Enjoy this reprint of my blog that ran on July 25, 2020…

No, O people, the Lord has told you what is good,
    and this is what he requires of you:
to do what is right, to love mercy,
    and to walk humbly with your God.                                                                                                        Micah 6:8

This is a story that is an addition and expansion of the account of the three wise men recounted in the book of Matthew. It tells about a “fourth” wise man, a priest of the Magi named Artaban, one of the Medes from Persia.

 Like the other Magi, he sees signs in the heavens proclaiming that a King had been born among the Jews. Like them, he sets out to see the newborn ruler, carrying treasures to give as gifts to the child – a sapphire, a ruby, and a “pearl of great price”. However, he stops along the way to help a dying man, which makes him late to meet with the caravan of the other three wise men. Because he missed the caravan, and he can’t cross the desert with only a horse, he is forced to sell one of his treasures in order to buy the camels and supplies necessary for the trip. He then commences his journey but arrives in Bethlehem too late to see the child, whose parents have fled to Egypt to escape the plot of Herod to kill the possible rival King.  He saves the life of a child at the price of another of his treasures.

Artaban then travels to Egypt and to many other countries, searching for Jesus for many years and performing acts of charity along the way. After 33 years, Artaban is still a pilgrim, and a seeker after light. Artaban arrives in Jerusalem just in time for the crucifixion of Jesus. He spends his last treasure, the pearl, to ransom a young woman from being sold into slavery. He is then struck in the head by a falling roof tile and is about to die, having failed in his quest to find Jesus, but having done much good through charitable works. A voice tells him “Verily I say unto thee, inasmuch as thou hast done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, thou hast done it unto me.” (Matthew 25:40). He dies in a calm radiance of wonder and joy. His treasures were accepted, and the Other Wise Man found his King.

From a short novel by Henry van Dyke

I always loved this story, because of its beauty, and also because of the truth it explains. The fourth wise man went about his life seeking to fulfill his mission- to find and to honor Jesus. All through his life, he believed that he had failed in the mission because he could never deliver his precious gifts to Jesus. Of course, he had been serving out his mission the whole time. He had been serving Jesus by serving other people. That IS the mission.

So, I think often we miss the fact that our lives have great meaning and purpose to the extent that we humbly serve others. Nurturing mothers and fathers are serving out their calling by caring for their children as best they can. Teachers are serving out their calling by dedicating themselves to the betterment of their students. Medical personnel are doing healing work. First responders are saving lives, often at the expense of their own.

On and on. You fill in the blank of how you are serving and playing out your mission. Is there more for you? Do you feel that there are things that you still must do?

Good. We never stop living out that mission. We never “retire” from our calling. If you have somehow decided that you have nothing more to give, think again. We need to LIVE until we die, not exist until we die. If there is that one more thing that is in front of you, pursue it. Because that might be the voice of God prompting you to seize that moment with your set of skills and passion to impact another.

Prayer: Thank you for the plan of mission, of significance, of honoring you with our life, Amen.

Summing it all up, friends, I’d say you’ll do best by filling your minds and meditating on things true, noble, reputable, authentic, compelling, gracious—the best, not the worst; the beautiful, not the ugly; things to praise, not things to curse.                                                                                                                          Philippians 4:8-9 (The Message)

Have you ever heard of Norman Borlaug? Neither had I. Funny how we often do not hear of the news that is the most uplifting and world changing. It turns out that Mr. Borlaug had a lot to do with the “Green Revolution” of the 1950’s and 60’s which helped to turn much of the world’s arable land into productive, food producing land due to his meticulous research. His work with making hybrid wheats likely has saved tens of thousands, perhaps millions, of people from starvation. He won the 1970 Nobel Peace Prize for his work.

Every day we are inundated with bad news. You need not look far for pain, misery and doom. That is because news essentially singles out such stories because they are both sudden and newsworthy. Bad news arises quickly, generally, and it grabs headlines.

Good news, on the other hand, is with us all the time, and it is not, therefore, newsworthy. It is not “breaking news”, it is normal life. For example, the fact that there is less starvation now worldwide than ever in history, is not newsworthy. Partly, that is also due to the fact that it is hard to celebrate less starvation when starvation still exists in the world.

We cannot blame news media for this phenomenon. News is made up of events that are new, interesting, and important. The fact that there are wildfires and hurricanes happening is absolutely true. Those events are devastating in real time to thousands of people, and it is important to note.

At the same time, there are many, many things and events in the world that are good news, but they are swallowed by other pressing events. That is simply a matter of life. We need to remember however, the important fact that there are many incredible achievements that go unnoticed.

People like Norman Borlaug.

Prayer: Help us remember your grace and provision for us, even in the midst of bad news, Amen

Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever                                                               Hebrews 13:8 (Living Bible)

I spoke with a client recently who is struggling a great deal in his relationship with God. Not uncommon, to be sure. We all wrestle, to some degree, with understanding our relationship with God. This client like several others, sat under teaching that emphasized a God who was easily angered by people, and would respond with grievous punishment. Specifically, this client fears the “end times”, which is a teaching emphasis of the churches he has attended over the years.  

This client has based most of his relationship with God on an emotional connection. He can feel intensely close to God after certain experiences, but when that feeling wanes, he wonders if he is worthy of a relationship with God.

Emotions are powerful drivers, and we can get enamored with those “mountaintop experiences” that leave us feeling exhilarated. The problem is, those emotions are bound to subside and return to the normal ups and downs that all of us experience. We cannot gauge our relationship with God, or even other people, solely upon how we feel.

God never changes, but our emotions about him do. It is important to remember that our acceptance by God is not based upon an emotional experience. It is based upon the trust that he is faithful, and he keeps his promises, even when we are not “feeling it”.

Our emotions are wonderful parts of the human experience. We just cannot live our life, or judge our worth, or gauge our relationship with God by those feelings that are bound to be changeable.  

Prayer: Lord, you have given us the gift of emotional response. Help us to keep it in perspective, and recognize that your love for us never changes, Amen.

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.

“Made a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves.”

(Step Four from Alcoholics Anonymous “The Twelve Steps”)

If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness                                                                                                                                                                  I John 1:9

As my readers are aware, I am a fan of the wisdom of the 12 Steps of Alcoholics Anonymous as a treatment tool. Anyone, regardless of addiction (or non-addiction) status, can benefit from the comprehensive approach of the 12 steps.

It is not uncommon for me to ask my clients to perform the 4^th step inventory. There are many very useful guidelines that AA sponsors and sponsees use to complete this step. It involves being very honest about resentments, fears, and harmful behaviors resulting from those issues that need examination, and ultimately, making amends to those we have wronged.

Especially in marriage counseling work, the mutual humility needed to do a good 4^th step leads to each partner recognizing his/her part in whatever problems have driven a wedge in the relationship.

I liked the slogan on the tee shirts we used to wear at our Next Step Service, a church service where there was an emphasis on helping people with addictions celebrate sobriety and encourage ways to stay clean- “The 12 Steps, It’s Not Just for Alcoholics Anymore”

The 12 Steps work if you work them…

Prayer: Thank you for the plans you have for honest examination, and freedom from the guilt sin brings, Amen

My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you.Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.  You are my friends if you do what I command.                                              John 15:12-14

…and what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God.                                                                                                                                                                  Micah 6:8

Many years ago when I was on a journey of questioning what I believed, I decided that the plan God has for us to be able to relate to him must be very simple. So simple, in fact, that anyone in the world could understand it. It could not be a convoluted set of rules and practices that one would have a hard time keeping track of. It would need to be very basic and straightforward. In fact, the very simplicity of accepting God’s love for us as demonstrated by the sacrifice of Jesus might actually feel too easy. People seem to need to believe that there is some difficult process that we must do in order to gain God’s acceptance.

I thought of this again last week when I was called upon to speak at the funeral of a dear man who had died unexpectedly. I cited the passage from John 15 that said You are my friends if you do what I command. This is my command: Love each other. I also cited the verse from the book of Micah, which says And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.

I think God would have us love and respect one another, and to act justly and walk humbly. I take it as the basis of God’s plan- that we are his friend if we love one another.

So, as they say in the recovery community, it is simple, but not always easy to follow those basic instructions from God. But let’s not over-complicate this relationship with God and his desires for his creation.

Let’s try to keep it simple.

Prayer: Lord, help us to see the simple path you have laid out for us, Amen

“Kind words do not cost much. Yet they accomplish much.”                                                                             Blaise Pascal

“Never underestimate the power of words to heal and reconcile relationships.”                                                                                   H. Jackson Brown

“Your words carry amazing power. So, when you speak make sure you uplift someone and never put them down.”                                                                               Anonymous

“One kind word can change someone’s entire day.”                                                             Anonymous

 Death and life are in the power of the tongue: and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof
Proverbs 18:21 (KJV)

Amazing isn’t it, the power that we have? Our words can make someone’s day, or week maybe; and our words can ruin that day, that week- maybe that life. The quotes above are just a few that attest to that power. I think we all know the power that we have in words, yet we often seem so cavalier about how we use our words.

When we are not face-to-face, such as when we are on social media, there seems to be even less attention to the power of words. Because we are at a distance, we may not use the discretion that we would use in face-to-face conversations. I don’t know.

What I do know is that we wield great power with our words. James in the Bible said that the tongue, though small, has great power- much like the little rudder which can change the course of a great ship.

So, I suggest we use that power to affirm others whenever possible. It is the highest use of a great power.

Prayer: Lord, you have gifted us with speech and words, Help us to use them to build others up, Amen

 Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.                                                                   Colossians 3:2

In the book of Colossians, Paul is reminding believers who they are. He starts with, “Since you have been raised with Christ…set your mind on things above…” This is a great reminder that we are different people since we have been redeemed by Christ’s death and resurrection. Therefore, as followers of Jesus, we are to act accordingly. Paul tells us to “put to death what belongs to our earthly nature”. Wow, easier said than done! Actually, there are ways to do that, but we can only do that with reliance upon the Holy Spirit placed in us when we commit our lives to Christ.

I am reminded of an old Native American saying here. When a younger member of the tribe was asking an elder how to curb the evil intentions of his heart, the young brave described his struggle like there were two competing wolves within him, one evil, and one good. The elder told the young brave, “To keep at bay the evil wolf who would destroy you, simply feed the good wolf. The other will wither and die.”

I love this analogy, because it gives hope for looking toward the good, not just avoiding the evil. “Feed the good wolf” is a good metaphor. We are much more inclined to move toward a good goal than to simply avoid the ugly and painful parts of life. Constantly trying to avoid negative, painful thoughts gives rise to spiritual and emotional exhaustion. Setting our hearts and minds on higher things, positive things, helps us to get out of a cycle of fear and running from evil. We need higher goals and motives to become fulfilled and healthy. God constructed us to be “strivers” not “shrinkers”.

In 3:12 Paul says, “Therefore, as God’s chosen people, clothe yourself with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.” In doing this, we are naturally going toward the healthy lifestyle which will “starve out” the evil inclinations we have.

The holiness rules which are prescribed in this passage are not to be simply taken as a list of forbidden actions, in my estimation. We are to strive toward those actions which will uplift us and others around us. In so doing, we will slowly strangle those evil desires so present within us.Prayer: Thank you Lord for the remedy of your Son. You have called us to a higher place, and you have given us the Spirit to live a life pleasing to you, Amen.  

So, chosen by God for this new life of love, dress in the wardrobe God picked out for you: compassion, kindness, humility, quiet strength, discipline. Be even-tempered, content with second place, quick to forgive an offense. Forgive as quickly and completely as the Master forgave you. And regardless of what else you put on, wear love. It’s your basic, all-purpose garment. Never be without it.        Colossians 3:12-14 (The Message)

Folkways are norms that stem from and organize casual interactions, and emerge out of repetition and routines. We engage in them to satisfy our daily needs, and they are most often unconscious in operation, though they are quite useful for the ordered functioning of society                                                      William Graham Sumner

We are in the practice of observing accepted folkways in our every-day life, typically without giving any thought to that behavior whatsoever. That is, until someone breaks the unwritten rule.

There are numerous examples of folkways, though not all would agree upon them. For example, waiting in line for a good or service; shaking hands upon meeting someone (yep, that one is changing right before our eyes); holding the door for the person behind you; tipping your server; accepted dress for certain occasions; saying “thank you”; observing personal space when with strangers; maintaining or diverting eye contact in social situations. The list goes on and on.  

We observe these social norms without thinking. We also are developing new ones all the time. For example, there are norms for social media, such as use of emoji’s; when to text and when to call; when to use or not use email vs. personal contact, etc. Again, the lists are endless and we take them for granted.

My point is that among these folkways, you can also see that courteous behavior is part of the very fabric of folkways. Over the years it appears to me that we have become somewhat less courteous as a society. Yes, I’ll beat you to it- I’m an old guy and I see the world with some different lenses. Yet, I would contend that the very need for folkways to help regulate society is based upon the need for courtesy and respect.

In order to have a well-functioning society, we need to maintain those folkways that keep us courteous and respectful.

In the word of Forrest Gump, “That’s all I have to say about that”  

Prayer: Lord we realize that treating others with respect and courtesy honors you, Amen

I have just posted the final chapters of my novel, Joseph Shepherd, which I have been serializing for several months. Thank you to those who have followed this somewhat long journey, and I hope that you have enjoyed meeting Joseph Shepherd in this way. Reading a serialized form of a book can be tedious, even frustrating, for which I offer my apologies. However, if you would like to read it all in one place at your own pace, please feel free to go to Amazon.com and type in “Joseph Shepherd Jung” in the search bar.

I have also just completed the sequel (as yet unnamed and in editing now) so, you might at some point have an interest in that also. At any rate, thank you for your faithful following of this blog.

Blessings on your journey…