Green Pastures and Still Waters
- Details
Lots of folks will be making resolutions in the next few days. Better health, organization and money matters top the list each year. Not that any of those are bad but what if we revolted against the stuff everybody else is doing and worked on our inner lives. I see, all too often, the effects of failing to pay attention to the inner life. Who we really are has very little to do with how much we weigh or how much money we have in our retirement accounts. Who we really are is exposed when we are under stress, in sickness and when our plans fail. Jesus warned the religious leaders of His day that it is a little silly to work so hard on the outside of the cup when the real problem is inside the cup. As anyone who does dishes knows, if we work hard on cleaning the inside of the cup, the outside often looks better. But, it is actually easier to work on the outside. For example, running a couple miles is easier than doing the hard work of overcoming anger. (Though exercise may help 
) My point is, we too often ignore the work that will really be of most help in the long term. Since this coming Sunday is the last Sunday of 2018, I’d like to suggest we embrace some time-proven disciplines that will help us revolt against externalism and get to the matters that matter. Happy New Year!
- Details
The commercials this time of the year are more frustrating than normal. Some say, “It’s the season for giving,” which really means “It’s a season for buying.” If they were really into giving, they would let us walk through the store and take what we need. Some commercials are far less subtle, “It’s the season for getting,” which is to say, “Take advantage of the season and get something for yourself—you deserve it.” We all know what it is going on here right? Retail gurus will use any thing and any means to get us to want and purchase their stuff. They will even make “giving” look attractive and compelling…but when have you given enough? Did you buy your husband a new pickup truck? Did you buy your wife a new SUV? Did you go to Jared’s or Paul’s? Did you buy Chanel No. 5? Did you book a trip and put the tickets in the stockings hung by the mantle with care? And, once you have cared for your family, what about the homeless, the hungry, the cold and the refugees? What about the cats and dogs? What about the kids in Africa? May I be blunt? Thank you. You can never do enough! There will always be another gift, another need, another relative, another neighbor, another kid somewhere in the world less fortunate than you. Don’t get me wrong, I believe D.L. Moody was right when he said, “Do all the good you can, by all the means you can, in all the ways you can, in all the places you can, at all the times you can, to all the people you can, as long as ever you can.” But know this…even if you could or did do all that statement implies, it won’t be enough—if that is how you determine what life is about and how to live it. At some point you have to realize that there is only ONE who did enough. Jesus the Christ did enough. He did enough to provide standing and union with God. He took all our death and sin upon Himself and gave us all His life and righteousness. Just say, “Ahhhhhh!” Beloved, “In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace that he lavished on us with all wisdom and understanding.” Merry Christmas!