And I am sure that God who began the good work within you will keep right on helping you grow in his grace until his task within you is finally finished on that day when Jesus Christ returns.           Philippians 1:6

I was speaking with a client recently about the value of personal disciplines in each area of life- physical, spiritual, and emotional dimensions. Disciplines give us a sense of structure and control. They help us to feel better about ourselves as we do the things that we say we are going to do. That being said, when we fall out of the habit of a discipline, it does not take long for the benefits to diminish.

I remember when I had a knee replacement several years ago. I had been walking several miles per day for years, but finally the knee gave out and I needed a new one. While I was in the hospital, and just a few weeks removed from regular walking, I saw that my calf muscle had visibly atrophied. Needless to say, I was depressed, but also determined to get back to exercise as soon as I could!

The point is this- disciplines are good for the body and soul, but be sure to keep up the habits. Indeed the saying is true, “If you don’t use it, you lose it!

Prayer: Lord, give us the strength to continue the good work you began in us, Amen

(Living Bible Translation)

 And so, dear brothers, I plead with you to give your bodies to God. Let them be a living sacrifice, holy—the kind he can accept. When you think of what he has done for you, is this too much to ask? ² Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but be a new and different person with a fresh newness in all you do and think. Then you will learn from your own experience how his ways will really satisfy you.

³ As God’s messenger I give each of you God’s warning: Be honest in your estimate of yourselves, measuring your value by how much faith God has given you. ^4-5 Just as there are many parts to our bodies, so it is with Christ’s body. We are all parts of it, and it takes every one of us to make it complete, for we each have different work to do. So we belong to each other, and each needs all the others.

⁶ God has given each of us the ability to do certain things well. So if God has given you the ability to prophesy, then prophesy whenever you can—as often as your faith is strong enough to receive a message from God. ⁷ If your gift is that of serving others, serve them well. If you are a teacher, do a good job of teaching. ⁸ If you are a preacher, see to it that your sermons are strong and helpful. If God has given you money, be generous in helping others with it. If God has given you administrative ability and put you in charge of the work of others, take the responsibility seriously. Those who offer comfort to the sorrowing should do so with Christian cheer.

⁹ Don’t just pretend that you love others: really love them. Hate what is wrong. Stand on the side of the good. ¹⁰ Love each other with brotherly affection and take delight in honoring each other. ¹¹ Never be lazy in your work, but serve the Lord enthusiastically.

¹² Be glad for all God is planning for you. Be patient in trouble, and prayerful always. ¹³ When God’s children are in need, you be the one to help them out. And get into the habit of inviting guests home for dinner or, if they need lodging, for the night.

¹⁴ If someone mistreats you because you are a Christian, don’t curse him; pray that God will bless him. ¹⁵ When others are happy, be happy with them. If they are sad, share their sorrow. ¹⁶ Work happily together. Don’t try to act big. Don’t try to get into the good graces of important people, but enjoy the company of ordinary folks. And don’t think you know it all!

¹⁷ Never pay back evil for evil. Do things in such a way that everyone can see you are honest clear through. ¹⁸ Don’t quarrel with anyone. Be at peace with everyone, just as much as possible.

¹⁹ Dear friends, never avenge yourselves. Leave that to God, for he has said that he will repay those who deserve it. Don’t take the law into your own hands.^[a] 20 Instead, feed your enemy if he is hungry. If he is thirsty give him something to drink and you will be “heaping coals of fire on his head.” In other words, he will feel ashamed of himself for what he has done to you. ²¹ Don’t let evil get the upper hand, but conquer evil by doing good

Very little from me today, but a lot from the Book of Romans. As I read this, I thought about how people entangle their religious thoughts and their political thoughts. If you had to respond just from what Paul wrote in Romans, how might that affect your political thinking?

Just food for thought, dear readers, and a word for all of us..

He gives strength to the weary, and increases the power of the weak                            Isaiah 40:29

Often, other people see things in us that we do not see in ourselves. One of the things that I do as a counselor is get to know my clients, and try to see in them things that they may not see for themselves. Indeed, clients give me permission to speak into their lives, giving them constructive feedback, as well as encouragement. It is an act of humility on the part of a client to give such permission, especially to someone that they do not know. They are showing a level of trust in me before they even know me. I deeply appreciate that trust, and it is my job to honor that by being truthful, holding their best interest at stake, keeping their information confidential, and seeing them as God does as best I can.

As people unfold their story to me, I can gradually get to know how they see the world. I also begin to see strengths in them that they may not see, or maybe they have never given the chance to develop. It is my job to look for those strengths so that we can employ them in dealing with problems, or helping them to manage those strengths better. Remember, strengths to an extreme can become weaknesses, so we must learn to manage those strengths well.

We saw when Jesus chose his disciples that he picked people who were not, in the world’s eyes, the most successful people, or the most learned people. Yet Jesus saw something in them that they did not see in themselves.

John, for example, was called, along with his brother, “a son of thunder” because he had a volatile temper, and an arrogant view about his position in life. Simon, later called Peter, was an exuberant, impulsive, man who frequently spoke before he thought.  He was not the most stable of people in making commitments.

Yet Jesus saw in them characteristics that they did not see themselves. Their affiliation with Jesus transformed them into the men they could be. Jesus had seen that potential, and he spoke that into them.

John later became the loving apostle who wrote such beautiful commentary on how we should love one another. Volatile Simon became “Peter, the Rock”, the one on whom Jesus said he would help build his church. Imagine Simon hearing that he was a “rock”- a solid, capable man of strength. Sometimes, when we hear about the person who we CAN become, we DO become that person.

Prayer: Father, thank you for people who see things in us that we do not see for ourselves. Give us the humility to receive it well, Amen.

You are Peter, a stone; and upon this rock I will build my church; and all the powers of hell shall not prevail against it.                                                                                                                                              Matthew 16:18 (Living Bible)

Sometimes the words Christendom and Christianity are used interchangeably. They are not the same. Christendom is a term applied to countries and states where Christianity has historically been the dominant religion. In the Middle Ages and into the Age of Discovery, the concept of “Christendom” was used as a cover to give sanction to exploring powers to “Christianize heathen populations” and win those souls for Christ.  

I think we all know the problems that came from colonization, and the overpowering of indigenous cultures all in the name of “Christianizing”. This is to say that we can put sanitized labels on our behaviors in the name of God.

Alexis de Tocqueville, a renowned European scholar of the 19^th century who loved American ideals, said “In Europe, Christianity has permitted itself to be intimately united with the powers of the earth. Today these powers are falling and it is almost buried under their debris.”

His warning should be well heeded. To the extent that Christianity allies itself with governmental power, both suffer.  Neither Christians, nor the Church, need the power of a national state to prosper or to have influence. Indeed, the church only has influence to the extent that it is NOT allied with the governing state.

I am concerned about the people who advocate for Christian Nationalism. This is not healthy, neither for Christianity, nor the nation.

Prayer: Lord, you told us the Church will prevail through your power, Amen.

to take a fresh breath and to let God renew your attitude and spirit.                                          Ephesians 4:23 (The Voice)

I was talking with a client recently and she talked about “coping” with certain situations. I asked if I could help her see that another word might work better. I suggested that she talk about “managing” those issues rather than coping with them. Why is that important? Well, I think words matter, and even nuances like the difference between “coping” and “managing” can mean a lot.   

The word coping tends to be a passive word, like “enduring”. While coping with problems or chronic situations can be considered a good thing, I think that it implies a certain passivity or maybe even a sense of helplessness.

Managing a situation, however, implies a sense of control. It says “There are things that I can do or that I am now doing that can help me in this situation.” Managing does not mean alleviating necessarily. It does however give a sense of power and control, even if we cannot completely change the outcome.

One does not think about saying “I am coping with my diabetes” (at least I hope not). One does say “I am managing my diabetes to keep it under better control.” The same is true with anxiety and depression. Yes, there is a sense of making peace with the idea that we need help with these conditions, but then we do the things we need to do. We manage them through therapy, medication, exercise, spiritual and social connections, and developing a support team.

The words we use to explain our situation may indicate some hidden feelings about what is happening. Thinking in terms of behaviors that we can do to better take control of the things that are causing us pain is a more helpful way to look at those things.

Prayer: Lord, give us the discernment to see that we can change the way we look at problems, Amen.

Two people are better off than one, for they can help each other succeed.  If one person falls, the other can reach out and help. But someone who falls alone is in real trouble.

Ecclesiastes 4:9-10

I often am in the business of educating my clients about their anxiety and depression. Specifically, I give them tools to be able to handle such conditions, and one of the things I typically tell them is that fighting these problems is a team sport, not an individual one. By that I mean is that success in dealing with mental health issues is achieved by naming the teammates who are in the fight with you. Don’t try to go it alone.

Healing is done in community. Those that love us are wanting to engage in the fight with us. When the anxiety feels overwhelming, you call on a teammate. When you are awash in depression and feel defeated, call on a teammate.

What stops us from getting the help? I suppose there are lots of reasons. First, we must be willing to admit that fighting alone is not usually successful. Reaching out for help is difficult, it can be awkward, and it makes us feel vulnerable.

However, reaching for that help is the first victory. Just by admitting that we need help, want help, is the first and most important step in that healing. Contacting a therapist is an important step, but it is not the only one. Gather a team of people who care about you, and let them know of your plan to seek help.

You are on your way to healing.

Prayer: Lord, help us to see the power of a helping team, Amen

For as the heavens are high above the earth,
So great is His mercy toward those who fear Him;
 As far as the east is from the west,
So far has He removed our transgressions from us.
 As a father pities his children,
So the Lord pities those who fear Him.
 For He knows our frame;
He remembers that we are dust.

Psalm 103:12-14 (NKJV)

I had breakfast with a friend this morning and we were discussing God’s love for us, even when we are doubting ourselves, or when we think of regrets in our life. I was reminded of one of my favorite passages from Psalms where the Psalmist states that God “pities us like little children”. I somehow always resonate to the King James translation. Maybe the use of the word “pity” makes me think of a kindly father, looking at his frail and wandering, somewhat clueless children, and having pity on them because he loves them so dearly.   

We are often much harsher on ourselves than we need to be. We have long memories of our sins, but God said that they are forgiven and removed as far as the east is from the west. The metaphor is that there cannot even be a distinguishing line from the east and west like we can measure between the north and south (the equator). No, we are removed from our sin and guilt that far.

Aren’t you glad that we have a father that sees us like wandering children, and not his enemy? I sure am.

Prayer: Thank you for being a loving and forgiving Father, Amen

You younger men, follow the leadership of those who are older. And all of you serve each other with humble spirits, for God gives special blessings to those who are humble, but sets himself against those who are proud.                       I Peter 5:5

For many years I have done workshops for local community leadership programs. Attending these workshops are young leaders in their respective communities, and I was asked to give then some principles of leadership. I spoke with them about types of leaders, some of whom were positional leaders, some who were influential leaders, and some who were inspirational leaders. I suggested that not all leaders have positions of authority, but they may be given authority by others as influencers. People are drawn to other people because of what they see demonstrated and modeled in their lives.

I asked my audience, what do you do with power? Do you wield it for your own position, or do you give it away by empowering others? For whose benefit are you leading- for yourself, or for the benefit of those you lead?

These are the type of questions I wanted my young leaders to wrestle with. I would give them examples of very different types of leaders. General George Patton, for example was a military leader of renown. His style of leadership was highly charismatic and inspirational. He challenged others to follow him, and tolerated nothing less than total commitment.

Rosa Parks, on the other hand was also a leader, but she led in a very different way. Her courage and personal commitment to her cause energized a whole generation of people who stood for civil rights.

Both were leaders, and they could not have been more different! What was the commonality? Both were passionate for their cause. Both were willing to make personal sacrifice. Both took immense criticism for their leadership role. Both were sold out for the benefit of the mission.

These are just two examples of leaders. I included many more in my workshop. Yet I wanted to emphasize that the mission is greater than the leader. The leader must keep in mind the larger mission.

So, as a leader where you currently are (and you ARE a leader to others), what is the mission you hold most dear?

Prayer: Lord, you have called us to various missions for the benefit of others. Give us the strength to lead for their benefit,Amen

Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.                                                Matthew 5:5

My wife and I attended the funeral service today of a man we have known for many years. He had been a pastor at the same church for 50 years. That is certainly unusual, but even more unusual is the fact that he had been the Associate Pastor for all those years, under the direction of two different Senior Pastors.

This man, Pastor Doug, was a quiet man, rarely raising his voice, always pleasant and friendly, certainly not controversial. He was calm, thoughtful, and deliberate. He was a planner, usually in the background of events. But as people began to eulogize him, it became apparent that he was a quiet man of great influence. He was clearly goal directed as a Christian educator and youth leader, and he was a visionary in the founding of a Christian School in our city.

He loved his family, and he loved his God. He had many friends, and many loved him. But he chose to be in the background, and he never wanted the spotlight shined on him- it must be directed toward the object of his faith, Jesus. He could be described as having the quality of meekness. Meekness does not mean weakness, but rather power under control. Pastor Doug had power, but he had it under control. What a gift.

So, we bade a fond farewell to Pastor Doug as he settles into his new home. He influenced thousands of people in his life, but he did so in the background. His was a life well lived indeed. Sometimes funerals are amazingly uplifting.

This was one of them.  

Prayer: Lord, thank you for the quiet lives that are so impactful, Amen

The LORD appeared to us in the past, saying: “I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with unfailing kindness.                                                                                                                                   Jeremiah 31:3

Sometimes we just have to learn to accept things before we can begin to understand them. Sometimes, we will never understand. We are wired to be curious, to try to figure things out. That is a good thing. It drives us to learn, to grow. However, there are some things we just need to accept.

In addictions, the addicted individual may never really understand the biological dynamics of their addiction. Understanding the addiction won’t likely help to overcome the addiction. Only abstinence from the substance will give the addict the needed space to heal and get some recovery under his/her belt, but they may never really understand why they became addicted. They simply accept that their best efforts left them addicted, and that acceptance of the help of friends, family and sober support is what they need to stay clean.

Only after acceptance can understanding begin.  Grace works that way. We do not really understand grace, we simply accept that it has been given to us. If we can accept the beauty of grace, unmerited favor, we can enjoy its benefits.

I’m not sure that we will ever understand why God loves us as he does. But just because we don’t understand it doesn’t mean it isn’t true. (Yes, there are a lot of double negatives here, but hang with it!) Some people try to overthink this because they feel unlovable. “How can God love me when I don’t love myself”, some may say.

I say, don’t try to understand that- just accept it.

Prayer: You have made us to be curious, to try to understand. Thank you for that. More than that we need to accept your love for us, extravagant as it is, Amen.