God's Plan

Yesterday was my anniversary. Oh, it was my wife’s, too. We were married forty-one years ago at the First Baptist Church of Chamblee, Georgia, three days before Christmas. We enjoyed a white Christmas as it snowed Christmas Eve night in Gatlinburg, Tennessee while on our honeymoon. 

Actually 1979 was quite a year for us. We had our first date in late January, we were engaged in May, and married in December of the same year. What you call a whirlwind engagement. Some said it would never last; yet here we are.

            Still, I have to tell you this.  December 22 is a terrible time for a pastor to have an anniversary. I’m usually pretty busy during this time of year. We’ve never been able to take an anniversary trip. I’m not asking for sympathy, just stating the facts.  We cannot get away three days before Christmas for anything. 

Still, if you asked me publicly or privately, my answer would be the same. Yes, I would do it all over again. No regrets. 

Tina and I have been privileged to serve the Lord in churches in south Louisiana, suburban Atlanta, east central Indiana, metropolitan Detroit, and southeast coastal Georgia. We have met many interesting and wonderful people. And God has allowed us to see Him at work in many circumstances and settings.

            Your story is different from mine, but let me assure you of something. God has plans for you.  He has a place for you to serve Him now.  And He will bless that service as you are obedient to Him.

            During this Christmas season let me encourage you to say yes to the Lord. That will lead to the best Christmas you have ever had.  Merry Christmas. And, happy anniversary, sweetheart.  Love you. 

The Gifts of Christmas

Let me tell you something about myself.  I am just a big kid wrapped up in an adult body. I know that is shocking to you.  After all, I am a pastor.  I am supposed to be serious all the time.  No play time. No joking.  Just focus on what matters. 

I’m sorry, but that’s just not me.  One of my favorite aspects to being the father of two sons was that I could buy them Christmas gifts that I had always wanted.  And then I could play with those toys, all the time making it look like I was being a good father spending time with my sons.  (By the way, they know it. They probably knew it back then).

            Though my boys are now grown men, I still like to play. I golf and fish.  I also plan to hang a mini basketball goal in the attic of my home when it is built.  And then there is Christmas.

            I love Christmas.  I love the songs, the decorations, the parties, the food, and the gifts. I love to receive gifts. I love to give gifts.  Again I will say it. I love Christmas.

            And here is the thing I love the most about Christmas.  All of the above list pale in comparison to this one thing.  I love the fact that God stepped into our world, became one of us, and lived with us. I love that we can now know Him in a personal manner because of what He did for us. 

            Each year I read this little book to the boys and girls of our church entitled, “The Sounds of Christmas.”  The final line says, “Christmas, the birthday of Jesus. The happiest time of the year.”  That’s what I love most about Christmas.  I hope you will celebrate and enjoy with me this happiest time of the year. I trust you will have a Merry Christmas.

Doing in the Impossible

As I write these words, I am sitting with my dad.  It’s been more than two years since he was diagnosed with cancer.  We were told he had six months to live eighteen months ago.  And yet he is still going.  I didn’t say going strong, because that’s not the case. He requires great care and much attention.

            Dad has lived with my sister and her husband for almost two years now.  They have provided wonderful care for him, and at a great sacrifice.  I try to come up and relieve them as often as I can, but I’m five hours away, so my trips have to be planned.

            Caring for an ailing parent is quite the challenge.  Roles are reversed in ways that we couldn’t have imagined.  It’s often difficult for both sides. 

            I have asked a lot of questions over the last couple of years. Why is this happening? What lessons is God teaching us through this? How long will it last?  What should I be doing differently?

            Here’s the thing. I don’t have the answers to these questions. That last one especially haunts me. My sister and brother-in-law are making great sacrifices for Dad.  I want to be there for him, and I want to help him. But I have obligations as well, both at church and with my family. My church family has been so obliging, and for that I am grateful.  Still, I want to do what I have been called to do as pastor.

            Do you ever find yourself in an impossible situation?  What are you to do?  I have come to this conclusion. You do what you can.  And you trust the Lord.  Is that easy? No, not always. But He has called us to be faithful. We leave the results to Him, knowing that He loves us.

            Whatever you may be facing, remember this. The Lord is with you. He has not forsaken you. You can trust in Him.

Christmas is Still Coming

By now you may have your tree up.  Perhaps you were able to do much of your shopping over the weekend. Or you may have gone online on Cyber Monday. No matter where you are in your preparations, the facts are simple. Christmas is on the way, and it will be here faster than you expect.

            Chances are that Christmas will be different this year. I know that we are not having parties and dinners at the church this year.  And even our family gatherings will be smaller. 

            I just have to tell you that I don’t like it.  There is nothing quite like a potluck dinner at a Baptist church.  I’m sure it’s true in other churches as well, but I can testify to the fact that Baptist ladies are fantastic cooks.  Homecomings, Christmas dinners, Thanksgiving, and just regular fellowships probably account for at least twenty extra pounds I carry everywhere I go. And I am missing those events.

            I simply want to remind you of this. I’ve heard some people say that Thanksgiving and Christmas have had to be cancelled this year. There is no truth to this rumor.  Yes, we may have to skip some events. We may not gather as often or in as large a group.

            But we can give thanks at any time. And there is nothing stopping us from celebrating the birth of Jesus.  Perhaps a simpler Christmas can be a good thing. Spend a little less money, but spend a little more time thinking about the true reason for the season.

            The birth of Jesus. That is why we celebrate Christmas.  No matter what is happening around us, we can do that.  Keep that in mind as we move closer to Christmas Day.

Happy Thanksgiving

Tomorrow is Thanksgiving Day.  It is my favorite holiday of the season.  After tomorrow we will begin to decorate for Christmas, but we have held off until now.  We do all we can to make this a special day.

            We will have family with us.  It will be a small gathering, and we will make sure those present have not been sick. But we will certainly enjoy our time together as we eat too much, watch parades and football, and spend time both laughing and crying at all we have experienced this year.

            How do you give thanks in the midst of a pandemic?  I am reminded that Paul said to the Thessalonian Christians, “In everything give thanks, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” Notice he did not say, “For everything,” but, “in everything.” There is a subtle difference between the two.

            Paul was a man who gave thanks, and experienced joy, even as he suffered in so many ways.  He wrote the book of Philippians from prison, and yet spoke of joy and rejoicing and thanksgiving throughout.  Near the end of that book he wrote, “I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content.” 

            Have you learned to be content, no matter what? In so many ways that is the epitome of gratitude.  We realize that God is good, and that He has shown us His love. And we give Him thanks, even when life is not going according to plan. We understand that we don’t understand all of the whys for our circumstances. But we understand that God still loves us, and He is watching over us, and so we give thanks to Him in every situation.

            Tomorrow I will likely lead in prayer over dinner. I will be extra careful to give thanks.  I know that God is trustworthy. He is faithful.  And He is with us in all that we do.  I pray that I will live in a manner that expresses my gratitude at all times. I pray the same for you.

            Happy Thanksgiving. 

Choices

My wife and I are building a house. I may have mentioned that before. We are nearing the end of the project, and it is getting hectic. In recent days we have chosen cabinets and countertops, and next on the list is bathroom tiles. We still need to choose interior door styles and paint colors, and probably several more things that I don’t remember right now.

            Can I just say this out loud? At this point in time, I really don’t care what color the walls are painted, as long as it’s not bright pink with purple polka dots.  I have shared my opinion on several items in the house, but have left many of the decisions to my wife.  She has good taste, and I trust her to make good choices. And, quite frankly, some of it doesn’t matter to me. 

            There are times and places when we all allow others to choose on our behalf.  And there is nothing wrong with that. But then there are things that I cannot pawn off on others. I have to be the responsible one. I have to choose, and then I have to live with the choices I have made.

            How do you make such choices? I’m not talking about paint colors here. I’m talking about life impacting choices that we all face. What processes do we use to make such decisions?

            The first thing I must do is to trust in the Lord. He is good and He is faithful.  He will not let me down. Then I need to seek His wisdom.  The book of Proverbs promises that God will give us wisdom if we ask for it. We need wisdom from above for so many things.

            Finally, we need to come to the point where we make the decision.  We cannot be wishy-washy.  A choice must be made.

            As we trust the Lord, seek His wisdom, and then make decisions, I believe the Lord will care for His children.  He will protect us from bad choices, and He will guide us where He wants us to go.  Are you trusting the Lord for those daily decisions? He wants the best for you.  He will not lead you astray.  You can count on Him.

"Lord, Give Me Patience. . ."

Are you tired yet of 2020?  Doesn’t it seem as if it has lasted 30-40 months now?  I know for a fact that I am just over it.  Life needs to get back to normal.

When I think of this year I don’t know whether to laugh or to cry.  You are certainly aware of the pandemic, and all of the inconveniences we are facing because of it.  Wearing masks, social distancing, events cancelled, and still we are not sure what will happen next.

And just to make the year more exciting, my wife and I are building a house.  My dad, who was given six months to live nineteen months ago, remains under hospice care in north Georgia. And my mother-in-law, who lives with us, has been in and out of the hospital and a rehabilitation center in recent weeks. 

Oh, we had one son to marry, and my wife retired from teaching, and we sold a house, and I’m in my first year in my new job, and we became grandparents, and the list just keeps going. 

Have you ever been on a ride at the theme park, realized you didn’t want to be there, and then it stopped while you were at the top and hanging upside down? Yeah, 2020 has been like that all year long.

You know, several of the things that have happened are good things. But they all cause stress.  And I admit I don’t always handle stress as I should. The Bible tells us in many places that we need to learn patience.  We are never “given” patience. It must be learned.

I’m figuring that by the end of this pandemic we all should be the most patient people in history, right? 

Two verses of Scripture stand out in my mind, reminding me of what I need more than anything. In John 15 Jesus said, “Without me you can do nothing.” In Philippians 4 Paul wrote, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”  I need to remember those two truths now more than ever. Perhaps you do, too.  We can do nothing alone. But with Christ, all things are possible.

Our Sovereign

By the time you read this the election will be over (with the likely exception of a runoff for one senate seat).  Altogether now; and breathe.  No more robocalls, popup adds on Facebook, or unwanted texts. Oh, wait. There is still that runoff. So, never mind.

            Everything we have read in recent weeks has reminded us that this is the most important election in American history.  In some cases we have been told that end of the world is coming if certain candidates do not win.  People have threatened to move to Canada. 

            Here’s the thing.  I believe in this strange political process called democracy.  You can rest assured that I voted, and I encourage others to vote.  I have strong feelings about what is best for our nation. I continue to believe we live in the greatest nation in the world, and I want it to thrive.

            But I am reminded of this truth.  My hope is not in the ballot box. My hope is the Lord Jesus Christ.  No matter who is/was elected president, senator, or to any local position, I must remember this.  No elected official can meet all of my needs.  No elected official can save me.

            But on the cross, some 2000 years ago, Jesus gave His life that I might have life.  He is my only hope. And He is enough.

            I do not mean to downplay the importance of elections. They matter, and each of us should do our part to participate. But let us always remember this. We must not put our ultimate trust in human leaders. They, like us, are imperfect sinners.

            I want to say this one more time. Our hope is not in the ballot box. It is in the Lord.  I pray that you will trust Him to meet your every need. He will not let you down.

Change and Truth You Can Believe

Our church is meeting for worship, twice on Sundays, and then on Wednesday evenings now.  At 9 a.m. on Sundays we worship, asking that everyone present wear a mask at all times. Then at 10:30 we again meet, asking that you wear your mask until seated.  We follow that same format on Wednesdays at 6 p.m.  We seek to maintain, “social distancing” at all services. 

            That is a phrase that was foreign to our ears just nine months ago. “Social distancing.”  Who ever thought of such a thing? 

            And what about putting a mask over your face just before you walk in the bank?  Could you have imagined that in a million years?  We laugh, but that’s just to keep from crying.

            I have a book on my shelf entitled, Truth is Stranger Than It Used to Be.  Ain’t that the truth!  Can I be completely honest with you? I want life to be back like it used to be. I want the old normal back.

            But here is a disturbing truth. I don’t think life will ever be that way again.  I think it is quite possible that we will be wearing masks every flu season.  I think that handshakes and hugs, though not fully eliminated, will be much less prevalent as we go forward.  There will be other changes as well.

            Change is inevitable in life. But change is hard.  Change can be bad. But it can be good.  There are aspects of technology that I despise. I have joked that I prefer a laptop computer to a desktop because I get better distance on the laptop when I’m mad. 

            But there are parts of technology that are wonderful. In the midst of this pandemic we have been able to stay in touch, and even to worship together online.  In previous generations this would not have been possible.

            The fact is that God has provided for us in so many ways.  We need to trust Him. He has not abandoned us. He is always there.  Have you experienced His presence? Pick up your Bible and read it. Take time to pray. And get together with other believers to worship, even if you do it on Facebook Live.  You will be reminded of God’s promise to you. “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” 

Finishing Well

I stayed up until almost midnight last night, something I don’t do very often anymore.  But the Braves were playing the Dodgers in game one of the National League Championship Series.  I couldn’t miss a pitch.  And so I stayed up until Austin Riley and Ozzie Albies hit homeruns, and Mark Melancon got the final out.

            I lived in Detroit for seven plus years, and one night the Detroit Red Wings beat the Anaheim Ducks in a double overtime playoff game played in California.  The Red Wings scored the winning goal just after 2 a.m. Rumor was that up to forty percent of the workforce in metro Detroit called in sick the next day.

            Isn’t it funny? When I was in college you might find me at “Dunkin Donuts” eating soup at 2 a.m. Or I might be typing away at a term paper.  Seldom did I go to bed before midnight during those days.  I can remember staying up all night while camping and fishing.  Sure, I would nap a bit the next day, but it was no big deal.

            But things are different today.  I’m older, and my body won’t take that kind of abuse.  I recently read about the best formula for falling asleep while sitting in a chair. “Be old. Sit down in a chair.” 

            Why do I bring this up?  Two reasons. First, I must remember that this world is not my final home. There is more to life than what we see and experience.  This is an essential tenet of the Christian faith.  But my second reason is this. I have been praying for several years now that the Lord would allow me to, “finish well.”

            That’s what Paul meant as he wrote his second letter to Timothy. “I have fought the fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.” Oh how I long to be able to say that at the end of my days

            My body is not stronger today than it was 40 years ago, and it is not close. But I can be stronger in my faith, and I can be stronger in my walk with the Lord than I was back then. I pray that for me. I pray that for you. Let us be faithful until the day the Lord calls us home.

Change in Life

Ten months ago I began my ministry at Shellman Bluff Baptist Church.  The first few months were rather chaotic.  My wife was still teaching at Bryan County Elementary School, and living in our home there. I had a condo here where she joined me on Sundays. I usually went up there on Fridays and Saturdays. 

            We made life more complicated by buying a plot of land, and speaking to a builder. At this point we were taking care of two homes, owned another piece of property, and I was actually a member at two different golf clubs for one month. 

            We looked forward to Tina’s retirement, the sell of our home, and then settling into life in Shellman Bluff where we would live happily ever after.

            And then everything changed in a moment.  The house did sell.  Tina did retire, but not as she had planned. There was no final concert (she was a music teacher). There was no retirement party to which we could invite family and friends. 

            I guess what I’m saying is this. When the pandemic hit, life did not go as we had planned.

            You would think we would be accustomed to that by now.  Very little has gone as we had planned.  We never gave birth to a baby, but we adopted two sons we call our own.  We spent fourteen years in the cold and the snow of the upper Midwest, something I would never have expected.  I could go on.

            Here’s the thing.  God often calls us and leads us to unexpected places and experiences. He does not often give us long notice about such things.  He simply guides us one day at a time, and expects us to follow.  It’s not easy.  It is often messy. And yet…it is in obedience and faithfulness that we find our best life.

            I’ve heard someone say, “The center of God’s will is the safest place you can be.” I’m not sure I agree with that. God’s will can take you into danger. But I do believe this. “The center of God’s will is the best place you can be.”  Have you found His will for your life?  Where God guides, He always provides.  Follow Him wherever He leads.  You will not regret it.

Murphy

He was the first dog my wife and I had together.  Murphy lived to be fourteen years old.  He moved with us from Louisiana to Georgia, and then on to Indiana.  He was there to greet our two sons when we brought them home.  He was truly part of the family. 

          Murphy was a peculiar dog.  A Black Labrador Retriever, he would lay under my bird feeder and watch the birds and the squirrels eating, never bothering either one.  When I would throw a ball for him to fetch he would stare at me as if I had lost my mind.  And when we would go on vacation he would refuse to eat.

            No matter who we had come over and feed him he would ignore them.  We were sometimes gone for a week or better, and he might eat one day’s worth of food. When I got home he would scarf down all that I would feed him, all the time glaring at me for having the nerve to abandon him.

             I grew up with a dog. Murphy was the first dog my wife ever had.  He seemed to sense her hesitation at first, and loved her unconditionally.

            Unconditional love.  Dogs always seem to give that.  Even dogs that are abused have a special affection for their owners.  Since Murphy we have had several dogs.  Barney, Mollie, Bandit, Blaze, and now Belle and Cookie.  In every case they depend on us to feed and care for them, and they trust us no matter what.

            The analogy is not perfect, but consider this. God is the perfect Master and friend to you and me.  He never leaves us to go on vacation.  He always loves. And He wants us to trust Him, just as my dogs have trusted me. 

            Do you find it hard to trust the Lord? There are times for all of us that this is true. It seems as if he is not listening to our prayers.  He has not stepped in and taken away our pain. But keep trusting. He is there.  As Paul wrote to the Thessalonian church, “Now may the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times in every way.  The Lord be with you all.”

Lessons from the Newspaper

I started reading the newspaper when I was seven years old.  The comics and sports pages were my favorites. I would study and analyze the box scores of every major league baseball game.  There was a time when I could quote you the regular starting line-up for every National League team, and I knew the entire roster of my beloved Braves.

            My favorite time for reading the newspaper was from the Spring of 1975 until the Spring of 1977. The Gwinnet Daily News (no longer in existence) covered sports for all ten high schools in our county. I played basketball and baseball for the Dacula Falcons.  In the Winter of 1977 our basketball team busted into polls, reaching the number 1 spot for two weeks before losing our first game of the season. We won the region title and made it to the quarterfinals of the state tournament, losing to eventual champion, Greater Atlanta Christian.

            It was heady stuff to see your name and picture on the front pages of the sports section.  I read every article (several times no doubt), and then waited for Dad to come home. After he had read it I would carefully cut them out and put them in my scrapbook, still one of my most precious possessions to this day. 

            As I think about newspapers and my old scrapbooks, I learn valuable lessons. The most important is that I can’t live in the past. Paul said it this way, “Forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.”  That applies to me in two ways.

            First, I have to adjust to the changes I see, holding fast to the truths of the Gospel.  The message is the same. Methods may change. Second, I can’t rest on my laurels.  There is still much to do. As God said to Joshua, “There remains much land left to conquer.” There is still work to do. Let’s be faithful to very end.

Fighting the Good Fight

While in seminary one professor shared something that surprised me.  He indicated, that if statistics held true, less than half of us in that classroom would serve in the ministry until retirement. He was right.  Fewer than half of my seminary classmates remain active in their calling today.

           Here’s the deal. I understand why it happens.  Many of you do as well.  Serving in the church, whether as pastor, deacon, Sunday school teacher, or any other capacity, can be downright difficult.  The work is hard, and often people are not grateful for the efforts you make. Sometimes they ignore the advice offered. Sometimes being in ministry hurts.

            I’m not throwing a pity party. I’m just stating the facts. There is that ever-present temptation to do what we think will bring peace. Just quit.

Can I encourage you to keep going? My professor used a phrase that I have remembered ever since to describe his desire for his life. He would simply say, “I want to finish well.”  I was 22-years old at the time, just getting started, excited about the journey, and had no idea what that meant. Almost 40 years later I get it. 

            The fact is that I probably have fewer than ten years left in active service as a pastor.  God has blessed in so many ways in my ministry.  There have been buildings built and programs started. But the greatest part of ministry has been to see lives changed and challenged along the way. 

Still, there have been days when I wanted to quit.  There has been one too many critic, one too long committee meeting, one too many deaths.  The temptation to quit always lingers. Still this thought remains in my mind. “I want to finish well.”

            The apostle Paul put it this way in the last letter he wrote to Timothy. “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.”  He went on to say that a reward was awaiting him. 

            That same reward awaits you and me. Keep going. Don’t give up. Don’t quit.  Fight the fight, finish the race, and keep the faith.  God is with you. Whatever you are doing, He will keep you. Count on it. 

Trusting and Building

My wife and I are building a house.  This is actually the second time we have done so.  In 2006 we built our home in Ellabell, thinking it would be the place we would retire. But God had other plans, and so here we are in Shellman Bluff.

            We looked at several existing homes, but none were exactly what we wanted.  And so we made the decision to build.  We wondered if that was the best thing for us.  Building a house is a challenge.  It can put a strain on you in many ways. 

            At the same time, it is also very exciting. Today they are putting the roof rafters up.  The hope is to have roof decking in place by the end of the week.  And doors and windows will soon be in place. In other words, it’s looking more and more like a house.  We still don’t know when we will be living there, but we are closer than we were last month.

            Anxiety.  Anticipation.  Words that are poles apart, and yet they both describe what we are feeling.  We anticipate living in a beautiful place that we helped to design.  My wife will have her own piano room. I will have a sunroom.  But we are anxious about things that we have to do in the meantime. Pick out lights and fans and flooring options and cabinets, and the list goes on, seemingly forever. And of course, someone has to pay for the place. 

            The Bible says, “Be anxious about nothing…”  Can I be blunt? That is a difficult task.  Nothing?  But there are so many reasons to be anxious. Can we realistically be anxious about nothing?

            That is where the rest of the verse applies. “Be anxious about nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.”  The secret is not to bear down harder, or to be stronger or wiser. The answer is to talk to God, and then trust in Him.  Even while building a house in the midst of a pandemic.  Trust in the Lord. He is always trustworthy.  He will not fail you. 

Who’s in Charge

In 2019 I was supposed to go to Haiti on a mission trip, first in January, and then again in April. In January the U.S. state department issued a travel ban due to political unrest in Port au Prince. And later there was a shortage of diesel in Haiti, making both travel and staying at the mission house problematic. 

            There were ten of us going.  We all had a sense of disappointment.  When we started to plan the trip there was great excitement, and it had continued to build. I was to teach a group of pastors, and there were to be medical clinics in several nearby villages.  Such a trip is truly a life-changing event.

            But for reasons we could not fully understand, we had to wait.  We had prayed for weeks that the travel ban would be lifted.  We had the best of intentions all along. And yet, in the end, we are not able to go. Why? Why would God not open the door for us to serve others in His name? 

            I admit that I don’t have all of the answers.  I do know this. God’s timing is different from ours, and it is always perfect.  We trust Him.  We believe He sometimes opens, and at other times closes doors.  There may be times He tests us to see if we trust Him as we should.  At other times He may be protecting us from dangers about which we know nothing. 

            There are times when God’s answer is “no.”  Paul asked for a thorn in the flesh to be removed from his life, but God’s answer was, “My grace is sufficient for you.”  Paul was satisfied with that answer. I pray that I will be as well. 

            You may be facing some disappointment. You wanted something, but it has been delayed, or even not available. Will you trust God to answer in His time and in the right way?  He does what is best for us.  He is faithful. We can trust Him. 

            Just FYI, we were finally able to make the trip in September.  It was a marvelous experience.  The fact is that God knows what He is doing, and again, it is our lot to trust and follow Him.  He will not fail you. 

“It Ought Not Be So”

I am preaching through the book of James on Sundays, and recently dealt with chapter 2:1-12 where James speaks of the power and the danger of the tongue.  He reminds us that the tongue, though small, has the power, both to help and to hurt.  He even goes so far as to say, “If anyone does not stumble in what he says, he is a perfect man…”  James declares here, that if you do not sin with your mouth, you can be considered perfect.

            But in the previous phrase he had said, “For we all stumble in many ways.” So we see that such perfection is not possible in this world. The truth is that no one controls the tongue perfectly.

            In verse 9, James shares a haunting truth about the tongue. “With it we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse people who are made in the likeness of God.” What a tragedy! 

            James says that we go to worship and sing songs of praise, and later that day we speak in a nasty way to, or about, another person.  It could be that we go to church in the morning and are deeply moved by the worship. And yet, at lunch in the restaurant, we snap at our server, giving her a piece of our mind.  Never mind that most of us do not have enough mind to give away a piece.

            In verse 10 we read, “From the same mouth come blessing and cursing. My brothers, these things ought not to be so.”  Can you hear the sigh of frustration in James’ voice?  These two things, blessing and cursing, are contradictory. They should not come from the same mouth. 

            More than one Christian has harmed his or her reputation by one foolish sentence or exclamation.  More than one nonbeliever has given up on Christianity because of something said to them. Should we not be more careful with our words?

Momma said, “Think before you speak.” She also said, “If you don’t have something nice to say, then say nothing.” Momma was right. 

            I pray that I will be more careful with the things that I say.  I pray the same thing for you.  Let us take care to use our words for good.  Let us point others to the Lord with the things that we say.

Frustrations

When I was ordained as a pastor, I invited my good friend, Floyd, to preach that night. He began his sermon by reading from Ecclesiastes 10:1, “Dead flies make the perfumer’s ointment give off a stench; so a little folly outweigh wisdom and honor.”

May I admit to you that I wondered where he was going with that? Who starts a sermon talking about dead flies? But then Floyd began to make his point. It’s the little things in life that can cause trouble for us all. And sometimes we allow those little things to hurt us more than they should.

A few months back, while printing a document I had typed, I inadvertently hit the wrong button on my printer. Since that time, every document I have printed has been front and back, and I have not been able to change the settings. If I want to print only on one side of the page, I have to print each page individually. This takes extra time, and I have to admit that it frustrates me.

I am more than sure I could find a twelve-year-old who could fix the situation for me, but to date I have just lived with it. But again, I have to admit this. It drives me crazy that I haven’t been able to fix it. I’ve tried to follow the instructions on the screen to the best of my ability. But still every document prints on two sides.

The truth is that this is not a big deal. It’s a small matter. And yet it is exactly the kind of thing that causes frustration. It gets under your skin. And if you are not careful you will say or do something that you will regret as you think about it.

Floyd was right. Or better, Solomon, the author of Ecclesiastes, was right. Dead flies stink. Little things cause us trouble. And we have to work at it to be wise and to make good decisions.

Are there dead flies in your life? Clean them up. Sweep them out. Don’t let the little things destroy your witness. Be careful. Trust the Lord. He will help you as you do.

Trust Always

As I write these words we are waiting on a hurricane. It’s not supposed to hit us hard. Still, there is always that chance that it could change its course, gain strength, and then we would be scrambling in more ways than one.

I used to wonder why in the world anyone would live in a place susceptible to hurricanes… or earthquakes… or tsunamis. Why would you put yourself in a position that you could lose everything in an instant, or where you might have to evacuate and leave everything you own, not certain if it would still be there when you returned? Why indeed?

And then I finally realized this. No matter where we are, and no matter what we do, life is a risk. Nothing that we own is permanent. Not one of us has the promise, even of tomorrow. We are living by faith. Or, in some cases, by fear.

In his short letter, James, the half brother of Jesus, wrote these words, “Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go into such and such a town and spend a year there and trade and make a profit’- yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring…Instead you ought to say, ‘If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that.’”

In that brief thought James if reminding us of this truth. We are not in control. As much as we wish we were, we simply are not in control. All of life is dependent. We depend on family and friends. But mostly, we are dependent upon the Lord.

So here is the $100,000 question. Do we trust in, and submit to, the One who is in control? I don’t know about you, but there are many times in life that I would prefer to be in charge. I find it difficult to trust and follow the Lord, because I would like to know where I am going, and what I am doing.

But the truth is that we are living moment by moment, and we do not know what the future holds. But you can know the One who holds the future. When a hurricane is coming, trust in the Lord. When a pandemic is present, trust in the Lord. When a crisis hits close to home, trust in the Lord. No matter what you might face, my advice is the same. Trust in the Lord.