Walking With Jesus

When the News Isn’t Good

“As for me, I look to the Lord for help. I wait confidently for God to save me, and my God will certainly hear me. Do not gloat over me, my enemies! For though I fall, I will rise again. Though I sit in darkness, the Lord will be my light.” (Micah 7:7-8 NLT)

Over the course of the last several weeks I have been undergoing a series of tests and procedures including an MRI and PET scan of my brain. A few days ago, my wife and I met with the Neurologist and received the news that I definitely have Alzheimer’s disease. I’m not going to lie; it was and is a frightening diagnosis.

The plan isn’t to give you the proverbial “play-by-play” of my journey with Alzheimer’s, but I do want to keep you abreast of my concerns and help you understand when the time comes to bring my blog to a close. As of today, I feel good, strong, and attentive to the Lord and my goal is to record what the Lord gives me as long as I possibly can.

Today, I’d like to share some thoughts that are guiding me as I begin this journey with Alzheimer’s. First, while it may have been an unwelcome intrusion to how I saw my life going, it didn’t catch the Lord by surprise or off guard. I’m comforted by the knowledge that the Lord has allowed this diagnosis and He never does anything without purpose and for our (my) good.

My “house” is built on the “Rock” of the Lord Jesus Christ; thus, I will still be standing when Alzheimer’s has done it’s worst. As the Lord was with the children of Israel in the fire, He is with me and you, if you’re going through difficult times. Since I have a very low tolerance for pain, I suspect I will agonize with side effects or with reactions to medicine or procedures, but I will trust Him to get me through.

My conviction is that most of us expect God to protect us from these kinds of diagnoses, but the truth is, we’re members of the human family which means any of us is subject to any kind of disease or infirmity. As a child of God I’m not immune to the effects of evil in our world, among the worst evils are the diseases that attack and cripple us in virtually every area of our lives.

I remember well the times I sat by my dad’s bedside as Parkinson’s disease finalized their ravaging effects on his mind and body. He knew no one in his final days, but I’m quite certain there was Someone with him who had not forgotten him. The Lord is with me in this journey and, though it’s frightening on many levels, I refuse to feel sorry for myself or pretend I shouldn’t have to deal with such things.

Because I love Jesus doesn’t make me exempt from anything that affects my human family, but it also assures me that my spiritual family will walk with me through the trials and victories of my journey. I’m sensing the Lord’s closeness in this season and will rely on Him every inch of the road on which He has me travel.

Realizing that there are some of you who are also walking difficult paths, may I encourage you with these words of the Apostle Paul in Ephesians 3:20-21 (MSG): “God can do anything, you know—far more than you could ever imagine or guess or request in your wildest dreams! He does it not by pushing us around but by working within us, his Spirit deeply and gently within us. Glory to God in the church! Glory to God in the Messiah, in Jesus! Glory down all the generations! Glory through all millennia! Oh, yes!”

Blessings, Ed 😊

What’s the Problem?

“To those who listen to My teaching, more understanding will be given, and they will have an abundance of knowledge. But for those who are not listening, even what little understanding they have will be taken away from them.” (Matthew 13:12 NLT)

Steven Covey said: “The biggest communication problem is we do not listen to understand, we listen to reply.” Often, I hear someone say some version of: “I read the Bible, but I can’t understand it.” Admittedly, there are portions of Scripture that are difficult to understand at a casual reading, but every part of the Bible is understandable to those who are willing to pay the price of praying, listening, studying, researching, and doing some digging.

For years, even as a Pastor, because of what I perceived as not enough hours in the day, I would go to my favorite commentaries and make the assumption that the author did their research, so, I’ll accept their conclusion! Bad idea! Why? Not because they necessarily are wrong in their conclusions, but we rob ourselves of what the Lord has to say to US through that verse or verses.

My approach now is to listen to the Lord and record my thoughts, THEN go to the commentaries. Many times, the Lord says essentially the same thing to me as He did to the authors of the commentaries, but sometimes He will give me an insight into something specific He wants to say to me. For example, I love the story in Mark 5 about the demon possessed man who ran naked and screaming, bowing before the Lord. After the Lord delivers him, gives him clothes and restores his mind, the man, quite understandably, wants to follow Jesus, but in verse 19 Jesus told him “No, go home to your family, and tell them everything the Lord has done for you and how merciful He has been.”

We have no timetable, so we don’t know for sure how long the man had been suffering, and at what point his presence in his home became unbearable for his family. What ultimately was the tipping point that sent him into isolation? Perhaps the Lord gave him insight into the potential he had to seriously hurt his wife and/or child(ren) without any intent to do so.

In my mind’s eye, as the Lord is speaking to this man, I see the Lord’s eyes look over the healed man’s shoulder to lock eyes with a desperate, yet very likely, doubting young woman in the now growing audience. As the Lord knows, it’s this man’s wife who has held out hope for only the Lord knows how long, that one day her husband may come home.

I imagine the man’s shock as he turns to walk away, only to come face to face with his bride, whom he feared he’d never see again. As they, hesitantly at first, embrace, he pleads with her to forgive him and allow him to come home. As they weep, I can see them holding each other as if they’d never let go. The years that have been lost, can’t be replaced, but I sense in my spirit that whatever time they had left together would be lived to the Lord’s honor and fame. Obviously, this is all conjecture, but I look forward to meeting this man in heaven and hearing his story.

Here’s the problem – if we don’t take time to use our sanctified imagination the Bible will never come to life for us. We won’t be able to see our pain in the lives of the Biblical characters, but more importantly, we’ll miss the healing and wholeness the compassionate Savior has for us, just like those He healed and made whole in His holy Word.

Food for thought.

Blessings, Ed 😊

Are We Hiding Behind Our Fear?

“But the wisdom from above is first of all pure. It is also peace loving, gentle at all times, and willing to yield to others. It is full of mercy and good deeds. It shows no favoritism and is always sincere.” (James 3:17 NLT)

In the culture in which we now live we’re seeing a huge swing by people and Governments across our world to conform to the demands of groups demanding special treatment and favored recognition. Yet who stand for and live lives that are diametrically opposed to the truth of Scripture. At the same time, we’re seeing a heightened sensitivity to anything “Christian,” demanding believers in Jesus conform or be charged with a crime.

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It’s creating an environment among believers who conclude the safest thing is to just quietly live our lives and avoid any controversy. But is that God’s will? Is that what the Great Commission and other clear instructions of our Master Jesus is compelling us to do?

In the King James Version of the verse above “is always sincere” is translated “without hypocrisy.” It’s unfortunate that we too often hide behind our fear of being labeled a hypocrite or worse, rather than be bold in proclaiming the truth of God’s Word and of who our Savior Jesus is.

I’m encouraged by the words of John Stonestreet from a recent BreakPoint article: “The writer Sheldon Vanauken, author of A Severe Mercy, once wrote, ‘The best argument for Christianity is Christians: their joy, their certainty, their completeness. But the strongest argument against Christianity is also Christians—when they are somber and joyless, when they are self-righteous and smug in complacent consecration, when they are narrow and repressive, then Christianity dies a thousand deaths.’

Led to Christ by none other than C.S. Lewis, Vanauken does not suggest here that Christians should retreat from public displays of faith, lest their inevitable public failures lead to additional charges of hypocrisy. Rather, it is the opposite. What the world needs most right now is more Christianity, not less: more people committed to connecting ultimate meaning with everyday life, more minds sharpened by and formed in the truth, more redeemed people open to discussing what matters with their lost and searching neighbors, more hearts alive to both beauty and suffering whose hope is in King Jesus and His kingdom.

The final answer to the charge of Christian hypocrisy is faithfulness, not perfection. What the world needs most is the Church to be the Church, full of Christians who embrace their faith as personal but not private, and as not so much inviting Jesus into our lives as accepting the invitation into His life.”

It’s apparent in every word I read in Jesus’ teachings, He was never motivated by fear. He never backed down when threatened by the religious elite or governmental agents. He not only taught truth, He embodied Truth – He was and is Truth (see John 14:6)!

Truth doesn’t and shouldn’t need to be presented in an argumentative or offensive way, but it does need to be shared in clear and understandable ways. As Jesus followers we cannot be deterred in our efforts to win our loved ones, friends and neighbors to Jesus. Jesus doesn’t call us to quietness, He calls us to obedience.

Food for thought.

Blessings, Ed 😊

What’s Your End Game?

“‘The master was full of praise. “Well done, my good and faithful servant. You have been faithful in handling this small amount, so now I will give you many more responsibilities. Let’s celebrate together!”’” (Matthew 25:21 NLT)

Why do you do the things you do for God? What’s your end game? Success? Recognition? Accolades? Profit? Praise? Ultimately, are you hoping for a pleasing outcome for you, or are you serving, giving, sacrificing, and celebrating Jesus simply for the gift He is to you? Honestly, sometimes we can get those things confused.

Yes, of course, I want to go to heaven, but is that ultimately my end game? Am I going through the motions of reading, studying, praying, serving, and so forth, just so one day when I die, I can go to heaven? With all that is within me, I certainly hope not! So, why then?

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Maybe another way to look at this would be to ask the question: “What is the end game of love?” Why do we love our spouse? Children? Family? Friends? Fellow believers? Neighbors? Ourselves? Paul wrote in Galatians 5:14: “For the whole law can be summed up in this one command: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’”

What does that mean? It essentially means to love ourselves as God loves us. The word Paul uses in this verse is “agapao ag-ap-ah-o” It’s the highest and best expression of love. It means “to feel and exhibit esteem and good will to a person, to prize and delight in a thing.” (Strong’s) This is love that is based on an act of will, not driven or motivated by emotion. It’s a decision, not a feeling.

Rudolph Dreikurs wrote in his book Children the Challenge: “If you do the right thing, you’ll feel the right way about it.” In other words, we don’t feel our way to right actions, we act our way to right feelings. As it relates to our command to love one another, when we meet someone for the first time, we may or may not have a natural inclination to love them. They may be very different than us and not exhibit characteristics that are appealing to us.

In other words, we may not “feel” love for them; however, our command isn’t to feel love for them, it’s to love them period! What’s my point? In Jesus’ parable in Matthew 25, He gives three servants different amounts of silver with the expectation that they would invest it for his benefit. It doesn’t say how the servants felt about their assignment or even how they felt about their master, only that they were given their assignment “in proportion to their abilities.”

God’s end game for us is that we would love Him as He loves us – voluntarily and without coercion. That we would decide to love Him, not based on how we feel in any given moment, but based on a decision we would make because of all He has done for us. Iain H. Murray wrote: “It is not ‘well done, good, and successful servant’ but ‘well done, good and faithful servant.’”

Ideally, we don’t love to get something, we love to give of ourselves so that God gets something – glory, honor, praise, and eternal worship. If you’re trying to barter with God – “I’ll do good things, if You’ll let me into heaven” – you’re not going to like the outcome. Our endgame must be God’s eternal glory, not just our eternal good.

Food for thought.

Blessings, Ed 😊

The Gloves of God

“Then Mary took a twelve-ounce jar of expensive perfume made from essence of nard, and she anointed Jesus’ feet with it, wiping His feet with her hair. The house was filled with the fragrance.” (John 12:3 NLT)

Have you ever longed for the courage of Mary to anoint Jesus’ feet? I’m quite confident that the expensive perfume was mixed with her tears as she dried Jesus’ feet with her hair. Can you begin to sense how awkward and uncomfortable the participants of the Passover celebration were? How uncomfortable might you or I have been? Yet, Mary’s boldness, not caring what anyone thought but Jesus, inspires me to be and do more than I ever thought I could for Jesus.

Can you smell the fragrance of her sacrifice? Close your eyes and ask the Lord to enable you to sense, not only the aroma of unrestricted love, but what that kind of sacrificial devotion might look like in your life and mine. The only way anyone can offer such an unselfish act of worship like Mary’s is to have no concern for what people think of them, except Jesus.

In some ways it’s like being willing to become a glove. Think of the jobs we do that we’d dare not do with bare hands. Cleaning the drains in our sinks or shower; cleaning up after our sick child or animal; working on the car; lifting or carrying a bulky or slippery item. There are dozens of examples, but it causes me to think of things that believers have done over the centuries as they’ve become the “gloves of God.”

Think of Moses, Joshua, Ruth, Samuel, David, and on and on up to and including men and women alive and allowing God to fill and empower them for service today that they can’t do without Him. And the most exciting part of all of that to me is – it includes me and YOU!

Carefully read these words of Dr. David Jeremiah: “We are the gloves of God in this world, but we’re useless unless we are filled with Him. We don’t even have the strength to lift ourselves up. But when we are pervaded and permeated with His Spirit, we operate in His power, not our own.

When we try to serve the Lord in our own strength, we struggle and end up failing. We must yield ourselves to Him, surrender to His total occupancy of our personalities, and let His power sustain and strengthen us as we serve Him. Rely on your all-powerful God to empower your Christian life and labor. His love fits into your soul like hands in a glove.”

What impossible adventure is the Lord inviting you into? What is it in your life that is literally impossible unless and until God’s all powerful Spirit fills and enables you? For me it’s reaching my lost loved ones. I’ve spoken, written, and reasoned until my wife said the other day that maybe it’s time for me to back off. At first, I was taken aback, but the Lord quickly assured me He was speaking through her.

It concerned me as I wondered: “But Lord, if I don’t seek to speak life into their lives, who will?” To which He promptly responded: “I will!” And, of course, He could have said: “And believe Me, I can do it way more effectively than you!” But in His loving kindness He left that part out.

And yes, there are times it’s appropriate to let God do what only He can do, but it also raises the question: “What’s He calling me and you to become His glove to do that only we can do?”

Food for thought.

Blessings, Ed 😊

How Desperate Are You for His Power?

“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be My witnesses, telling people about Me everywhere – in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” (Acts 1:8 NLT)

Have you ever wondered why some Jesus followers have no fear and allow the Lord’s mighty power to flow through them seemingly unhindered, while most of us cower behind our excuses wondering why God rarely, if ever, uses us? God’s power is God’s power, so why the difference?

If you’ve ever watched those long, skinny dragsters race, you may wonder how they can go so fast. I’m sure there are many components, but one factor is their fuel. Their engines can’t burn regular gasoline like gas powered autos that drive on our highways, or even race gas. They require a special kind of fuel called nitromethane, which is how they got their name – Top Fuel Dragsters.

There’s a sense in which Jesus followers are “Top Fuel Humans” because we’re powered by the Holy Spirit of the all-powerful God. I love what Dr. David Jeremiah wrote: “You serve a God who can speak a syllable and bring stars into being. He can touch a leper and make his skin like a baby’s. With a word, He can calm a sea or summon a legion of angels. He can send fire from the sky, food from heaven, water from a rock, and frogs into Egypt. He can part the seas, stop the sun in the sky, make ax heads float, make a virgin conceive, and raise dead men to life. He can put coins in the mouths of fish and cast demons into the bodies of swine.”

It’s ironic that the same powerful Holy Spirit resides in each believer, but not every person who is filled with God’s power lives like it. My sense is there are lots of reasons that’s true, but the one that comes first to my mind is desperation. Many believers just aren’t desperate enough to allow the Spirit to be active in their lives.

Often, we’re not desperate for God’s power until we reach the end of ourselves. The phone rings and the news of our recent test isn’t good; there’s the screeching of tires and breaking of glass; a loved one dies unexpectedly; or your spouse says they’re leaving. There are as many things that happen as there are people, but the bottom line is, life is fragile.

David Platt wrote: “[God] puts people in positions where they are desperate for his power, and then he shows his provision in ways that display his greatness.” On some levels it’s sad that we have to wait until we’re in a desperate situation before we get serious about our faith. It makes me wonder just how important the Lord is in our daily lives.

George Whitefield wrote: “Christ is worth all, or he is worth nothing.” If the Lord Jesus rarely if ever comes to your mind in the course of a normal day, may it be He’s worth nothing to you? Could it be your “commitment” to Christ is a mile wide and an inch deep? Perhaps you haven’t noticed that the daily news isn’t getting better?

Whatever the reason, if God’s power isn’t being evidenced in our life every day, we need to get on our knees and get desperate for Him to manifest His power in and through us to His honor and fame. We don’t need his power to live mediocre lives, we need His power to help those in our spheres of influence understand that time is running out, and they have a greater need for Jesus than they can even imagine.

Food for thought.

Blessings, Ed 😊

The Opposite of Joy

“What sorrow awaits you who say, ‘If only the day of the Lord were here!’ You have no idea what you are wishing for. That day will bring darkness, not light. In that day you will be like a man who runs from a lion – only to meet a bear. Escaping the bear, he leans his hand against a wall in his house – and he’s bitten by a snake. Yes, the day of the Lord will be dark and hopeless, without a ray of joy or hope.” (Amos 5:18-20 NLT)

Many today celebrate what grieves the heart of God. We express what we think is joy thinking we’re honoring God, when we’re only exalting ourselves and our wrong and distorted beliefs. These verses from Amos are not written to unbelievers, they were written to those whose twisted minds believed they were living for God.

In verses 21-24 Amos wrote under the inspiration of God: “I hate all your show and pretense – the hypocrisy of your religious assemblies. I will not accept your burnt offerings and grain offerings. I won’t even notice all your choice peace offerings. Away with your noisy hymns of praise! I will not listen to the music of your harps. Instead, I want to see a mighty flood of justice, an endless river of righteous living.”

As the late Tim Keller wrote: “The opposite of joy is not sadness. It’s hopelessness.” It’s like someone saying: “I wish I were dead!” Without Jesus, to die is to forfeit all hope and to cast your soul into a sea of darkness and hopelessness.

Joy isn’t the celebration of ourselves, it’s a byproduct of having the Spirit of God indwell us and living His life out through us. The only way to know if joy is alive in us is to give it away by living in a manner that renders glory and honor to Jesus. To know Jesus and to not share His life with those who are bound for hell is to hoard joy, and according to John Piper, “Hoarded joy rots.”

To rejoice in Jesus’ life alive in us without giving it away to those who are bound for hell is not only selfish, it’s hypocritical, with the result it dishonors the Lord. Joy isn’t an outward celebration of what’s happened to or for me, that’s gratitude. Joy is celebrating with the angels in heaven over one lost soul who finds their hope in Jesus’ forgiveness and new life (Luke 15:10).

Living for Jesus’ honor and fame isn’t about us, it’s all and only about Jesus. If we’re receiving praise and honor it’s misplaced, we don’t deserve it. Our honor will come from the lips of our Savior when we get home to heaven. Until then our goal is to so exalt Jesus that the very thought of us points people to the Cross.

Our joy will be complete when we’re walking the streets of heaven meeting the people who are there because of Christ’s life being lived out through us. We are conformed to the likeness of Jesus, not through our good works, but by faith alone in Christ alone. We are children of God by virtue of the faith we’re given, not by the faith we muster in and of ourselves.

Paul wrote in Ephesians 2:8-9: “God saved you by His grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it.” Jesus is our Treasure! He’s the source of all joy!

Food for thought.

Blessings, Ed 😊

Truth With Love

“When they climbed back into the boat, the wind stopped. Then the disciples worshiped Him. ‘You really are the Son of God!’ they exclaimed.” (Matthew 14:32-33 NLT)

On many levels the love of God is validated and enabled to be seen more clearly in and through the life and ministry of the Lord Jesus. For one, because He is Truth incarnate, but also because He’s the embodiment of love. Love and truth aren’t opposites, they are partners in illustrating and magnifying who Jesus is and why He came to planet earth.

Sometimes in our humanity we get tripped up in sharing truth in a loving way. Somehow, we believe if we can hit someone over the head with the “hammer of truth,” they’ll suddenly see what’s taken us years to see – that Jesus really is the Son of God!

There’s a lot of fiction in the “truth” we’re being told about many things today, not the least of which is the whole scope of sexual identity. John Stonestreet wrote: “Anyone who insists that there are truths of a higher order, particularly truths that establish sexual morality and identity, will become a target of those who are blinded by today’s ideologies. Fifty-years ago, Francis Schaeffer explained, ‘No totalitarian authority nor authoritarian state can tolerate those who have an absolute by which to judge that state and its actions.’

The refusal to live by lies subverts the required certainty in the new orthodoxy. For the sake of our neighbors, all who believe in the importance of truth must continue to say so. We cannot beat ideological opponents into conformity, and it is sinful to try. We’ll have to say what is true, even when there is a cost. We’ll have to remind the world of the beautiful legacy of the Judeo-Christian view of humanity and the world. We’ll have to hold together truth with love.”

There are dozens of arenas in which we must fight the battle for Truth, none more important than in our own life. Satan’s strategy is admirable in some ways. He doesn’t try to reason with us that we shouldn’t eat fruits and veggies, he just tempts us with chocolate cake and milkshakes. It can accomplish the same end, just makes us think it’s our call to do what feels good for us.

Understandably, the world is falling in line with God’s plan and purpose, but in the meantime those of us who are seeking to follow the Lord Jesus are often caught in the enemy’s crosshairs. Sharing Truth in love is getting harder and harder. As hearts get harder, the Truth seems more unbelievable, especially when it comes to something as personal as sexual preference and identity.

To explain to someone who loves their same-sex partner or believes they were born in the wrong body that God loves them, but their lifestyle is unacceptable in His sight is literally inconceivable to them. In some ways it’s like someone telling me I married the wrong woman or, at least, should not be married at all.

The issue, of course, isn’t what God thinks or allows, it’s what is pleasing to me and how I see things. I have “my” truth and you have yours, but you’re wrong and I’m right! And the weaker my argument the louder my voice of opposition.

In the loudness of the lies of the cultural moment in which we live, the more valuable and needed is the love of God embodied in His loving Truth-tellers. Holy Father, help us be your loving voice of Truth.

Food for thought.

Blessings, Ed 😊

When Embarrassment Becomes Opportunity

“A third time He asked him, ‘Simon son of John, do you love Me?’ Peter was hurt that Jesus asked the question a third time. He said, ‘Lord, you know everything. You know that I love You.’ Jesus said, ‘Then feed My sheep.” (John 21:17 NLT)

It’s interesting to me that one of the last times Jesus appeared to the disciples after His resurrection was, in the Gospel of Luke, reminiscent of the day He called Peter and John to follow Him. They had fished all night and caught nothing, but at Jesus’ command they lowered their nets that resulted in them catching many fish. Immediately they left the fish and began following the Lord. It was a similar scene after Jesus’ resurrection.

Apparently, the disciples didn’t expect to see Jesus, but after they caught so many fish, John told Peter that it was the Lord, so Peter immediately jumped into the water and headed to shore. I can’t help but believe he had to get some things off his chest related to his denial of the Lord. We’re not privy to the conversation they had in the few moments before the other disciples showed up, but I want to believe the Lord assured Peter of His love and forgiveness.

That may be why Peter seemed so taken aback when Jesus asked him three times if he loved Him. Imagine Peter’s embarrassment. Can you see him squirming? Can you see what’s going through Peter’s mind: “Lord, why didn’t you ask me this when we were alone? Why do you need to embarrass me in front of my friends? I know I messed up, but do you need to rub it in?”

Has the Lord ever allowed you to be embarrassed in front of your friends, family, or colleagues? In my first pastorate I was on the State Board for our governing body, so I volunteered for our church to host one of our quarterly meetings. I had forgotten that the host pastor was asked to give a brief message, so I wasn’t prepared.

If you know me, you know I don’t do “extemporaneous.” I get nervous enough when I’m prepared, so when I was asked to speak, the only thing that came to mind was an illustration from a message I’d heard from a prominent pastor years before. But within the first few words I realized that many in the audience must have heard that same message, but I was committed, so I persevered to a very embarrassing end.

What bothered me most about that incident wasn’t just my own embarrassment, but the fact that my lack of preparedness was an embarrassment to the Lord and to my church. It’s hard to admit to yourself when you’ve blown it, but gratefully, the Lord wouldn’t let me blow it off. Rather, He used it to teach me a lesson I’ve never forgotten.

Some things I learned in an article I read by Janel Breitentstein hopefully will help us better know how to handle those embarrassing moments. First, consider for whom you have the most concern, yourself or the other party, whether a person, or in my case, a group of people. Another valid question is: “What’s beneath my embarrassment?” Am I the source of my embarrassment or is someone else to blame? If it’s someone else, how will I handle overcoming my feelings of disappointment or anger in that person or persons?”

Janel concluded her article by writing: “Like any other conflict, embarrassment is an opportunity: to love each other better, act and grow to be like Jesus, and honor Him even when you haven’t been.”

Food for thought.

Blessings, Ed 😊

Seeing Ourselves with Sober Judgment

“Because of the privilege and authority God has given me, I give each of you this warning: Don’t think you are better than you really are. Be honest in your evaluation of yourselves, measuring yourselves by the faith God has given you.” (Romans 12:3 NLT)

Have you ever worked so hard or run so long you were exhausted to the point you couldn’t rest? This is part of the message of the above verse – don’t wear yourselves out in God’s service to the point you have nothing left.

The people I know who love Jesus the most aren’t likely to see themselves as better than they are. It’s more likely they’ll push themselves harder to get more done, not to honor themselves, but Jesus. They’re the kind of people I admire, yet, don’t often see them after a long, hard day when their exhaustion leaves little for themselves or their family.

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Writer Janel Breitenstein wrote: “I love to ignore my own capacity. Sometimes it’s the natural outcome of a large view of me and a small view of God. But too often, people in my innermost circle must ante up for my lack of discernment and courage to draw the line, to think too highly of myself rather than with sober judgment (Romans 12:3).

My husband’s words from years ago still ricochet in my brain: ‘Sometimes your overcommitment affects how the gospel—Jesus’ love—is played out in our home.’ I love less well, and with less joy. Sometimes I’m asking, ‘What if I don’t do this?’ Instead of, ‘What might God desire if I said no?’ Rarely do we hold other believers accountable for the fourth commandment: To rest, to Sabbath. What could our marriages be with a little more headspace? Enjoyment of God? Capacity for emotional engagement? Rest?”

Good questions! Questions with which we should wrestle, not only for ourselves, but for our family members and brothers and sisters with whom we labor for the Lord. Admittedly, some have a much greater capacity to serve longer and work harder than I do in this stage of my life, but we owe it to our friends and loved ones to watch their back when they are clearly pushing the proverbial “envelope.”

What are some signs we’re living on the edge? Pushing harder and longer than we have the capacity to push? Often, for me, it’s I zone out, withdraw, find little solace in the presence of others. I want to be left alone, not necessarily to rest or relax, but to have a “pity party.” I get so wrapped up in myself there’s little or no room for anyone else.

How about you? What does exhaustion look like for you? And I’m not referring simply to physical exhaustion. Sometimes what robs me of my energy is my emotional, mental, and/or spiritual investments. Seeing ourselves with sober judgment means measuring our capacity to live and love like Jesus by accurately measuring our “service” tank. What does that mean?

It means being aware of the people or things that most quickly drain us. There are things we love to do and people with whom we love to share our time, but there are also chores that drain us physically and people who drain us emotionally. But here’s the kicker, we have to help each other, because the truth is, we aren’t always the best one to gauge how much we can tolerate. That’s why we need each other to watch our backs.

Food for thought.

Blessings, Ed 😊