Guarding Your Soul

Introduction:

This blog post was originally posted in the summer of 2016.

This morning I woke up so thankful for the rain. I did a search on our CitySalt website for ‘thanksgiving’ and ran across this 2016 post. It is so relevant for today, I am reposting it.

Hebrews 13:8
Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.

Enjoy! ~Darla Beardsley

John’s post…

From time to time over the course of the last 15 years I’ve dealt with low back issues. When I’ve done too much of the wrong thing my back will “go out”. To me that means I’ll feel spasms like electric shocks whenever I move just slightly the wrong way. It means I can’t stay in one position for very long, I can’t do my normal work routine, I can barely get in and out of a car, I have to be very careful when sitting down, laying down or getting up from either of those positions. I can’t go out and play. I get grumpy and self-focused and depressed. I absolutely hate it. In so many ways and for so many reasons, I hate it. Did I say “I hate it”? Well, I really do hate it. 

I have learned over the years that with the help of good chiropractors, physical therapists and exercise trainers, there are a number of things I can do to help myself out of this bad place. I can ice, I can stretch, I can do certain exercises, I can get laser treatments, I can walk and walk and walk. I can learn to guard my low back by better engaging my transverse abdominals (muscles that wrap around your body below the navel which act like a belt supporting your back). I can also protect my back by keeping good posture, holding my head in line with my back, and using my glutes instead of my low back muscles for stability. I have to be very aware of how I’m moving, but if I’m careful, I can still function fairly well until my back muscles finally relax and get back to normal. I am so thankful for what I’ve learned over the years and especially for the knowledgable people who have helped me so much. 

So I was reading in Philippians this morning and I was reminded of how God, as a good and perfect Father (and as The Great Physician, as well) gives us such wonderful instruction and advice for living well. In Philippians He tells us not how we can guard our backs, but how we can guard our souls:

The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Wow! He tells us that His peace is what guards our hearts and minds, our souls, and He even tells us what part we have to play in getting that peace. He gives us strategies for guarding and protecting our souls. I love that! There is something we can do. We need to realize first and foremost that He is near us. He has promised never to leave us. Then, rather than worrying and being anxious about things, which we are all inclined to do, He tells us to talk to Him instead.

Bring to Him our concerns and troubles, pray about them, ask Him for what we need and above all, bathe all of these prayers and requests in a pool of gratitude. To me it’s interesting and significant that the little phrase “with thanksgiving” sits right in the middle of this whole section, set off by commas, as if to say this is the key. The key to peace and the key to being free from anxiety.

I read this quote somewhere once which is inspired by Matthew 11:28-30:

 Rest is not the absence of labor, hardship or suffering...
 It is the absence of guilt, worry, anxiety and lack of meaning.

 Fortunately we are not just victims of our mental, physical and emotional states, being passively carried down a stream in which we don’t want to float. God dignifies us with an invitation to participate with Him in such way that we can, at least in some ways, influence the course and outcome of our journey.

Living in a world where there are so many things to worry and be anxious about, it is reassuring that God knows our human tendencies and rather than judge us for our ignorance, foolishness or sin, invites us to let Him take the heavy load and gives us in its place a light load, easy to carry, full of gratitude, peace and grace. 

Philippians 4:6-7
The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Joshua 1:5
I will never leave you nor forsake you.

Matthew 11:28-30
“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”

"Tensions in Our Faith" by John Rice

We hear a lot at City Salt Church about the tensions within our faith. Whereas two things sometimes come across as contradictions, most often it seems we are to somehow hold those two things in tension at the same time, both of them expressing something of God’s truth. There is the tension between being predestined to be chosen by God on one hand and then the significance and power of our free will to choose or not choose God on the other hand. There is the tension between truth and grace, between judgment and forgiveness, between justice and mercy, between giving and receiving, between being like a child and being mature.

This week I came across a Scripture in Hebrews, chapter 10 verse 14, which caught my attention as another of these tensions and truths. Paul says:

By one sacrifice He has made perfect forever those who are being made holy.

Wait. What?

By Jesus’ sacrifice, He has made us perfect FOREVER. In grammar terms, the tense used here indicates something which has been done in the past and continues up to the present time and beyond. The word forever indicates that pretty clearly as well. We have been made perfect, and we are perfect now and will continue to be forever. Wow. That certainly raises some questions, doesn’t it? I don’t feel very perfect. In fact, I feel like I’m a long ways off from being perfect! But look what Paul says next. Who exactly has been made perfect forever?

….those who are being made holy….

Wait. What?

If we have been made perfect forever, how can we still be being made holy? Why do we still need to be made holy? This verb tense indicates we are being worked on in a continual manner, possibly, but not necessarily, with some end in the future. Maybe this “holy-making” goes on into eternity? Who knows?

So how do we deal with these two different concepts? How about this for a stab at an answer? When Paul is talking about us being made perfect forever, he is following an argument that Jesus’ sacrifice was exponentially different from the sacrifices of animals made at the temple year after year. Those sacrifices only had the spiritual power of covering sin for a definite period of time, one year. Jesus, though, having sacrificed not animals but His very self, and He, being the Son of the living God, had the power to cover sins forever. So spiritually speaking, those who believe in Him and accept His gift of atonement, truly are viewed by God as perfect, as the Son is perfect. And this is both now and forever. Scripture tells us that God remembers our sin no more. It has been removed, as far as the east is from the west. It’s kind of like God looks at Jesus and sees all His people through that lens. We truly are made perfect in Jesus.

But, on the other hand…..

We still struggle with sin, weakness, brokenness, addictions, sickness, bad thoughts, bad motives, etc, etc every day of our lives! Using some biblical language, we are told “to pick up our cross” or that we might have a “thorn in the flesh” or that there is a “sin that easily entangles us”. We are obviously not perfect yet! So how do these ideas work together? Here’s a thought….

Having been made perfect by Jesus’ sacrifice, spiritually speaking, the bridge between us and God has been restored. With the bridge restored, we can be confident to move back and forth, talking to God, learning from Him, establishing a stronger and stronger relationship with Him, experiencing His goodness, mercy, grace and love in new ways. He welcomes us freely and generously. And in doing so, we find that we WANT to be more like Him, we WANT to please Him, we WANT to learn His ways and we trust Him more. Living like this, we are truly in the process of being made more holy. We still will struggle with sin and brokenness in this life, but with our eyes turned toward the Lord, we will experience the formation of our souls as we are made more like Jesus.

Because of this tension, I take great hope in the following verse:

He who began a good work in you will be faithful to complete it until the day of Christ Jesus!
Phil 1:6

"The Rock" by Lauren Watson

At our monthly prayer group Pastor John had the group praying around scriptures based on The Rock. Stability, safety, eternal, strength and unchanging all are images described in the verses and show different aspects of the character of God. As we sat quiet in listening prayer, I saw a couple pictures that have stuck with me. In Israel everything is stone; Jerusalem is made of stones and in the garden of Gethsemane is a sculpture of Jesus entreating the Father before He went to the cross, made of stone. I saw the image and realized He and the rock were one. He fit comfortably and perfectly into the rock and it was there He met with the Father, pleaded with the Father and acquiesced to the Father’s will. I saw that he was inviting us to be as intimate with Him, the Rock, and be in the same position while we joined together to pray.   

One of our party prayed we would have the eyes to see in the spiritual realm and the courage to join the battle. My mind went to the Oregon coast and the large rocks at the beach that are littered with broken crab, clam and muscle shells. The sea gulls, from a high perspective, drop the seafood against the firm surface to break the hard shell.  I knew that we, like the birds, need to drop the difficult issues from a perspective higher than ourselves and let the solidness of our Rock smash them.

Prayer is conversation made intimate by relationship. We can nestle in closely into the bosom of our Rock or we can join in the fight and battle using His strength because He is our Rock.

1 Sam 2:2, Deut 32:13, Ps 18:31, Ps 27:5, 1 Pet 2:8

"What Is Your Christmas Attitude?" by Kim Phelps

Christmas…..for many people, it is a season they adore and really look forward to.  For me, not so much.  It carries a lot of baggage and the commercial aspect does not help. So, my attitude can really hit a downward skid easily! 

My family is out of state and I am a single, retired woman; waaaaah, I can feel so sorry for myself! In times like this, I kind of have a history with the Lord: I ask Him to give me a Scripture that is from Him to me that will help me see the “bigger picture". Last week I did just that.  And He gave me a Scripture:

Psalm 23

How gracious of Him! The 23rd psalm;  “He leads me to green pastures” where I can laze around “beside still waters”, He “prepares a table for me in front of my enemies” so I (and they) know that I win in the end! He “anoints me” so I am blessed, “goodness and mercy” stalk me all my life, His “staff guides me” so I can’t get lost. 

Whew, I am so fortunate to be a child of God my Father, He is so good to me! But, wait, I forgot about the “ROD”.  The rod tells me that this is not just about ME (spoiler alert!). There is correction here, maybe God is telling me that I need balance, an adjustment in attitude, as in there is more to this than me being blessed by God.  What the message that I believe God was saying was that He is loving, healing, and blessing me so that I can overcome the “baggage” (see paragraph #1) of my past and walk with Him by doing what He is telling me to do, being that pipeline from Him to those I come across. It is about giving after all, God giving so that I can give….untangled by ulterior motives, so I can hear Him with untainted motives and respond accordingly. Awfully lofty ideals, but that is God; He is Holy and He calls us (me) to be Holy as He is.

So I guess I can enjoy and maybe even look forward to Christmas! I think I will be taking some friends on a tour of Christmas lights.  We will have some hot chocolate too.
 

"Out of this World" by Shelby Tucker


John 15:19 (KJV) reads: "If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you."

I have often in life felt hated by the world. Like the rules and the systems were only in place for my dismay. Like it was wrong to love and live freely and as though I truly could not belong. Before finding the love of Christ, this was a very scary thought to me. For when the world is all we know, and it seems to hate us with a vigorous agenda that we can't understand, what else do we have? Where is our hope???

My hope was found in Jesus! Jesus tells me that when the world is especially nasty to me, it means I have been chosen. That my name has been written in the book of life. That my place is in the Kingdom, not in the world. THAT LOVE AND TRUTH ARE WINNING! I remind myself that it's not me alone that the world is out to get, it's Jesus. For Jesus is the truest truth, and upon His return He will shed light on the world's lies, on its indecency.

The world isn't mad at me, it's mad that Christ has one more follower. It's upset because it knows it will be caught in its web of lies, that it's reign will not last forever. It's simply lashing out like a child not getting his way. So when I feel especially outcast from societal points of view, especially angry at the corruption of the system, and especially unable to exist within either of these, I keep my faith in Christ. Knowing full well that it is, in fact, in my favor to be "out of this world".
 

"Expect the Frogs" by Lauren Watson

One of my favorite places is the Oregon Garden, it’s where I go to have a date with Jesus. I walk through Creation, enjoy the beauty of the flora, listen to the birds and to the Holy Spirit. Recently as I was wandering, I found myself getting excited as I approached a certain location and realized it was a spot where I had a treat a few years ago. My friend and I had been photographing a stand of dahlias, and noticed some adorable little tree frogs hiding inside the very large blossoms; it was such a surprise and gave me some of my favorite photos. Since then, I have found them only occasionally in that same area but each time I expect to see something special there. I have also seen them in other types of flowers in other areas, but I know to look and HOPE to be delighted.

As I walked towards the dahlias and felt my excitement grow, I heard the Lord say it was just like prayer. We go to a lovely place to invest time with the Lord, knowing the time itself is an amazing experience. However, since I have had a supernatural healing, I believe and expect there to be the extraordinary replies, like the charming little critters.

I often go to this place physically and spiritually and each time it’s different, but what I heard on my stroll is to not overlook the garden and its beauty while searching for the revelations. I have--right now--a huge Gift of faith and am enjoying His Presence and it is enough to be with Him and know that the heart of our loving heavenly Father is to give beyond what we need, to delight us.

Why are some prayers answered and others not? How do we believe when some people are healed and others suffer and even die? How can we trust when we ask according to the Scriptures but don’t see the expected results? These are big stumbling blocks for so many Christians and since I’ve experienced my own miracle, a topic of discussion that comes up often in my hearing, I’ve pondered and asked how to represent why I got a Gift of healing and my friends still hurt, and I got frogs. 

We don’t know what the answers to our prayers will be but when we take time with God and expect the best, sometimes we get to experience the miraculous. I am convinced that when we have the ability to look back on our lives and truly see the trail we’re on we will see how many frogs we missed along the way. They might be hiding in the pretty flowers of blessings or may be in the murky waters of suffering, but they are there and the Creator knows where each is and how it benefits our path.

So keep your eyes open for those frogs.

 

Living in the Light

For most of my life I have suffered with SAD, or Seasonal Affective Disorder.  I cycle through a period of depression every year, and actually more often than not, as cloudy days come and finally go.  I was pleased to read that this pattern is not a moral failure but instead a medical condition.  People choose different ways to manage this malady.  One of the most important ways to treat it may be to get more light exposure. The symptomatic list certainly describes my experience: lack of energy, weakened immune system, irritability, lack of concentration, over-eating and weight gain, alcohol or drug abuse, feelings of guilt and worry, sleep problems and social and relational problems.

Because of SAD and other forms of depression, I have been plagued most of my adult life, I have often felt that I was living in a dark place.  The longing in me for the warm, rejuvenating sun and its light drew me to search for what the bible says will help me. Years ago, I started to mark all the places where light is referred to in the scripture.  By now I have memorized many references and I recite them in times of depression.  One of my favorites is from 1 John 1:5-7; ‘’God is light, in him there is no darkness at all.”  Also John 1:4 reveals, “In Him (Jesus) was life and that life was the light of men.” Jesus was and is the true light that gives light to every man.

There are so many more examples.  As I’ve studied light, I’ve also looked at its synonyms.  Light is illuminating. Illumination is often tied with truth.  Truth confronts the lies that often accompany depression.  It is like a torch that shines on a pathway in the dark.  It reveals the obstacles and makes the way plain.

Alongside illumination is clarity.  Depression causes confusion and difficulty making decisions.  God promises to enter our shadowed times and bring clear direction.  For me it’s like the clearing of the overcast sky which allows a true view of the landscape.  As it clears, so does the fog of our thinking.

Fear also accompanies the low times in our lives: “The Lord is my light and my salvation, whom shall I fear?” (Psalm 27:1)  He brings light and He saves me in every way.

With fear often come anxiety, worry and false guilt.  Jesus speaks to worry in Matt.6:25, referring to the flowers and birds that the Father cares for.  Most importantly He speaks to our value as God’s beloved children.  My long habit has been to turn from worry to prayer. And so with false guilt, I remind myself of His forgiveness and let Him shed light on what is true and what is false guilt.

Lastly, I want to share an antidote the Lord has given us for depression and negativity, Gratefulness.  I have learned that I must choose to reverse my thought processes.  Looking at the beauty around us, our relationships, and the gifts God has given us begins to interrupt the negative cycle. This enables us to “lift our eyes up to the heavens, from whom our help comes.” (Psalm 121)  We have been called out of darkness into glorious light. (1 Peter 2:9)

"Guarding Your Soul" by John Rice

From time to time over the course of the last 15 years I’ve dealt with low back issues. When I’ve done too much of the wrong thing my back will “go out”. To me that means I’ll feel spasms like electric shocks whenever I move just slightly the wrong way. It means I can’t stay in one position for very long, I can’t do my normal work routine, I can barely get in and out of a car, I have to be very careful when sitting down, laying down or getting up from either of those positions. I can’t go out and play. I get grumpy and self-focused and depressed. I absolutely hate it. In so many ways and for so many reasons, I hate it. Did I say “I hate it”? Well, I really do hate it. 

I have learned over the years that with the help of good chiropractors, physical therapists and exercise trainers, there are a number of things I can do to help myself out of this bad place. I can ice, I can stretch, I can do certain exercises, I can get laser treatments, I can walk and walk and walk. I can learn to guard my low back by better engaging my transverse abdominals (muscles that wrap around your body below the navel which act like a belt supporting your back). I can also protect my back by keeping good posture, holding my head in line with my back, and using my glutes instead of my low back muscles for stability. I have to be very aware of how I’m moving, but if I’m careful, I can still function fairly well until my back muscles finally relax and get back to normal. I am so thankful for what I’ve learned over the years and especially for the knowledgable people who have helped me so much. 

So I was reading in Philippians this morningand I was reminded of how God, as a good and perfect Father (and as The Great Physician, as well) gives us such wonderful instruction and advice for living well. In Philippians He tells us not how we can guard our backs, but how we can guard our souls:

The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Wow! He tells us that His peace is what guards our hearts and minds, our souls, and He even tells us what part we have to play in getting that peace. He gives us strategies for guarding and protecting our souls. I love that! There is something we can do. We need to realize first and foremost that He is near us. He has promised never to leave us. Then, rather than worrying and being anxious about things, which we are all inclined to do, He tells us to talk to Him instead.

Bring to Him our concerns and troubles, pray about them, ask Him for what we need and above all, bathe all of these prayers and requests in a pool of gratitude. To me it’s interesting and significant that the little phrase “with thanksgiving” sits right in the middle of this whole section, set off by commas, as if to say this is the key. The key to peace and the key to being free from anxiety.

I read this quote somewhere once which is inspired by Matthew 11:28-30:

 Rest is not the absence of labor, hardship or suffering...                                                                                                                      It is the absence of guilt, worry, anxiety and lack of meaning.

 Fortunately we are not just victims of our mental, physical and emotional states, being passively carried down a stream in which we don’t want to float. God dignifies us with an invitation to participate with Him in such way that we can, at least in some ways, influence the course and outcome of our journey.

Living in a world where there are so many things to worry and be anxious about, it is reassuring that God knows our human tendencies and rather than judge us for our ignorance, foolishness or sin, invites us to let Him take the heavy load and gives us in its place a light load, easy to carry, full of gratitude, peace and grace. 

Phil 4:6-7

The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Joshua 1:5

I will never leave you nor forsake you.

Mat 11:28-30

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”

"One More Night with the Frogs" by Lauren Watson

Recently I’ve been reminded of the choice Pharaoh made in Genesis 8. Pharaoh asked Moses to plead with the Lord to take the plague of frogs away and in return he would let the Israelites go. Moses replied, “You set the time” and Pharaoh answered “Do it tomorrow”.

Why would he not say “RIGHT NOW”? Why would he choose to spend another night with the slimy, smelly, noisy frogs? Why not ask the God of the Universe intervene ASAP? I have always thought Pharaoh short sighted and downright stupid, and hoped I would make a more intelligent response. However my recent journey shows me how easy it is to delay expectation of God’s Power and Promise.

I have suffered an undiagnosed pain for a couple decades. At times it has been tolerable and others, debilitating. There have been several types of doctors, exams, tests, ultra sounds, theories and referrals, but no answers. These last two years have been the worst and have damaged my general physical health through inactivity, my soul through isolation and darkened my spirit. Many health care providers discounted what they couldn’t explain and in the process caused me to doubt myself and lessen my self-worth. Trying to work eight plus hours wore me out and sometimes I couldn’t make it through the day. Movement caused pain and anyplace I couldn’t control my circumstances I wouldn’t go, I felt captive in my own body and “mostly dead” (Princess Bride reference).

When the opportunity to go to Bethel Church in Redding, renown for successful healing prayer, I was sure that was the answer, it had to be- I was desperate. The worship was amazing, the teaching was inspired, the company was delightful, and the prayer was anointed. During worship the first night I saw scar tissue over my spiritual heart caused by the relationship trauma throughout my life. The last service I saw a bolt of lightning go into my mouth, but had no idea what it meant; since that time I feel that it was the Holy Spirit melting the wounds and freeing my heart. We all came back richer for having been there and I came back feeling less the pain and feeling that I had been healed.

Four days later I was in more pain than ever and incredibly discouraged, I felt a failure…

While in California, we saw our friend Lee posting testimonials of his most recent trip; he operates in the gifts of the Spirit, especially healing and had even prayed for my pain several years ago. When my pain came back I called him to see if he had any insights as to why this had been a temporary relief. We went over the process through which Bethel took us, and Lee offered to pray for me again, after fasting. I took the next few days and inquired of the Lord, and then along with his wife Lisa and some friends, we met. The two women on whom I have most depended were present, each has a wealth of personal experience with inner healing and had received her own treasures from Bethel. By the end of the session, I felt no pain and knew the heaviness of spirit had lifted.

The first day after, I kept poking myself to see if the pain was still gone and at the end of the second day I realized it was so completely gone, I hadn’t even tested it. I have had soreness from the muscles and ribs that are two years out of shape due to protecting the area of pain and right away there was the accuser trying to snatch away my healing. It’s been a delight to see how quickly it comes to my mind to STAND in my health – physically and spiritually, I have learned to contend for that which I have been given. My heart is open, my mind is clear, my spirit is light, I feel more whole than I ever had.

So those frogs????

Why did I not go to the available resources before? Why did I spend all that money and time with doctors? Why did I endure years of pain? I knew Jesus heals. I knew Lee prayed successfully for people all over the world. I knew miracles still happen. Why did I spend years with the frogs when the Creator of the universe (and me) was available to touch and mend me? I have pondered this for days and now have a thought on it-a few pictures actually; a recipe, a jigsaw puzzle and a mountain path.

While the group was praying for me I felt like there was a recipe and each of these intercessors were bringing different ingredients to add to the whole of my healing. Physical, soul, mental, spiritual and relational pieces were all there and together, these wonderful friends presented the substance the Holy Spirit needed to mend me.

Jigsaw puzzles are put together piece by piece; the structure of the whole is assembled with common connections. I saw my life being fit together by the hand of God, some sections went together easily, and others were very elusive. Once constructed, sections joined together showed big surges of growth but I had key pieces missing. As the Hand worked I saw more of what to expect the finished project was to be, but until those missing links were joined I was still fragmented. I longed with all my will to be complete but had to wait as bit by bit, with Divine strategy the image became more complete. This time of prayer had to wait until the adjoining pieces were in place.

The mountain path image comes from an experience decades ago when my friends and I decided to climb the Middle Sister. Because of many delays we didn’t start the ascent until dusk and the majority of the climb to base camp was done in the dark. All I could see mile upon mile was the back of the foot of the climber ahead of me, illuminated by my flashlight. After hours of dark path we finally set up camp in the blackness. The next day, in the light, we scaled the summit and got ready for the descent the following day. Trekking the territory we had traveled in the night, I realized I could not have made it had I seen the entire mountain. I would have been overwhelmed by its enormity and by the dangerous cliffs at the edge of the very path on which we walked. Because I could only see the next step, it was something within my ability and I had faith I could move my foot one more time. Then in the light of day, that amazing panorama was visible.

Another night with the frogs? No. My images convince me that I had to wait until the needed ingredients were available for the recipe, the connecting pieces were not yet in place and the toughness of this path would have again overwhelmed me if I concentrate on anything other than the next step. I do believe that I am seeing one of those vistas right now because my pain is gone, my faith has been amplified, and the Touch I received is one of Love that has melted my calloused heart.

I am grateful.

"The Gift of Giving" by Joseph Scheyer

Have you ever done something to help another person with no expectation of a reward for your efforts?  I have to admit that there is a part of me that does crave (at the least) recognition for altruistic acts. Even when I do something extra around the house, I often find a way to make sure that my wife notices. When I discern this need for recognition, I have to question myself about my motivations.

“You can give without loving, but you cannot love without giving.”

― Amy Carmichael

When I was a boy growing up in eastern Oregon, my father worked for the State as a juvenile parole officer.  This brought him into contact with some families that had very meager resources.  I remember one impoverished family in particular that my Dad took under his wing: They had a boy about my age and I was asked to give of some of my clothing so that this boy would have something that wasn’t threadbare. I don’t remember if I gave willingly or grudgingly but I do remember the look of amazement on this boy’s face as I handed him my used clothing. To him, those old shirts and pants were a treasure. I didn’t really understand it at the time but now I am grateful that my father had the compassion to help provide for this family in need and at the same time set a benevolent example for our family.

Bring you all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in my house, and prove me now herewith, said the LORD of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it.

~Malachi 3:10

It seems clear that our impulse for charitable giving occurs because of the love of God. As His love fills our hearts, charity becomes second nature. When we choose to serve others for the love of God, we are neither motivated by the hope of recognition and reward nor by fear of punishment. Many of us have experienced that generosity is an expansive energy; the more we give, the more we receive. Unconditional giving somehow divinely generates resources that are reflected back to us in surprising, seemingly unconnected ways. 

Mother Teresa admonished us to “Give, but give until it hurts.”  It is not difficult to scoop a little off the top of our abundance for others but when we are asked to reach past our comfort zone of giving, we can best follow through when we understand that we don’t really possess anything but we are simply stewards of what God has created for us… only then can we truly trust that the bounty in our care can be distributed divinely through our obedience. Give until it hurts means that we trust in the wisdom of the creator (God’s economy) more than we trust in our own wisdom (the world’s economy). Jesus provides the ultimate example of selfless giving when he gave his life so that we may experience life abundantly.

Most of us appreciate being recognized for the good we do, but isn’t it delightful to be the anonymous donor of goodness? It is indeed better to give than to receive.

 

"The Old And the New" by John Rice

I heard a statement recently that really caught my attention. It went something like this:

“In the Old Testament if a Believer touched a leper, he was pronounced ‘unclean’ and had to be removed from the congregation. In the New Testament if a Believer touched a leper, the leper was healed.”

I have treasured the Old Testament all my Christian life and argued for its inclusion in the teachings of our modern day church, even defending it against those who would say it isn’t relevant to us Christians anymore. Some think of the Old Testament as just an old history book, which presents an angry, vengeful God who is Himself transformed in the New Testament by the coming of Jesus. I would still argue that this is a false conclusion and that while the Old Testament does record the history of ancient Israel, with all its struggles and battles, it also paints a picture of the true character of God and man.

God is characterized through his interactions with people as a patient, compassionate, wise, forgiving and loving God. In fact, the Lord describes Himself to Moses in Exodus 34:5-7 in this way: And God passed in front of Moses, proclaiming, “The Lord, the Lord, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness, maintaining love to thousands, and forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin. Yet He does not leave the guilty unpunished.” David also describes the amazingly gracious character of God in his psalms, as does Isaiah and other prophets.

Even though the Old Testament is as much “God’s Word” as the New, what Jesus does when He comes to earth, born of a woman and very much human, yet equally divine, is truly world-changing. The New Testament speaks of a new covenant with God, which allows us to live in a radically different way from the way our brothers and sisters of the Old Covenant lived.

So back to the statement I heard recently, mentioned above, we see an example of this huge difference. In the book of Leviticus, chapter 14, we read what the Israelites were to do if anyone had an infectious disease. That person was to “wear torn clothes, let his hair be unkempt, cover the lower part of his face and cry out, ‘Unclean! Unclean!’. As long as he has the infection he remains unclean. He must live alone; he must live outside the camp.” Now to be sure, this was an ingenious way to keep infectious diseases from spreading through the whole population in a time when there was little medical knowledge for a nomadic desert people. In fact, the requirement to shave and wash wasvery advanced hygiene in those days.

Nonetheless, contrast this to what Jesus did and instructed His disciples to do. He constantly laid hands on sick people and restored their health, their sight, their wholeness. Paul and the other apostles went around healing the sick, lame, diseased and possessed. The power which Jesus ministered in and with which He empowered His disciples, was the same power that raised Him from the dead after three days in a tomb. It was the power of God’s Holy Spirit, which Jesus sent to His people on earth during Pentecost 50 days after He had been resurrected.

God is the same God in the Old and New Testaments, but when Jesus sent us the Holy Spirit to live inside all of His followers who invited Him there, everything changed. I can’t even begin to understand what power lives inside me. I struggle with the faith for that sometimes. But I do know that God keeps His Word and that Jesus said we would do even greater works than He Himself did because of the Holy Spirit. I choose to believe Him and seek to open up to Him in every way He wants me too. Help me, Lord! Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven….and help me play my part!

 

Exodus 34:5-7

And God passed in front of Moses, proclaiming, “The Lord, the Lord, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness, maintaining love to thousands, and forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin. Yet He does not leave the guilty unpunished.”

John 14:12

I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in Me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father.

"Who We Are" by Terry Sheldon

There has been a lot to chew on lately but so much of it seems to hinge on behavior - my not-so-stellar. Ok, ahem, partially kidding here. What I am learning is the difference between what we do (behavior) and who we are (our identity). So much of our Christian teaching and overall interactions with others concern how we act. Call them the branches of a tree. But if we stop there and don't address the tree's root, the behavior will unlikely change, or we'll attempt change for the wrong reasons.

What God has been telling me lately is this: WHO I am is more important than WHAT I do. Or better, who I BELIEVE I am will ultimately effect what I do. Now I am certainly not saying our actions don't produce a reliable cause and effect. I am no math expert but in my world: Misbehaving + Denial = Extreme Pain. If only I could come up with a great alternative algorithm.

Back to the root of the matter: our identity. In one of His first serious interactions with Peter, after Peter acknowledged who Jesus is (Christ, Messiah, Son of the Living God), Jesus turned the tables and affirmed Peter's own identity:

"And now I’m going to tell you who you are, really are. You are Peter, a rock. This is the rock on which I will put together my church, a church so expansive with energy that not even the gates of hell will be able to keep it out."

Wow, that's not just a compliment. Notice that Jesus did not mention anything about behavior, given Peter's long history of saying and doing stupid things. He didn't say, "Well Peter, IF you remain in my good graces, we're going to give you a pretty important job with the church." Remember, this is the same poor fella who would later deny Jesus three times when he needed a friend the most.

And of course, the Rock deal wasn't off, as Peter went on to be just that. God knew all along, huh? We should remember this when we short-change ourselves by doubting something God has said about us.

Consider this: If you are frustrated with someone, you want to point out their offensive action. But if you really want to stick it to them, you attack their character - who they are. "You're totally worthless" is a long ways from "I struggle when you act that way towards me". It's behavior vs. identity.

So what about my seemingly endless behavior loops? Here is what God is showing me:

First, if you're the recipient of bad behavior, be forgiving and release your friend in Christ from the loop. Even though we battle people, it's mostly not our fight. Compassion always!

Second, the two R's (sorry, I really can't stop the behavior, ha ha). Respond instead of React. Reacting is a fight or flight mechanism, based in insecurity. But responding is what a loving God does with us. Our God is a relational one, and we are secure in Him. We need to care for our brothers and sisters in the Lord in that same way, with both identities secure.