Jobs
I would like to introduce you to a rather obscure New Testament character. His name was Tychicus. He’s mentioned five times overall, four of them in the letters of Paul. We learn in Acts 20:4 that he was from Asia Minor, and that he travelled with Paul on the third missionary journey.
At some point Paul sent Tychicus to Colossae (Colossians 4:7-9) and to Ephesus (Ephesians 4:7-9), and there is at least some evidence that he was the one to deliver those two letters on Paul’s behalf. The only other times we read his name are in 2 Timothy and Titus, each time when he was sent as a messenger by Paul.
Why would I bring this man to your attention? At best we can tell he never did anything of great note. He was not called a preacher. In fact, it may be that the most important thing that he ever did was to deliver Paul’s letters to the churches. Not a big deal, right?
And yet, what if Tychicus had failed in his job? What if he had not taken it seriously enough? What if he had been distracted? The Ephesian and Colossian letters are of such great value to us today. They are significant parts of the Word of God. Perhaps God would have used other methods to make sure they were included in the Scriptures.
But the good news is that Tychicus did his job. He did not complain that it was a menial task. He faithfully did what he was asked to do.
Can I just say this? We need more people who are willing to serve in the manner that Tychicus served in our churches today. The fact is that there are no small jobs in the kingdom of God. Whatever God calls you to do is your mission. He will gift you and prepare you for the task.
The Bible is clear on this. Every believer is to be a servant of the Lord, and most often this means some type of service within a local church. I’m praying that you will find the place and the job for which God made you, and that you will boldly and confidently serve Him as He leads.
Showers and Storms
“April showers bring May flowers.” We’ve all heard it. And we will now see that it is indeed true. The rains of April are having their desired impact on our gardens and our grass. Greener. Brighter. And in some cases, moving quickly to produce food for us.
Isn’t it funny that we often complain about the rain? Rain disturbs our picnics, our beach outings, our golf games, and our yard work. We want it to rain, but ideally it would only rain at night. Wouldn’t it be great if it only rained while we were sleeping? Then we could enjoy the sunshiny days, and still have well-watered lawns and gardens.
The truth is that we need the rain. Without it we would not survive. The rain can be dangerous. It can be frustrating. But it is life giving. It is essential.
And so the storms of life can slow us down, and even bring us to a complete stop. We do not enjoy these storms. We would often do anything to avoid them. And yet those storms make us stronger. Those storms can even bring life.
I have heard it said that there are only three kinds of people. Those in the midst of a storm. Those just coming out of a storm. Or those about to enter a storm. That may not sound like good news to you. But as the country song tells us, “Some of God’s greatest blessings are unanswered prayers.”
I don’t know where you are this day, but I want to remind you of this. God never leaves us to weather the storms alone. Another song reminds us, “In the eye of the storm, He remains in control.” We can trust the Lord. He is faithful. He is trustworthy. He is good, even in the rain.
Mother's Day
Mother’s Day is upon us. This coming Sunday we will celebrate motherhood all across this great country. Our church will recognize the mothers present with a small gift, and we will give thanks. I will seek to do something special for both my wife and my daughter-in-law. We will either eat out at the place of their choice, or I will seek to show off my grilling skills.
Having said that, I know that Mother’s Day can be difficult for some. There are those women who, for a variety of reasons, never became mothers. This day reminds them of the pain and hurt they experience all year long. There are also those who had mothers who did not love and serve their children in the way we would expect. Some mothers have simply failed.
And then there are those in the same boat as I am. We’ve lost our moms. It’s been just over 16 years since my mom succumbed to cancer. I struggled for such a long time in dealing with that. I probably hid it well from most people, but my grief changed me greatly, and not in a good way.
I was blessed to have a mother who loved my sister and me, who was faithful to my dad, who was a hard worker, and who served the Lord. She was an athlete with a competitive spirit, and she passed that along to the next generation. I even remember the time she refused to let my oldest son win a board game, because she thought he needed to learn how to lose with grace. He was getting a bit “uppity,” to use her terminology, and a lesson needed to be taught.
I miss her, even today. But I have hope for the future. As a Christ-follower I am counting on the promises made in the Bible. God has said that those who know Him by faith will be raised from the dead, just as Jesus was. Without the resurrection the Christian faith is pointless.
I hope you have this same hope. It is not merely wishful thinking. It is trust in the One who created us and who sustains us day by day. He is more powerful than even death. He will keep His promises. We can trust Him.
Lessons from my dad
Later this week my dad will turn 84. That is an amazing thing. Some of you are older than 84, and may wonder why I say that. Well, 23 months ago my dad was placed under hospice care and given six months to live. He had been diagnosed with Multiple Myeloma seven months prior to that, and after struggling with reactions to the treatment had told the doctor he was done with it.
Dad has many limitations. He can’t walk at all due to a broken foot that will never heal. He has grown weaker, and needs assistance for many things. But in other ways he is doing well. I spent time with him earlier this month, and we watched Braves’ games, the first two rounds of the Masters, and “Swamp People” together. I also watched as he slept much of the day.
I am reminded of a couple of things as I think of what has happened with dad over the last two years. First, as Solomon said in Ecclesiastes, “Man knows not his time.” The doctor was very confident that dad could not live much past Christmas of 2019 without further treatment. At this time we have some hope that dad could enjoy another Christmas.
My second lesson is this. Be grateful. For every moment and every day that we are able to spend together, for every phone call we enjoy, and for every laugh and every tear, give thanks.
Paul wrote to the Thessalonians, “In everything give thanks.” Notice he did not say, “For everything…” but “in everything.” That means, even in the midst of a pandemic, you can give thanks. When things are going well, and when life is hard, give thanks. God is good. He can be trusted. Give thanks
God's Creation
From my front porch I can watch a small pond where several different kinds of birds have gathered. We have seen Canadian geese, egrets, blue herons, and a couple whose identities I do not yet know.
From the back deck I view a wooded area where we have seen deer and turkeys, along with several songbirds that are now gathering around the feeders I put there. Of course, a little beagle and Pomeranian do their best to keep me safe by barking and running after the squirrels.
I read in the Scriptures, “The earth is the Lord’s, and the fullness thereof…” I am reminded that God is both the creator and the sustainer of all that is. He made it, and according to His words in Genesis 1, He is pleased with it. More than once, having spoken something into existence, the Lord said, “Behold, it is good.”
Later in Genesis God created Adam and Eve, and the words He spoke there astound us. When God looked at the first human beings He said, “Behold, it is very good.” Notice that small word, “very.”
This is controversial to some today, but I am confident that it is true. Human beings are the crowning jewel of God’s creation. We are of greater value to Him than the animals, the plants, the stars, or the planets. Now, that does not give us license to spoil God’s creation. He gave us charge over it to care for it, to cultivate it, and to use its resources for our own good.
The value of human life is great. In fact, God loves us so much that He sent His Son to die for us. I pray that we will look at each other and that we will learn to love as God does. We are to love Him. We are to love each other. God grant that it would be so.
Planting
I told you a couple of weeks ago that we have moved into our home, and we are now truly settling into place. Folks have asked if we have everything in place, and I have responded, “Well, if Tina would just work a little harder we probably would.” I’m probably fortunate that Tina has a good sense of humor.
Anyway, we are getting there. For the most part Tina is decorating the inside, and I’m handling the landscaping. I’ve laid sod, planted azaleas, camellias, boxwoods, lantana, and several shrubs for which I do not even know the name. I’ve spread more bales of pine straw than I care to consider. And I’ve drug hoses and sprinklers around to make sure that everything gets watered.
Finally, I’ve prayed, and I’ve given thanks. The truth is that I have worked very hard in the yard. I’ve tried to follow proper methods for planting and mulching. But I’ve also remembered this. I can do all of these things correctly, but I cannot make anything grow. I am fully dependent on the Lord for His grace.
To the Corinthian church Paul wrote, “I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the increase.” He was speaking of the growth of churches, but the principle is the same. Both in the church, and in the yard, I have work to do. I need to be faithful to do my part. But only God can give the growth. Only God can change lives.
We are stewards for the Lord, whether in the church or the yard. God could have done it all without us. But He allows us to participate in His work. And He makes this one request. As Paul said to the Corinthians, “It is required of stewards to be found faithful.” May we be faithful as we serve the Lord.
"Jesus is Alive!"
It was sixteen years ago today. I slept in a chair, though fitfully, that night, waking several times to see if she was still with us. My mom had been diagnosed nine months earlier with a primary brain tumor, and on Monday I was advised to come home. I caught a plane from Detroit to Atlanta, and it was my second night there. We knew she could not last much longer.
I awoke around 7 a.m., and her breathing was extremely shallow and labored. And then, quietly and peacefully, it just stopped. I held her hand, I cried, and I prayed. A short time later my dad emerged from his bedroom and I simply whispered, “It’s over.”
In my years as a pastor I’ve been in the room several times as people have taken their last breaths. Hospital ICU’s, hospice houses, and their own homes. But this was my mother. I cannot explain the full gamut of emotions I felt that day. I didn’t cry as much then as I had when I first heard the diagnosis. Still, the pain was real.
Two days later I stood before Mom’s church, and our family and friends, and preached the glorious news that because Jesus is alive, we can live forever. We will be reunited with loved ones. We will see the Lord.
That is the truest and fullest meaning of Easter. This past Sunday our churches were fuller than normal, some of us attended sunrise services in the dark and the cold, and we sang and celebrated that Jesus is alive. And we know it is true.
All of Christianity rises or falls on the resurrection. In 1 Corinthians 15 Paul said, “If Christ be not raised, you are dead in your trespasses and sins.” And then he declared, “But indeed, Christ is alive!”
And because He is alive, we can live forever. I challenge you to live in the light and the glory of this truth. Jesus is alive! Jesus is alive! Indeed, I will say it one more time. Jesus is alive!
He is Risen! He is Risen Indeed!
It’s Holy Week. That’s not something that Baptists emphasize as much as other Christians do, but we recognize it for what it is.
Some 2000 years ago, in the early part of this week Jesus cleansed the Temple, clearing out those who were cheating others for their own profit. He ate a final meal with His disciples and took them with Him to a garden to pray.
It was in that garden that He was arrested, and by Friday of that week He was hanging on a cross. It seems odd that we call Friday of this week, “Good,” and yet we understand that the death of Jesus was for our good. He died for our sins, and that is good.
But all Christians would agree with this sentiment. The most important event in all of human history took place early on the first day of the next week. Jesus had died on the cross, and His body was placed in a borrowed tomb. His body lay there all day Saturday and into the next morning.
But sometime early on Sunday morning, Jesus walked out of the grave alive! I’ve been asked more than once if I truly believe that. Let me assure you that I do. There is nothing more important than this one thing. Paul wrote to the church in Corinth, “If Christ has not been raised from the dead, then you are still dead in your trespasses and sins.” He also said that we are guilty of lying about God, and that we are the most miserable of all men if the Lord is not alive.
A little boy once described faith as, “believing in something you know isn’t true.” He could not have been more wrong. Faith is believing that something is true even when you cannot see the whole picture. Still, it is trusting that God has been true, and that He can be trusted at all times.
This Sunday, in churches around the world it will be said. “Jesus is risen. He is alive.” And because this is true, we all have hope for the future. You can live forever, too, because Jesus is alive!
New Home
Well, we are moved in. Or perhaps it would be better stated that we have moved all of our stuff. The idea of moving in would seem to indicate that we have everything where we need and want it to be, and that we are settled as we want to be. And boy is that far from the truth!
Still, we are in our new home. We bought property last January, agreed to terms with a contractor in April, broke ground in May, and have since that time watched as a house has been constructed just for us. Now we are eating and sleeping there. I’ve spilled my first drink in the kitchen. It’s home.
There are still things to do to complete the place. I am doing most of my own landscaping, and I have several more trees and shrubs to plant. We will likely move furniture around a couple of times. And I’m sure there will be something we find that needs to be completed.
But as I said earlier. It’s home.
Still, here’s something to ponder. If we live in that house for five years (and oh how I pray that this will be my last earthly home), we will change something. We will replace carpeting, paint a wall, or do some other kind of renovation. It’s inevitable. The simple truth is that no home is ever fully completed.
In the same way, my life requires adjustments and changes on a regular basis. In this life I will never fully be the man God created me to be. And yet I count on His promise. “He who began a good work in you will be faithful to complete it at the day of Christ Jesus.”
There are two things that stand out in that verse. First, God will complete in you and me what He has started. And second, I don’t have to do. It is His work.
I’m glad to be in my new home. It is truly a beautiful place. It’s comfortable. It’s where we belong…right now.
But there is something far better for the follower of Jesus, more beautiful and comfortable, and made just for us. And we can trust the Lord to take us there when the time comes. He is faithful. He is true. You can be sure.
Heroes
Recently I read biographies of two preachers. David Ring is an evangelist who was born with cerebral palsy. He lost his mother and father before he finished school. He was clearly disadvantaged. But God has used him in powerful ways. I’ve heard him preach. He challenges his listeners who make excuses with his classic line. “I have cerebral palsy. What’s your problem?’
The other book was about Erwin Lutzer, long-time pastor of Moody Church in Chicago. He was born to a poor farming family in Canada. His parents were of German descent, immigrants from the Ukraine. They were married for 77 years before his father died at age 106.
Among other biographies on my shelf are those about Charles Colson, Dietrich Bonhoeffer, C.S. Lewis, Ronald Reagan, Christopher Reeves, and Billy Graham. And then there is Pete Maravich.
I idolized Pistol Pete. In high school, I wore my hair like his, cut the elastic out of my socks so they would droop around my shoes, and tried to play the game with flair. More than once I sent behind the back passes to my teammates, some of which landed in the laps of cheerleaders or fans in the first row. I tried to avoid eye contact with the coach when that happened.
In reading about Maravich I learned something that I did not know. He was miserable throughout most of his pro career. He did not enjoy basketball. He did not enjoy the money or the fame. He became addicted to alcohol and drugs.
Later in life he came to faith in Jesus Christ, and his life was changed. Until that time, he had no real hope for the future. Think about it. I was jealous of someone who really did not have as good a life as I did. I know that the treasures of this world do not suffice. There is a God-shaped hole within each of us, and we are never satisfied until it is filled with God.
We can learn from the lives of others. But we need to be careful to remember that all of our heroes are fallen. There is only one who has lived a perfect life, and we are called to worship and serve Him. His name is Jesus. I pray that you know Him.
Stability
As I sit here at my desk, the radio plays softly in the background. Actually, I listen to the radio online through my tablet. Can you imagine if I had spoken those words to my grandparents? In their day “online” was where clothes were hung to dry. You “did your lessons” by writing on a tablet (it was paper, just in case you didn’t get that).
I am overwhelmed by the changes that have taken place in my lifetime, especially in the area of electronics. I remember the joy when we got our first color television. I’ve been through long-play albums, eight-track tapes, cassettes, compact discs, and I-pods.
I have more luxuries and features in my car than we used to have in our homes. My phone is a more powerful computer than the first one I ever saw at Shorter College in Rome, Georgia. The “computer room” was indeed a room filled with one computer.
The whole situation is dizzying. Life moves so fast, and is so complex, that one could give up. I know that I feel the need for some kind of stability.
I am grateful for my wife of 41 years. Knowing that I can count on her, that I can trust her, means more than I can express. I am thankful to be the pastor of Shellman Bluff Baptist. The love they give has been such a joy.
But the one constant that means the most to me is that God is with me. When everything around me is in flux, I remember this. According to Scripture he is, “the same yesterday, today, and forever.” That simply means that He is faithful. We can count on Him.
In Exodus 3, God revealed His name to Moses. “I am who I am” My Hebrew professor said that phrase could be translated, “I will continue to be what I have always been.” Another reminder of the trustworthy nature of God.
I know that the world is changing at warp speed, and there is nothing I can do to stop that. But I know that there is one constant in whom I can trust and rest. That gives me peace and hope, both for today, and for the future.
She's Gone
She’s gone. Hall and Oates sang a song by that name in the 70’s but I have something else in mind. My mother-in-law passed away last week at the age of 96. She had lived with us for the last 7 ½ years. Her mother had actually lived to the age of 101, so her longevity was not surprising to us.
I am aware that “mother-in-law” jokes are a dime a dozen. I have none to tell. Chris and I got along very well. In fact, we shared a couple of inside jokes that we didn’t share with her daughters.
Life is so difficult to understand. My mother died at the age of 67. So Chris had almost 30 more years on this earth. Why is that the case? We simply do not know. The writer of Ecclesiastes wrote, “Man knows not his days,” a simple reminder that we do not know the length of our own lives. It is not in our hands to know the how or the timing of our death.
So, what do we do? In Psalm 90:12 we read, “So teach us to number our days that we may get a heart of wisdom.” In other words, live each day so as to honor the Lord and to seek to know Him better.
As a Christian I have hope for the future beyond this world. I believe that Jesus was raised from the dead, and because He was, all who trust in Him will do the same. I believe that I will see Chris again one day, along with my own mom. My faith is based on the truth of Jesus’ resurrection and the promises of God.
Do you have that same hope? I pray that you do. The resurrection is the greatest hope of the believer. God is going to finish the work He started in you. You can count on it.
"Choose You This Day"
Moving day is quickly approaching for the Butlers. We began construction of our new home last summer, and the finishing touches are being applied. This is the first time that we have overseen the work of building a new home in this way.
We previously built a home in a subdivision in Bryan County, but on that occasion the contractor owned the lot, and the general design of the house was similar to all of the other homes. We were allowed to pick siding and brick color, carpet color, countertops, and a few other things. But others made many of those decisions..
For our new home we bought the lot, had it cleared, and then we had the plans drawn. Since then we have chosen everything from cabinet and door styles, to paint colors, and even the color and the design of the drawer pulls. Sink styles, faucets, ceiling fans, light fixtures, and I could go on for some time. I finally got to the point where I said to my wife, “You choose. I just don’t care.”
And I promise you this. I will not walk into the home and say to her, “I really don’t like the design on that cabinet knob.” Seriously. I will not do it.
There are some choices that we each need to make. We cannot leave them up to others. We might ask for assistance and advice. But in the end, you must do the choosing, because you alone must live with the consequences.
Near the end of his book, as he challenged the people whom he had led for several years, Joshua said, “Choose you this day whom you will serve.” He then offered several choices for his hearers, but declared boldly and proudly, “As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.”
Years ago I made that same choice, and I must tell you this. The Lord has never let me down. I challenge you to think seriously about whom you will serve. You have many choices, but you will serve someone or something. Why not serve the Lord? He loves you and has your best interest in mind. I assure you of this. I’m going to serve Him for as long as He allows.
Remember . . .
I would like to apologize to both of my readers (I hope that is a joke) for my absence from these pages last week. Seems that I managed to forget that the time had come to write another article. And so the job simply was not done.
You know, we are all prone to forgetfulness from time to time. Sometimes that is not such a big deal. I am disappointed in myself that I skipped a week of sharing with you, but the world will not come to an end as a result.
Other things need to be remembered or there could be dire consequences. I still find the following hard to believe. If I open the back door of my truck before getting in and cranking it, when I park it has a feature where a bell dings and the dashboard flashes a message to me to check the back seat for “important objects.” Oh, like my granddaughter. As if I would forget she is riding with me. Except, based on this message it would seem that has happened before…with tragic results.
The word “remember” is used in a fascinating way in the Bible. Almost always it means, “remember, not just in recalling, but by doing something.” Several times in his book Nehemiah prayed, “Remember me.” He was asking that God act in such a way as to help him.
And in Ecclesiastes Solomon offered us this advice. “Remember your Creator in the days of your youth.” Again, that means more than to admit that God exists. It means to place your life in His hands and to trust in Him.
Finally, Jesus, at the Last Supper, told His disciples, “Do this in remembrance of me.” The fact is that we need to remember the Lord, and seek to follow Him. When we do, we can trust Him to remember us, no matter the circumstances.
Now, if I could just find my keys.
A Big Deal
You may not have heard, but there is a little football game being played this coming Sunday. They call it the Super Bowl, and this will be the 55th rendition of the game.
I’m writing in advance, so I am not sure who is playing. My prediction would be Green Bay and Kansas City, but so would almost everyone else’s since they are the two number one seeds.
But I’m not writing about football. It’s funny. The game winner will be declared “The World Champion of Football” for 2021.
And yet, the football game is only one aspect of the day. The pregame show will start early in the morning. Even in the midst of a pandemic, there will be “Super Bowl Parties” in too many places. Many parties will have two separate rooms with one TV showing the game, and another TV showing almost anything else. And there will be lots of food!
Then there is the halftime show. It’s often a bigger deal than the game. Unfortunately, the halftime show has featured wardrobe malfunctions and “dancing routines” in recent years that ought to embarrass us. Yes, I’m old, but I’m also right.
I was seven-years old when the first Super Bowl was played in January of 1967. Ironically, Green Bay beat Kansas City that day. And hardly anyone was there. Very few watched it on television. It wasn’t a big deal.
Today it is almost a national holiday. And as I said earlier, the football game is almost an afterthought.
Sometimes that’s how we live, too. The most important things, those which should be our greatest priorities, are afterthoughts. I’m thinking of how we treat the Lord. He is often forgotten and neglected. Some even deny His very existence.
How we need to make the Lord the center of our lives and our homes! When we put Him first, all other aspects of living make better sense. He is with us to help us. But when we push Him into the background, life is much more difficult to understand. It just doesn’t make sense.
I want to encourage you to put God first in your life. When you do that you will find peace and hope that will last. He will make life make sense. It will be the best thing you ever do.
The Last Resort. . . Not!
Last week I wrote about prayer, and I would like to continue in that vein today. I have to tell this story on my Dad. A couple of years ago he had to go to the hospital for a few days. He lived just outside of Atlanta, and my sister lived nearby, so he called her first. It was 1:30 in the morning, and he was struggling to breathe.
Pam told him she was coming immediately, but it would take her at least 30 minutes to get ready and get to him, and then another 20 minutes to get to the emergency room. She encouraged him to call 9-1-1. Dad’s response to her was, “Well, I really hate to bother them.”
You should have heard her telling the story. She reminded him that they do get paid, and this was the kind of thing they did, and that it probably would not be a bother to them, and then she exclaimed, “Call 9-1-1!” I may not have told you, but my sister is a lot like her mother. Dad called for help.
Don’t we sometimes treat God the same way? Actually, I often see people do this in other ways, too. A couple calls their pastor for counseling, but not until they both have lawyers. Someone asks for assistance in paying a bill, but now the power has been disconnected. We do not ask for help until the situation is desperate. And we do the same thing in prayer. We wait until the things are completely out of control before we decide to pray.
Again, last week I quoted just two verses. Jesus said, “Men ought always to pray,” and Paul wrote, “Pray without ceasing.” These two statements remind us that prayer is not something to do on occasion, but should be a constant part of the Christian life. Jesus also said that the church (it was actually the temple at the time) should be a house of prayer for all people.
I pray that we will learn to pray. There is nothing more important than we can do. Prayer is not a last resort. It is an essential part of the Christian life.
Default Mode
Here’s a story I once heard about a church and its pastor. The pastor went to the deacons, rather discouraged by things that were happening in the church. He said to them, “We really need to pray about this.” One deacon spoke up and replied, “Pastor, has it really gotten that bad?”
Perhaps you smiled, or even laughed out loud. And then you thought about it a bit more carefully. Is that the only time we pray? Does it really have to get “that bad” before we pray? Shouldn’t prayer be a first resort?
Jesus said, “Men ought always to pray.” Paul wrote, “Pray without ceasing.” But for some reason, we often wait to pray until things are so bad that we have no other option. And I think I know the reason.
We really think we can handle life. Pride is the problem. We don’t want to bother God with our minor problems. After all, He is quite busy. We will call on Him when it really gets to the point that we have no place else to turn. But in the meantime, we can handle the small stuff.
But the Bible would tell us, and I think our experiences will confirm, that we need the Lord at every turn of life. Prayer should never be a last resort. It should be the first thing we do every day. It should be our “default mode.” It should come far more natural to us.
I pray that you and I will be more faithful in prayer. I pray that we will storm the gates of heaven with our praises and our petitions. God is listening. And He is speaking. Let us call on Him, and then let us listen for Him. Let us be known as people of prayer.
Our Sovereign
You know what I miss? After all, it’s been more than a week now. I miss all of the political ads we have enjoyed over the last month. I’m so glad that we had this runoff in Georgia so that they did not end in November. These ads have been the one thing keeping me glued to my television. I’m learning new techniques for insulting others who do not agree with me, something that can always come in handy, right?
I do hope you can recognize sarcasm when you see it. In case you don’t get it, no I am not crazy. I’ve actually grown so tired of the political ads that I almost yearned for another personal injury lawyer ad.
Actually, as I write the ads are still there. I’m writing in advance, so I do not know the results of the election yet. But there are certain things that I do know.
First, I know that God is sovereign (a fancy theological word that means He is in charge). I also know that God loves me. And I know that God wants the best for me, as well as for all of His children.
Romans 8:28 says, “And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to His purpose.” I must point out a couple of things this verse says.
It does not say that everything will work out in the end for everyone, so there is no reason for anyone to worry. No, this verse is specifically about those who love Him and are called according to His purpose. In other words, it is intended to speak about God’s children, those who have trusted in Him.
I want to remind you of these two truths. If you are a child of God, He has you, no matter the results of an election. You can trust Him.
But if you do not know Him, you need to trust Him. He offers salvation and forgiveness and life to all who will come to Him. I pray you will do that today.
Press On
Well, 2020 is officially in the rearview mirror. I know there are those who are ready to put all of their troubles behind them and move forward with a better 2021. But can we truly expect life to get better with a simple turning of the calendar page? Is it really that simple?
I have my doubts. The Covid-19 virus is still with us, and in fact we are being told that hospitalizations are still going up. In Atlanta they have recently converted a portion of the World Congress Center into a makeshift hospital to assist with overcrowding.
So how do we move forward? How do we go on with life? Do we stop living altogether? Or do we plow forward as if nothing is wrong?
Paul wrote a passage to the Philippians that speaks to our situation. In fact, preachers have been using this text at the beginning of the year for decades and longer. Philippians 3:13-14 says, “Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: 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.”
Paul speaks of three actions here. He says to forget what lies behind. That does not mean that we neglect history, but that we do not rest on our laurels. Then he says strain forward to what lies ahead, the picture of a runner leaning forward as she sprints to the finish line.
Finally, we are to press on toward the goal. This pictures for us a long-distance race more than a sprint. We are to keep going when it is hard, when there is pain, and when giving up seems to be the easier route.
We have persevered through 2020. Let’s put it behind us now, and let us move forward in the way that the Lord is calling us. He has a prize for us. It is worth every effort we can give. Keep going. The journey is hard. But the destination is enough.
Happy New Year!
Happy New Year Or Don't Waste 2020
We are two days away from starting the New Year, and I think I can speak for all of us when I say, “Good riddance, 2020!” Can I get a witness?
This has been one of the hardest years that we have experienced. Limited crowds. Social distancing. No NCAA basketball tournament! I mean, the humanity of it all! I get it.
There are things far more important than basketball that have been taken from us. Weddings have been postponed. Funerals have been kept private. And church services have become virtual.
Just consider this. Would you have ever thought about putting on a mask and walking into your bank? It’s comical to consider. I actually pull a mask over my face every time I walk into the bank to get money!
Again, 2020 has been tough. So many things to which we had grown accustomed have been taken away. And we desperately want things to get back to normal. Several questions come to my mind
.First, what is normal? And as we think of normal, do we really want to get back to that? And what if normal never returns? The very thought of that last one sends shivers up my spine. I liked normal. Normal was comfortable.
But then there is this question, which likely trumps all others. What is God trying to teach us from this? The fact is that there may be different answers to that question for each of us. But I hope that we can see that we need to search for that answer.
A good friend of mine has told me more than once that he doesn’t want to “waste his cancer.” And in that same vein, I pray that we will not “waste 2020.” God has been speaking to us all along. Have we been listening? There is a lesson to learn. Don’t give up until you learn it.
By the way, I think it is just fine to pray that 2021 will bring better things.But still I say it one more time. Don’t waste 2020. Happy New Year!