A Greeting Card From God

Have you ever had one of those days where all you want to do is stand outside and feel the sun? You allow the cool breeze to cross your face, and listen to the sounds of nature around you. You open your eyes and stare at the breathtaking beauty around you: trees and grass, birds and squirrels. You hear the laughter of children playing. Feel the arms of your husband or wife around you. Focus outward, to your friends and neighbors, going about their lives.

There is so much beauty, just standing on your porch, when you allow what has become commonplace to be seen instead as the gift of a benevolent Creator. We can look at the world around us as being more or less the same day after day. A living drudgery of the same scenery over and over. Or, we can view God's work with a Genesis 1 vision: an understanding of the care with which God crafted everything we see.

We can search in the tiniest of details -- the cracks in the bark of trees, the variations in every flower and blade of grass, the instinctual magnificence of the creatures, from insects to birds to household pets, which surround us -- and find in them the glory of God.

I want to encourage you to meditate today on God's creation. Read through Genesis 1, and look around you as you read it, taking in every piece of what He built as you read about its formation.

Start today at the beginning, and see the sky, not as something that may or may not drop more snow or rain -- not with a view of what it will mean for your day -- but as the first part of a wondrous work of living art: a love note from God to you. Start by looking up and remember: In the beginning, God created the Heavens...

Social Justice, God's Way

Today is, according to the United Nations, the World Day of Social Justice. The term, "social justice," has different meanings depending on who you talk to. In recent days, the idea of "justice" has been rather distorted to mean many things it just doesn't mean. But what is social justice? Maybe the easiest way to define it is the way it's defined in business law. That is to say, "the fair and proper administration of laws conforming to the natural law that all persons, irrespective of ethnic origin, gender, possessions, race, religion, etc., are to be treated equally and without prejudice."

Actually, our just God agrees: Exodus 23:6, for example, says, "Do not deny justice to your poor people in their lawsuits." Leviticus 19:15 is even more explicit: "Do not pervert justice; do not show partiality to the poor or favoritism to the great, but judge your neighbor fairly."

God Himself treats us equally, as Jesus reminds us in Matthew 5:44-45.

But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. 

The truth is, we don't live in a world capable of total social justice. We live instead in a world that is fallen and incapable of the grace of Christ. But, in Him, we can treat one another with equality and justice. We can be kind to our neighbors and pray for and love our enemies. This is justice, God's way.

As often as we cry out for the heads of those who hurt us, God's justice is one tempered with mercy.

 For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. (John 3:16-17)

We are a condemned people -- and under God's justice, we ought to be. But he adds to His justice grace and mercy. The price must be paid, but our God has paid it Himself, for all who believe. That's not the World's justice -- but it ought to be ours. 

Social justice, God's way: equal grace, equal mercy. Love for friend and foe alike. Pointing all, no matter who they are, how much money they make, or what they've done, to the cross of Christ.

 

I Found The Prize!

Today is Cracker Jack Day.

I love Cracker Jacks. The caramel popcorn and peanut concoction recalls a simpler time, sitting on the lawn, that little cardboard box in front of me, hands slipping in for another handful and finding instead that wrapped object, shoved in among the deliciousness. The prize. It was always some cheap piece of junk, a plastic magnifying glass or... actually I can't even remember any other prizes. But there was a time in our lives when we loved it.

Yet, that was never why I bought cracker jacks with the day's allowance. I bought it because it was a tasty snack. The prize was a bonus.

Christianity is like that. We hear about our "reward" in Heaven, but that's not why I'm a Christian. I am a Christian because Jesus Christ allowed Himself to be humbled, to be humiliated, to be tortured and killed, all so that I could be forgiven, and know God. He called me out of sin, and into righteousness. He has given me a life of purpose, of grace, and of Love. He has given me a relationship with the Creator of the Universe. And then to top it off, He extended it for all eternity, and without the pain we suffer in this life. A life lived as close to the presence of God as we are able, an eternity in the actual presence of the Most High. That's the goodness in the box, for me. That I am loved by a sovereign king, the creator of all things, the God of the Universe.

But then, as though it isn't enough that He willingly forgives everything I've ever done, he adds a prize.

"Look, I am coming soon! My reward is with me, and I will give to each person according to what they have done." (Revelation 22:12)

That's not why I'm a Christian. That's not why I serve Him. I serve Christ because I love Him. A life serving a loving, living God is the box of cracker jacks. But God's reward sure beats a plastic magnifying glass.

Recharge!

Life. It is tiring. Stressful. Constant. Between work, kids, politics, and other stresses of daily life, it becomes so easy to wear down; to want to just stay in bed and spend a week talking to nobody and doing nothing. Even now, there's a good chance you're thinking to yourself how nice it would be to just have thirty minutes of complete silence, perhaps with your head on a pillow.

All of the above can be true, whether you are a Christian or not, and in fact, if you're involved in any type of ministry -- whether it is formal, or simply giving of your time to the cause of Christ -- that can even be a further drain on your emotions, your mind, and your soul.


Certainly, I'm describing myself here -- and it's recently occurred to me, maybe the problem is me.

Take out your cell phone and look at the charge status. Chances are, if you haven't plugged it in for a few days, it could stand to be charged. To be plugged into a power source and left alone. Similarly, your body needs to recharge, with the appropriate amount of rest, and with the right kinds of food.

And, like your physical self, your spiritual self -- your soul -- also needs a charge. The fact is, when we fail to "plug in" to the Source of all life, we will run down and burn out.

Even Jesus needed this time with God. Mark 1:35 says, "Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed." Jesus needed to spend time with His Father. To shut out the world and prepare for the coming day. He had work to do for the kingdom, and needed to be at His best. And He knew His best could only come from the Father. 

Are you starting to drain? To run down and burn out? It's a lesson hard-learned: you can't be at your best, unless you're drawing power from the Father. 

Find solitude, and kneel in the presence of God. Rest in Him, and let Him refresh you. Follow the example of Christ, and prepare to serve God by basking in His presence.  

Loving the Unlovable

Saturday, February 16, is "Do A Grouch A Favor Day." A day to get that grumpy neighbor, perhaps, to crack a smile by just doing something nice.

A holiday that, frankly, seems to me to be profoundly biblical. Jesus, in Matthew 5, reminds us what charity and love are all about. "Give to the one who asks you," he says in verse 42. "And do not turn away the one who wants to borrow from you." Notice, here, that He doesn't say anything about the asker's disposition. Just in case there's any confusion, however, He continues:

“You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? And if you greet only your own people, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect." (Matthew 5:43-48)

Love your enemies. Meaning, of course, that you will have enemies. There will be those who persecute you. You'll have that guy at work for whom nothing you do is ever good enough; that neighbor who yells at your kids or complains endlessly about the fact that you own a dog. You'll come across the person who wants to beat you up because your kids don't get along, or the driver slams on the brakes, and then the gas pedal when you try to pass him. People who are just downright unlovable. 

But Jesus tells us, it's easy to love a nice person. It's easy to be kind to those who are kind to us. He calls us to a higher standard, because we represent Him, and He is our example. And what did He do? When He was stripped, beaten, mocked, and crucified? He cried out in anguish and in exquisite love, "Father, forgive them!" 

Think about that. Think about that deep love He has for each of us. Do we, who have no claim on Salvation beyond the grace of Christ have the right to even consider withholding grace from others?

So be kind to those who are unkind to you. Love them patiently, gracefully, earnestly -- so that, by you, they may also come to know Him.

What's This Love Stuff All About, Anyway?

Today is Valentine's Day, and it seems like the obvious thing to do would be to take a look at what God says about love. So, never one to ignore the obvious, I'm going to do just that. But before looking at 1 Corinthians 13 -- the famous "love chapter" of the Bible, I want to look at what kind of love is being described here. This chapter, particularly verses 4-8, are often used at weddings -- as they ought to be. But the love described isn't merely a romantic love. Rather, it is love in its purest form: the love God has for His children, and the love we must have for one another. It's easy to be patient and kind when it comes to your spouse (though, admit it, some days are easier than others). But this ideal love extends to everybody when we do as Christ commanded and love our neighbors as ourselves.

So what is love? Paul begins his description in verse 4.

^"Love is patient." Patience is a quality of "quietly and steadily persevering," says the dictionary. Endurance of hardship, provocation, or annoyance. Diligence. 

"Love is kind." That is, generous and good. Affectionate, altruistic, and sympathetic. 

"It does not envy." Indeed love is the quality which allows us to sacrifice for the good of others; to rejoice in their successes and good fortunes, and to wish for them only the best -- even when it means we go without. 

"It does not boast, it is not proud." It doesn't delight in the suffering of others. This is the flip side of not being envious. Love means, when we are blessed, it is our desire to share that blessing, rather than brag about it.

"It does not dishonor others." Love means we won't elevate ourselves at the expense of others, whether in words, or in deeds. "It," in other words, "is not self-seeking." 

"It is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs." Because love forgives.

"Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth." A saying I've heard here and there says, a good friend won't let you get into trouble; a great friend won't let you get into trouble alone. In fact, love requires a steady hand to hold our friend back from folly. And that we are honest.

"It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails." 

Finally, when you look at this wonderful, glorious description of love, remember, too, that God is Love (1 John 4:8).

Thank God for love.

We All Fall Down

Today is Ash Wednesday. Traditionally, this first day of Lent, we begin our 40 days of sacrifice with sorrow and remembrance of our wicked lives. The ashes are representative of this deep sadness and regret -- a symbol sprinkled throughout the Old Testament of anguish.

More than anything, it is a sign of repentance. A way to humbly come before God with an expression of sorrow for how we have sinned against Him (Matthew 11:20-22).

These next 40 days we know as Lent are a great reminder of everything Jesus gave up in order to bring us closer to Himself. Of how He traded Divinity for Humanity, how He allowed Himself to hunger, thirst, and be tempted, so He could then lead a life of service before being brutalized and murdered -- all so you and I wouldn't have to suffer the eternal consequence of Godless lives. Ash Wednesday reminds us of the sorrow and humility with which we approach the Throne of Grace. We understand our position in comparison with God, and realize we haven't the right to even ask forgiveness -- but that He has freely and willingly offered it anyway.

I confess I have mixed feelings about Ash Wednesday. When I sin before my God, I am reminded of how little I have to offer Him -- that my deeds and what material possessions I have are as ashes before His glory. But at the same time, Psalm 103:12 tells us "as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us." 

So are we, then, to be sorrowful for a life God Himself no longer remembers? Now that we are forgiven, are we to drape ourselves in sackcloth and ashes, to continue to regret the sins which are no longer a part of who we are? I believe Christ removed that Sin from my life, and can't therefore grieve over it, but instead must rejoice in knowing I am clean. 

I can only conclude Ash Wednesday is indeed for all of us. Because we all sin and fall short of the Glory of God. And when we do, we must humble ourselves in deep sorrow, and come before God to repent. But once forgiven, Ash Wednesday is a way to remember who we once were, and rejoice that Christ has transformed us.