My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry,                                      James 1:19

To answer before listening—that is folly and shame                  Proverbs 18:13

I spoke with some clients the other day who really were starting to understand what it is like to truly listen to one another. The woman in the relationship even remarked, “Before, we were listening to be able to respond to the other. Now we are listening to understand one another.”

What a great insight and statement. When we begin to start to formulate our response to another, we have stopped listening and started to respond. It takes a great deal of patience and self-awareness to discern the difference.

 But it makes all the difference in the world.

Prayer: Lord, give us the patience to listen before we speak

To do what is right and just is more acceptable to the Lord than sacrifice. Proverbs 21:3

“The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’                                                                                                              Matthew 25:40

The wisdom literature in the Bible is fascinating to me. One can find practical instruction that is good for how to live among other people. One can find the heart of God in literature such as Proverbs. You also can find some arcane sayings that are baffling to modern readers. Yet, we can learn much from this literature, and the Proverb above is one that I like. I like it because it speaks to how God sees his children living out their lives with one another.

The Proverbs, and other Bible passages, speak about the need for us to treat one another well, for as we do that, we treat God well. God wants us to do well toward others more than he wants some sacrifice to him. God was speaking to the Hebrew nation that valued sacrifices of goats and lambs. Yet God essentially said, “I would rather that you take care of one another than to sacrifice more sheep to me” (my feeble translation of the Proverb…). Jesus expounded on this when he explained that “whatever you do for the poorest person among you, you did for me…”

I mean, how can you not love a God that has that kind of a plan?

Prayer: What a powerful message of who God is! Amen

I recently met with a client who has trouble in taking stock of his situation and giving himself some credit for work he has done. He in fact is working a full-time job, and is also caring for a mother who is in cognitive decline. Yet all he can see is work that is not yet completed, and the specter of more that needs to be done.

When a friend told him how well he is doing, and how admirable his mission is, the client could not see it, and he actually somewhat discounted the compliment. He felt that there was more to be done- the job not yet completed- so he could not yet accept any credit.

I suggested to the client that he really had no right to discount his friend’s sincere evaluation and affirmation. By saying things like, “That’s nice, but the job isn’t done yet”, actually negates the observation of his friend. I suggested that the proper response looks like, “Thanks, I appreciate that, and there is still more to do”. Both things are true- he has done well, and there is also more work to be done.

My client is stressed, and it is a hard time for him. He is doing really hard work, and he needs to see that others recognize that. I hope he truly sees it for himself.

His use of the word “but” negated the intended compliment. Thanking the friend, and accepting that he has done good work is the oxygen needed for the rest of the statement, “and there is still more to do”. Encouragement is indeed often the oxygen we need to complete the hard tasks. When someone offers an encouraging word, just say “Thanks!”

 Good for both the encourager and the one encouraged.   

God met me more than halfway, he freed me from my anxious fears                                                                                         Psalm 34:4

I spoke with a client recently who suffers from anxiety. The discussion led to the difference between generalized anxiety and performance anxiety. He said that the difference for him is that performance anxiety actually gives him energy. The excitement he feels, while partly uncomfortable, is also somewhat of a spur to him to do his best.

Everyday anxieties are draining and sap him of energy. That anxiety is not productive, while performance anxiety can actually be a motivator to do our best. Both types of anxiety can be very annoying and frustrating, but it is beneficial to try to distinguish between the two.

Performance anxiety is situational, whereas generalized anxiety is pervasive. Performance anxiety can energize and motivate us. Generalized anxiety saps our energy and decreases productivity.

So, not all anxiety is the same. For my client, the discussion about the types of anxiety proved to be helpful and normalizing. His self-awareness was a way for him to feel some control over the anxiety. As I have said in this blog often, control is the antidote for anxiety- we just need to determine what we CAN control and what we CANNOT control.

 I hope this little piece can be helpful for you as well!

Prayer: Lord, help us gain awareness of what we can control, and what we cannot, Amen.

“As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts

   Isaiah 55:9

Did you ever bargain with God in your prayer? I’m guessing that you have. During the Second World War there was a saying about such prayers- “foxhole prayers”. That is, desperate soldiers, in literal fear for their life, offered desperate prayers. Things like, “God, if you get me out of here alive, I’ll dedicate my life to you. I’ll join the priesthood!”

I suppose that if many of those men followed up on those promises, we would not have had a priest shortage! Don’t get me wrong, I am not blaming those brave and desperate soldiers who offered such a prayer. No doubt I would have done the same thing.

But God is not looking for bargaining when we lift our hearts in prayer. He knows how desperate we are and how scared we might be. He wants the best for us. But it is also likely that some of the men who offered such prayers did indeed die in that war or another conflict.  

God is sovereign, and he does not answer to us. We know and trust that he loves us, but he owes us nothing. Indeed, he is the giver of life, and he sees life as sacred, but he has also given us free will. With that gift, we have chosen so very poorly at times that we have created impossible situations for ourselves.  

We pray not knowing the outcome, but we pray with the assurance that God wants our communication with him.

Prayer: Lord, your ways are higher than our ways, Amen

But Jesus often withdrew to the wilderness for prayer.                                                      Luke 5:16

We were discussing the practice of prayer the other day in a class at church. I have always found it fascinating that we have been taught to pray regularly. Jesus prayed daily to his Father in heaven, and of course, if Jesus found it important to pray, how could we neglect such a practice?

God already knows what is in our heart and mind, so why the need to take time to express it? I’m thinking that God knows that prayer is good for us. Prayer changes us. I don’t think we pray to change God’s mind. I think we pray so that God can change our mind.

We can look at things differently after having voiced those ideas in our head in a solemn attempt to talk it over with God. Prayer makes us be honest with ourselves and God about the important things in our life. Indeed, we may become aware just how important things are for us as we look to the Creator for comfort, encouragement or direction.

Prayer also reminds us that we are people of faith, even when we doubt. Oh yeah, you bet that we all doubt at times! Just the idea of lifting our heart to God is a statement that he is there, and that he listens and cares.

So, we will talk more in future blogs, but that is enough to ponder for the moment, right?

Prayer: Lord, every time we pray, we affirm your presence in our life, Amen

So, in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.                                   Matthew 7:12

“For through the law I died to the law so that I might live for God.                                                              Galatians 2:19

I have always thought that Jesus was a “lightning rod” for public opinion and criticism. What I mean by that is, people are not really neutral about Jesus. One is forced to take a side and have an opinion when it comes to Jesus. You love his message and live it out, or you reject his message and live a self-directed life.

During his ministry, Jesus did not shy away from controversy. He challenged people in the way that they looked at God. That is, you love God by loving other people. He called out the religious leaders of the Jews and explained to them very clearly how they had missed the mark. Specifically, he did not like religious leaders who leaned into the letter of the Law to the exclusion of those for whom the Law was written.

People who rigidly favored strict interpretation of the Law over the needs of people were singled out by Jesus as examples of those who had missed the mark. Many parables of Jesus remarked about the failure of those leaders to love others. Those leaders then justified their behavior by the letter of the Law. They had failed to see why the Law was even written.

When I wrote my novels about Joseph Shepherd, I saw him as a type of Jesus. That is, when he showed up in 17^th and 19^th century history, he was treated by people as shabbily as Jesus was treated in the first century. That happened because people either loved or hated Joseph Shepherd. Eventually, Shepherd was persecuted by his contemporaries, even though he loved people, served them, and always tried to live by a moral code. Because of that, he was reviled and rejected by those who perhaps felt judged by his very presence.

So, let’s think of Jesus as the radical that he was. He challenged mainstream Judaic Law with the true fulfillment of it. Because of that, he was rejected, and ultimately crucified.

Prayer: Lord, help us to see past the barriers that stop us from showing love to others, Amen

May your Kingdom come soon. May your will be done on earth, as it is in heaven.                               Matthew 6:10

One of the things that is discouraging to me in the American culture now is that many Christians are seeking political solutions to spiritual problems. We know that no political party or political platforms will ever solve problems of the soul.

So, as politicians set forth their plans to solve national problems, we recognize that their aim is essentially to get re-elected, or simply elected for the first time. I don’t mean to be such a cynic my friends, but that is how politics work.

That is why I am concerned that so many people who call themselves Christians are acting in political ways, but not in the ways of Jesus. None of us is perfect, and we all fail in following the example of Jesus. But let us be clear that politics and religion are not good traveling partners. One seeks power, the other seeks peace and justice for the oppressed and marginalized of society.

So, in this political year in the United States, let’s always ask the question, “How can we apply solutions that seek peace and empowerment for others rather than power for us?” For Christians, our primary identity is not Democrat or Republican, or even American. We cannot view our religion through the lens of politics.

So, my friends, be well, and fear not. No matter the results of this American election, God still reigns in the world that he created. We must simply strive for the invocation that Jesus gave, “Thy Kingdom come, on earth as it is in heaven”

Prayer: Help us to bring your heavenly justice to people on earth, Amen

O Lord, what a variety of things you have made!
    In wisdom you have made them all.     
    The earth is full of your creatures                                                                         Psalm 104:24

I recently watched a PBS show on NOVA about the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) and how it was made. It was nearly 30 years in the making and planning of it, and the cost- well, let’s not talk about how much it cost.

Suffice it to say that the project was massive, a technological marvel, a monument to both the engineers and scientists that made this astronomical breakthrough. I am not able to explain the scope of the project, obviously, but it made me think of two things- the majesty of God’s creation, and the amazing gift of intelligence and curiosity that God made in mankind.

Those people pushed the envelope of technology, such as needing to plan for temperatures that could ruin the delicate machine, and how to protect its exquisite structure for the mission. The result was the ability to see into the past. Light from distant galaxies takes millions of light years to reach the earth. As the universe expands, galaxies are moving away from one another. The vastness of our universe defies explanation. It is too marvelous for words or comprehension.   

The Master Creator who made the heavens and earth also made the people who are trying to understand it. Both are marvels of God’s creation. My response?

Wow.

Prayer: Lord, your creation is too marvelous for mere words, Amen

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.                     Romans 15:13

I had a dear friend named Denny Mikel who passed away several years ago. Denny was a mentor to me, and I remember one day when he told me a story about what he felt he had heard God clearly say to him. It was nothing earth shattering or strange. No momentous challenge or “special revelation”. It was just this- Trust Me.

That was his guiding light to a simple faith. Trust Me. I often think about that as I wonder about things that I do not understand. Believe me, there are a lot of things I do not understand about how God works, or the faith journey we are called into.

I think maybe that simple phrase, Trust Me, pretty much sums up a faith journey that we are never going to puzzle out on our own. God delights in our trust, not our ability to figure everything out. Yes, God has given us amazing mental capacity, the ability of performing abstract thought, and this amazing thing called sentience which allows us to be truly aware of our own presence and existence. Yet, the thing that pleases God, and gives us rest and peace is just that simple phrase…

Trust Me

Prayer: Lord, I trust you, Amen