Walking With Jesus

Whose Voice Is the Loudest?

“Look at My Servant, whom I have chosen. He is My Beloved, who pleases Me. I will put My Spirit upon Him, and He will proclaim justice to the nations. He will not fight or shout or raise His voice in public. He will not crush the weakest reed or put out a flickering candle. Finally, He will cause justice to be victorious. And His name will be the hope of all the world.” (Matthew 12:18-21 NLT)

The above verses are the words of God spoken to Isaiah (42:1-4) regarding His Son, the Lord Jesus, hundreds of years before Jesus was born on earth. Why are they so important? For many reasons, not the least of which was Jesus wasn’t coming to roll over people and demand His own way. Quite to the contrary, He was coming quietly and would live a very unassuming life.

Jesus was a carpenter, likely a trade His earthly father taught Him, but even when He began His public ministry, He went about it in a way that wouldn’t draw a lot of attention to Himself. Yes, of course, once He began to heal and help people, He struggled to find a private spot to go when He wanted to be alone. But His plan wasn’t to make much of Himself, but of His heavenly Father.

Jesus wasn’t a loud boisterous person who demanded people’s attention. He said of Himself in Matthew 29:11: “Take My yoke upon you. Let Me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls.” When speaking to large crowds, I suspect they had to be quiet and very attentive to be able to hear His words. That hasn’t changed for us today.

Photo by Nataliya Vaitkevich on Pexels.com

Every day in numerous ways, voices cry out to us. It may be the literal cry of our infant child, or our heartbroken teen, or an angry boss, of a needy neighbor or friend. It may be the noise of traffic or the sounds of workers in our neighborhood. These “voices” can come from many sources, but Satan’s design for all of them is the same – to drown out the still, quiet voice of God.

A good friend, who happens to be one of my Pastors, said in a gathering I attended: “Remove the noise so God’s voice is the loudest.” Think about that for a minute. What is implicit in that directive? First, we have to desire to hear God’s voice; otherwise, why make the effort.

But isn’t that the point? We want to make the effort to hear God’s voice, but why? Because we believe whatever God has to say is worth hearing. Additionally, God’s voice won’t usually be the loudest, so it’s easy to miss what He’s saying if we’re not attentive. So, how do we quiet the voices vying for our attention?

We do what Jesus did, we separate ourselves to a quiet place. Finding that place may be a chore for you, especially if you have small children, but I will guarantee you it will be worth the effort. The reality is, we likely won’t be nearly as in demand as Jesus in the prime of His ministry, but He found a way to spend time with His Father, and so can we.

Every day each of us has 96 15-minute segments of time. Surely we can squeeze 15 minutes a day – only 1 of those 96 segments of time – to read God’s Word and listen to His voice! It’s less than 2% of your day. Yes, of course, Satan is going to battle you for every second you spend with God, but over time, it will get easier and the dividends you’re paid for your effort will increase.

I’m learning to listen to His voice and share my thoughts with Him in almost any environment. In a doctor’s waiting room, while driving (I don’t bow my head and close my eyes 😊), as I walk my pups, between people coming to church as I greet, while I’m eating (if I’m eating alone), showering, shaving, the list is almost endless of ways you can carve out time to speak to and listen to the Lord.

You just have to want His voice to be the loudest.

Blessings, Ed 😊

The Most Loving Thing We Can Ever Do

“Timothy, my dear son, be strong through the grace that God gives you in Christ Jesus. You have heard me teach things that have been confirmed by many reliable witnesses. Now teach these truths to other trustworthy people who will be able to pass them on to others.” (2 Timothy 2:1-2 NLT)

One of the most frightening, yet, most satisfying things I’ve done and do, is to share my faith with someone I don’t know well or may have just met. It’s frightening because a person’s soul may be on the proverbial line, and it’s satisfying when they open their heart and mind to Jesus. In the churches I served, one vital component of my tenure as pastor was pouring what I know about sharing my faith into others who were hungry to learn.

In a recent Turning Point devotional David Jeremiah shared these statistics: “According to a Lifeway Research survey, 66 percent of Christians ‘are not familiar with any “methods for telling others about Jesus.”’ Additionally, 70 percent of the Christians interviewed ‘have not shared with a stranger how to become a Christian in the past six months.’ John Sorensen, president of Evangelism Explosion, said, ‘Now, perhaps more than ever, people are open to conversations about faith, yet this study reveals few Christians actually take the opportunity to engage in personal evangelism.’”

Evangelism Explosion is the training I took and used to train people in my church. During the training we would split up and go into neighborhoods, knocking on doors, and sharing with anyone who would listen. In one training event I attended we were sent into a neighborhood where there’d been a number of break-ins and robberies, so we thought we’d be wasting our time. But I was amazed at the number of people who not only opened their doors but invited us in to hear the Good News we were eager to share.

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It can be intimidating to share when you don’t feel confident in what to share, but another common fear is that someone will ask you a question to which you’re not trained to answer, or they’ll become confrontational or argumentative. In more than 50 years of sharing my faith, I’ve never had either of those things happen, and it’s not because I’m so smart or well versed. It’s simply because God has chosen the person with whom we share before He chose us to share with them.

Yes, of course, people ask questions, we want them to; otherwise, we can’t tailor our presentation to their need. And yes, I’ve been asked questions I didn’t have an answer for, but I felt quite comfortable saying to them: “That’s a great question, one for which I don’t have an adequate answer. So, how about you do some research, and I’ll do some research and let’s meet in a week to share what we find out.”

Something else we too often allow Satan to magnify in our mind is that it’s about what we know, but that’s focusing on the wrong thing. Yes, we should have a track to run on, but sometimes our “track” is interrupted, and we have to be flexible. In those times it’s critical that we realize the bottom line isn’t “what” we know, it’s “Who” we know. I’ve grown quite confident that whenever I’m led in a direction that causes me to shift my planned outline, the Holy Spirit will guide me in how I need to respond.

The most comforting and encouraging aspects of sharing our faith with someone is realizing that God is using us to help someone understand, not only how to prepare for heaven, but how to have a growing, intimate relationship with the King of the universe. Explaining to someone the great news of who Jesus is and what He accomplished on our behalf, isn’t about “hell insurance.” It’s about knowing, loving, serving, and walking faithfully with the One who literally sacrificed His life in our place. Why did He make such a sacrifice? To open to us the opportunity to walk with Him in life’s pathways, assuring us that we’ll never walk alone.

That’s the most loving thing we can ever do for anyone. Please don’t deprive yourself of any opportunity He gives you to offer that tremendous gift to someone who needs to hear it.

Blessings, Ed 😊

The Thirst Only Jesus Can Satisfy

“Tremble, O earth, at the presence of the Lord, at the presence of the God of Jacob, who turns the rock into a pool of water, the flint into a spring of water.” (Psalm 114:7-8 ESV)

Thirst is a fickle friend who offers us periods of desperate longing, but at other times is pretty much MIA. Think of the person lost in the desert with an empty canteen who is literally dying of thirst. Or the marathon runner whose body is in near constant need of refreshing. Or the poolside sun bather whose ice in their nearby drink is melting as it sits without notice.

Which “picture” is representative of your “thirst” for Jesus. Do you find yourself continually longing to “drink” of His holy presence? Or are you among those who claim to be following Jesus, yet can cruise through life for days with hardly a thought of Him? Then the screeching of tires and the breaking of glass suddenly opens the heart and mind to His much longed for and needed presence. Or the doctor’s report is bad, so, once again we become very “thirsty” for His nearness.

Jesus said, in a conversation with a Samaritan woman who had come to draw water from Jacob’s well: “Anyone who drinks this water will soon become thirsty again. But those who drink the water I give will never be thirsty again. It becomes a fresh, bubbling spring within them, giving them eternal life.” Jesus is the living water, apart from whom we will never enjoy His refreshing, life-giving presence, in this life or the life to come.

“Tremble O Earth” “Used by permission, © Ray Majoran, GlimpseOfInfinity.com”

As human beings we have many allures, in terms of the numbers of things that create in us a “thirst.” The woman at the well had an obvious thirst for love, acceptance, affirmation, and a sense of belonging, that led her in and out of many relationships with men, but resulted in her continued thirst. For many today it’s sex, drugs, alcohol, money, success, acceptance, companionship, love, and many more things for which we “thirst,” believing in that person or thing we’ll find the satisfaction that will last, but it never does. Why?

Because we’re eternal beings, created by God to thirst for Him. He alone is the One who can ultimately satisfy the longings of our heart, the “thirsts” of our soul. We search in vain to find an eternal answer in temporal things. Nothing this world could ever offer can compare with knowing, loving, serving, and enjoying Jesus as Savior, Lord, and eternal Friend.

The longer I walk with Jesus, the more thirsty I become for His satisfying presence. A person who professes faith in Jesus but has no longing for His closeness is a contradiction. To love Him is to desire to know Him. Paul said it well in Philippians 3:7-9a: “I once thought these things (the things the world offers) were valuable, but now I consider them worthless because of what Christ has done. Yes, everything else is worthless when compared with the infinite value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For His sake I have discarded everything else, counting it all as garbage, so that I could gain Christ and become one with Him.”

What is that for which you most “thirst?” If it’s anything but Jesus it will never satisfy long-term. I pray your heart, mind, soul, and body longs for intimacy with Jesus. That’s what it means to “know” Him. When Paul says in Philippians 3:10: “I want to know Christ…” it’s the same word that is used in Genesis 4:1 when it says: “Now Adam knew Eve his wife, and she conceived and bore Cain…”

It depicts the closeness, not only physically, but emotionally and spiritually that nothing but God through Christ can satisfy. It’s a deep longing that doesn’t waver or evaporate when Satan parades the trinkets of this world. Why? Because we have the Treasure of infinite worth when we drink from the fountain of eternal life only Jesus can give.

Blessings, Ed 😊

The Glory of Garbage

“For the Lord is high above the nations; His glory is higher than the heavens. Who can be compared with the Lord our God, who is enthroned on high? He stoops to look down on heaven and on earth. He lifts the poor from the dust and the needy from the garbage dump. He sets them among princes, even the princes of His own people! (Psalm 113:3-8 NLT)

Have you ever felt like rotting garbage? Has the stench of your sin ever made you want to literally throw up? Mine has, and I’m grateful the Lord allowed me to experience that miserable feeling. Why? Because, ironically, it “cleared the air” of my heart and mind to enable me to see Him and understand my need of Him more clearly.

The old adage is usually true: “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it!” One of the major ministries of the Holy Spirit is to illuminate our sin. Why? Because if we don’t know it’s an issue, we’ll make no effort to deal with it, or, more to the point, allow the Lord to work in and through us to deal with it.

Ron Hutchcraft wrote, in reference to King David after he committed adultery with Bathsheba and had her husband murdered: “He said, ‘As a result of that, God is going to make the garbage of my life into a ministry.’ Because he said, ‘I will teach transgressors Your ways and sinners will turn back to You.’ Now, there’s a pretty exciting concept to recognize that God can take the garbage of a sin-scarred life and convert it into credentials of His grace.”

Often, we think our sin signals our demise, and it certainly does without Jesus, but when we bring the “garbage” of our sin and place it at the feet of our all-powerful Savior, something miraculous takes place that only God can do – He redeems our life! In much the same way as Hosea bought back his harlot wife, Jesus “buys us back” from the clutches of the evil one, giving us opportunity to be better than we ever dared dream possible.

Have you sinned in ways you never thought you would? Have you hurt the ones you love the most, and now fear they won’t forgive you? Are you wanting to find a hole to hide your shame, guilt, and misery? Are you begging God just to take you home to Him so you don’t have to face the consequences of your horrible failure? Been there!

Guilt and shame are powerful tools in the hands of the enemy of our soul, but they’re the blocks upon which Jesus builds our new life of hope and promise if we’ll let Him. No, of course, He’s not just going to wave His proverbial “wand” and make it all go away. Sin has consequences and though we’re forgiven and given opportunity to walk in new ways, God rarely delivers us from sin’s hard consequences.

What does that mean? It means not everyone is just going to ignore your betrayal. It means it may cost you your family or job or both. It means you don’t crawl from the garbage dump without the stench of its effects. Yes, of course, Jesus forgives and forgets, but the people you hurt aren’t always going to do that, at least not very quickly.

My wife left and took our kids. I lost my source of income, my house, car, and many of the material possessions I had. In my mind I had nothing left, but the Lord informed me in no uncertain terms, I may have felt like I lost everything, but I hadn’t, because I hadn’t lost Him, and He was all I needed!

Regardless of how bleak things look in your world today, I assure you on the authority of God’s Word and on the basis of my own experience, it’s not the end unless you make it so. God’s open arms of love are waiting to receive you, forgive you, and walk with you into a new, bright, hope-filled future so good you’ll sometimes pinch yourself because you’ll think you’re dreaming.

Let the Lord take the garbage of your life and turn it into His glory – forgiving, restoring, equipping, and commissioning you to become more than you ever dared dream you could be. He did it for me and He’ll do it for you.

Blessings, Ed 😊

The Joy of Cross-Bearing

“We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith. Because of the joy awaiting Him, He endured the cross, disregarding its shame. Now He is seated in the place of honor beside God’s throne.” (Hebrew 12:2 NLT)

Have you ever done something you don’t like to do for the anticipated joy you’ll have when it’s completed? The first thing that came to my mind was running the sweeper and swiffering the floors. It takes me about two hours, and I’m beat by the time I’m done, but I love the big smile on my bride’s face and the warm hug she gives me when I’m done. Pleasing her brings me great joy.

On a much larger scale, I believe the joy submitting to the Cross brought to Jesus, was the anticipated smile on His Father’s face and the joy His Father would express to Jesus for a job well done. It wasn’t simply Jesus’ joy alone, but that of another who was more important to Him than His own life – His Father.

John Stonestreet wrote: “This is not unlike something Jesus alluded to when He said, in one breath, that we should ‘take up our cross’ to follow Him, and in the very next breath that He came to give us ‘complete joy.’ At first glance, these promises seem contradictory. They aren’t.’”

What brings you the greatest measure of joy? And please don’t misunderstand, joy is a lot different than happiness or pleasure. There are multiple ways to feel good or find satisfaction, even for a job well done. For some, doing their best and seeing the results of their completed work is joy in and of itself, and there’s nothing wrong with that, it’s just not enough. It’s setting the bar far too low.

For those of us who have invested our lives in the work of the Kingdom of God, our greatest joy isn’t found in anything we do, except it’s done to the glory of the One we love more than we love our own life. That’s essentially what “Cross-bearing” is and means. Taking up our cross basically means to trade our will for God’s; to trade our life or His; to live for His honor and fame, not our own.

The greatest joy for a Jesus follower is never found in the work of our hands, except to the extent it’s done in the name of and for the glory of our Savior. Submission to the will of our heavenly Father is the means to a much greater end than mere personal satisfaction. It’s the gratitude we feel and the complete joy that floods our heart knowing that our lives have value and meaning that far outweigh the meager contribution we can make to life on this planet.

We have the privilege and opportunity to invest our whole being – heart, mind, soul, and body – in the eternal end of helping people find hope and life in Jesus – who is “the Way, the Truth, and the Life!” (John 14:6). To live simply for wealth, prestige, position, power, or acclaim on the earth is like filling a huge swimming pool and calling it the ocean. If it wasn’t so sad it would be funny.

Perhaps John Piper said it best when he wrote: “The domestication of cross-bearing into coughs and cranky spouses takes the radical thrust out of Christ’s call. He is calling every believer to ‘renounce all that he has,’ to ‘hate his own life’ (Luke 14:33, 26), and to take the road of obedience joyfully, no matter the loss on this earth. Following Jesus means that wherever obedience requires it, we will accept betrayal and rejection and beating and mockery and crucifixion and death. Jesus gives us the assurance that if we will follow Him to Golgotha during all the Good Fridays of this life, we will also rise with Him on the last Easter Day of the resurrection. ‘Whoever loses his life for My sake and the gospel’s will save it” (Mark 8:35). ‘Whovever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life’ (John 12:25).”

Food for thought.

Blessings, Ed 😊

When I Realized How Rich I Am

“The seed that fell among the thorns represents others who hear God’s word, but all too quickly the message is crowded out by the worries of this life, the lure of wealth, and the desire for other things, so no fruit is produced.” (Mark 4:18-19 NLT)

God’s plan and desire is that we live fruitful and productive lives to His honor and fame, not to ours. Yet, we live in a world whose bent is to desire more, whether we need it or not. Jim Daly (Focus on the Family) wrote: “Have you ever noticed that the more you have, the more you want – and that the never-ending grasp for things beyond your reach is not only making you miserable, but also hurting your relationships with the people closest to you?”

That was me for more years than I care to remember. Chasing the proverbial “American dream,” to get rich and live without care. It saddens me to think of all the people I neglected, especially in my own family, because of my insatiable appetite for “more.” But why? My rationale was “to give my family a better life” or “so that I might help more people.” But I believe the truth is, I just wanted to feel better about myself.

It took losing everything that mattered to me for me to realize how “rich” I already was. When my wife left and took the kids, I didn’t think about the nice house, new cars, or any other material possession. What haunted me were the walks we took together, tossing ball with my son, worshipping together and sharing meals – all the things that families do when they love Jesus and each other. How did I so easily lose sight of those important things?

Photo by Tima Miroshnichenko on Pexels.com

It’s the same battle we all face, it just affects us in different ways. It’s called sin, and it rears it’s ugly head in all of us. So, what do we do about it? The answer that’s helped me is to cling to Jesus like a dying man clings to breath. Give Him the priority He deserves in our life. Allow His Spirit to enable us to discern the difference between what is transient and what really matters.

A good rule of thumb is – people are more important than things. For me, when I realized how “rich” I am, I began to cherish my closeness with Jesus, who in turn enabled me to see how much loving my wife and children brought pleasure and joy to my life. Worship is the highlight of my day, leading to a greater appreciation of my church family, especially the men in my Men’s Group, those with whom I serve at the church, and others the Lord has put in my life to allow Him to love through me.

In the article I read by Jim Daly he mentioned a couple of people who had deep regrets: “As he lay dying, the late Bob Marley, the famous Jamaican singer, reportedly said, ‘Money can’t buy life.’ The first Queen Elizabeth reportedly remarked on her deathbed, ‘All my possessions for a moment of time.’ “

Don’t wait until you or someone you dearly love is on your or their deathbed to realize what a privilege life is. If you have a spouse, children, relatives, a church family, neighbors – love them well! Pray each day for them and listen to the Lord as He prompts you to reach out to them. Visit, call, write, FaceTime, do whatever you can to help everyone in your spheres of influence know you love them and are grateful for the important role they have in your life.

Casting Crowns sings a beautiful song entitled Scars in Heaven. Please listen and let the Lord help you to realize just how rich you are. As for me. I’m going to go hold my wife and cherish the moments I have with her.

Blessings, Ed 😊

Are You Reaching for the Things Money Can’t Buy?

“Not that I was ever in need, for I have learned how to be content with whatever I have. I know how to live on almost nothing or with everything. I have learned the secret of living in every situation, whether it is with a full stomach or empty, with plenty or little. For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength.” (Philippians 4:11-13 NLT)

What if everything you’d worked your whole life to attain was suddenly taken away? What if everything of material value was stolen, burned up, or somehow destroyed? How would you feel? Think of people to whom that has happened – because of storms, floods, or other natural disasters. What’s the lesson?

Notice in the above verses, Paul says two times “I have learned.” In verse 11 the term used means “to learn as in the sense of increasing one’s knowledge of something.” But in verse 12 it’s a different Greek word which means: “to initiate into the mysteries; to accustom one to a thing; to give one an intimate acquaintance with a thing.” (Strong’s) What are the implications?

We can learn a lot of things by reading or studying books, articles, etc., but there are some things we can only learn through experience. When Paul says he’s “learned the secret of living in every situation,” he’s revealing his heart. He’s dipping into the vastness of lessons learned on the road some have called “hard knocks.”

These are lessons no one can teach you. They’re the gems of truth you glean through suffering and heartache – the kinds of lessons no one would request, but would take nothing for the value of them once they’re learned.

Obviously, as you may have guessed by now, these are the lessons money can’t buy. These lessons are the ones Paul credits Christ for giving him the strength to endure. We too often tend to believe that the things I can do in the strength of Christ are defeating the “giants” with which we deal or overcoming a difficult habit or addiction. But while the Lord certainly will give us strength in those circumstances, the ones of which Paul speaks are the daily battles for our physical sustenance.

Going through my divorce, being literally penniless, wondering from day to day if I would eat at all, these are the “instructors” who taught me humility, appreciation, generosity, kindness, gratitude, and many more “lessons” I thought I’d learned, but didn’t have a clue. I’d had life handed to me on the proverbial “silver platter,” but didn’t realize it until my folks were gone and it was too late to express to them how much their sacrifices meant to me.

When I was maybe 11 or so, my dad took me squirrel hunting. I use those terms very loosely, because neither of us even saw a squirrel while we were “hunting,” but after hanging out in the woods for a few hours we headed back to the park where we started. My dad had brought breakfast food to make on the grill – eggs, bacon, sausage, etc.

While my dad was getting things together and fixing the food, I’d found another kid about my age, who came back with me to where my dad was fixing breakfast. Being the man my dad was, he asked my friend if he’d like to join us for breakfast, which he did. Then, after we’d eaten everything on our plates, my dad asked if we’d like some more. Which, of course, we did.

It never dawned on me for years, until I was an adult, that the reason my dad didn’t join us for breakfast was because he’d given us his share. He’d gone hungry so we could have more than enough. These are the lessons of which Paul was speaking. These are the lessons money can’t buy. These are the lessons that exhibit the character of Christ in concrete ways, in ways that will illustrate most vividly the Christ who gives us strength.

Blessings, Ed 😊

The Towel on the Floor (Part 2)

“What sorrow awaits those who argue with their Creator. Does a clay pot argue with its maker? Does the clay dispute with the one who shapes it, saying, ‘Stop, you’re doing it wrong!’ Does the pot exclaim, ‘How clumsy can you be?’” (Isaiah 45:9 NLT))

In yesterday’s post we began to look at some of the deeper feelings that are aroused, often over seeming small things that trigger arguments or disagreements between people. Things that, at least in our minds, challenge some very core issues. Things like our value as a human being, our self-esteem, our ability to contribute meaningfully and in a manner that’s worthy of respect and/or recognition.

What’s at stake when two people disagree about almost anything, but especially over things which trigger a strong emotional response – i.e. politics and religion? If I lose a single chess match, I can chalk it up to I wasn’t paying close enough attention. But if I lose thirty straight times to the same person, might I conclude they’re just a better chess player? It doesn’t always have to be about me!

So, if the towel’s left on the floor, or my wife thinks I should get my own drink, are those really challenges to my worth as a person? Maybe not in my mind, but possibly in someone else’s. So, why is that even important?

Foremost, because as Jesus followers, our behavior should never bring into question the worth or value of another human being’s life. We should never intentionally belittle or negate another person’s self-image as if they aren’t also made in the image of their Creator, just the same as we are. If anything, we should heighten a person’s view of themselves while explaining why they are so valuable to God.

But the sad reality is, too often we devalue our Savior by treating Him as though He is OUR servant, rather than we being HIS. We need to listen to our own prayers: “Lord, I’m sick, heal me.” “I’m poor, make me rich.” “I need _______, please provide it.”

Yes, of course, the Lord invites us to ask Him for “anything,” and His desire is that we grow in our relationship with Him so we can rely on Him and trust Him to provide everything we need to be everything He desires us to be. Yet, we’re too often greedy, not for what we “need,” but for the things we want and shouldn’t have; things that would actually be detrimental to our walk with Jesus. How so?

When we ask God for more provision so we can waste it on ourselves, when we haven’t yet learned the lesson He’s seeking to teach us in our current state. Or when we seek wellness when we haven’t learned what He wants to show us in our illness. Or when we desire a different job or different spouse or different _________ (you fill in the blank), when He’s put us in the exact place we’re in for a very specific purpose. But rather than learning and being grateful for the opportunity He’s provided, we whine and complain that it’s too hard or we’re just not strong enough.

Of course, we’re not! That’s the whole reason we’re in the position we’re in that’s so difficult. The issue is rarely the obvious “towel on the floor.” It’s the feelings of discomfort, devaluation, or rage that rises within us, that triggers those memories or fears or reservations we have about ourselves that we can’t face or with which we don’t know how to deal. And please hear me! There’s no shame in feeling those negative emotions.

The shame is not bringing them to the Lord and allowing Him to heal and restore you. As a Jesus follower, you’re a treasured and cherished child of God who has infinite worth, not simply because of who you are, but because of who your Father is. Bask in that sacred position and smile as you pick up that “towel.”

Blessings, Ed 😊

The Towel on the Floor

“They didn’t understand what He was saying, however, and they were afraid to ask Him what He meant.” (Mark 9:32 NLT)

In our aging, my wife and I don’t remember things so well and, too often, disagree as to what we don’t remember. You know the drill: “Why’d you leave the door open? Don’t you know the dogs got out?” Response: “I didn’t leave the door open. It must have been you.” There’s no constructive end to that conversation, so we’re learning to cut each other some slack.

Now, as we see an open door, or whatever the case may be, “Hmmm, the door’s open. I don’t remember doing that, but it really doesn’t matter, I’ll close it and that will be the end of it.” We rarely argue anymore, because most of the time, a few minutes into our argument, we can’t remember why we were arguing. So, we conclude, growing old together isn’t all bad. Between us we have about half a memory.

Seriously, a lot of arguments between spouses, friends, fellow believers in Jesus, and even with our “enemies” (which typically translates – “those with whom we disagree”) are based on surface things – or are they?

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Newly weds often get confronted with their spouses bad habits, such as leaving their dirty laundry or towels on the floor. While single, living at home, we too often assumed mom would pick them up, so it’s not uncommon for our wife to say some version of: “pick up the ________, I’m not your mother!” Of course, these too often become “fightin’” words. Why?

In a Family Life devotion by Janel Breitenstein, she wrote: “Rather than jumping to conclusions based on the “skin” of an argument, seek to understand what motivates your spouse. Because it’s probably not the towel on the floor.”

The “skin” of the argument is the surface stuff – i.e. “the towel on the floor.” But what’s motivating the argument? What’re the deeper feelings that are being stirred? It’s different with different people, but could it be the fear I’m being seen as just someone to “pick up after you? To handle your dirty ‘laundry?’ To not be seen as the capable person I am?”

Are you looking through “ME” and seeing someone to serve your needs? Am I not a person? Am I simply a means to a very selfish end for you? Often, our own insecurities rear their ugly head when we’re threatened to believe something about ourselves we don’t want to be true. Am I too overprotective of my own feelings? Am I not good enough to deserve better treatment? Am I not worthy of respect? Am I not valued enough? Am I not deserving of love? Does no one appreciate me simply for me?

These and a thousand other questions surface in unexpected ways, often over very small issues, such as “the towel on the floor,” but what’s the “red flag” that’s being raised when that happens? I remember, my first wife and I were newlyweds, sitting on our old, worn couch watching our little black and white TV, in our three-room apartment. I was very comfortable, so I asked if she would get me something to drink. Now remember, she was sitting by me, also very comfortable. So, she replied: “Are your legs broke?”

That was a defining moment for me, and us. She made it very clear that she was my wife, not my servant, which, honestly, I needed to know. But what kinds of other questions are really being raised in the arguments that ensue over very minor things? Let’s look at this more closely in tomorrow’s post.

Blessings, Ed 😊

God’s Glory, Our Joy!

“As for me, may I never boast about anything except the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ. Because of that cross, my interest in this world has been crucified, and the world’s interest in me has also died. (Galatians 6:14 NLT)

What brings your deepest satisfaction, joy? A job well done? Your child who is walking closely with Jesus? Feeling well after a surgery or long illness? Reconciling with a friend or loved one? The list is long, but for me in this season of my life, nothing satisfies or brings me greater joy than seeing God’s glory magnified and His holy name honored and exalted.

Paul’s declaration that he desired to never boast about anything except the cross of Christ, bears witness with my spirit’s longing and desire. While I’m confident each of us understands what “glory” or “glorious” means, for our purposes today, Strong’s defines them as: “the kingly majesty which belongs to God as supreme ruler, majesty in the sense of the absolute perfection of the deity.” And in reference to Jesus: “the kingly majesty of the Messiah; the absolutely perfect inward or personal excellency of Christ.”

Why is it important to know those things? Two predominant reasons: first, they are defined the same for God and for Jesus, the Christ, and, second, to the extent we are able to shed light on those definitions for others, especially those who don’t yet know and love Jesus, to that extent our joy is complete.

Glory can also be understood as praise, adoration, recognition, honor, dignity, worship. So, to the extent our lives declare Christ’s greatness and grandeur, to that extent our lives become living monuments of praise, adoration, and worship of the only true and living King, our God and Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. That means that everything we do, say, or think has the potential of glorifying and honoring Jesus and making Him known, which in turn ignites our spirits and brings us joy.

For a fuller understanding of this whole idea of God’s glory equaling our joy, I encourage you to read John Piper’s book “Don’t Waste Your Life.” While I’ve sought for years to honor the Lord through my life, I never made the connection between His glory and my joy. Of course, on the proverbial mountain tops of spiritual experience, I had joy, delight, and desired to carry those moments with me forever. But it doesn’t work that way.

On some levels it’s like the joy, delight, and ecstasy of our wedding day. The bride never looks more beautiful and the groom is never quite so full of joy as he anticipates his new life with the woman of his dreams. But fast-forward a few months or years and a lot of things change. A few kids later and the wife isn’t quite as beautiful as on the wedding day, and “prince charming” isn’t quite the catch we envisioned he would be.

Unfortunately, we’re much too prone to do a similar thing with the Lord. Our feet hardly touch the ground for a while after we’re saved, but over time, we come back to earth and begin living our lives much like we always did. Yes, of course, we may go to church, read our Bibles, serve, and even pray, but for far too many, they’re still the center and focus of their universe.

Jesus too often becomes simply a convenience in an emergency and we’re really glad He paid the penalty for our sin and purchased for us a place in heaven, but from all outward appearances, our lives don’t look any different than the lives of our lost loved ones and neighbors. Where’s the joy in living like that? Certainly not in Jesus!

Food for thought.

Blessings, Ed 😊