"What Should I Do?"

“What is God’s will for my life?”  Every disciple of Jesus Christ has likely asked this question.  Normally, we are concerned about the will of God regarding the big decisions we have to make.  Decisions like: “What job should I take?”  “Should I go to college?”  “Should I get married?”  “Who should I marry?”  “Should we have children?”  These big questions (and others like them) are important and we ought to seek God’s input as we make our choices.

But what about the “little” decisions of life?  What could I do this week that would honor God’s will for my life?

I can forgive someone who has wronged or offended me (Mark 11:25-26; Luke 17:3-4; Ephesians 4:32).
I can share someone’s burden (Galatians 6:2).
I can be patient with an immature believer (Romans 15:1)
I can encourage a fellow disciple (1 Thessalonians 5:11; Hebrews 3:13).
I can choose to be with the family of God (Hebrews 10:25).
I can rejoice with those who are happy (Romans 12:15).
I can weep with those who are sad (Romans 12:15).
I can abstain from sexual immorality (1 Thessalonians 4:3).
I can seek to gently restore someone who has given into temptation (Galatians 6:1).
I can speak truthfully to my neighbor (Ephesians 4:25).
I can pray for my brothers and sister in Christ (James 5:16).

How’s that for a start?  I can choose any action from the list above and know, without a doubt, that I am smack-dab directly in the center of God’s will for my life.  No need to wait on a word from the Lord because He has already given it.  No need to pray for discernment because God has plainly revealed His will in these matters.  When I am uncertain about God’s direction in one area of my life, I can always get busy with what I know God wants me to do.  Is there anything on the list that you could do this week?

God loves you!
Mike

Responding Judiciously

The recent Supreme Court ruling regarding “Obamacare” has unleashed a flood of negative responses from those opposed to the plan.  Some of my Facebook friends were quick to voice their disapproval.  They certainly have the right to do that.  Some strong, even caustic, comments were directed toward the majority side of the 5-4 court ruling and toward Chief Justice Roberts specifically.  The sentiment seemed to be that 5 of the 9 Supreme Court Justices were running roughshod over the Constitution and that Justice Roberts was a traitor.
My purpose here is not to debate the merits and demerits of “Obamacare.”  Even what little I know about it has raised some real concerns in my own mind.  I have my doubts that it is the right answer to the health care problem in our country.  But I am also reminded that what we currently have isn’t working too well either.  So the debate rages on.

What concerns me is the tone of the debate.  What the current discourse has reinforced for me is just how fickle we can be.  I have to wonder how the tone of the discussion among religious conservatives would have changed if the subject of the ruling was different.  Imagine if the court would have voted 5-4 to uphold a ban on abortion.  Instead of hyperventilating about judicial activism, there would have been praise for the courage of the majority.  Instead of vilifying the swing voter, he would have been proclaimed a hero for standing up for what is right regardless of the pressure.  What changed?  Just the issue.  Because I am for it, it’s just common sense.  Because I am against it, it’s of the devil.

Again, my purpose is not to persuade anyone on the issue.  You are entitled to your opinion.  I am trying to get us to think about how we respond in the debate.  Before clicking “post” on our latest social media rant, let’s pause long enough to think about the Kingdom we represent and how Jesus might react in the same situation.

God loves you!

Mike

Blind Spots

“A car's blind spot is one of life's accepted inconveniences. Check your mirror, lean forward, look over your shoulder and change lanes. That is standard operating procedure.  But a math professor from Drexel University in Philadelphia named Andrew Hicks has designed a curved mirror that eliminates most of that blind spot, using a mathematic algorithm that increases your field of view from the current standard of 15 to 17 degrees to an astonishing 45 degrees without distorting the image.  To achieve the design without the fun-house or fish-eye effect, Professor Hicks's patented design is similar to a disco ball with tiny individual mirrors precisely directed using his algorithm, so that each ray of light bouncing of the mirror shows a wide yet undistorted view.  But don't expect the newest car designs to roll off the production line with these mirrors just yet. At this point, manufacturers are still required to install side view mirrors that are flat, due to issues with distortion. But Prof. Hick's just received his patent so it may take some time for the rules to catch up. Until then, you will most likely first see the mirrors in aftermarket car part stores where curved mirrors are allowed to be sold. And don't be alarmed - while the prototype cost an exorbitant $20,000, expanded manufacturing will greatly reduce the cost for consumers” (Yahoo News, 6-14-12).

Now if we could just find a way to deal with spiritual blind spots.  According to Jesus, spiritual blind spots occur when our spiritual eyesight is distorted or blocked by foreign material, such as logs (Luke 6:41-42).  These kinds of blind spots are dangerous because they can cause us to overlook our own faults and to be critical of the faults of others.  And fancy mirrors aren’t the solution.  The only remedy is to clear our vision so that we can correctly assess our own faults before moving on to help others with their faults.  Anyone have a log extractor that I can borrow?

God loves you!

Mike

"I Absolutely Could Not Wait"

Martin and Gracia Burnham, missionaries to the Philippines, were kidnapped along with several others by Muslim extremists on May 27, 2001 and held for ransom.  This is a fairly common occurrence in that part of the world and it usually ends with the ransom being paid and the hostages being released in a relatively short time.  This group of detainees expected the same treatment.  But due to a number of extenuating circumstances, the Burnhams ended up being held captive for just over a year.  In The Presence Of My Enemies is Gracia Burnham’s eyewitness account of the extreme struggle the hostages faced during their captivity.  Martin Burnham was eventually killed during a gunbattle with Philippine government forces on June 7, 2002.  Gracia Burnham was wounded but rescued and airlifted to safety.

The last part of the book records Mrs. Burnham’s thoughts after finally being reunited with her children and how the year as a hostage caused her to view some things differently.  I was particularly struck by one paragraph: “The next day was Sunday -- an ordinary Sunday to millions of other people, but not to me.  This was my first chance in more than a year to go to church.  I absolutely could not wait.  So many Sundays in the jungle I had sat on the ground thinking of the high privilege of gathering with other believers to worship God.  To sit in a pew (actually, in my case, they parked my wheelchair in the center aisle), to sing again, to pray, to listen to the Word of God -- it was exquisite” (In The Presence Of My Enemies, Gracia Burnham and Dean Merrill, 2010, Kindle edition)

I know it is fashionable today for even some believers to bash “the church.”  The practice of regularly assembling with fellow believers is chided as being out-dated, irrelevant, or unimportant.  Maybe we are taking too much for granted.  Perhaps if we were suddenly deprived of the privilege of assembling, it would mean more to us.  But, then again, maybe not.  What do you think?

God loves you!

Mike

Power Blindness

“The large crowd of the Jews then learned that He was there; and they came, not for Jesus’ sake only, but that they might also see Lazarus, whom He raised from the dead.  But the chief priests planned to put Lazarus to death also; because on account of him many of the Jews were going away and were believing in Jesus” (John 12:9-11).
The raising of Lazarus from the dead sparked differing responses.  Of course, Mary and Martha would have been overjoyed at the news.  The brother who had died was now very much alive once again.  For others, it was the miracle that prompted them to put their faith in the Miracle Worker (11:45).  For still others, it was the event that led to discussions as to how best to eliminate Jesus as a rival (11:46-57).
          The lust for power and influence is a deadly sin that leads to blindness in its victims.  Instead of acknowledging Jesus as a conduit of God’s power, the Jewish leadership saw Jesus as a threat to their base of power.  And for that reason, they began plotting a way to eliminate Him.  It’s the age-old ugliness of power politics.  It can be found in every corner of human relationships.  If you’ve experienced it, you know that some will stop at nothing to gain and maintain power over others.
The opening verses of this article highlight just how bad the problem can become.  These men were so drunk with power that they were not satisfied with just killing the Miracle Worker. They also began planning to kill the one who had been blessed by the miracle!  That’s right.  They were prepared to take the life of the very one who had been given life.  They would stop at nothing to satisfy their craving for power.
Father, please shield us from the consuming lust for power.  Forgive us for the times we have wounded others in our blindness.  May we ever be amazed instead of angered by Your powerful workings in our world.

God loves you!

Mike

Is Money The Answer?

A few days ago, Gina Rinehart made it to the top of the list.  The 58 year old heiress to a huge Australian mining business is now the richest woman in the world.  How rich, you ask?  Try to wrap your mind around these numbers.  Last year, Gina Rinehart’s wealth grew by 19 billion dollars.  That’s an impressive number by any estimation.  But it becomes even more mind-boggling when you break that one large number down.  Nineteen billion dollars a year breaks down into approximately 52 million dollars A DAY.  Or 2 million dollars AN HOUR.  Or 36,000 dollars A MINUTE.  Or 582 dollars A SECOND.  Incredible!

Apparently, though, that kind of money doesn’t solve all of life’s problems.  Three of Ms. Rinehart’s four children have brought legal action against her over the vesting of a trust fund associated with some of the family wealth.  The youngest child, who has taken her mother’s side in the family feud, has criticized her siblings publicly for damaging the family’s good name.  Some have been critical of how Ms. Rinehart HAS spent some of her billions.  Others have been just as critical of how she HASN’T spent some of her billions.  I guess wealth isn’t a cure-all after all.

If you are tempted to believe that wealth will always make things better, think again.  Consider this example from the life of the world’s richest woman.  Wealth can solve some problems.  But it can also create problems or make existing problems worse.  Money can’t buy family harmony.  Riches can’t guarantee that everyone will approve of  you or your decisions.

But what really matters for me is, not how Gina Rinehart handles her wealth, but how I handle MY wealth.  Most of the world would be just as incredulous at my per second income as I am by Ms. Rinehart’s per second income.  Before I can shake my head at the problems wealth has caused for Gina Rinehart, I must be honest enough to admit my own struggles.  Father, please help ME not to trust in riches (Proverbs 11:28).

God loves you!

Mike

Majority Truth

On a recent trip to Walmart, an aisle display for Gillette Fusion Proglide shavers caught my eye.  It was not the need for a new shaver that made me stop.  It was the wording on the advertising.  Blazoned across the display, in big, bold lettering, was this phrase: “Millions Of Guys Can’t Be Wrong.”  My first (tongue-in-cheek) thought was this: “Obviously there are no women in the advertising department of Gillette.  If there had been, such a blatantly false statement would never have seen the light of day.  Only a room full of men could delude themselves into believing such a thing!”  Right, ladies?

But further, more serious, reflection on the matter still led me to the same conclusion.  The statement is still a lie.  Millions of men can be wrong.  Millions of women also can be wrong.  Truth is not determined by popular consensus.  If a vote were to be taken tomorrow and 99.9 percent of the people on earth voted to repeal the law of gravity, that still would not keep me from falling to my death if I jumped off a skyscraper!

The majority can be right.  But the majority can also be wrong.  The Bible testifies often to that fact.  Nearly everyone was in favor of wickedness and evil thinking in Noah’s day, but that didn’t make it right.  The majority was wrong.  Apparently everyone but Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego bowed down to King Nebuchadnezzar’s golden idol, but that didn’t make it right.  The majority was wrong.  When Pilate appealed to the crowd regarding the fate of Jesus, most called for His crucifixion.  But that didn’t make it right.  The majority was wrong.

When it comes to spiritual truth, don’t be swayed by the popular vote.  Seek the counsel of those around you whom you trust but always compare their words with God’s words.  And when the majority disagrees with God, the rightl choice is to “...obey God rather than men” (Acts 5:29).  After all, millions of guys CAN be wrong!

God loves you!

Mike