Sin? - Part II

http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Romans%203:23&version=NIV1984

http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Romans%207:19&version=NIV1984

http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Eccl%207:20&version=NIV1984

Getting back to our original question, “Would God send me to Hell for one sin?”  While the answer is Yes, the reality is that no one commits one sin.  Depending upon how moral we are and how long we live, we all commit tens of thousands of sins.  Hundreds of thousands of sins.  Even a million or more sins.  And we want a free pass to get into Heaven?  And if God doesn’t give it to us we think He’s unfair?  Really?  The greatest lie on earth is that humankind is good.  Oh sure, we have a few bad qualities, but basically we’re OK.  We're certainly not bad.  It's not like we're criminals.  Really?  Statistics, as they say, don’t lie.  We can deceive ourselves into thinking that we weigh a certain amount but when we get on the scale we get a good dose of reality!  It’s the same with sin.  Think about it.  Do the math.  We are nowhere close to being as good as we thought we were.

It just goes to demonstrate what the Bible has been saying all along.  We are sinners.  Through and through.  We are totally and irrevocably contaminated by sin.  Even when we try to do good, if we do it from impure motives, it only adds to our sin total.  Oh, and what about good deeds.  (First of all, good deeds don’t erase any sins.  But, for the sake of argument, let’s assume that they do.)  So, do we really think that we can do 200,000 good deeds in our lifetime?  Or 500,000?  Or 1,000,000?  Really?  The answer is that we are not even close!  The scales are so weighted down by our sins that all the good deeds in the world wouldn’t be enough to lift it.  This is where Jesus comes in.

Since God saw that we couldn’t possibly do anything to make up for our sins but that, like the national debt, they keep on increasing exponentially, He decided to do something.  The Bible says that He sent His Son, Jesus, who lived among us without sinning.  He died on the cross, in our place, to pay the penalty for our sins.  And He did it out of love for us.  Despite the fact that we are all sinning-machines!  Now all we need to do is to accept that payment.  To turn from our sins.  To ask God to forgive us for them.  To put our faith in Jesus as our Savior.  To determine that we are going to live for Him as He gives us the strength to do so.

So what's holding you back?  It's not a lack of knowledge because you just read what you need to do!  Is it pride?  Don't want to give up some of your sins?  Afraid of what other might think or say?  (Think about what others will say if you wind up in Hell!)  Don't want to admit that you are that bad.  That you need a Savior.  Well, you do so get over it.  Get right with God.  Today.  Don't walk.  Run toward His open arms!  Be free from your sins.  Not only will He forgive them, He has promised to never remember them.  Gone!  All of them!  Forever!  It's the best offer in town.  It's the only offer in town.  Take advantage of it.  After all, it is a limited-time-only offer.  One you really wouldn't want to miss!

Lord, once again I am distressed by just how great a sinner I am.  You have every right to banish me to an eternity in Hell.  I am so glad that You sent Jesus to earth to die on the cross.  To die for my sins.  Oh, how I thank you that not only are they forgiven but never to be remembered again!  Now I am blameless before You, living in holiness.  Only You could do such a miracle in my life.  In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Would God Send Me To Hell For One Sin? - Part I

http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Isaiah%2064:6&version=NIV1984

http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Romans%203:10-12&version=NIV1984

http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Isaiah+59:12&version=NIV1984

Most people in our culture, even those who don’t go to church, know about sin.  While they may not know the textbook definition of it, they do know that sin is bad.  That God doesn’t like sin.  That sin will get you sent to Hell.  Most people understand this much about sin.  However, periodically the question will come up, “Would God send me to Hell for one sin?”  That’s a good question.  Technically, the answer is yes.  Even one sin is creates a barrier between us and God.  One sin sent Adam & Eve packing out of the Garden of Eden.  One sin brought guilt, shame, heartache and death into the world.  Yes, one sin is enough to send you, me, or anyone else to Hell.  Because sin is against God and everything that He stands for.  As such, sin must be punished.  That is the technical answer to the question.  The practical answer to it is somewhat different.  And, I think, very insightful.  The practical answer is that there isn’t anyone who commits just one sin.  Or at least, let’s put it this way.  It would be extremely rare to find such a person.

To understand this a little better let’s look at the different kinds of sins that people can and do commit.  (If this is even possible).  Where would we find such a list?  Scattered throughout the Bible.  A general reading of Scripture classifies the following activities as sin: Greed.  Gossip.  Envy.  Pride.  Jealousy.  Lust.  Lying.  (Including little white lies.  Or misrepresenting the truth.)  Selfishness.  Hate.  Prejudice.  Slander.  (Those unkind words that we say about others.)  Murder.  Drunkenness.  Gluttony.  (Overeating)  Swearing.  Unforgiveness.  Worry.  Losing one’s temper.  Not doing the right thing when we are supposed to.  (Seeing someone in distress and not trying to help.)  All of the sexual sins - having an affair, homosexuality, etc.  OK, you get the picture.  There are a lot of things that qualify as sin. 

Now lets go through the course of an average day for an average person.  How many times during the course of a day might a person worry?  10 times?  50?  100?  How many times might they sin with their lips - a swear word, gossiping about someone, putting someone down, lying?  10 times?  50?  100?  How many times might they get angry during a day?  Or harbor thoughts of pride?  Jealousy?  Envy?  How many times might they lust after someone else.  Obviously this is more of a male problem but women know about this too.  Looking at a pornographic image.  Or mentally undressing someone.  Just watching TV might be enough to qualify for this at times!  Start to see the picture?  Anyone who is human sins.  A lot!

 So, now let’s do the math.  Having seen how frequently we all sin (and some people sin a lot more than others!) how many sins do you think that a good person commits in a day?  I’m not talking about the person who doesn’t care or whose life is a wreck.  I’m talking about a good, upstanding person who tries to live morally.  Would you say that they only sin 100 times in a day?  Or how about only 50?  Let’s say for the sake of argument that they only sin 10 times a day.  (I sincerely doubt that anyone sins this infrequently but, again, for the sake of argument.)  Now let’s start adding things up.  10 sins/per day X 365 days per year = 3,650 sins.  Now again, for the sake of argument, lets take this amount every year from age 20 to 70.  (We won’t count any sins that they may have committed as a child or teenager.)  So, 3,650 X 50 years = 182,500 sins!  Does that seem like a lot?  It sure does to me.  I mean if you got that many parking tickets your vehicle would have long since have been impounded, you would have paid enough fines to help lower the national debt, and you would have probably spent some time in jail.  There is a word for people who commit this many offenses.  Incorrigible.  In other words, incapable of being reformed.  

Now, once again, this figure is for a very, very good person.  Can’t you see how these numbers might really increase otherwise?  This means that a person who commits 50 sins/day would end up committing 912,500 sins!  That’s just short of a million sins!  And that’s not counting any sins in the first 20 years!  So what does this say?  Why don’t we let this sink in for a little while before I finish my thoughts on this subject in tomorrow’s post.

Lord, I have no problem agreeing with Scripture.  I was born a sinner.  As a result of this, I sin.  I sin all the time.  I even sin many times when I am attempting to do good.  Until I did the math I didn’t realize how great a sinner I was.  Thank you that my sins didn’t diminish Your love for me.  Thank you that You loved me enough to make the payment for my sins possible.  What a great day that was when I knelt at the foot of the cross and You forgave my sins!  In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Remember Your Creator

http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Ecc%2012:1&version=NIV1984

http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=2%20Timothy+4:7&version=NIV1984

http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Luke+12:19-21&version=NIV1984

Financial advisers are unanimous in saying that the very best time to start planning for retirement is when a person is young.  Preferably in their early-20's.  And even sooner, if possible.  The reason has to do with the value of compound interest.  When a person puts money in an interest-bearing account they gain interest.  I know, I know, that was profound.  The important thing about this is that the interest gets deposited into their account along with their principle.  The result is that when interest is given once again it is now given on the new total.  This means a little more interest than before (given that the interest rate hasn’t gone down).  The bottom line is that the longer a person has money in this kind of account the more the interest will compound, resulting in a larger balance.  This means that the difference between investing for 30 years and 40 years is huge.  Those extra 10 years could conceivably mean double the balance.  There is a spiritual application here.

The past 4 days I have been posting about getting older.  And yesterday I spent some time looking at how God would have us view it.  The fact is that old age can be the very best time of our lives.  A time of great satisfaction and fulfillment.  A time of unparalleled use by God.  A time to make an eternal difference in the lives of others.  If.  If we make plans for it.  Just like investing for retirement, the best time to plan for our later years is when we are young.  This is why young people need to take to heart Solomon’s words in Ecclesiastes 12:1 - “Remember your Creator in the days of your youth, before the days of trouble come and the years approach when you will say, “I find no pleasure in them.”  Perhaps a good word picture will help us to understand this important principle.

Life is like a blank canvas.  Each day a person is painting on that canvas what will one day be a portrait of their life.  So it’s not the ‘finishing touches’ of retirement years that are important.  But rather the foundational pattern and strokes of one’s youth.  In other words, youth is the time that often lays the framework for what a person will experience in their latter years.  This being the case, the smart thing to do is to include God in one’s life when they are young.  This is accomplished by making decisions based upon His Word.  By following the leading of the Holy Spirit.  The result is good decisions and choices.  Decisions and choices that compound over time.  The result is arrival at retirement with a substantial balance in the spiritual bank account.

Another key to a fulfilling retirement is to have the proper mindset toward it when one is young.  The current mindset of most Christians toward retirement is completely secular.  It is based upon the American dream.  Work hard, put money away, and when retirement comes - eat, drink and be merry.  Sit back.  Enjoy life.  Do what you want to do.  Get rid of any and all commitments.  Keep your schedule open.  My question is this.  “Is Jesus only Lord of a person’s life until they retire?  Then they get to take their life back?  And live it anyway they want to?”  I think you know the answer.  Unfortunately, not too many older Christians understand this.  I will say it again.  The greatest tragedy in the church today is the 50+ crowd who is so busy doing what they want to do that they have no time for what God wants them to do.  Just when they have both the time and resources to serve God in a significant way!  So the best time, in my estimation, to change this is when a person is young.  If a 20- or 30-something Christian has the mindset that when they are older they are going to continue to serve God in a significant way, then that is exactly what they will do.  And that is exactly what is needed in the church today.

So, young people, listen up.  Now is the time to live for God.  Now is the time be sold out to Jesus.  Now is the time to develop the mindset that your entire life (including your retirement years) is going to be spent serving God.  And for us older Christians who are either retired or getting close to it, choose to be an example to young people.  Show them that serving Jesus doesn’t end at 62.  Or 65.  Demonstrate to them how fulfilling and rewarding the last quarter of life can be.  Finish strong.  Finish well!

Lord, I am so glad for the many years that I have spent serving You.  They are paying huge dividends now.  And I expect that they are going to pay even more in the future.  Help me to finish well.  To keep my eye on the prize.  To do everything in my power to serve You with everything that You've given me.  As long as I have breath.  And to be an example to those who are young.  In Jesus' name, Amen.

Getting Old - Part IV

http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Isa%2046:4&version=NIV1984

http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Job%2012:12&version=NLT

http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Joshua%2014:10-11&version=NIV1984

Preparation for old age should begin not later than one's teens. A life which is empty of purpose until 65 will not suddenly become filled on retirement.  - Dwight L. Moody

Ah, getting old.  Something we can’t wait for when we are children, don’t even think about when we are young adults, and fight tooth-and-nail from middle-age on!  Yes, there is plenty of downside to getting older.  But as we saw yesterday, there is some upside to it as well.  Outside of the social stigma of getting older I don’t think that most people mind if it they enjoy good health and still have their wits about them.  These seem to be the big concerns of most people in connection with aging.  So how should we, as Christians, view getting older?

First of all, the Bible says that old age is a sign of the blessing of God in our lives.  It’s hard to argue with that.  If we’re 60, 70, 80, 90 years old, think of how many years God has blessed us!  Think of all the meals we’ve eaten.  And the shelter He has provided.  And the clothing.  The transportation.  The income.  The health.  The healings.  The wisdom.  The strength.  The comfort.  The point is that if we are the point where we are considered ‘old’ then God must have been pretty involved in our lives.  That is something to be thankful for.  And to praise Him for.

Secondly, age is just a number.  That’s all it is.  All it tells us is how long we’ve been around.  It says nothing about how much longer we have to live.  Or what we can do with that time.  In Joshua 14, as Israel is conquering the land of Canaan, Caleb is 85 years old.  Apparently he didn’t see his age as a disadvantage.  He asked for and received Hebron, the toughest part of the land of Canaan.  One filled with giants.  And he went out in the strength of the Lord and killed those giants.  And took the land for himself and his descendants.  It doesn’t sound like age mattered to him!  And, of course, Moses was 80 before God called him to lead a million people out of Egypt and to the border of the Promised Land.  So, as the saying goes, you’re as young as you feel.  Forget what society and culture tells you.  If you don’t act and think old, then you’re not old.  I don’t care what your age is.

Thirdly, getting older provides us with a wonderful opportunity to serve God.  Let’s face it, life can be pretty hectic at times.  Children, careers, and all the other stuff of life take up much of our time and resources during our early years.  The result is that we don’t have much left of either to serve God.  However, after the children are gone and out of the house and into our retirement years we have a golden opportunity to serve God like we never could before.  Teaching a Sunday School class.  Discipling or mentoring someone else.  Leading a Bible study.  Visiting others.  Or helping them.  Praying.  Going on a short-term missions trip.  Unfortunately, the tragedy of the church today is that the older Christians (with all the time and resources they have at their disposal) are busy enjoying themselves.  And working on their bucket lists. 

Fourthly, getting older means that we get to see the fruits of our labors.  As I mentioned earlier, our age can actually be a good number.  Because we can now look back over the years and see how God has used us.  This can be difficult for us to see when we are young because not enough time has passed.  The jury is still out on the choices we are going to make and their results.  But as we get older these become more apparent.  Let me tell you there is nothing better than to look back over a life that has been lived for God.  Having a long, strong, vibrant marriage.  Children and grandchildren who know the Lord.  People who are now in the Kingdom as a result of your influence.  People whose lives you have touched in dozens of ways.  I know that I am always amazed when someone from my past contacts me to say how God used me to touch their life.  The same holds true for you as well.

I am now closer to 59 than 58 and I’ll tell you what - I’m looking forward to being 60!  So what if I look old.  And people think I’m old.  I don’t feel old!  God has blessed me with good health and a good mind (so far!).  And I plan on using them both in service to Him as long as I can.  I look back over my life and see how God has blessed me.  He’s given me a wonderful wife whom I have been married to for 36+ years.  He’s given me wonderful children and grandchildren.  I have an occupation where I get to use all of my talents and gifts for Him.  I am OK with this stage of life.  I have acquired a lot of wisdom over the years.  I can look back and see how God has used and blessed me.  I am looking forward to the future.  And however long God has for me.

So I say once again that getting older is not all bad.  There are wonderful things about this stage of life that are not present in our youth.  There are opportunities to be used.  Opportunities to make a difference.  To see God at work.  So don’t dread and fear getting older.  Celebrate it.  Cherish it.  Getting old is a sign of God’s blessing in your life.  So enjoy your ‘older’ years.  Treasure them.  Spend them in service to God.  You won’t regret it!

Lord, I thank you for the gift of life.  And the many years that You have given to me so far.  I give You praise for all that You have done in me.  And all that You're going to do through me.  Teach me to number my days.  Help me to take full advantage of the time that I have left.  To live my life for you. In Jesus' name, Amen.

Getting Old - Part III

http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Pr%2020:29&version=NIV1984

http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Pr%2010:27&version=NIV1984

http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=EPh%206:2-3&version=NIV1984

Old age is like everything else. To make a success of it, you've got to start young. - Theodore Roosevelt

For the past two days we have been looking at all of the negatives associated with getting older.  There is no denying that there are a lot of them.  And there is no denying that this is further compounded by the fact that we live in a culture that is obsessed with youthfulness.  Every day advertisers tell us that young people are better looking.  More energetic.  And have more fun.  It’s hard not to argue with most of that.  The result, however, is that those people who are older can feel out-of-touch.  Useless.  As if their lives no longer have any purpose or meaning.  That would be false.

The fact is that there isn’t enough talk about the advantages of getting older.  And there are definitely advantages.  To begin with there is a thing called experience.  Experience is something that one can only acquire with time.  The result is that the longer a person lives, the more experience they have.  This experience helps them to be able to see things as they really are.  They have been around the track a couple times and they know a thing or two about trends and fads.  That they are ‘here today and gone tomorrow’.  Experience also helps a person to achieve a certain skill level that can only be reached over time.  Think of the person who’s worked in a kitchen for 50 years.  Think they know a few things about cooking?  Of course they do!  That goes the same for such things as gardening, woodworking, parenting, repair work, and just about anything else.  The truth is that senior citizens have a lot of knowledge.  And they can pass that knowledge on to young people.  If they ask for it.  And are willing to learn from it. 

Of course, getting old also brings wisdom.  At least most of the time!  A person who is older knows a thing or two about how to deal with people since they’ve been dealing with them for a long time.  Is there anyone who knows students quite like the teacher who has 40 years of teaching experience?  Or what about the person who’s been in sales for that long?  Think they know very much about what it takes to sell a product?  Or to keep a customer satisfied?  People who are older also see the big picture.  They can quickly assess a situation and determine what course of action is best.  They also understand that many times there is more to the situation than meets the eye.  That there may be hidden agendas.  That there may be other behind-the-scene factors to consider.  Of course, with age comes the ability to separate the important from the unimportant.  Maybe it’s because they know that their days are numbered but older people like to invest their time and energy in what is going to last.  And make a difference.

And there are many other advantages of getting older: knowing who you are; having deep, personal relationships that extend several decades; being able to look over one’s life and see the achievements; having lived through a good portion of history.  So, once again, getting older is not all gloom and doom.  Just like any other stage of life, there are both advantages and disadvantages to it.  Tomorrow I want to look at how we, as Christians, ought to view getting old.

Lord, I thank you for the many things that You have given me over the years.  Experience.  Wisdom.  Perspective.  Confidence.  Relationships.  Things I did not have when I was young.  I thank you that not matter what stage of life that I am in, You are always with me.  In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Getting Old - Part II

http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Deut%2034:7&version=NIV1984

http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Josh+14%3A10-11&version=NIV1984

http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Ps%2090:10-12&version=NIV1984

Yesterday we looked at the fact that everyone gets older.  Or they die.  There is no third option.  And how when we are young, or when our children are young, getting old is not dreaded.  Rather, it is something that is looked forward to.

Somewhere in the 60's our culture’s lookout on age changed.  Dramatically.  I’m not exactly sure why, but it did.  Previous to this (and practically to the beginning of time) old age was respected.  Valued.  In practically every human civilization ‘elders’ (parents, grandparents, community leaders) were looked up to.  Admired.  Sought out for their wisdom and experience.  Entire generations longed for the day when they would become ‘old’.  Then, in 1964, a student named Jack Weinberger, a free speech activist, said something to the effect - “Don’t trust anyone under 30.”  That phrase soon became the rallying cry for the entire generation of boomers.  Perhaps for the first time in history being ‘older’ was seen as a negative.  As something to be avoided.  At all costs.

Of course, I don’t think that there is any getting around the fact that becoming old has its share of disadvantages.  Gray hair.  Baldness.  Wrinkled skin.  Brown spots.  Flabby muscles.  Hearing loss.  Diminished eye sight.  Decaying or missing teeth.  Loss of memory.  Balance.  Strength.  Bad knees.  Bad hips.  Bad heart.  Pain.  In multiple places.  As people in my church share with me their various issues related to aging we agree that, “Getting old isn’t for sissies!”  No, it actually takes a great deal of courage, determination and grit to deal with old age.

In the past couple decades, as the boomer generation has gotten older (a lot of irony here), the fear of either looking old or being perceived as old has caused widespread panic and paranoia.  Entire products lines and industries have emerged to combat this reality.  Millions of women now color their gray hair.  That's a given.  But so do a lot of men.  I noticed this recently when watching sports on TV.  How is that Brent Musburger (72) and Bob Costas (60) don’t have a single gray hair?  They color it, that's why!  And so do male news anchors.  And TV actors.  Which brings us to other means of avoiding aging.  Botox injections.  Anti-wrinkling creams.  Cosmetic surgery.  Then there’s the clothes.  Heaven forbid that anyone should wear anything even remotely old-fashioned!  The result is that we have a lot of retirement-age Americans who are trying to look and act half their age.  I don’t know about you but there is something very pathetic about that!

So old age has become the proverbial ‘boogey man’.  It stalks us at every turn.  We come face-to-face with it every time we look in the mirror.  Every time our picture is taken.  Every time we go out in public.  Every time we see an advertisement for looking younger.  We can’t avoid it.  But is getting old all gloom and doom?  Isn’t there anything good about it at all?  I believe there is.  More about this tomorrow.

Lord, help me not to dread or fear getting older.  Help me to avoid the world’s way of dealing with it.  To either deny it or to desperately struggle against it.  Help me to realize that a long life is actually one of Your blessings.  Help me to accept where I am in life and who You’ve made me to be.  And who I am going to be someday when I stand in Your presence.  In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Getting Old - Part I

http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Eccl%2012:1-7&version=NIV1984

Getting old.  It happens to all of us.  Whether we want it to happen or not.  The fact is that every day, every single person on this planet is getting older.  That’s something to think about.  Of course, in the beginning of life, getting older is something that is looked forward to.  A couple who has a newborn child eagerly looks forward to their getting older.  And the development that comes with it.  That time when their child actually sleeps through the entire night.  When they can see.  Smile (other than having gas).  Roll over.  Sit up.  Crawl.  Walk.  That eagerness to see their child get older continues right through childhood and throughout their teenaged years.  Finally, one day they turn around and their child is an adult.  They are out of the house and out on their own.  Now their getting older is no longer an issue.

Of course, children themselves are also happy to get older.  In fact, this is a dream of every child.  No matter how old they are now, they can’t wait to get older.  So the 2-year-old can’t wait to become 3.  The 5-year-old can’t wait to become 6.  The 12-year-old can’t wait to become 13.  The reason for this is that each child knows that getting older is a good thing.  They will grow in height.  And weight.  They will become more skillful in certain areas.  And they will become more independent.  They will be able to go places and do things in the future that they cannot now.  Not surprisingly, most children are very sensitive about their age.  Just try underestimating a child’s age (stating that they are younger than they really are) and you will find that you have offended them!  “No I am not 5-years-old.  I am 6!”, they say.  And they are very proud of it.

Unfortunately, somewhere along the line, a person’s (and our cultures’) response to getting older changes.  It is hard to say exactly where this begins.  I suppose that it depends upon the person.  It seems that it starts about age 40.  Or close to it.  This is because 40 is often seen as middle-age.  (Not by the person becoming 40 but by everybody else!)  All of sudden there is this realization that they are not young anymore.  It has been 20+ years since their high school graduation.  Their bodies have changed.  And generally, not for the better!  They can’t do the things that they once did.  And they begin to realize that a significant portion of their life is now over.  Where did it go?  Now they begin to think about their mortality.  And daunting questions begin to enter their mind.  Just exactly how long am I going to live?  When am I going to die?  Will I enjoy good health up until that time?  Or will I spend my last years in a wheelchair, drooling from my mouth, alone in some nursing home?  Or will I get dementia and get to the point where I no longer know who I am?  Or who anyone else is?  When questions like these enter their mind, it causes them to be afraid.  Afraid of leaving youthfulness behind.  Afraid of getting old.  

More on this subject the next couple days.

Lord, I thank you for how You have walked with me and watched over me all these years.  You knew me before I was even born.  You have predetermined so many things in my life.  My date of birth.  My looks.  My personality.  My gifts and talents.  And the day that I will die.  Help me to live my life to its fullest.  To reach my potential.  To live my life for You.  In Jesus’ name, Amen.