Archive for the ‘Disciplines’ Category

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You Give Christians A Bad Name

August 11, 2014

Shot through the heart.
And you’re to blame.
Darling, you give love a bad name.

Apologies to Bon Jovi, but I heard a comment recently describing several people known to the commenter. He basically said, “They give Christians a bad name.”

While always ready with a supposedly Christian moral platitude or accusatory word, the private lives of many of that type of Christian often reveals that all-too-human gap between what we believe and how we live.

I mentioned before that I’m studying (with a small group) a book by John MacArthur called Twelve Ordinary Men about how Jesus trained the various apostles. Tomorrow, I’m leading discussion on John.

Have you read the gospel of John? He is one of those “truth-tellers” who divide everything up into black/white, light/dark, right/wrong, spiritual/earthly. John was ready to call down fire on a town that had rejected Jesus. He was one of those people.

MacArthur traces through the Gospels to show how Jesus gradually taught this fierce, fiery, politically tapped-in leader to temper truth telling with love. Not a mushy, sentimental love. But a love that understood people and sought to meet people not to talk at them but to talk with them.

That is something we all need to learn and incorporate as a Discipline–the ability to relate to others and meet them where they are. It’s not about us. It’s about them.

That is the lesson John learned–and taught.

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What Spiritual Discipline Is Hardest

August 4, 2014

I was wondering which Spiritual Discipline I found hardest to do. Which one is hard for you?

Study? Worship? Pray? Meditate? Service?

For me, I think it’s Celebrate.

This might be personal. I’ve been somewhat frazzled over the past four years as my life changed a lot after about 20 years of stability. So, I may not always be in a celebrating mood.

On the other hand, you sort of need a reason, place and friends to celebrate. The worship service I regularly attend could hardly be called a celebration. It’s almost boring, to be frank.

Most of the people I know have quite low-key celebrations. Gather, eat, chat. Doesn’t seem all that celebratory.

Maybe I don’t know how to celebrate? Maybe I expect too much?

What about you? How do you celebrate? Or, do you? Or what is hard for you?

People regain their relationship with God through practicing Spiritual Disciplines. We call Yoga a “practice” not a “workout.”

Maybe I should practice celebration.

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Cause and Effect

August 1, 2014

If…Then…Else

This is a basic statement in computer programming. It is also a basic statement in life.

On a machine in a factory, for example, I could tell the controller “If switch A turns on, Then start the motor, Else remain in wait mode.”

But there is a universal Law of life.

The old prophets of Israel can all be read as, “If you continue to do as you are doing, Then destruction will come, Else you can live with The Lord and be saved.”

Wisdom literature such as found in the book of Proverbs can be read, “If you do this, Then you are a fool, OR If you do that, then you are wise.”

This is the Universal Law of Cause and Effect. Or, as it was stated in the Bible, “As you sow, so shall you reap.”

Now, not all illnesses or calamities that strike people are caused by themselves. But an amazing amount of bad things happen to us because of our lifestyle choices. Many of the chronic diseases in America today are a direct result of things we do to ourselves–smoking, lack of exercise, unhealthy diet.

The Willow Creek Foundation did a study several years ago of more than 10,000 people. One question asked if the person had ever drifted from God. The follow-up question was, how did you return.

Those people all said they practiced some form of Spiritual Discipline–usually reading from the Bible every day.

As you sow…. If you rise early in the morning and spend at least 15 minutes reading spiritual and motivational material, especially the Bible, then you will change your life for the better.

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There Are Consequences

July 25, 2014

“There was an old lady,
who swallowed a fly.
I don’t know why
she swallowed a fly.
Perhaps she’ll die.”

I was visiting my son’s house and one of his kids said something about swallowing a fly, and I sang that verse.

“You can’t say that anymore,” my son said. “It isn’t PC [politically correct].”

He was being mildly sarcastic about the PC crowd. I didn’t train one of those. He couldn’t remember the revision that someone put forward so that we wouldn’t mention death to a child.

Kids know things die. Bugs die. Animals die. Sometimes they know humans who die. It’s just a fact of life.

There are consequences to actions.

In fact, Jesus followed an ancient teaching about thoughts preceding actions by teaching that what we think about is as sinful as the action. And there are consequences.

Kids must be taught if…then logic as early as possible. If you walk into the street without looking, then you may get hit by a car and die…oops, something bad might happen. If you touch the flame…. If you tease your sibling….

The Bible is full of if…then logic. Almost the entire Old Testament talks about people of God telling the Israelites, If you keep living in this way, then God will do something or allow something bad to happen.

Jesus also taught us about consequences for our actions.

The earlier we learn the truth of that logic, the better off we’ll be.

If I swallow a fly, perhaps I’ll die. Well, not really. Sometimes things are just silly.

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Changing Others

July 23, 2014

When was the last time you tried to change someone? How did it go for you?

Leo Babauta doesn’t write as often at his blog as he did a few years ago, but he recently posed that question at Zen Habits.

He proceeded to discuss ways that you can change rather than getting that other person to change.

You can change your attitude toward them. Become more forgiving, perhaps. Recognizing that you, yourself, do not change easily (when was the last time you tried to change your eating habits in an attempt to lose weight?).

You can change your intention for them. Stop trying to remake them in your mind.

But then I thought, “I write from an evangelical Christian point of view. We believe we can change people.”

It’s not simply “bringing Jesus into your life.” How many people do you know that have an addictive personality? They became Christian and switched their addiction to Jesus? It’s a far better addiction, but they still haven’t truly lived into the peace and joy of a life fully lived in Jesus.

But many of us truly have changed. But we did it not so much through urging of others (although that may have prodded a few of us), but maybe more through the example of others.

As we changed our focus and attitude, we began to live more in prayer and study. We slowed down our inner processes a little. Began to recognize others–their needs, desires.

I’ve not only seen that happen, I’ve experienced it.

But it didn’t come because someone else tried to change me by force of will. I just lived into an example. How Jesus lived, and how some of his followers lived that I thought was pretty cool.

So, check out Leo’s list. But then look at how two of his ideas for accepting the other’s problems actually, over time, can help them grow. Not reflecting back to them their bad habits (say, anger) and providing an example of a better way to live.

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Love As A Way of Being

July 18, 2014

Jesus said that this is how his followers would be known–by their love.

English much to the poverty of its ability to define expression only has one word–love–that means so many things. The Greeks, at least, had three. No wonder we become confused.

We make love–meaning having sexual intercourse which all to often has nothing to do with love.

We say “love you” to end conversations leaving the other person wondering if that is just a phrase like “honey” or “darling”.

We tell another “I love you” when what we really mean is we want something from them.

We use the term to refer to the rush of hormones.

Love rightly understood in the context of the New Testament is the direct opposite of the world view of the Romans, which was the world view of all the societies Rome ruled.

The Roman view, which led to a state of being, thinking and acting, was that of power and authority.

For Jesus, love was the opposite. If you follow Jesus, you are the opposite of a follower of Rome. Love is first of all a state of being–that’s just what you are. You live not in a world of power thinking only of yourself but in a world of thinking of others first.

Love is an attitude we carry with us. It is a way of looking at ourselves and others.

It comes from our relationship with God carrying over from that strength to always being aware of the needs of others and aware of how we can help (serve) them.

In this way, Jesus turned the Roman Empire on its head.

The early Christians added to their groups many just because they actually lived differently from others in the same city and society.

This has not always been the case with Christians. Or people. Even today we have such bitter conflict with the taking of many lives. We ignore or worse punish many who have deep needs. And we say we are Christians.

Would Jesus say of us, “I know you are my followers because of your love”?

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Practicing Humility

July 15, 2014

On United Airlines, I have many perks. Early boarding, TSA pre-check line, free checked baggage. We flew American.

At home, we eat a variety of fresh foods. In the desert we had tortillas and refried beans. Well, other food, too, but the staple was beans and rice.

At home we have toilets that we flush every time. In the desert with limited water supply, maybe the kids seldom flush the toilets. Not to mention hot water for showers.

We all prepared for our mission trip–intellectually. But some had more trouble than others with appropriate humility.

I started out grumbling that my TSA Pre-check went to someone else. But then I had one of those moments of realization. Here I am on a trip to serve an orphanage and I grumble about having to go through the normal security line. Wow, tough.

Most everybody adapted to the conditions quickly. But I had continual reminders about the need to be humble in all circumstances.

Being humble means to put others’ interests above our own. In whatever the circumstance, it’s not our desires that count.

I guess there exist people who are naturally humble. I know there exist people who seldom think of others. Most of us just need reminders at times to help us practice the discipline of humility.

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Life With God Is Life Grounded In Gratitude

July 14, 2014

Gratitude, the attitude of being grateful for something, is a way of life. It’s also something to pause occasionally to focus on. It’s been on my mind lately.

I’ve had many life changes over my adult years. Three in the last 18 months. Well, maybe four.

People could look and say how bad it is. Twice I’ve walked away from jobs that paid a very good salary. I undertook a ministry that was far from my mind at the time.

Yet, I’m sitting here in the early morning on my patio with the birds and squirrels (well, yes, even the ants) and feel grateful for all the experiences I’ve had. They have all formed me, and they’ve afforded opportunities that still amaze me.

On occasion I’ll be so enthused that I’m sure someone else may think that I’m conceited or something. But I live in amazement that a country boy with less education than I should have had has the opportunities that I have.

And, I live in gratitude.

Searching my Bible this morning (isn’t digital great!) I found a passage discussing the solitary life of David revealed in the Psalms and how he was close to God and lived in gratitude for all he had.

I’m using the Life With God Study Bible from the Renovare Institute. In the discussion, the writer quotes Richard Foster and Thomas Merton. In this case, Merton said, “Gratitude is the heart of the solitary life as it is the heart of the Christian life.”

Jesus was always interested in the state of our hearts. Where is our heart? Lately for me, basking in gratitude.

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Letting Anger Pollute Us

July 8, 2014

The US was caught up in World Cup fever even more than in the past. Soccer news has become more prominent. Unfortunately, not all that news is good. A referee in Michigan was just killed when an adult player became angry with a call and “sucker-punched” him in the head.

I’m not going to weigh in on the Second Amendment arguments, which carry more emotion than logic anyway. I do watch with increasing discomfort the wish of many to want to carry guns with them wherever they go. So many of the people I know about or read about who want guns are carrying anger with them. If there is someone I definitely don’t want around me, it’s someone with anger issues carrying a weapon where once you pull the trigger, there’s no “do over”.

Politics in America today involve much anger. I’ve read about “angry white men.” But there is no monopoly on anger in the country by any one group.

The thing that disappoints me more than about anything is reading Facebook posts from self-proclaimed Christians that are full of anger and cynicism.

Let’s look into Proverbs for guidance. “One who is slow to anger is better than the mighty, and one whose temper is controlled than one who captures a city.” (16:32)

I can remember a time in my life when anger was perhaps my controlling emotion. Then one day I had one of those experiences where you are outside of your body watching yourself in action. I thought, “How stupid.” I was maybe 13.

As Robert Burns, the Scottish poet put it (from Wikipedia):

Burns original
O wad some Pow’r the giftie gie us
To see oursels as ithers see us!
It wad frae mony a blunder free us,
An’ foolish notion:
What airs in dress an’ gait wad lea’e us,
An’ ev’n devotion!

Standard English translation
And would some Power the small gift give us
To see ourselves as others see us!
It would from many a blunder free us,
And foolish notion:
What airs in dress and gait would leave us,
And even devotion!

That one experience led to a life of controlling anger. Realizing that anger is an honest emotion that can help us overcome obstacles. But uncontrolled, it is a blazing sword that severs relationships and a poison that pollutes our lives.

The antidote is the inner peace and security that comes from nowhere but God.

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Word Vs Deed

July 7, 2014

The mission trip to Mexico ended less than a week ago. We painted, gave away food staples, played with orphans. Our short-term missionaries seemed to grow a lot from the experience.

I used my early-morning and late-night meditation time to read and ponder “Word Vs Deed: Resetting the Scales to a Biblical Balance” by Duane Litfin.

There are people who believe that to fulfill Jesus’ teachings and commands, we should emphasize preaching (word). Others believe that Jesus’ commands require us to go and do–at various levels from helping individual members of our family or tribe to solving world-wide economic and environmental problems.

Litfin wants us to do both (I think). And he wants us to do it for sound Biblical reasons. “It is a gospel that not only must be preached; it must be lived,” he states at one point.

He includes this quote, “Christians cannot be governed by mere principles. Principles [can] carry one only so far. At some point every person must…know what God is calling him to do.” —Eric Melaxas, Bonhoeffer

And one I particularly like, “Christians need to look like what they are talking about.” — John Poulton

We earn trust from others when our words and our deeds are congruent. Hypocrisy can mean saying one thing and doing another.

But as I read, I pondered his struggle for an “accurate” and strict Biblical interpretation. I suddenly wondered if he had studied the way that Jesus and Paul used Scripture to prove their points or as a jumping off place for presentation of their teachings.

This book is a good read, especially for those who are caught up in one or the other ends of the pendulum swing and are seeking a reasoned argument for balance.

Word or Deed? Yes!

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