Instead of Beating Yourself Up for Mistakes, Do This

Titus 2:11-12

For the grace of God has appeared that offers salvation to all people. It teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age…”

2 Corinthians 12:9

But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore, I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.

 

Today, we wrap up our series on the fruits of the spirit.  Self-control, which we began talking about yesterday, often seems the most elusive of the fruits.  Part of the reason for this is that it is easier to spot a lack of self-control than it is to spot someone exercising self-control.  This is especially true of ourselves. We tend to focus way more on our failures to control ourselves than our successes.  When we let that unkind word slip out, when we eat the second piece of cake, and when we give in to our addiction, we beat ourselves up way more than we celebrate our practice of restraint or following through with our intention.  When we do this, we violate an important principle of human behavior;  what you focus on, you get more of. 

If all a child ever hears is “Don’t do _________,”  the child will exhibit more and more negative behavior.  If you are trying to beat an addiction and your constant internal self-talk is “don’t take that drink,”  your brain will actually be more compelled to take that drink.  If you only give attention to failure, you will get more failure.

So try something different.  Instead of focusing on what you don’t want to happen, focus on the good that is already happening.  My guess is that if you were to count the times you actually made a solid choice each day, they would vastly outnumber the mistakes.  I’m pretty sure this is true for almost all of us because the people who make bad choices all day every day don’t read a daily devotional.  They don’t even read much.  They have no regard for scripture.  They have never attended a church service, online or not.  I’ve just pointed out a few good decisions that most of you made today.  My guess is that if you were looking for them, you could find dozens more.  That is the fruit of self control.

When you notice that fruit, focus on building on that. Small steps. Every day. Over week, months, and years.  As Eugene Peterson’s epic book suggests, it’s A Long Obedience in the Same Direction.  That’s how self-control develops, or more accurately, how it IS DEVELOPED in us. 

 

Prayer:  God, help us see the self-control you have already developed in us so that we see the foundation for our next steps.  Amen

 

Prayer Focus:  Ask God to show you positive behavior in yourself and others.

 

Song:  I have to bring this one back for the last day of Fruits of the Spirit. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rezg4jYFoj0

This Has Changed And Will Change the World

So the trouble is not with the law, for it is spiritual and good. The trouble is with me, for I am all too human, a slave to sin.  I don’t really understand myself, for I want to do what is right, but I don’t do it. Instead, I do what I hate.  But if I know that what I am doing is wrong, this shows that I agree that the law is good.  So I am not the one doing wrong; it is sin living in me that does it.

And I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature.  I want to do what is right, but I can’t.  I want to do what is good, but I don’t. I don’t want to do what is wrong, but I do it anyway.  But if I do what I don’t want to do, I am not really the one doing wrong; it is sin living in me that does it.

I have discovered this principle of life—that when I want to do what is right, I inevitably do what is wrong.  I love God’s law with all my heart.  But there is another power within me that is at war with my mind. This power makes me a slave to the sin that is still within me.  Oh, what a miserable person I am! Who will free me from this life that is dominated by sin and death? Thank God! The answer is in Jesus Christ our Lord. So you see how it is: In my mind I really want to obey God’s law, but because of my sinful nature I am a slave to sin.                      Romans 7:14-25

 

For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline.                                                                                                      2 Timothy 1:7

 

The Apostle Paul’s very real struggle above is my struggle as well – a struggle with self-control – which is the last fruit on the list.  Maybe Paul listed it last because he has the hardest time with it.  I don’t know.  But I’m guessing Paul and I are not alone.  In fact, I know we aren’t.  If we all were always able to make choices in alignment with our truest and highest ideals, can you imagine the world we would live in?

Think of the mean and cruel things never said, all the triggers that would never be pulled and all the lies never told.  Think of all the property never stolen, reputations never ruined, affairs that would never have started and parents that would not be disrespected by their children.  More positively stated, think of how God would be worshipped, how God’s name would only be uttered with respect, and how many idols would be forgotten.  The world would be unrecognizable from the one we live in if we all had perfect self-control. 

That is my simple point today.  As we are taught self-control by the Spirit of God, it will change the world.  The world was changed by the same Paul who lamented his lack of self-control above because he was able, with God’s help, to make honorable choices in the midst of the choices he lamented.  His well-chosen and God-inspired words have become scripture for billions.  The fledgling movement he led has become the faith of over a quarter of the world.  He is one of the most revered figures in the Christian world not because he didn’t exercise self control, but because he did. 

I’m glad Paul included his little pity party in his letter to the Romans because it reminds me that if he felt that way, then certainly it’s understandable that you and I could feel that way.  But hear his words to the Corinthian church; “follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ.” (1 Cor 11:1)  Self control is not only possible; it is necessary for our lives, the lives of those we care about, and the life of the world to thrive and become what God created all of it to be.  The journey toward self-control brings the fruit of self-control along the way.  More on this next time.

 

Prayer:  God, we confess we often are like Paul – unable to do what we want to do and doing what we don’t want to do.  Save us from ourselves.  Plant the fruit of self-control in our spirits. Amen.

 

Prayer Focus: In the United Methodist Church, many pastors have moved this week and will lead worship for the first time in their new assignments.  Pray for them and their families.

 

Song:  Give Me Self-Control – Sovereign Grace Music

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JuFdp73-un8

The Power of Gentleness

Blessed are the meek and gentle—they will inherit the earth. Matthew 5:5

 

“Be wise as servants and gentle as doves”             Matthew 10:16

 

“Gentleness is strength under control”    Elizabeth George

 

A wild horse and a tame horse both have the same STRENGTH. The wild one can’t be used effectively–no control. But the tame, gentle horse can do many powerful and useful things.  The Holy Spirit trains us in gentleness so we can do the same.  Too often, gentleness is seen as weakness.  Gentile people are seen as doormats.  But that’s not the gentleness that Jesus describes us having.  Gentleness is power used wisely and in a controlled manner – the way Jesus used power.  When we exhibit this brand of gentleness it accomplishes many things.  Here’s a short, but not exhaustive list:

 

1. Gentleness defuses conflict. Proverbs 15:1, “A gentle answer turns away wrath but a harsh word stirs up anger.”

 

2.  Overcome mistakes -  so often, public figures who make public mistakes become defensive and abrasive.  Occasionally, you see one who is repentant and gentle in their response in a way that owns the mistake and at the same time, is committed to doing better.  People are often willing to forgive when mistakes are handled in this way.

 

3. Gentleness disarms critics! “When we are slandered, we try to be conciliatory and answer softly.” (1 Corinthians 4:13)  Critics gain traction and energy from our uncontrolled anger.  Don’t give them any extra energy by exercising a gentle response.

 

4. Gentleness is persuasive  - Proverbs 25:15 says “…gentle speech breaks down rigid defenses” and Proverbs 16:21 asserts that  “…pleasant words are persuasive.” John Brickell states that the opposite is also true; “I am never persuasive when I am abrasive.”

 

5. Gentleness is attractive! Sometime when you have the time, read the story of Ruth and Boaz.  Ruth is one the heroes of the Bible, but the gentleness of Boaz comes through in an attractive manner in this story.  People who are known for their gentleness attract others.

 

6. Gentleness communicates love. You know this if you have ever been on the receiving end of gentleness. 

 

7. Gentleness earns respect. Proverbs 11:6 states, “A woman of gentle grace will be respected,”   A good example is of this is Mother Teresa. Her gentle but powerful manner earned her respect worldwide.

 

8. Gentleness is a witness to our faith. People do pay attention to your words, but they pay even more attention to the way that you say them and the way that you live. 

 

Properly understood and lived out, gentleness is one of the most powerful forces on earth because gentleness is love in action.  May we pursue gentleness today in our actions with others this day and every day.

 

Prayer:  God, train us in your gentle and loving ways.  May we be known for our gentle strength as Jesus was.  Amen.

 

Prayer Focus:  Pray for people in abusive relationships today. 

 

Song:  Spirit, Spirit of Gentleness

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=95iJo2IJxAU

The Critical Space Between

A bevy of scriptures on our next fruit gentleness:

 

Titus 3:2

To speak evil of no one, to avoid quarreling, to be gentle, and to show perfect courtesy toward all people.

1 Peter 3:15

But in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect,

Proverbs 15:1

A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.

2 Timothy 2:24

And the Lord's servant must not be quarrelsome but kind to everyone, able to teach, patiently enduring evil, correcting his opponents with gentleness

James 3:17

But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere.

Galatians 6:1

Brothers, if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness. Keep watch on yourself, lest you too be tempted.

Matthew 11:29

Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.

 

Why all the scripture?  I wanted to point out how scripture teaches us to be gentle in almost everything we do.  Speak gently, defend our faith gently, respond to anger gently, serve gently, exercise wisdom gently, correct a mistake gently, (etc, etc, etc.. ).  I could list several more scriptures that pair gentleness with virtually all activities of the follower of Jesus.  In my experience, gentleness is one of the most overlooked fruits in the list.  It’s the lychee (a fruit that many have never heard of… if you’re interested, google it) of the spiritual world. 😊

Also, it is perhaps the most badly needed right now.  We are living in a time when so many people’s nerves are frayed and their stress levels are through the roof.  That actually can explain the lack of gentleness; when we’re feeling stressed and harassed, gentleness doesn’t come naturally.  The irony is that it is those times of stress and harassment that gentleness is most needed. 

The good news today is that there is a reliable source of gentleness – the Spirit of God.  But in order to access this everlasting source, we have to push “pause” in the moment before losing our you-know-what.  There is actually a moment before we throw gentleness out the window.  God’s Spirit is there in that moment, but we often ignore it.  Taking a long slow breath in that moment has the potential to remind ourselves that the Spirit is available to help.  As you inhale, feel the Breath move into your lungs.  “Breath” is the root meaning of the Hebrew word for “Spirit.”  With the Spirit accessed through our breath, we may notice we have more options than the one that was about to happen automatically.  This is a moment of freedom. This is a moment when a gentle option becomes possible.  Try it today.

We’ll continue our practice tomorrow with a discussion about how gentleness is the option of strength, not weakness.

 

Prayer:  God, help us discover the moment between our stresses and our response, for in discovering those moments we discover you are there. Amen

 

Prayer Focus:  Pray for people you vehemently disagree with today.

 

Song:  David Crowder Band – How He Loves

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Plngh8SkkA4

What Will You Be Able to Say?

Long Scripture reading.  Take your time. Notice the details.  Ask God to speak to directly through the scripture:

 

Matthew 25:14-30

“Again, it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted his wealth to them.  To one he gave five bags of gold, to another two bags, and to another one bag,[a] each according to his ability. Then he went on his journey.  The man who had received five bags of gold went at once and put his money to work and gained five bags more.  So also, the one with two bags of gold gained two more.  But the man who had received one bag went off, dug a hole in the ground and hid his master’s money.

“After a long time the master of those servants returned and settled accounts with them. 20 The man who had received five bags of gold brought the other five. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘you entrusted me with five bags of gold. See, I have gained five more.’

“His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!’

“The man with two bags of gold also came. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘you entrusted me with two bags of gold; see, I have gained two more.’

“His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!’

“Then the man who had received one bag of gold came. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘I knew that you are a hard man, harvesting where you have not sown and gathering where you have not scattered seed.  So I was afraid and went out and hid your gold in the ground. See, here is what belongs to you.’

“His master replied, ‘You wicked, lazy servant! So you knew that I harvest where I have not sown and gather where I have not scattered seed?  Well then, you should have put my money on deposit with the bankers, so that when I returned I would have received it back with interest.

“‘So take the bag of gold from him and give it to the one who has ten bags.  For whoever has will be given more, and they will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what they have will be taken from them.  And throw that worthless servant outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’

 

I can not read this story, taking it seriously, and come out on the other side thinking that my actions regarding what I have been given are unimportant to God – the specific ways that I spend my time, the specific ways I spend my money, the ways that I use my talents.  None of those things  - my time, my money, or my talents – are really mine.  They will all recalled some day by their owner (my owner) and an accounting will take place.  I’d like to think this won’t happen, but this Jesus tells me this story to assure me that it will.  My faithfulness IS EXPECTED!  I can try and fail, but not trying is not a faithful option. 

So I recommit myself to faithfulness.  I hope you will too. 

 

Prayer:  Lord,  we commit actions today to your purposes.  Use them beyond our time, talent, and treasure. To you be the glory forever. Amen.

 

Prayer Focus:  Pray a prayer of gratitude for all the resources, relationships, gifts, and other blessings that you have in your possession at the moment. 

 

Song:  All I Am – Phil Wickham

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SXBr5W27pao

The Power to be Faithful

‘Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit,’ says the Lord Almighty.      Zechariah 4:6

 

Like all the other fruits of the Spirit, our faithfulness proceeds from God’s faithfulness.  This is crucial.  I can’t sustain my own faithfulness.  When I’ve tried, I have always reached the moment when I decide that I’m done.  In my work as a Pastor, I have on multiple occasions gotten to the point where I say to myself, “I’ve got to find something else to do with my life.”  In each of those cases, I realized that I was trying to be faithful on my own power.  It may work for a while, but it is not sustainable.

In the above scripture, “by my Spirit” is the key.  To the extent that we are “present” with the Spirit that God has placed within us, our faithfulness becomes sustainable.  To be present with the Spirit is to be aware of and connected to the Spirit’s presence in us.  This is what the Psalmist means when he shares God’s encouragement to “be still and know that I am God.” (46:10)  The most important part of our day is the time we spend slowing ourselves down enough to pay attention to the presence of God with us.  When this becomes a habit, we have a growing sense of God’s faithfulness to us.  This makes our faithfulness a natural response, not drudgery.

What has God called you to be faithful in?  If you don’t have an answer to that question, be assured that what God is calling you to be faithful in is practicing being aware of God’s presence.  Other areas of obedience grow out of that.  If you are aware of even a small thing that God is calling you to do, do it. As you do it, notice how God shows up in your doing it.  That leads to the next step in your faithfulness.  We’ll talk more about that tomorrow.

 

Prayer:  God, slow me down enough that I may notice your presence with me and your faithfulness to me.  Amen.

 

Prayer Focus:  Take some time to be quiet and still today, asking God to make God’s presence known to you. 

 

Song: Great is Thy Faithfulness – Chris Rice

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0k1WhFtVp0o

Faithfulness

 

Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful.

                                                                                Hebrews 10:23

 

We are not called upon to be successful, but to be faithful.

                                                                                Mother Teresa

 

Today, we move to the fruit of faithfulness.  Staying the course of faithful action even when it’s hard and even when it seems like it isn’t doing any good seems downright impossible at times.  I like to think that my actions make a difference.  I’m guessing you do too.  So Mother Teresa’s words above are sometimes hard to hear.  Jesus never said, “follow me and I will make you successful.”

Here’s the hard part about being unsuccessful.  Failing is an integral part of growing up.  I worry about my kids when things seem to come too easy.  I actually want them to encounter some adversity and even fail sometimes.  Do I sympathize, hurt with them, and love on them when that happens?  You bet I do!  But I don’t actually hope that everything they ever attempt is a rousing victory.

Why? Because there are lessons you cannot learn any other way other than by failing.  Failing also has the potential to teach you compassion.  How can you know how to support someone who is suffering if you’ve never suffered.  One of the deepest comforts that Jesus supplies to me in times of  suffering is that I know He knows what is to suffer.  God knows my suffering because God suffers as well.   The really powerful part of that is that God’s suffering brings redemption.  The cross is how God brings redemption.  But here’s the part that isn’t said much.  Our suffering can also, with God’s help, bring redemption.

This truth helps me be faithful.  Knowing that God uses success and failure to bring about redemption means that my faithfulness is enough.  My obedience to the call is not about me producing certain results.  In fact, I’m not responsible for the results.  I am responsible for obedience.  I’m responsible for being faithful.  But I don’t even have to be faithful on my own.  But that’s a topic for next time.

 

Prayer:  God, it feels so good to succeed and it feels so bad to fail.  Thank you that you are able to use our efforts regardless of how we feel about them. Help us to be faithful.

 

Prayer Focus:  Pray for struggling business owners you know today.

 

Song:  Hillsong United – So Will I – Pay close attention to the words of this song…so powerful.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fyYn21RdBBQ

The Purpose of Being Good

Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.                Galatians 6:9-10

 

“Do all the good you can. By all the means you can. In all the ways you can. In all the places you can. At all the times you can. To all the people you can. As long as ever you can.”

John Wesley

 

Doing good is the second General Rule of the United Methodist Church.  Another Wesleyan denomination, the Salvation Army, adopted “doing the most good” as their motto.  Most followers of Jesus would include doing good among the things Christians are supposed to do.  But like other worthy goals, sometimes we need to ask ourselves, are we actually doing it.  In this case, we need to ask ourselves, “are we actually doing good.” 

It leads us to another question.  How would we know if what we are doing is good?  As the Apostle Paul said, ““I have the right to do anything,” you say—but not everything is beneficial. “I have the right to do anything”—but not everything is constructive.” (1 Corinthians 10:23)  The best guidance I can find in this respect is Jesus’s words from the Sermon on the Mount:  Matthew 5:16 says, “In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.”

“They may see” and “glorify your Father.”  Good deeds are those that point others to God, not ourselves.  This speaks to the motivation behind what we do.  When we do good things, are we trying to attract attention to ourselves?  Are we trying to get “credit” in some way?  Are we doing a good thing for someone in hopes of getting something good in return?  I’ll admit that the answer for myself to all three of those questions is often “yes.”  I want others to regard me as a “good man” and I do want good things from others.  Let me clear here.  I don’t see anything terrible about wanting those things, but the “bar” for the spiritual fruit of goodness is higher.  It is a goodness produced by our actions that points others to God.  Please know this; people know the difference.  Self-serving goodness and Spirt-produced goodness feel different to the recipient.  One feels like manipulation and one feels like grace. 

I have been the recipient of that gracious fruit many times in my life.  I pursued my calling as a  pastor because of so many helped me see what God was doing in my life.  Many of the people who helped me never knew they did.  Some others know I was helped but seem almost surprised that what they did had any part in it.  In the times I realize that something I did accomplished some Godly good, I am often awestruck. 

You see, like the other fruits we’ve been talking about, the spiritual fruit of goodness is not something we can grow and produce ourselves.  It sometimes involves us being open to quiet promptings to do things that might not seem important or make sense in the moment.  It sometimes involves us pressing through work that we feel called to do but often feel unmotivated to continue.  It sometimes means that we do good things that for which we know we will not get any personal reward or credit.  Every once in a while though, God lets us see how those good works made a difference we couldn’t see in the moment.  And that leaves us wanting more of that sweet, sweet fruit.

 

Prayer:  God, make us goodness fruit producers.  Mold our spirits and our actions in such a way that they can point others to you. Amen.

 

Prayer Focus:  Spend some time remembering the times when you were the recipient of good fruit that helped you sense God’s activity in your life.  Thank God for the goodness fruit producers that helped you.

 

Song:  Thank You For Giving to the Lord – Ray Boltz

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d-3BJrG79IA

Juneteenth 2023

“So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.” (John 8:36)

 

“The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor.  He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.” (Jesus, in Luke 4:18-19)

 

“He has told you, human one, what is good and what the Lord requires from you: to do justice, embrace faithful love, and walk humbly with your God.” (Micah 6:8, CEB)

 

Today is our newest national holiday, Juneteenth.  Only official since 2021, the celebration goes back over a hundred and fifty years to the end of the Civil War in America.  I have to confess that I did not know anything about it or the history that gave its origins until three years ago – not proud of that, but truth nonetheless.

 

Today, on the day when I usually post something from someone else, I share a link to a video that explains the history behind Juneteeth and its eventual designation of a national holiday.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lq8TNKZVEWs

 

Friends, the end of slavery in America is indeed worthy of a national holiday.  But Juneteenth should also be a reminder that we still have much work to do to deal with the injustice still present in “the land of the free.”  Common morality calls us to this justice work, but our Christian faith demands it. Spend a few minutes today pondering the connection between the spiritual imperatives above with the history of injustice in our own country today.  More importantly, ask God to show you what you can do to be part of this holy work.

 

Prayer:  Lord we confess that that there is still brokenness and pain in our culture that needs healing and reconciliation.  Help us see how we can cooperate with You to bring justice wherever we are. Amen.

 

Prayer Focus:  Pray toward the emergence of at least one thing you can do towards dismantling injustice that you are aware of right now.

 

Song:  Where is the Love – Black Eyed Peas

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XSiP0epO0oU

What Makes Someone Good?

As Jesus started on his way, a man ran up to him and fell on his knees before him. “Good teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?”

“Why do you call me good?” Jesus answered. “No one is good—except God alone.”

You know the commandments: ‘You shall not murder, you shall not commit adultery, you shall not steal, you shall not give false testimony, you shall not defraud, honor your father and mother.’”

“Teacher,” he declared, “all these I have kept since I was a boy.”

Jesus looked at him and loved him. “One thing you lack,” he said. “Go, sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”

                                                                Mark 10:17-21

 

“He’s a good man.”

I’ve said that many times about people who have come up in conversation.  I’ve heard lots of other people say it to me about people they know.  But what does that really mean?  As I think about it now, I think when I say it, I usually am describing more of a feeling I get about my experience of that person.  My experience of that person has been good.  But really, what does it really mean to display the fruit of goodness in the way that we live?

Jesus brings clarity to this issue in a conversation found in three of the four Gospels.  Jesus picks up on what seems to be an unimportant part of the man’s question to make an important point – a point that will make it clear what we must do to display goodness. 

The man addresses Jesus as “Good Teacher.”  Jesus asks in reply, “Why to you call me good – only God is good?”  Some have actually suggested that this is denying his divinity, but I think the exact opposite is true.  I think Jesus is trying to lead the man to realize that he is in fact divine.  To illustrate, let me use a different imaginary conversation.

A man named George approaches his Doctor, and says, “Hey Dr. James…”

Dr. James replies, “Why do you call me Dr?”

George thinks for a moment.  When looking for a doctor, he did a search on the internet and Dr. Kendrick James came up in the results, so he called to make an appointment.  But he realizes, he doesn’t really know if this man he has entrusted his health to is actually a medical doctor. 

“Come to think of it,” George answers, “I don’t really know. Are you actually a doctor?”

Dr. James walks over to the wall.  “So glad you asked… here’s all of my degrees, including my medical degree from Johns Hopkins.”

Something similar is happening in Jesus’s conversation with the man in the above passage and there’s some really important teaching here.  First, Jesus points out, “only God is good.”  If there is goodness in anyone, it comes from God.  Second, after pointing out that only God is good, Jesus goes on to walk him through six of the Ten Commandments.  It was a long time before I noticed that the six Jesus mentions are the six that have to do with loving people.  God ahead and check above.  I’ll be here when you come back.

The man responds to Jesus by confirming he has kept these six commandments since childhood.  Jesus doesn’t dispute that.  Instead, he points to other four Commandments that have to do with loving God without actually listing them.  He says, ““One thing you lack; Go, sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”

“Then, come follow me,” is the key phrase here.  Jesus establishes that goodness only comes from God, that the man has made money his God, and so he must give that up and follow Jesus to inherit eternal life and goodness.  In effect, Jesus is saying, “to be good, follow me because I am good because I am God,” 

My goodness and your goodness do not come from us.  They come from the God who created us and called us good.  Our goodness grows and blooms from following the Spirit of God within us.  Next time, we’ll talk about those “blooms” or fruit of goodness.

 

Prayer:  God, you alone are good.  We thank you that you have created us, redeemed us, and sustain us for sharing in your goodness.  Grow your good fruit in us.  Amen.

 

Prayer Focus:  Pray for lawmakers at every level as they seek to make changes in our laws that will allow healing of the deep divisions in our country right now.

 

Song:  Israel & New Breed - You Are Good

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ul6i6Kz2p2k

A Good Conspiracy Theory

He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?         Micah 6:8

 

And the Lord’s servant must not be quarrelsome but must be kind to everyone, able to teach, not resentful.  Opponents must be gently instructed, in the hope that God will grant them repentance leading them to a knowledge of the truth, and that they will come to their senses and escape from the trap of the devil, who has taken them captive to do his will.                2 Timothy 2:24-25

 

We’ve been talking about the power of kindness.  Bishop Desmond Tutu said, “Do your little bit of good where you are; it’s those little bits of good put together that overwhelm the world.” Mark Twain said “Kindness is a language which the deaf can hear and the blind can see.”  Steve Sjourn built a 3,000 plus member church through what he called a “conspiracy of kindness.” They would simply organize mass kindness events such as handing out bottles of water and people would be drawn to why people would even do such a thing.  Sjourn wrote a book about it that started a worldwide movement. 

Why would simple acts of kindness be so attractive and create such a movement?  Unfortunately, I believe it’s because unprovoked kindness is unexpected.  In fact, when confronted by such kindness, people will often ask incredulously, “why are you doing this?”  It’s a good question.  For followers of Jesus,  Jesus gives us our basis in Luke 6:27-36:

“But to you who are listening I say: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you,  bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you.  If someone slaps you on one cheek, turn to them the other also. If someone takes your coat, do not withhold your shirt from them.  Give to everyone who asks you, and if anyone takes what belongs to you, do not demand it back.  Do to others as you would have them do to you. “If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners love those who love them.  And if you do good to those who are good to you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners do that.  And if you lend to those from whom you expect repayment, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, expecting to be repaid in full.  But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be children of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked.  Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.”

We are kind to others because we are paying forward the kindness of God.  And that changes the world.  Let the kindness movement continue.

 

Prayer:  God, help us see how kind you have been to us so that it is completely natural for us to commit random acts of kindness that change the world around us.  Use our efforts to do what we could never do alone. Amen.

 

Prayer Focus:  Pray for people who starting new jobs this week or getting back to work after a furlough. 

 

Song:  One Day – Matisyahu 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SwUSZR2G3cc

The Cost of Kindness. . .

Those who are kind benefit themselves, but the cruel bring ruin on themselves.    Proverbs 11:17

 

“A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he was attacked by robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead.  A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side.  So too, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side.  But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him.  He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, brought him to an inn and took care of him. The next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper. ‘Look after him,’ he said, ‘and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.’

“Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?”

The expert in the law replied, “The one who had mercy on him.”                 

Jesus told him, “Go and do likewise.”                                       Luke 10:30-37

 

I think we all like to think of ourselves as being kind.  I certainly do.  But biblically speaking, being kind, as we talked about yesterday, implies that we are actively committing acts of kindness, not simply refraining from being unkind.  All too often though, we withhold kindness.

There are numerous possible reasons for this.  Speaking for myself, I sometimes don’t engage because I am simply preoccupied.  I’m too engrossed in my inner world that I ignore the opportunity right in front of me.  Other times, I feel like I’m too busy and to stop and show some kindness would throw me off my schedule.  Still other times, I just don’t want to get involved.  I feel like I might get sucked into something that will require more of me than I frankly want to give.  It’s hard to admit that publicly, but I know I’m not the only one who does this.  How about you? What keeps you from engaging in kind acts?

The reality is that kindness has a cost.  My above reservations about engaging in kindness are real.  I do have to lift my focus off myself and onto another to show authentic kindness.  It will sometimes wreck my schedule or to-do list.  And sometimes, it will indeed require me to give more of myself than I feel ready to give.  Whatever your reservations are, I bet they represent a real cost to you.   Here’s a hard-hitting question – if it doesn’t cost you anything, is it really kindness? 

The kindness that the Bible talks about God’s people practicing is costly; it’s more than being polite or courteous.  It puts us out.  It takes us out of our comfort zone.  It might even feel risky sometimes.  It’s the same kindness that God has extended to us.  The sun’s warmth is offered even to those who take it for granted.  The grace of God is offered to people who would spit on it if they could.  God’s Son was offered for all of us who every day fall short of being properly thankful for such an amazing gift. 

So yes, to be kind is to be a little reckless.  But as we said yesterday, it’s powerful.  It can and does change lives.  God’s kindness does just that every day.  And you and I get to be part of it – if we dare.  We’ll talk more about that tomorrow.

 

Prayer:  Lord, help us to be more than polite and courteous; help us to commit the sort of kindness that you use to change lives.  Amen

 

Prayer Focus:  Pray for your church today to be used by God to accomplish miraculous things!

 

Song:  Cory Asbury – Reckless Love (non-believer reaction)  This video is a little longer than usual, but it’s powerful.  It was made by a YouTube Creator who reviews music that he has never heard before live on camera.  People asked him to review a live performance of “Reckless Love.”  His reaction is moving. Enjoy!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lynwOb2ZiIo

If Not For Kindness. . .

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.                                - Galatians 5:22

 

Do to others what you want them to do to you. This is the meaning of the law of Moses and the teaching of the prophets.                             — Matthew 7:12

 

Today we move to the Spirit-produced fruit of kindness.  The encouragement to be kind is part of virtually every religious and ethical system in history.  Most religious and ethical systems have some form of the Golden Rule (Jesus”s version is above) in their teachings.  And yet kindness seems to so often escape us.  These days, there seems to be a shortage of kindness.

A couple of times during the course of my ministry, I have had to respond to the tragedy of someone taking their own life.  While the factors of what would cause someone to take their own life can’t really be known for sure, one of the recent environmental factors in many cases is “cyber-bullying,” a practice that Oxford Dictionary defines as “the use of electronic communication to bully a person, typically by sending messages of an intimidating or threatening nature.” To state the obvious, this practice, which is rampant on social media, points out a fundamental lack of kindness. 

My guess is that most of us reading this try not to be unkind.  But I want to push you (and myself) a bit because Jesus’s teaching is NOT to avoid being unkind.  His teaching is to actively spread kindness.  When we do this, it is VERY powerful.  In fact, I am aware of so many instances when one perfectly timed act of kindness actually stopped a person from taking their own life.  Kindness saves lives!  And yet, you and I too often withhold it.  I say withhold because the kindness is within us.  We do choose to be kind on occasion.  The times we are not kind are not because we are not able to do so.  We withhold kindness. 

We will address some of the reasons why we withhold simple kindness next time, but I want to close today by calling us back to the Golden Rule and the question it forces us to consider.  Do you wish for people to withhold kindness from you?

Here’s your homework today.  Try to catch yourself withholding kindness from others.  You think about giving someone a call to check on them but you decide against it.  You feel a compliment rising to your lips, but you don’t let it see the light of day.  You feel compassion for someone but don’t act on it.  When you catch yourself doing this, rather than chide yourself, ask yourself, why did I withhold this kindness?  As I said, that will be the topic of tomorrow’s edition.

 

Prayer:  God, show us the kindnesses that we withhold today, for we know the world needs kindness now more than ever.  Amen

 

Prayer Focus:  Pray for families that are dealing with the fallout of suicide, some even many years later.

 

Song:  If Everyone Cared – Nickelback

This song definitely won’t be everyone’s cup of tea, but I thought the video was well done.  There’s a quote at the end that gets covered by Youtube Ads.  Here it is. 

“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it's the only thing that ever has.”                   Margaret Mead

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-IUSZyjiYuY

Spiritual Fashion

 

You are the people of God; he loved you and chose you for his own. So then, you must clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience.                             Colossians 3:12

 

“Clothe yourselves” with, among other things, patience.  The apostle Paul instructs that this is part of what it means to be the people of God.  His use of the verb “clothe” implies that we have a role to play in developing and displaying patience in our lives.  We don’t just wait for God to make us more patient.  This has been my experience.

I’ve joked that praying for patience is a dangerous prayer, but it is a prayer that I encourage you to pray on a regular basis.  One of the ways that prayer changes us is that it sensitizes us to the opportunities before us to have our prayer answered.  It also has the potential to see the situations that cause us to be impatient in a transformative way.  So, begin by asking God to teach you patience.  Then, when you encounter a situation where patience is needed, here are some suggestions for cooperating with God’s patience-building in your spirit.

Press pause and breathe.  When you sense impatience rising up, imagine pressing a pause button on it.  Then take at least one full slow breath.  As you draw in your breath, connect with the Spirit within you.  Realize that in that short pause, you have the freedom to choose your response to this situation.  More importantly, the resource of God’s presence is available to help you respond in the moment.  I stress “respond” because our tendency is to simply react.  And if you’re like me, the reaction is too often impatience.  Pausing and breathing creates the potential for a chosen response instead of a reaction.

Reframe the situation.  Instead of saying to yourself, “I can’t believe this traffic!” use your creativity to imagine how you could use the extra time.  Instead of focusing on the possibility of you being late, look for a different way to see the bigger picture.  Getting all bent out of shape will not make you arrive on time, so how could you use the time you been “given.”  You can deal with being late when you arrive and when you arrive, you may be better equipped to deal with being late than if you tied yourself up in knots all the way there.

I like the way Melissa Eisler puts it:

“Getting better at being patient will make your life (and the lives of those around you) easier and ultimately will make you a happier person. After all – adversity won’t be going away anytime soon – it’s part of the human experience and you can’t escape it.”

Patience also identifies you as the people of God. 

 

Prayer:  Spirit of the Living God, fall afresh on us, especially in those moments that would trigger impatience.  Amen

 

Prayer Focus:  Pray for teachers that you know today.

 

Song:  In a Hurry - Alabama

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=15gT9HByEN4

Waiting for the Weather to Change

As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received.  Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love.  Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.  There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to one hope when you were called;  one Lord, one faith, one baptism;  one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.                       Ephesians 4:1-6

 

I’ve heard it said about the weather in Florida, if you don’t like it, just wait a couple of hours; it will change.  Having patience is a little bit like waiting for the weather to change.  In moments of unpleasantness in our relationships, it’s easy to let the stress of the moment get the best of us.  We can say things we don’t mean, conjure up all kinds of horrible stories about the other person, or even do things that we will later regret.  Paul, writing to people in Ephesus, encourages them in such times to go deeper; “Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love.”

This sounds great but really, how do we do this.  I have to confess that I’m no expert.  I struggle with this.  However, Paul gives us some clues.  First, he says be humble and gentle.   This is a predisposition.  In other words, it involves a decision beforehand to act humbly and gently.  I need to stress the beforehand part.  Before the heated moment comes, it has to be already decided that, when that moment comes, remaining humble and gentle is the plan.  Otherwise, the tendency will be not to act, but to react.  This is not easy by any means, but without a pre-decided course of action, bad reactions are more probable.

The second part of what Paul says is, “be patient, bearing with one another in love” This is to remember the goal of our relationships.  We are here to love God and love people.  we can so easily forget that in the midst of a conflict.  Getting our way or proving ourselves right becomes the goal.  When that happens, love is sacrificed.  If we can keep our focus on love as the ultimate goal, we can then be more patient is trying to work toward a solution in the present issue.  Patience grows out of a commitment to love.  In fact, exercising patience is part of what love does (“love is patient,” 1 Cor 13). 

So two practices to work on today: (1) deciding in advance of a difficult encounter that we will be humble and gentle and (2) keeping love the primary goal.  Give it a go.

 

Prayer:  God, help us learn humility and gentleness in our interactions with each other.  Help us be patient with each other as you have been patient with us.  Help us keep love the goal. Amen.

 

Prayer Focus:  Pray for those with Covid-19 and their families.

 

Song:  Let it Be Love – Lady Antebellum

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AQB-BQn6EJ4

Pride and Patience?

 

“Patience is better than pride.” Ecclesiastes 7:8 NLT

 

Doing some research in preparation for talking about patience, I came across this verse in Ecclesiastes.  I don’t remember reading it before, but I know I have.  My initial reaction was, “Why is the Preacher (many scholars name for the author of Ecclesiastes) comparing pride and patience? He talks as if the absence of one would cause the other.  That stopped me in my tracks.

When I am prideful, I inflate my value to be more important than it really is.  More than that, I am tempted to see myself as being more important than others.  I convince myself that I shouldn’t have to wait in line for the Doctor. That person should have already responded to my text, email, or phone call.  Don’t they know how important my issue is?  Why hasn’t God answered my prayer?  I’ve been praying for this for months!  I think you get the picture.  I know that none of you have such thoughts, so today’s message is for me.  😊

Patience is an antidote for prideful behavior.  Why I wait in line, I can remind myself that there are others who are waiting too who are just as valuable as me.  I can also use the time to pray or read a quick Bible verse (or a really brilliant devo from your favorite pastor ever).  Instead of letting my prideful resentment grow while I wait for someone to respond to me, I can patiently contact them to ask if everything is alright and graciously remind them I would like to have a response.  By the way, more than once when I have done this, I’ve discovered that the person I was tempted to be impatient with was experiencing a crisis and led me to compassion instead of pride.  Yes, sometimes the person was just being inconsiderate and ignoring my message.  But even then, exercising patience keeps me from also being inconsiderate in return.  Turning to the issue of “unanswered” prayer, patiently waiting for God  strengthens our faith muscles while impatiently expecting God to answer our prayers leads to what old English translations of the Bible call haughtiness,  a entitled expectation that God should answer my prayer because I deserve it. 

When you sense impatience rising in your spirit, ask yourself some questions?  What assumptions am I making about the person/situation that is the object of my impatience?  Do I sense some movement in my spirit towards pride? 

Patience is a fruit of the Spirit at work in us, so we are not alone in our efforts to summon the patience we need to move away from pride.  Quiet meditative prayer often helps us access the Spirit within us.  Patience is really better than pride. I invite us all to try it and see.  We’ll talk more about this next time. 

 

Prayer:  Patient God, help us see any prideful attitudes in our spirit towards you or other people.  Help us use patience to move away from that haughtiness.  Amen.

 

Prayer Focus:  Pray for the Florida Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church, which begins tomorrow. 

 

Song:  Patience Song – Veggie Tales

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PvgcAYVCUWU