How Healthy Am I? (part 3)

As we continue to take a hard look at where we are in our spiritual journey ... here is question #3 of the seven I promised.

3. Do I complain more than I give thanks?

Again and again the Bible we are admonished to GIVE THANKS! Consider: 

"Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name." 

(Psalm 100:4)

"Give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus." (1 Thessalonians 5:18)

These are just two examples of many!  Now why does the Bible over and over again remind us to do this?  Because God knows how prone we are to take things for ………… “granted” 

This attitude of entitlement permeates our society. As a result we sometimes (perhaps better said, "often?") get to feeling that we are entitled to God’s blessings! That He owes us!  OH MY FRIENDS – beware of this deadly attitude! All that we enjoy from God’s hand is as a result of HIS GRACE – giving to us what we in now way deserve!  

Be careful!!!  And if you are anything like me – you probably complain far more than you realize!!! We are like the grandmother on the beach who watches in horror as her little grandson is swept off the beach and out to sea by a huge wave … In desperation she pleads with God for his life … “Please – return him and take me instead … he has his whole life before him … he means everything to me  --- take anything you want from me … just save him!” Miraculously she watches as a second huge wave appears and suddenly drops her grandson at her feet unharmed. She takes one look at him …then looks toward heaven and says, “Where’s his hat?”

Nothing grows old as quickly as gratitude!  Take some time and listen to yourself talk --- my guess is that you will be surprised by how much you catch yourself complaining!  

So as we wrap up this week and head into the weekend .... ask yourself this question, "Do I complain more than I give thanks?"

Thanks for stopping by . . . 

pj

How Healthy Am I? (part 2)

Today as we continue to evaluate where we are in our spiritual journey ... another question to ask yourself:

2. Do I suffer from myopia (near-sightedness), living only for the present with no regard for eternity?

We live in a culture that is very NOW oriented!  Whenever we want something, we want it NOW!  Delayed gratification is something of the past! And because of this – people get buried in personal indebtedness! 

However, we who have chosen to follow Jesus Christ must look beyond today … to a bigger and better TOMORROW that is called eternity! The Bible is full of reminders of just how brief our earthly life is – here are two powerful images:

Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes (James 4:14).

You sweep men away in the sleep of death; they are like the new grass of the morning—though in the morning it springs up new, by evening it is dry and withered (Psalm 90:5-6).

So our lives are like a puff of steam …or a blade of grass – here for a few moments and then gone!  Yet we seem blind to this reality as we go about our days while giving no thought to our eternal existence which will be ours forever! God understands our shortcomings in this area and so he has placed reminders for us throughout the New Testament (Matthew 6:19-20; Colossians 3:2). 

Imagine yourself taking a vacation during which you were to spend a night at a Holiday Inn. You arrive mid evening … and after checking in … you notice that the wall paper in the room is starting to peal … so you head out to the local Walmart – to purchase all you need to replace the wall paper. You then head back to the room and spend half the night removing the old wall paper and putting up the new. Absurd? Yes! It would not even cross your mind to do this. Why? Because that Holiday Inn is not your home! 

How silly we must look to God investing so much into this life, when we are merely passing through… on our way to our true home in eternity!

So ask yourself … Do I suffer from myopia (near-sightedness), living only for the present with no regard for eternity?

Thanks for stopping by . . . 

pj

Am I Healthy?

Last week I did something that I do every spring: visit my doctor for my annual physical exam. I am glad to say that everything checked out ... at least for another year!

But just as we need to take stock of our physical health, we should also from time to time evaluate how we are doing spiritually. In 1 Timothy 4:16, Paul told Timothy to watch his "life and doctrine closely." The Apostle Paul understood the need to keep a close eye on one's spiritual walk with God, as did the Greek philosopher Socrates, who once stated that "the unexamined life is not worth living." So to help you do a self examine on how you are progressing in your spiritual walk, I am going to offer you a series of questions across the course of the next week or so. I will limit myself to one question each post as to not overwhelm you AND to encourage you to give some time to each one of these questions. Today, question #1.

1. Am I more concerned about attaining happiness or holiness?

I believe given the context of our American culture and its emphasis on seeking self pleasure and self fulfillment, that this is a question we must all ask ourselves! We are surrounded by people on a quest – and that is to be happy!  People want to be happy in life!  And what is wrong with that?  After all … it is an American right to be happy! In the preamble of the Declaration of Independence are these words …

“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.”

So as Americans, it is our right to pursue happiness! Right? 

Let me answer that with these questions: Does the Bible ever command us to pursue happiness? Does it ever tell us that the purpose of our salvation is for our happiness? The answer: No and No!

You see, friends, happiness is a warm and good feeling that is based on external happenings. So good things happen to me – I am happy!  Bad things happen to me and I am not! That is happiness. But God wants something far more enduring for us … and it is the purpose of our salvation … and that is that we be HOLY! Consider Ephesians 1:4 which states, "For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be . . . HAPPY?"  No … rather to be ... "HOLY and blameless in his sight." Consider also Ephesians 5:25-25 which reads, "Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her to make her happy?" – No … rather to make her "HOLY." 

God wants us to pursue holiness NOT happiness.  And to be holy simply means to be more like Jesus Christ!  The more we become like Him – the more JOY we will have in our lives!  And joy is far better than happiness – because it is not determined by our external circumstances!  This is why so many martyrs who died horrible deaths for their faith in Christ, could do so with a song on their lips – because they had joy in their hearts! 

SO take some time and take a long hard (and HONEST) look at your life – what is it that you are after? Happiness or holiness? 

Thanks for stopping by . . . 

pj

Slowing Down in the Fast Lane of Life!

This is my first blog posting in almost a week.  For those of you who may have been looking for one sooner, I apologize.  I really meant to write one sooner, but . . . the press of other “things” kept me busy elsewhere. 

You all know what this is like – wishing for a few extra hours in your day or even a few extra days in your week.  Sometimes it just seems like there’s WAY too much to do and WAY too little time in which to get it all done!  Oh the tyranny of the urgent!

This reminds me of a story I once heard.  Long ago when Africa was still relatively unknown to the outside world, a European explorer was taking a group into the African interior.  He had hired a native guide along with a number of other natives to help carry the supplies.  After a mid morning break on the third day of a fast-paced march, the Africans refused to resume their trek.  When the European explorer asked the guide the reason for their refusal, the guide told him, “They just need a little more time to allow their souls to catch up to their bodies.”   Hmm.  I think all of us could learn a lesson from these guys.  Just as Jesus would get away to be alone with his Father (Mark 1:35; Luke 5:16) – we too need to be sure to do the same.  As fast-paced as 21^st century American life can be at times – we all need to take time to allow our souls to catch up to our bodies. 

In His grasp,  

pj 

Never To Be Forgotten!

On my post of the other day I mentioned that my wife and I visited the Fredericksburg battlefield during our vacation of last week. As part of our tour, we took a walk through the Fredericksburg National Cemetery which is adjacent to the battlefield. Approximately 15,000 Union dead are buried there, with only about 20% of them being identified at the time of their burial. As a result, most of the grave markers are nameless. All they carry is what you see in the adjacent photo ... a larger number (which is the plot number) above a smaller number (which indicates the number of soldiers buried in that plot). Many of the graves contain more than one set of remains.

After seeing row after row of these types of markers, we came across a grave marker that caught our attention. It was not so much because this particular marker had a name. Rather what caused us to pause was what we saw on the ground in front of the marker. As you can see in the photo below, there in front of this marker was a flower and a laminated printout containing a brief bio of the soldier buried there.              

 Someone ... perhaps a descendant of S. Dykes did not what this soldier to be forgotten. Private Dykes was wounded in the leg at the battle of Spotsylvania Court House, serving as a member of the 1st Massachusetts Heavy Artillery. He was brought to Fredericksburg where he later died of his wounds. Talk about a contrast! Four men buried in plot #1034 unknown and forgotten. Another buried in plot #1068 still remembered!

It is a terrible thing to think that one day ... long after we are gone from this earth ... that we too, may be forgotten by those who follow. Even if this were to happen, for those of us who choose to follow Christ, we can be assured that HE will never forget us! After all, he has engraved us on the palms of his hands (Isaiah 49:16). Wow! Never to be forgotten! That's a thought that can encourage the most discouraged heart!

Thanks for stopping by . . .
pj

Back to Work ... Oh Yes!

Last week my wife and I spent a wonderful week together. We traveled many miles south (as far as Williamsburg, Va) and many years past (in addition to "traveling" back to Colonial days at Williamsburg, we also visited the years of 1861 and 1862 at the Manassas and Fredericksburg battlefields). I heard some of you yawning as you read that, but Sharon and I love history as there are always interesting things to discover. For example, I learned that during the revolutionary war, it was considered dishonorable to shoot at the opposing army's fife and drum corps. These men and boys were used to issue commands to the army. To protect them, they would wear the colors of the opposing army. Therefore, colonial drummers and fifers wore red coats, while their British counterparts wore blue coats. All I can say about this is ... WOW! Have things changed since then. Now armies go after their enemies' communication centers - no matter what!

As I thought of that, I found it somewhat refreshing that soldiers would refrain from doing something that would aid their cause because it was dishonorable. The whole concept of doing the honorable (and avoiding the dishonorable) is not a virtue that is pursued in our society as a whole. But before we point our finger and wag our heads at our world, we need to be sure that we as Christ-followers are known for showing others honor. After all , it is God's will for us to do so (Romans 12:10). SO ... who have you honored today?

Thanks for stopping by . . .
pj

Unplugged and Enjoying It!

This week I will be unplugging from by blog (and a number of other things) while I enjoy some vacation time with my wife. I trust you will have a great week. I leave you with this quote for you to chew on . . .

“What comes into our minds when we think about God is the most important thing about us.” 

(A. W. Tozer, The Knowledge of the Holy)

Until next week!

Thanks for stopping by . . .
pj