Sunday, October 25, 2015

Self-emptying Compassion

Sunday 10/25/2015 5:23 AM
My devotional theme for the week is compassion, a quality that seems to be in short supply in our Western society, even within the church. My assigned reading included 2 Thessalonians 2:6-8, “We were not looking for praise from people, not from you or anyone else, even though as apostles of Christ we could have asserted our authority. Instead, we were like young children among you. Just as a nursing mother cares for her children, so we cared for you. Because we loved you so much, we were delighted to share with you not only the gospel of God but our lives as well.” Two things from those verses caught my attention.
The first is that Paul and his companions were like young children among the Thessalonians. Young children submit to the authority of adults and have no rights. If I am to live in a similar way in the world I need to forego any rights I may think are mine and allow others to be in control. How strange would that kind of living be in a society that exalts power and influence and stresses the importance of individual rights?
The second is that Paul cared for the Thessalonians like a nursing mother cares for her children. My daughters are both nursing babies at the moment. They sacrifice their own schedules, wants, and needs for the sake of their children. They immediately attend to the cries of their children and change a dirty diaper, provide milk or other sustenance, and soothe them when they are frightened, without complaint. That kind of treatment of our neighbors would also garner much attention in our modern world.
If I am to successfully show the love of God to my neighbors I need to live in such a way among them. But that kind of living comes with great cost. I need to be willing to humble myself and look to the needs of others without regard to my own needs or rights. Norman Shawchuck describes it like this, “We need not wonder about the cost of ministry. We need only look upon the cross with Jesus suspended there, and there we see the enormous cost of the ministry that is offered in the life and death of Jesus. The cost is great, but in the work of introducing men and women to Jesus and offering God’s love to them, the cost must be accepted. For it is our own self-emptying and compassion for others that permits them to see Jesus. And seeing Jesus they will also desire God’s love. It is in our living a way of love and compassion that others may be convinced to look at the cross of Jesus and also say, ‘Truly this is the Son of God.’”
It is my prayer that I can live with that kind of self-emptying compassion. And I pray this not only for me, but for the greater Christian community as well.

Tuesday, October 20, 2015

The Easy Road

Tuesday 10/20/2015 5:16 AM
My assigned scripture today included Proverbs 15:24, “The path of life leads upward for the prudent to keep them from going down to the realm of the dead.” I immediately thought of two separate circumstances of which I am aware.
The first is that of Lamar Odom, former NBA and reality TV star, who nearly died from a drug overdose last week. His life has spiraled out of control for the past couple of years due to his addiction to cocaine and possibly other drugs. He was at the top of the sports world and the entertainment world but he took a downward turn and has been headed for disaster for some time now.
The other situation is that of an acquaintance that has previously made some extremely bad decisions that turned his world upside down. Since then he has gone to school, worked hard to succeed in his chosen career, got married and is now gainfully employed and is actively involved in the lives of his children. He is loves life and is living it to the fullest.
Sometimes I wonder what decision to make given a choice of two different options. A good question for me to ask when considering the path to take is, “Does this path lead upward toward a fuller life or downward, diminishing my life?” After the choice is made I would do well to ask if my life is improving or if it is going downhill. The path of a full life will always lead upward. It is easier to go down a path rather than to have to climb. I pray that I will have the courage and fortitude to lead the path that leads to life, especially when it’s an uphill climb.

Tuesday, October 13, 2015

Faith in Calm and Chaos

Tuesday 10/13/2015 4:31 AM
To me, one of the most interesting chapters of the Bible is Hebrews 11. It describes the heroes of the faith who accomplished great things for God. The surprising part is that toward the end of the chapter it also describes those who had been tortured, flogged, jeered, stoned, sawn in two, destitute, persecuted, mistreated, and imprisoned. These too are included in the list of those commended for their faith.
I tend to gauge the level of my faith and my usefulness to God by how stress-free my life is. If I am healthy, employed, getting along well with others, etc., then I consider myself blessed and in right relationship with God. If my health fails, I pray for healing. If my relationship with someone is strained, I pray for restoration. If I become unemployed, I pray for a new job. In general, if my life isn’t sailing along on smooth waters I assume my relationship with God is suspect and I wonder what I am doing wrong.
I do not think I am alone in this kind of thinking. Some who have become disenchanted with the church wonder how a loving God could allow evil to be so prevalent in the world. If they allow for the possibility of a God, he is seen as a divine Santa Claus doling out presents for those who are good and lumps of coal for those who are bad, as an impotent old man unable to change anything, or a disinterested sadist who places his creatures in a random, chaotic creation and leaves them to fend for themselves.
In their book Companions in Christ, Reuben Job and Marjorie Thompson describe the true nature of God. “To imagine that God is here simply to console, affirm, heal, and love us is to deny the holiness of a God who requires righteousness, who challenges our illusions, who confronts our idolatries. When we are being ‘disillusioned’ from false perspectives, the spiritual journey feels arduous – more like climbing a steep mountain than like driving the great plains. Indeed, at times it feels like going over the edge of a cliff on nothing but the thin rope of faith. Sometimes we are called to endure in hope when we can see nothing positive on the horizon at all.”
It is easy to focus on the loving, nurturing nature of God but not so easy to accommodate God’s call to live a holy, righteous, selfless life. This is especially true living in our narcissistic, what’s-in-it-for me culture. Any attempt to seek justice for the economically oppressed in the world by suggesting that the world belongs to God and we are to live in harmony as a human community sharing the resources God has provided brings accusations of being a socialist or a communist, both terms of derision in our culture that idolizes capitalism and private property. If I suggest abortion is murdering an image bearer of God I am accused of being a misogynist who seeks to oppress a woman’s rights. The list could go on.
I pray that I will have the wisdom to recognize the genuineness of my faith is not dependent upon the circumstances of my life. I want to live my life trusting that God will use all the circumstances I encounter, both the good and bad, to mold me into someone who better reflects both the loving and the righteous image of God made visible through the life of Christ.

Monday, October 12, 2015

Straying

Monday 10/12/2015 5:07 AM
Yesterday I sang with the praise team at worship. The last song we sang was an oldie but goodie, Alleluia, by Michael W. Smith. I did some hand motions I had learned a number of years ago and became overwhelmed with emotion as I sang about God being holy, almighty, reigning over creation, and worthy of praise.
The theme of my devotions this week is trust. My opening prayer is, “Remembering your faithfulness from age to age, O Lord, let us trust that you have our best interests in mind as you respond to our cries for help in times of need. By your grace, teach us to rely more and more on your strong hand to support and guide us in the face of adversity.” Rueben Job, the author of my devotional book, suggests that regular times of prayer and corporate worship offer opportunities to establish a relationship of companionship with the God who made me and loves me.
I have attended corporate worship quite regularly over the past year but my regular times of personal prayer and meditation have been sparse. The result of my haphazard commitment to a regular time of prayer is that God seems somewhat distant and aloof. Of course, nothing could be further from the truth. I am simply unaware of his love and his working in the world because I have severed the lines of communication.
Today my assigned reading includes Exodus 34:6-7, God’s word to Moses after Moses had broken the two tablets of the law. “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.’” God does not leave me in isolation when I abandon him. He calls me back with words of love and forgiveness. Lord, give me the grace to maintain my relationship with you through regular times of prayer.

Thursday, October 8, 2015

Enough?

Thursday 10/8/2015 5:03 AM
Last night I had a conversation with my brother. We spoke about some issues with Mom’s living situation and then the conversation turned toward retirement. He and Kathy recently met with someone regarding their retirement situation and were pleasantly surprised that their retirement income was more substantial that what they previously thought. Then he shared that he found a group who is, as I would say, dumb enough to pay him to do what he loves to do, namely minister to pastors and churches and to write.
My reading today included the parable of the rich fool who built bigger barns to hold all of his surplus crops only to die before he could enjoy it all. Sometimes I worry about whether or not my resources will adequately provide for me in my retirement years. Then the rational side of my brain kicks in and I remind myself that God has provided for me for the first fifty-nine years of my life so he can probably handle the next twenty or so, if he allows me to live that long.
God doesn’t call me to hoard my income, saving it for a rainy day so I can live in comfort and ease after I stop working at my job. He calls me to a life of service, expending my time, energy, and resources for the benefit of others while I trust him to provide for me.
It is a good reminder for me today.

Saturday, October 3, 2015

Gentleness Meets Discipline

Saturday 10/3/2015 5:58 AM
I know a young musician who has struggled with substance abuse for years. Like many, he has gone through cycles of rehabilitation only to fall back into old patterns of destructive behavior. Over the years I have prayed for him and his family and, on a couple of occasions, I attended one of his gigs to show support.
At the last show I attended I had the privilege of witnessing his proposal to his girlfriend, something he had planned ahead of time without my knowing of it. They have been a source of mutual encouragement to one another and, with that encouragement; he has been sober for some time now. I am not a close enough friend to know any details but, from what I have observed, his life seems more filled with meaning and purpose. I’m sure the last couple of years have seen their share of struggles and heartache but the discipline he has shown and the support he receives have given him glimpses of a life he probably never dreamed could be his.
The theme of my devotions this week is gentleness, something not generally associated with the discipline needed for change. I read an excerpt from A Clearing Season, by Sarah Parsons, that reminded me of my friend’s situation. “When developing a disciplined practice, one of the most valuable gifts we can give ourselves is gentleness. In everyday life, we tend to associate discipline with rigidity, rules, and consequences for misbehavior. However, we tend to downplay the equally important role of gentleness in making changes. Change requires a great deal of effort from anyone engaged in it, even if the change is positive. Change plunges a previously ordered system into temporary chaos, and chaos is stressful. Gentleness takes into account our effort and stress; treating ourselves gently is a way of offering encouragement and appreciation for the work being done.”
Like all people, I struggle with certain issues. I make resolutions to change my behavior but often find that I slip back into the same old habits. When that occurs a harsh voice within whispers, “You are a failure,” and, without warning, I find myself in the all too familiar downward spiral into chaos. I need to do a better job of treating myself with gentleness, to recognize the progress that has been made and to celebrate it with those I love. I have the same prayer for my friend this morning.