When Life Gets Celebrated
In nearly every memorial service that I’ve either attended or officiated, the stated objective was to “celebrate” the life of the departed, and this week was no exception as I joined nearly two hundred people to celebrate the life of a very special lady that left behind a legacy of love, devotion, and rich friendships. As I was preparing for her service, however, I was struck with the thought that a life isn’t truly celebrated at a funeral—it’s celebrated while it’s being lived.
Although we appropriately speak kind, honoring words at memorial services, we all know that a glowing celebration service can’t make up for a life of missed opportunities. To truly celebrate a life, it must be celebrated in its living. Ecclesiastes 7:2 tells us, “It is better to go to a house of mourning than to go to a house of feasting” because it is in times of reflecting on life that we can re-prioritize how we want to live our life. Let’s make fresh commitments to truly live the lives we’ve been given. Regardless of whether our lives have turned out the way we had hoped or not, let’s live them to the fullest. Let’s leave no ‘thank yous’ or ‘I love yous’ unsaid. Let’s live in a way that will make our memorial service mere formality, a postscript on a life well lived.
Thursday, March 4, 2010
Wednesday, March 3, 2010
Un-Cast Cares
1 Peter 5:7-8 says, “Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that He may lift you up in due time. Cast all your anxiety on Him because He cares for you. Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.” The way these verses connect tells me that un-cast cares can be an open door through which our adversary can attempt to attack and devour. What are you anxious about? What are you afraid of? What concerns are so heavy that you can’t off-load them? I heard someone say, “One of the highest forms of pride is attempting to carry our burdens alone.” Perhaps that’s why Jesus spoke to Martha in Luke 10:41 when she was, “worried and troubled about many things” and referred her to her sister, Mary, who “sat at the Lord’s feet listening to what He said.” Jesus said to Martha, “Your sister has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.” There’s room for YOU at Jesus’ feet, and if you’ll sit there long enough, you’ll begin to hear His word again. Grace will fill you. Perspective will return. Strategy will be downloaded. And as you begin to “cast your cares,” the enemy of your soul will leave you.
1 Peter 5:7-8 says, “Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that He may lift you up in due time. Cast all your anxiety on Him because He cares for you. Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.” The way these verses connect tells me that un-cast cares can be an open door through which our adversary can attempt to attack and devour. What are you anxious about? What are you afraid of? What concerns are so heavy that you can’t off-load them? I heard someone say, “One of the highest forms of pride is attempting to carry our burdens alone.” Perhaps that’s why Jesus spoke to Martha in Luke 10:41 when she was, “worried and troubled about many things” and referred her to her sister, Mary, who “sat at the Lord’s feet listening to what He said.” Jesus said to Martha, “Your sister has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.” There’s room for YOU at Jesus’ feet, and if you’ll sit there long enough, you’ll begin to hear His word again. Grace will fill you. Perspective will return. Strategy will be downloaded. And as you begin to “cast your cares,” the enemy of your soul will leave you.
Monday, February 8, 2010
Code of Honor
In January’s Ziklag meeting (our monthly men’s gathering), we reflected on the powerful, stirring words from a literal knights’ code of honor from the Middle Ages, and since it continues to stir my own soul, I wanted to pass it on to all of you. Enjoy!
To never do outrage or murder
Always to flee treason
To by no means be cruel but to give mercy unto him who asks for mercy
To always do ladies, gentlewomen, and widows succor
To never force ladies, gentlewomen, and widows
Not to take up battles in wrongful quarrels for love or worldly good
To never lay down arms
To seek after wonders
When called upon, to defend the rights of the weak with all one’s strength
To injure no one
Not to attack one another
To fight for the safety of one’s country
To give one’s life for one’s country
To seek nothing before honor
Never to lose faith for any reason
To practice religion most diligently
To grant hospitality to anyone, each according to his ability
In January’s Ziklag meeting (our monthly men’s gathering), we reflected on the powerful, stirring words from a literal knights’ code of honor from the Middle Ages, and since it continues to stir my own soul, I wanted to pass it on to all of you. Enjoy!
To never do outrage or murder
Always to flee treason
To by no means be cruel but to give mercy unto him who asks for mercy
To always do ladies, gentlewomen, and widows succor
To never force ladies, gentlewomen, and widows
Not to take up battles in wrongful quarrels for love or worldly good
To never lay down arms
To seek after wonders
When called upon, to defend the rights of the weak with all one’s strength
To injure no one
Not to attack one another
To fight for the safety of one’s country
To give one’s life for one’s country
To seek nothing before honor
Never to lose faith for any reason
To practice religion most diligently
To grant hospitality to anyone, each according to his ability
Monday, February 1, 2010
Dainty Morsels
Don’t you just love a good, juicy piece of gossip? Don’t you love to get the latest "scoop" on things? Oh, I know we shouldn’t, and we would seldom admit that we do, but sometimes we just can’t help it—there seems to be something in human nature that perks up at the words, "Hey, have you heard about...?" This tendency is reflected in both our personal lives, as well as our culture’s fascination with celebrity gossip, and the headlines that seem to relish in the breakups and demise of our "stars."
And that’s so unfortunate, because gossip in all of its forms is a deadly thing. Proverbs 26:22 states that, "The words of a whisperer are like dainty morsels, and they go down to the innermost parts of the body." As enticing as the latest piece of news might be, whispered words are almost always damaging and deadly. When we are involved in whispering—whether we are receiving or passing on the whispered scoop—the words inevitably travel deep into our hearts and put down roots there, affecting our beliefs about the object of our whispering.
As true followers of Christ, let’s make no room for these "dainty morsels" in our diet. Let’s be more noble, honorable, and trustworthy than that. Let’s pray for speech that is "always with grace, seasoned with salt," so that we "know how to answer everyone" (Colossians 4:6).
Don’t you just love a good, juicy piece of gossip? Don’t you love to get the latest "scoop" on things? Oh, I know we shouldn’t, and we would seldom admit that we do, but sometimes we just can’t help it—there seems to be something in human nature that perks up at the words, "Hey, have you heard about...?" This tendency is reflected in both our personal lives, as well as our culture’s fascination with celebrity gossip, and the headlines that seem to relish in the breakups and demise of our "stars."
And that’s so unfortunate, because gossip in all of its forms is a deadly thing. Proverbs 26:22 states that, "The words of a whisperer are like dainty morsels, and they go down to the innermost parts of the body." As enticing as the latest piece of news might be, whispered words are almost always damaging and deadly. When we are involved in whispering—whether we are receiving or passing on the whispered scoop—the words inevitably travel deep into our hearts and put down roots there, affecting our beliefs about the object of our whispering.
As true followers of Christ, let’s make no room for these "dainty morsels" in our diet. Let’s be more noble, honorable, and trustworthy than that. Let’s pray for speech that is "always with grace, seasoned with salt," so that we "know how to answer everyone" (Colossians 4:6).
Monday, January 25, 2010
H.A.L.T.
"Jacob, quick, let me have some of that red stew! I’m famished."
"First, sell me your birthright."
"Look, I’m about to die, what good is a birthright to me?"
"Swear to me first."
"So he swore an oath to him, selling his birthright to Jacob. Then Jacob gave Esau some bread and some lentil stew. He ate and drank, and then got up and left. So Esau despised his birthright" (Genesis 25:29-34).
Do you remember this sobering account of how Esau, in a hungry, shortsighted moment exchanged both his birthright and his father’s blessing for a bowl of stew? It’s a shocking story and a sobering reminder to never allow momentary hunger to jeopardize our future. For any of us to sin in ways that could damage or destroy our character or our legacy, we first have to forget who we are, and then we have to lose sight of our true priorities in life. No one in their right mind would trade a birthright for a bowl of beans, and yet people do it all the time—they do it because, like Esau, they allow their hunger to skew their thinking. A good rule of thumb to remember is that any time we are hungry, angry, lonely, or tired we should H.A.L.T. and carefully consider the consequences of our actions and decisions.
"Jacob, quick, let me have some of that red stew! I’m famished."
"First, sell me your birthright."
"Look, I’m about to die, what good is a birthright to me?"
"Swear to me first."
"So he swore an oath to him, selling his birthright to Jacob. Then Jacob gave Esau some bread and some lentil stew. He ate and drank, and then got up and left. So Esau despised his birthright" (Genesis 25:29-34).
Do you remember this sobering account of how Esau, in a hungry, shortsighted moment exchanged both his birthright and his father’s blessing for a bowl of stew? It’s a shocking story and a sobering reminder to never allow momentary hunger to jeopardize our future. For any of us to sin in ways that could damage or destroy our character or our legacy, we first have to forget who we are, and then we have to lose sight of our true priorities in life. No one in their right mind would trade a birthright for a bowl of beans, and yet people do it all the time—they do it because, like Esau, they allow their hunger to skew their thinking. A good rule of thumb to remember is that any time we are hungry, angry, lonely, or tired we should H.A.L.T. and carefully consider the consequences of our actions and decisions.
Monday, January 18, 2010
On-Site Dreamers
“Behold, the dreamer!” That’s what Joseph’s brothers said about him when he approached them from afar, and I hope it’s what they would say about you and me. Whether they’re dreaming of civil rights, women’s suffrage, revival for a generation, cures for ailments, or healing for interpersonal relationships, dreamers are God’s change agents in the world. Indeed, nothing significant happens until someone starts to dream. Rev. H.B. London Jr., (the vice-president of pastoral ministries at Focus on the Family) says, “What God wants every church to become must start as a compelling dream for an on-site dreamer.” His sentiment certainly extends beyond a congregation and applies to each of us in our personal lives, too—we must be God’s on-site dreamers for ourselves, our loved ones, and for our communities. What could God do with a roomful of dreamers? What could He accomplish with a group of people who carried His dreams of possibility and then married them with hard work, passion, and determination? Let’s be those people. Let’s rekindle the God-given dream inside us; let’s dream past our pain, our setbacks, the enemy’s lies, and our own perceived shortcomings. He placed us where we are to be the catalysts for His agenda, so let’s start dreaming it, and let’s never forget the angel Gabriel’s words to Mary, “Nothing is impossible with God.”
“Behold, the dreamer!” That’s what Joseph’s brothers said about him when he approached them from afar, and I hope it’s what they would say about you and me. Whether they’re dreaming of civil rights, women’s suffrage, revival for a generation, cures for ailments, or healing for interpersonal relationships, dreamers are God’s change agents in the world. Indeed, nothing significant happens until someone starts to dream. Rev. H.B. London Jr., (the vice-president of pastoral ministries at Focus on the Family) says, “What God wants every church to become must start as a compelling dream for an on-site dreamer.” His sentiment certainly extends beyond a congregation and applies to each of us in our personal lives, too—we must be God’s on-site dreamers for ourselves, our loved ones, and for our communities. What could God do with a roomful of dreamers? What could He accomplish with a group of people who carried His dreams of possibility and then married them with hard work, passion, and determination? Let’s be those people. Let’s rekindle the God-given dream inside us; let’s dream past our pain, our setbacks, the enemy’s lies, and our own perceived shortcomings. He placed us where we are to be the catalysts for His agenda, so let’s start dreaming it, and let’s never forget the angel Gabriel’s words to Mary, “Nothing is impossible with God.”
Tuesday, January 12, 2010
Preoccupied with the Preciousness of Others
The Golden Rule, "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you," is possibly the most widely quoted wise saying in the world. Parents tell it to their children, teachers present it as the standard for classroom etiquette, businesses quote variations of it on their reader boards, and we all know that it’s good, sound advice. What we sometimes forget though is that it is far MORE than good, sound advice. When Jesus gave the Golden Rule in His Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 7:12, He said: "In everything, therefore, treat people the same way you want them to treat you, for this is the Law and the Prophets." He didn’t say, "for this is the best way to live" or "for this will minimize the problems you’ll face." He said, "For this is the Law and the Prophets." In other words, all of those commandments and teachings from the Old Testament have the Golden Rule as both their source and their objective. How well do we do at fulfilling it? How preoccupied are we with the preciousness of others? It’s a simple rule, so simple we teach it to our pre-schoolers, but it’s a rule that stretches us to the depths of our love, character, and devotion, and it’s a rule that’s worthy of our deepest efforts to fulfill.
The Golden Rule, "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you," is possibly the most widely quoted wise saying in the world. Parents tell it to their children, teachers present it as the standard for classroom etiquette, businesses quote variations of it on their reader boards, and we all know that it’s good, sound advice. What we sometimes forget though is that it is far MORE than good, sound advice. When Jesus gave the Golden Rule in His Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 7:12, He said: "In everything, therefore, treat people the same way you want them to treat you, for this is the Law and the Prophets." He didn’t say, "for this is the best way to live" or "for this will minimize the problems you’ll face." He said, "For this is the Law and the Prophets." In other words, all of those commandments and teachings from the Old Testament have the Golden Rule as both their source and their objective. How well do we do at fulfilling it? How preoccupied are we with the preciousness of others? It’s a simple rule, so simple we teach it to our pre-schoolers, but it’s a rule that stretches us to the depths of our love, character, and devotion, and it’s a rule that’s worthy of our deepest efforts to fulfill.
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