Sometimes little children can teach mega lessons. Such an occasion took place this past week. Doris recounted a phone conversation with our daughter that was suddenly interrupted by a lot of commotion in the background. My wife naturally asked what was going on and Charlotte reported that our little two-year-old Meg was pestering her brother. Our daughter interrupted the telephone conversation to address the situation with a “time out” discipline. “Meg,” Charlotte sternly admonished, “Go to the school room.” This room designated for home school during the week doubles as a good place to have a “time out.”
Doris heard a firm reply from the little lips of defiance, “I do not want to go to the school room.” My wife waited as she assumed this response would unleash a new level of discipline. However, Charlotte resumed her conversation with her mother. Doris probed, “Do you need to take care of something?” Charlotte responded, “No. Meg is on the way to the school room.” Evidently a defiant two-year-old quickly rethought her response and decided it would be best to obey her Mom.
After Doris and I got a good laugh over the episode, I thought, “This reminds me of the parable of the two sons in Matthew 21:28-32.” Two sons responded differently to the father’s command to work in the vineyard. One was defiant, and then obeyed. The other was verbally compliant, but never obeyed.
The mega lesson from Meg and parable was simply this; defiance must be repented of and replaced with obedience. I do not know how long it took for Meg or the first son in the parable to regret their decision. However, I do know that once the regret came, obedience was the result.
How often am I like Meg when it comes to my heavenly Father? I resist His will only to regret my sinful response. The problem is that I stop at the point of regret. I do not repent and obediently follow the Father’s will. I just feel bad. I assume that God will discipline me. I begin a pity party about my stupidity. Sometimes I shrug my shoulders and say, “O well!” What God wants is for me to not just feel differently about an act of defiance, but to act differently.
The question Jesus asked in the parable was, “Which of the two did the will of his father?” The crowd answered correctly the son whose defiance was changed into obedience. The second son, on the other hand, reminds us that saying the right words is not the same thing as doing the right things. Words are no substitute for obedient action.
Meg taught me a mega lesson. I need to not only be a hearer of the word but a doer also (James 1:22). That’s true even after I have displayed a spirit of defiance. I wonder what Meg’s next lesson will be?
Friday, April 23, 2010
Saturday, April 10, 2010
A Birthday Breakfast
Last Monday Doris and I took our granddaughter, Emma, out for her fifth birthday. We have started taking the older grandchildren out for breakfast for some "alone time" with Grandma and Grandpop. I am not sure if this is a special treat for the grandchildren or their grandparents!
There is a little country store about four miles from the farm where Emma lives with our son, Andy, and his wife, Kristine. Bright and early, well at least early, we got up for our special "date." It was typical upstate New York weather for a spring morning - temperatures somewhere in the upper 30's. Emma met us at the door all dressed up in her pink tank top and multicolored tights - clothes she picked out herself. Doris and I stood there dressed in a long sleeved shirt and sweatshirt wondering if our little Emma would freeze to death! We asked if she needed anything else. Assuring us she was fine, she grabbed her new purse and off we went.
In the restaurant the locals were beginning to arrive. Emma picked a booth for us and we slid across the cold vinyl. Our "birthday girl," who learned to read this fall, picked up the menu and began to sound out some of the words. She indeed was getting older! We sped up the process a bit and told her some of the highlights on the menu like scrambled eggs, chocolate chip pancakes, thick French toast with maple sugar, sugary cereal, donuts, chocolate milk, and a host of other goodies that only grandparents would give to a child. I announced, "You can pick anything you would want."
She replied, "I want toast and white milk." I repeated she could have whatever she wanted. Again she replied, "I want toast and white milk."
Concerned that this was not much of a birthday breakfast, "I said, isn't there something else?" I then again began rehearsing the menu items. Again she replied, "I want toast and white milk." I finally talked her into a banana too!
I thought later, is this something like how God feels when He has "blessed me with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ" (Ephesians 1:3), and I take advantage of so little of what He offers? Is He frustrated with how little I enjoy of what He provides? Does He wonder if I understand what he is making available to me? Is He concerned that there is something wrong with me because I do not take advantage of what He has so freely offered? Is He disappointed that I am not enjoying what He knows I would really like?
What I do know is this, Jesus wants me to "have life, and to have it to the full" (John 10:10). Lord, may I sit down at your table of life's blessings and not just nibble on the toast and drink the white milk. Let me dig into the riches of your grace that You make freely available to me.
There is a little country store about four miles from the farm where Emma lives with our son, Andy, and his wife, Kristine. Bright and early, well at least early, we got up for our special "date." It was typical upstate New York weather for a spring morning - temperatures somewhere in the upper 30's. Emma met us at the door all dressed up in her pink tank top and multicolored tights - clothes she picked out herself. Doris and I stood there dressed in a long sleeved shirt and sweatshirt wondering if our little Emma would freeze to death! We asked if she needed anything else. Assuring us she was fine, she grabbed her new purse and off we went.
In the restaurant the locals were beginning to arrive. Emma picked a booth for us and we slid across the cold vinyl. Our "birthday girl," who learned to read this fall, picked up the menu and began to sound out some of the words. She indeed was getting older! We sped up the process a bit and told her some of the highlights on the menu like scrambled eggs, chocolate chip pancakes, thick French toast with maple sugar, sugary cereal, donuts, chocolate milk, and a host of other goodies that only grandparents would give to a child. I announced, "You can pick anything you would want."
She replied, "I want toast and white milk." I repeated she could have whatever she wanted. Again she replied, "I want toast and white milk."
Concerned that this was not much of a birthday breakfast, "I said, isn't there something else?" I then again began rehearsing the menu items. Again she replied, "I want toast and white milk." I finally talked her into a banana too!
I thought later, is this something like how God feels when He has "blessed me with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ" (Ephesians 1:3), and I take advantage of so little of what He offers? Is He frustrated with how little I enjoy of what He provides? Does He wonder if I understand what he is making available to me? Is He concerned that there is something wrong with me because I do not take advantage of what He has so freely offered? Is He disappointed that I am not enjoying what He knows I would really like?
What I do know is this, Jesus wants me to "have life, and to have it to the full" (John 10:10). Lord, may I sit down at your table of life's blessings and not just nibble on the toast and drink the white milk. Let me dig into the riches of your grace that You make freely available to me.
Thursday, April 8, 2010
Easter Afterthought
The Easter celebration is passed and what remains for many is just some half eaten candy, wilting flowers, or the odd pastel decorations associated with the holiday. For a believer, however, there is the opportunity to continue to reflect on the significance of this Resurrection Celebration. Jesus is risen and active in this world. We are to be different too because of this. The Apostle Paul puts it this way:
4 Just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.
5 If we have been united with him like this in his death, we will certainly also be united with him in his resurrection.
6 For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin--
7 because anyone who has died has been freed from sin.
8 Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him.
9 For we know that since Christ was raised from the dead, he cannot die again; death no longer has mastery over him.
10 The death he died, he died to sin once for all; but the life he lives, he lives to God.
11 In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus.
12 Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its evil desires.
13 Do not offer the parts of your body to sin, as instruments of wickedness, but rather offer yourselves to God, as those who have been brought from death to life; and offer the parts of your body to him as instruments of righteousness.
(Rom 6:4-13 NIV)
I am to be "alive to God in Christ Jesus." What vital signs am I displaying that indicate that I am alive? Does my heart beat with excitement about the things that get Christ's heart pumping? Do my eyes see people like Christ does and move me toward a compassionate response? Do my hands reach out to touch the people Christ would touch? Do my feet carry me to places where the Good News needs to be shared? Do my my passions reflect Christ's so that I seek only to do the Father's will and not my own? When these things begin to happen it indicates I have signs of new life.
Lord, let me remember Easter every day as I recall that I too have been raised to live a new life to the glory of God.
4 Just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.
5 If we have been united with him like this in his death, we will certainly also be united with him in his resurrection.
6 For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin--
7 because anyone who has died has been freed from sin.
8 Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him.
9 For we know that since Christ was raised from the dead, he cannot die again; death no longer has mastery over him.
10 The death he died, he died to sin once for all; but the life he lives, he lives to God.
11 In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus.
12 Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its evil desires.
13 Do not offer the parts of your body to sin, as instruments of wickedness, but rather offer yourselves to God, as those who have been brought from death to life; and offer the parts of your body to him as instruments of righteousness.
(Rom 6:4-13 NIV)
I am to be "alive to God in Christ Jesus." What vital signs am I displaying that indicate that I am alive? Does my heart beat with excitement about the things that get Christ's heart pumping? Do my eyes see people like Christ does and move me toward a compassionate response? Do my hands reach out to touch the people Christ would touch? Do my feet carry me to places where the Good News needs to be shared? Do my my passions reflect Christ's so that I seek only to do the Father's will and not my own? When these things begin to happen it indicates I have signs of new life.
Lord, let me remember Easter every day as I recall that I too have been raised to live a new life to the glory of God.
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