On that day tell your son, 'I do this because of what the LORD did for me when I came out of Egypt.' (Exod 13:8 NIV)
I had one of those time travel moments recently that form part of life as a pastor. No, Scotty didn’t beam me up for a ride on the Enterprise and I haven’t passed through any time portals, at least not lately. But I did cover the distance from the Greatest Generation to the Latest Generation (1942-2010) in less than twenty-four hours. And I came away with a sense of how difficult and how important it is to transmit the virtues of the one to the other. I guess I should explain.
I spent an hour or so one afternoon with Rich Crum who, at 93, is our church’s oldest member. Rich was born in Kansas in 1917. He went to war in 1942 as part of the US Strategic Bomber Service, serving in Europe till war’s end. Listening to Rich talk about that era brought all of the danger and sacrifice, the courage and faith of that generation back to vivid life. The men and women of his time not only won that war, they built the America that you and I know today. They understand sacrifice and service and the cost of freedom better than most people now living in the USA.
Flash forward to 7:30 AM the following morning. I stood with about forty-five students and adults around the flag pole in front of the Middle School for the annual See You At The Pole ceremony. We joined with millions of students across America who met that day to pray for their schools and their country. My job was to offer a 9-11 remembrance. Middle Schoolers are 6th thru 8th grade students, 11 to 13 years of age. None of them were older than four years of age when the towers fell on 9-11. Rich's war is ancient history to them. That’s when the time warp hit me. How can we, who live in the present, possibly transmit to these kids the gravity of the moment, the enormity of the evil we faced on that fateful day and give them the virtues they will need to face the enemies of freedom in their own generation?
Scripture gives us the answer. After God delivered Israel from slavery in Egypt he gave them - through Moses - a number of instructions on how to keep the memory of those great events alive. He gave them the Passover, and other colorful ceremonies of remembrance. He gave them the law. And he gave them the tabernacle, with all of its forms of worship. Essentially, the Israelites were to model the great truths of their faith and history; mentor their children in its virtues; and memorialize the extraordinary events of the past. In this way each new generation would have a vital link, a time portal through which the ancients could travel forward in imagination and pass on the virtues that strengthen the foundations of freedom.
Let’s you and I commit to keep the portal open. The next generation is going to need it.
Wednesday, September 22, 2010
Monday, September 13, 2010
IN MEMORY OF BIG MIKE
Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. (Heb 12:1 NIV)
Nitrogen fumes from the Shell premium gas Mike burned in his Honda CBR 1100 XX motorcycle drifted back to us, threading their way into our helmets along with the mountain aromas of cool granite, green laurel and fresh-cut grass. Family friend Jessica McGill and I kept pace with Mike and my daughter Mikeala on a borrowed BMW, railing the tight curves and slowing to a walk on the one hundred and eighty degree switchbacks of Georgia SR 180 as we wound our way up Brasstown Bald, the highest point in the State. It would be our last motorcycle ride together before he died on August 5th and one of the best, climaxing as it did with a view of the world from 4,784 feet above sea level. He had already covered 200 of the 350 miles he would ride that day and wasn’t even tired. It stands as a metaphor to me of an even greater climb that the big guy made.
My older brother Mike, Uncle Fuzzball to my girls, suffered from a chemical imbalance in his brain diagnosed as a-typical bi-polar disorder. In the mid nineties I watched this disease grab him like the imaginary monsters of childhood, shake him like a ragdoll and fling him to the ground.
Big Mike, his nickname in the neighborhood where I was born, stood over six feet tall from the time he was twelve years old. He was always bigger and stronger than me and most of my friends. He was also a spiritual rock for me when I needed him most. Watching him break into a thousand mental pieces was almost more than I could bear. But watching him climb up out of that psychological black hole, a place from which few men return, was one of the most inspiring things I’ve ever witnessed. We talked about writing a book on it. I’m writing this today to encourage you and anyone else that you know who suffers from a mental disorder.
Mike’s ascent up the mountain of mental health was marked by three things. The first was humility. He was a proud man, a strong man that submitted himself to hospitalization under the care of competent, Christian professionals who prescribed medication and psychotherapy. Once out of the hospital Mike took responsibility for him self and worked the program. It took years and, like many bi-polar patients, along the way he decided he no longer needed the meds. This led to a relapse and another hospital stay. But the second time was the charm. He humbled himself by taking his medicine every day and visiting a counselor every week for years. Even when he no longer needed the counselor he stayed on the medicine and visited a therapist now and then just to keep a check on himself. He knew the monster all too well and as strong as he was knew he couldn’t handle it alone.
The second thing was his faith. In all the years of his suffering Mike never turned his back on his Savior. I never heard him blame God or use his illness and disappointment as an excuse to quit worshipping or neglect his devotions or stop fellowshipping with other believers. He wanted to be well and he knew that in the end, only walking with Jesus would give him the strength to get there.
The third thing that characterized his recovery was perseverance. Sadly, in twenty years of ministry I’ve known a lot of people who gave up, wallowing in the slough of self-pity, and let their illness define them for the rest of their days. Mike never gave up even after two years of fruitless searching for a regular job, something that spins many men down into depression. He was as healthy on that day at the top of the world as I have ever known him, enjoying the good gifts God gave and discussing plans for his new business. He was working in his home shop on the day his heart stopped.
So if you know someone who is struggling with a mental disorder tell them about my brother. Tell them there’s a guy in that great cloud of witnesses, cheering them on.
Nitrogen fumes from the Shell premium gas Mike burned in his Honda CBR 1100 XX motorcycle drifted back to us, threading their way into our helmets along with the mountain aromas of cool granite, green laurel and fresh-cut grass. Family friend Jessica McGill and I kept pace with Mike and my daughter Mikeala on a borrowed BMW, railing the tight curves and slowing to a walk on the one hundred and eighty degree switchbacks of Georgia SR 180 as we wound our way up Brasstown Bald, the highest point in the State. It would be our last motorcycle ride together before he died on August 5th and one of the best, climaxing as it did with a view of the world from 4,784 feet above sea level. He had already covered 200 of the 350 miles he would ride that day and wasn’t even tired. It stands as a metaphor to me of an even greater climb that the big guy made.
My older brother Mike, Uncle Fuzzball to my girls, suffered from a chemical imbalance in his brain diagnosed as a-typical bi-polar disorder. In the mid nineties I watched this disease grab him like the imaginary monsters of childhood, shake him like a ragdoll and fling him to the ground.
Big Mike, his nickname in the neighborhood where I was born, stood over six feet tall from the time he was twelve years old. He was always bigger and stronger than me and most of my friends. He was also a spiritual rock for me when I needed him most. Watching him break into a thousand mental pieces was almost more than I could bear. But watching him climb up out of that psychological black hole, a place from which few men return, was one of the most inspiring things I’ve ever witnessed. We talked about writing a book on it. I’m writing this today to encourage you and anyone else that you know who suffers from a mental disorder.
Mike’s ascent up the mountain of mental health was marked by three things. The first was humility. He was a proud man, a strong man that submitted himself to hospitalization under the care of competent, Christian professionals who prescribed medication and psychotherapy. Once out of the hospital Mike took responsibility for him self and worked the program. It took years and, like many bi-polar patients, along the way he decided he no longer needed the meds. This led to a relapse and another hospital stay. But the second time was the charm. He humbled himself by taking his medicine every day and visiting a counselor every week for years. Even when he no longer needed the counselor he stayed on the medicine and visited a therapist now and then just to keep a check on himself. He knew the monster all too well and as strong as he was knew he couldn’t handle it alone.
The second thing was his faith. In all the years of his suffering Mike never turned his back on his Savior. I never heard him blame God or use his illness and disappointment as an excuse to quit worshipping or neglect his devotions or stop fellowshipping with other believers. He wanted to be well and he knew that in the end, only walking with Jesus would give him the strength to get there.
The third thing that characterized his recovery was perseverance. Sadly, in twenty years of ministry I’ve known a lot of people who gave up, wallowing in the slough of self-pity, and let their illness define them for the rest of their days. Mike never gave up even after two years of fruitless searching for a regular job, something that spins many men down into depression. He was as healthy on that day at the top of the world as I have ever known him, enjoying the good gifts God gave and discussing plans for his new business. He was working in his home shop on the day his heart stopped.
So if you know someone who is struggling with a mental disorder tell them about my brother. Tell them there’s a guy in that great cloud of witnesses, cheering them on.
Thursday, August 26, 2010
WHY AN AMERICAN MUSLIM OPPOSES THE GROUND ZERO MOSQUE
A prudent man sees danger and takes refuge, but the simple keep going and suffer for it. Solomon, King of Israel. Proverbs 22:3 NIV
A scan of national and international media reveals that non-Muslim support for the proposed Mosque near Ground Zero (GZM) seems just as strong as opposition to it. Evidence, I’m afraid, of a far too simple reading of a dangerous situation. Most supporters of the GZM cite the US Constitution’s protections of religious freedom. But they are failing to take into account critical facts about the GZM, its backers, and the nature of the global Islamist movement.
Zuhdi Jasser, M.D., is not so simple minded. Jasser is a devout Muslim and the founder of the American Islamic Forum for Democracy (aifdemocracy.org). He is a former U.S. Navy Commander, one of the first Muslim Americans to speak out against the violence of 9-11, Fort Hood and other atrocities, and has been a consistent voice of opposition to what he calls the global Islamist movement defined as those who promote the Islamic State and governmental sharia law. Jasser is also the host and narrator of the award winning documentary The Third Jihad, which was screened at Faith Community Church last March.
One of the things missing from most American’s analysis of this issue is the theological underpinning and societal longing of the global Muslim community for prosperity, prestige and power. That theology and longing coalesced in the 1950s along two lines. First is Secular Nationalist Islam, as seen in Egypt, Libya, and Iraq under Mubarak, Qadafi and Saddam Hussein respectively. Second is militant, theocratic Islamism as illustrated by the Wahhabis in Saudi Arabia, the Taliban in Afghanistan, the Ayatollahs in Iran and the multiple tentacles of the Muslim Brotherhood running through al-Qaeda and many other violent as well as non-violent organizations in the U.S.
In an interview with Aaron Elias on PajamasMedia.com Jasser outlines three major reasons to oppose the GZM. First, it is an insult to the millions of Americans who experienced the horror of 9-11. Second, the mosque is clearly being funded by people connected to the Muslim Brotherhood and other supporters of the Islamic State and governmental sharia. That funding creates an open door in what would be the greatest Mosque on American soil for the same jihadist philosophy to spread in the heart of Manhattan. And third, it will send a message of weakness to millions of Muslims world wide. A message that validates and affirms everything the Bin Ladens and Zaraqawis and other Islamists have been telling them about America all along.
“It will be used by Islamist leadership around the world to say, ‘despite the violence that al-Qaeda perpetrated on the American population, political Islam will always be victorious and from its ashes has risen the largest religious Muslim structure in the United States,’” Jasser warns. “As the administration continues to move backwards, [outlawing] the use of any specific religious Islamic terms like jihad, Islamsim, and salafism, the Islamists continue to make unopposed headway in the contest of ideas. We are losing the war of ideas.”
For the full length interview with Dr. Jasser see: http://pajamasmedia.com/blog/a-patriotic-muslims-warning-on-ground-zero-mosque
Religious freedom is a fundamental value in America. No one should oppose the kinds of mosques that Dr. Jasser and his fellow non-Islamist Muslims would build. But neither should anyone be so simple as to assume that the GZM is such a mosque.
A scan of national and international media reveals that non-Muslim support for the proposed Mosque near Ground Zero (GZM) seems just as strong as opposition to it. Evidence, I’m afraid, of a far too simple reading of a dangerous situation. Most supporters of the GZM cite the US Constitution’s protections of religious freedom. But they are failing to take into account critical facts about the GZM, its backers, and the nature of the global Islamist movement.
Zuhdi Jasser, M.D., is not so simple minded. Jasser is a devout Muslim and the founder of the American Islamic Forum for Democracy (aifdemocracy.org). He is a former U.S. Navy Commander, one of the first Muslim Americans to speak out against the violence of 9-11, Fort Hood and other atrocities, and has been a consistent voice of opposition to what he calls the global Islamist movement defined as those who promote the Islamic State and governmental sharia law. Jasser is also the host and narrator of the award winning documentary The Third Jihad, which was screened at Faith Community Church last March.
One of the things missing from most American’s analysis of this issue is the theological underpinning and societal longing of the global Muslim community for prosperity, prestige and power. That theology and longing coalesced in the 1950s along two lines. First is Secular Nationalist Islam, as seen in Egypt, Libya, and Iraq under Mubarak, Qadafi and Saddam Hussein respectively. Second is militant, theocratic Islamism as illustrated by the Wahhabis in Saudi Arabia, the Taliban in Afghanistan, the Ayatollahs in Iran and the multiple tentacles of the Muslim Brotherhood running through al-Qaeda and many other violent as well as non-violent organizations in the U.S.
In an interview with Aaron Elias on PajamasMedia.com Jasser outlines three major reasons to oppose the GZM. First, it is an insult to the millions of Americans who experienced the horror of 9-11. Second, the mosque is clearly being funded by people connected to the Muslim Brotherhood and other supporters of the Islamic State and governmental sharia. That funding creates an open door in what would be the greatest Mosque on American soil for the same jihadist philosophy to spread in the heart of Manhattan. And third, it will send a message of weakness to millions of Muslims world wide. A message that validates and affirms everything the Bin Ladens and Zaraqawis and other Islamists have been telling them about America all along.
“It will be used by Islamist leadership around the world to say, ‘despite the violence that al-Qaeda perpetrated on the American population, political Islam will always be victorious and from its ashes has risen the largest religious Muslim structure in the United States,’” Jasser warns. “As the administration continues to move backwards, [outlawing] the use of any specific religious Islamic terms like jihad, Islamsim, and salafism, the Islamists continue to make unopposed headway in the contest of ideas. We are losing the war of ideas.”
For the full length interview with Dr. Jasser see: http://pajamasmedia.com/blog/a-patriotic-muslims-warning-on-ground-zero-mosque
Religious freedom is a fundamental value in America. No one should oppose the kinds of mosques that Dr. Jasser and his fellow non-Islamist Muslims would build. But neither should anyone be so simple as to assume that the GZM is such a mosque.
Thursday, August 19, 2010
DID JESUS EVER DISCUSS HOMOSEXUALITY OR GAY MARRIAGE?
The recent ruling by US District Court Judge Vaughn Walker striking down Proposition 8 in California has put the debate about homosexual marriage on the front pages again. One feature of the discussion about this issue in religious circles is the oft heard sound byte: “Jesus never said anything about homosexuals or gay marriage.” This can be confusing because at first glance it would seem to be correct. Enter the word “homosexual” into your Bible software concordance and limit the search to the four gospels and you won’t find Jesus using the word.
But people who are more familiar with their Bibles know that the argument is false. Jesus did address homosexuality and marriage and his stance on the issues is quite clear. I hope the following verses and brief explanations will equip you to clarify Jesus’ position on the matter should it ever come up in conversation.
First, Jesus was a Jewish Rabbi speaking to a first century Jewish audience. When he spoke in Matthew 15:18-19 of the heart as the source of sins he used the broadest term possible - the Greek word is porneia - to describe sexual sin. His comments aren’t limited to adultery, or rape, or incest etc. Porneia included the whole sweep of sexual sin. Any sexual intercourse outside of the marriage of a man and a woman was considered porneia. Dr. Don Fowler, professor of Biblical studies at Liberty University, adds: homosexuality was not overt in a Jewish world but when Paul took the gospel to the gentiles, homosexuality (especially among the Greeks) was notoriously common. In other words, Paul's strong emphasis was necessary whereas in Jesus' world it was much less so. Jesus didn't discuss pedophilia either because it wasn't a common issue in their world but the use of young boys for sexual purposes was common in Greek wealthier classes.
Second, Jesus said marriage is between male and female. In Matthew 19:4-6 Jesus explained what marriage is by going back to the original design of God. The union between male and female is the order of creation. It is God’s design for men and women. Homosexual marriage had no place in Jesus thinking.
Third, Jesus condemned homosexual practice in his condemnation of Sodom & Gomorrah. – In Matthew 10:15 Jesus explains to his disciples that in the judgment to come the towns that refused their message would suffer a greater judgment than Sodom and Gomorrah. Again in Matthew 11 Jesus denounces Capernaum telling the people, “It will be more tolerable for Sodom on the day of judgment than for you.” Some people will say that Sodom was only judged for its brutality to strangers but you have to ignore the clear meaning of multiple Old and New Testament texts to arrive at that conclusion. Sodom and Gomorrah are bywords throughout the Bible for sexual perversion, especially homosexuality. Jesus, though he had many opportunities to do so, did not upend the teaching on Sodom and Gomorrah in the Old Testament. He supported it and quoted from it.
Finally, other New Testament writings condemn homosexuality – The Apostle Paul’s writings against homosexual behavior are well known (See Romans 1:21-27; 1 Corinthians 6:9-10; 1 Timothy 1:8-11). I do not have space here to elaborate on them but suffice it to say that they are in accord with the teachings of Jesus. Also, the Apostle Paul is Jesus’ personal envoy to the Gentiles (that’s us, see Acts 22:21). If we ignore Paul’s teaching on this subject we are ignoring Jesus as well.
Many people are being led astray by the idea that Jesus never mentioned homosexuality. I hope this article helps you correct that mistake.
But people who are more familiar with their Bibles know that the argument is false. Jesus did address homosexuality and marriage and his stance on the issues is quite clear. I hope the following verses and brief explanations will equip you to clarify Jesus’ position on the matter should it ever come up in conversation.
First, Jesus was a Jewish Rabbi speaking to a first century Jewish audience. When he spoke in Matthew 15:18-19 of the heart as the source of sins he used the broadest term possible - the Greek word is porneia - to describe sexual sin. His comments aren’t limited to adultery, or rape, or incest etc. Porneia included the whole sweep of sexual sin. Any sexual intercourse outside of the marriage of a man and a woman was considered porneia. Dr. Don Fowler, professor of Biblical studies at Liberty University, adds: homosexuality was not overt in a Jewish world but when Paul took the gospel to the gentiles, homosexuality (especially among the Greeks) was notoriously common. In other words, Paul's strong emphasis was necessary whereas in Jesus' world it was much less so. Jesus didn't discuss pedophilia either because it wasn't a common issue in their world but the use of young boys for sexual purposes was common in Greek wealthier classes.
Second, Jesus said marriage is between male and female. In Matthew 19:4-6 Jesus explained what marriage is by going back to the original design of God. The union between male and female is the order of creation. It is God’s design for men and women. Homosexual marriage had no place in Jesus thinking.
Third, Jesus condemned homosexual practice in his condemnation of Sodom & Gomorrah. – In Matthew 10:15 Jesus explains to his disciples that in the judgment to come the towns that refused their message would suffer a greater judgment than Sodom and Gomorrah. Again in Matthew 11 Jesus denounces Capernaum telling the people, “It will be more tolerable for Sodom on the day of judgment than for you.” Some people will say that Sodom was only judged for its brutality to strangers but you have to ignore the clear meaning of multiple Old and New Testament texts to arrive at that conclusion. Sodom and Gomorrah are bywords throughout the Bible for sexual perversion, especially homosexuality. Jesus, though he had many opportunities to do so, did not upend the teaching on Sodom and Gomorrah in the Old Testament. He supported it and quoted from it.
Finally, other New Testament writings condemn homosexuality – The Apostle Paul’s writings against homosexual behavior are well known (See Romans 1:21-27; 1 Corinthians 6:9-10; 1 Timothy 1:8-11). I do not have space here to elaborate on them but suffice it to say that they are in accord with the teachings of Jesus. Also, the Apostle Paul is Jesus’ personal envoy to the Gentiles (that’s us, see Acts 22:21). If we ignore Paul’s teaching on this subject we are ignoring Jesus as well.
Many people are being led astray by the idea that Jesus never mentioned homosexuality. I hope this article helps you correct that mistake.
Wednesday, July 28, 2010
The Keys' to Success in High Stress part 2
I recently “retired” after six years as a board member with Tri River Habitat for Humanity. In the time that I served on the board Tri River completed three homes in partnership with needy families in the community. Our goal was to complete one home per year but as the following story illustrates, Christians define success differently from the rest of the world.
In 1940, Clarence Jordan founded Koinonia Farm in Americus, Georgia, as a haven for racial unity and cooperation. In 1954, the Ku Klux Klan burned every building on the farm except Jordan's home.
In the midst of the raid, Jordan recognized the voice of a local newspaper reporter. The next day, the reporter showed up for a story about the arson while the rubble was still smoldering. He found Jordan in a field, planting seeds. He said to Jordan, "I heard the awful news of your tragedy last night, and I came out to do a story on the closing of your farm."
Jordan just kept planting and hoeing. The reporter continued his prodding, with no response from Jordan. Finally, the reporter said, "You've got two Ph.D.'s, you've put 14 years into this farm, and now there's nothing left. Just how successful do you think you've been?"
With that statement, Jordan stopped hoeing. He said to the reporter, "You just don't get it, do you? You don't understand us Christians. What we are about is not success, but faithfulness."
Here’s the cool thing about that story. Tri River Habitat’s last home, its 11th in Halifax County, was finished last year. Most of the volunteers were white. The partner family was black. The executive director of Tri River recently informed me that the Banister River Association of Baptist Churches, a traditionally black association in our county, will soon be a major source of volunteers with the ministry. Koinonia Farm is the place where the vision of Habitat for Humanity was hatched. Who succeeded and who failed?
In 1940, Clarence Jordan founded Koinonia Farm in Americus, Georgia, as a haven for racial unity and cooperation. In 1954, the Ku Klux Klan burned every building on the farm except Jordan's home.
In the midst of the raid, Jordan recognized the voice of a local newspaper reporter. The next day, the reporter showed up for a story about the arson while the rubble was still smoldering. He found Jordan in a field, planting seeds. He said to Jordan, "I heard the awful news of your tragedy last night, and I came out to do a story on the closing of your farm."
Jordan just kept planting and hoeing. The reporter continued his prodding, with no response from Jordan. Finally, the reporter said, "You've got two Ph.D.'s, you've put 14 years into this farm, and now there's nothing left. Just how successful do you think you've been?"
With that statement, Jordan stopped hoeing. He said to the reporter, "You just don't get it, do you? You don't understand us Christians. What we are about is not success, but faithfulness."
Here’s the cool thing about that story. Tri River Habitat’s last home, its 11th in Halifax County, was finished last year. Most of the volunteers were white. The partner family was black. The executive director of Tri River recently informed me that the Banister River Association of Baptist Churches, a traditionally black association in our county, will soon be a major source of volunteers with the ministry. Koinonia Farm is the place where the vision of Habitat for Humanity was hatched. Who succeeded and who failed?
Wednesday, July 21, 2010
THE KEYS TO SUCCESS IN HIGH STRESS part 1
Are you feeling stressed? Pressured? Overloaded?
Many of you are returning to school soon, some to totally new environments, some to increasing responsibility as you near the end of your educational career and the beginning of your working career. That’s stressful.
Some of you are under tremendous pressure at work. One guy described his day as “walking into a buzz saw.” Here’s a little research on the subject:
A survey of 1,313 managers on four continents found that "one-third of managers suffer from ill health as a direct consequence of stress associated with information overload. This figure increases to 43 percent among senior managers."
The sheer volume of information you have to screen, absorb and respond to can make you sick. Then there are those other “little” stressors that any body with a lot of responsibility and a little authority can relate to.
Dealing with spin – Information comes to us like a Tom Glavine curve ball. It looks like the straight stuff until it gets to the plate. The truth gets lost in the rumor mill or shady ethics.
Office Politics – Strained relationships between others in your organization make your job more difficult.
Political Correctness – Rears its head but you have to say things no one wants to hear.
Administrative Hassles – Can you just go ahead and hire the person best qualified or do you have to jump through a bunch of hoops first to keep the watchdogs happy?
Communication Breakdown – I thought you said it would be here Friday! No, I said it would be there Monday!
If you can connect with any of that you can connect with Pastor Tim of the first Church of Ephesus. He was dealing with all of it only it was dressed in Church clothes instead of business.
Spin – Tim was confronting spin in the form of legalism, Gnosticism and superstitious mysticism. (See chapters 1, 4,5,6).
Politics – Strained relationships between church members put him in the middle. (See chapter 2:8)
Political Correctness – What would the role of women be? How would he address it? (See chapter 2:9)
Administrative Issues – Who would serve as Elder? Deacon? How would they be qualified? (See chapter 3:1).
Communication – He had to set the example of clear communication and following through on commitments. (See chapter 4:11-16).
Let me go back to my original question. Are you feeling overloaded? Pressured? Stressed to the max? If so you might be feeling like Pastor Tim. And maybe you’re feeling his instinctive response: RUN BABY RUN!
But his mentor the Apostle Paul had another idea. It’s recorded in
1 Tim 1:3 As I urged you when I went into Macedonia, stay there in Ephesus so that you may command certain men not to teach false doctrines any longer. (NIV)
That was not what Tim was hoping to hear. But it’s one of the keys to success in high stress. Paul was saying to his son in the faith,
“Tim your desire is to come back under my wing. But God has you there for a purpose. Be content to stay there.”
The message: If God has you in a tough situation stay in it. Don’t bail out just because your palms are getting sweaty. If you’re sure God’s in it – you stay in it. Problems are just opportunities dressed in scary costumes. God has something to teach you in it and something to accomplish through you in it. If you bail out you may never learn what you can be and you may never see what God can do.
Many of you are returning to school soon, some to totally new environments, some to increasing responsibility as you near the end of your educational career and the beginning of your working career. That’s stressful.
Some of you are under tremendous pressure at work. One guy described his day as “walking into a buzz saw.” Here’s a little research on the subject:
A survey of 1,313 managers on four continents found that "one-third of managers suffer from ill health as a direct consequence of stress associated with information overload. This figure increases to 43 percent among senior managers."
The sheer volume of information you have to screen, absorb and respond to can make you sick. Then there are those other “little” stressors that any body with a lot of responsibility and a little authority can relate to.
Dealing with spin – Information comes to us like a Tom Glavine curve ball. It looks like the straight stuff until it gets to the plate. The truth gets lost in the rumor mill or shady ethics.
Office Politics – Strained relationships between others in your organization make your job more difficult.
Political Correctness – Rears its head but you have to say things no one wants to hear.
Administrative Hassles – Can you just go ahead and hire the person best qualified or do you have to jump through a bunch of hoops first to keep the watchdogs happy?
Communication Breakdown – I thought you said it would be here Friday! No, I said it would be there Monday!
If you can connect with any of that you can connect with Pastor Tim of the first Church of Ephesus. He was dealing with all of it only it was dressed in Church clothes instead of business.
Spin – Tim was confronting spin in the form of legalism, Gnosticism and superstitious mysticism. (See chapters 1, 4,5,6).
Politics – Strained relationships between church members put him in the middle. (See chapter 2:8)
Political Correctness – What would the role of women be? How would he address it? (See chapter 2:9)
Administrative Issues – Who would serve as Elder? Deacon? How would they be qualified? (See chapter 3:1).
Communication – He had to set the example of clear communication and following through on commitments. (See chapter 4:11-16).
Let me go back to my original question. Are you feeling overloaded? Pressured? Stressed to the max? If so you might be feeling like Pastor Tim. And maybe you’re feeling his instinctive response: RUN BABY RUN!
But his mentor the Apostle Paul had another idea. It’s recorded in
1 Tim 1:3 As I urged you when I went into Macedonia, stay there in Ephesus so that you may command certain men not to teach false doctrines any longer. (NIV)
That was not what Tim was hoping to hear. But it’s one of the keys to success in high stress. Paul was saying to his son in the faith,
“Tim your desire is to come back under my wing. But God has you there for a purpose. Be content to stay there.”
The message: If God has you in a tough situation stay in it. Don’t bail out just because your palms are getting sweaty. If you’re sure God’s in it – you stay in it. Problems are just opportunities dressed in scary costumes. God has something to teach you in it and something to accomplish through you in it. If you bail out you may never learn what you can be and you may never see what God can do.
Friday, June 25, 2010
Jesus Money & Posessions Part 4 The Treasury of the Heart
Where your treasure is, there will your heart be also…
Jesus (Matthew 6:21)
The treasury of the heart is the ordering principle of life. Everything revolves around it. It is like the sun to the earth, the earth to the moon and the moon to the seasons. And if that ordering principle is dark, then all of life is darkness.
Suze Orman tells a story in her book, Nine Steps to Financial Freedom that vividly illustrates that point.
When I was 13, my dad owned his own business—a tiny shack where he sold chicken, ribs, hamburgers, hot dogs, and fries. One day the oil that the chicken was fried in caught fire. In a few minutes the whole place exploded in flames. My dad bolted from the store before the flames could engulf him.
Then my mom and I arrived on the scene, and we all stood outside watching the fire burn away my dad's business. All of a sudden, my dad realized he had left his money in the metal cash register inside the building, and I watched in disbelief as he ran back into the inferno before anyone could stop him.
He tried to open the metal register, but the intense heat had already sealed the drawer shut. Knowing that every penny he had was locked in front of him about to go up into flames, he picked up the scalding metal box and carried it outside. When he threw the register on the ground, the skin on his arms and chest came with it. He had escaped the fire safely once, untouched. Then he voluntarily risked his life and was severely injured. The money was that important.
That was when I learned that money is obviously more important than life itself. From that point on, earning money—lots of money—not only became what drove me professionally, but also became my emotional priority.
I don’t know where Suze Orman is on that issue today, but I do know that when money becomes our emotional priority, when cash is all that fills the treasury of our hearts, then we are truly in darkness.
Jesus (Matthew 6:21)
The treasury of the heart is the ordering principle of life. Everything revolves around it. It is like the sun to the earth, the earth to the moon and the moon to the seasons. And if that ordering principle is dark, then all of life is darkness.
Suze Orman tells a story in her book, Nine Steps to Financial Freedom that vividly illustrates that point.
When I was 13, my dad owned his own business—a tiny shack where he sold chicken, ribs, hamburgers, hot dogs, and fries. One day the oil that the chicken was fried in caught fire. In a few minutes the whole place exploded in flames. My dad bolted from the store before the flames could engulf him.
Then my mom and I arrived on the scene, and we all stood outside watching the fire burn away my dad's business. All of a sudden, my dad realized he had left his money in the metal cash register inside the building, and I watched in disbelief as he ran back into the inferno before anyone could stop him.
He tried to open the metal register, but the intense heat had already sealed the drawer shut. Knowing that every penny he had was locked in front of him about to go up into flames, he picked up the scalding metal box and carried it outside. When he threw the register on the ground, the skin on his arms and chest came with it. He had escaped the fire safely once, untouched. Then he voluntarily risked his life and was severely injured. The money was that important.
That was when I learned that money is obviously more important than life itself. From that point on, earning money—lots of money—not only became what drove me professionally, but also became my emotional priority.
I don’t know where Suze Orman is on that issue today, but I do know that when money becomes our emotional priority, when cash is all that fills the treasury of our hearts, then we are truly in darkness.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
