Life in a State of Change

I lived in a suburb of Philadelphia in the 1950s. In those early years of elementary school, the neighborhood boys spent most of their days playing cowboys and indians. We knew nothing about political correctness so we used the term “indian,” pointed toy guns and rifles at one another saying, “Bang!” and wore masks to depict ourselves as outlaws. Our parents were not abusive because they allowed us to run around outside unsupervised from mid-morning until supper time. They were following the cultural norm of that day. Frankly, they were just glad to see us getting fresh air, playing with other kids, and most importantly, getting out from under their feet. Generally we carried an old Army canteen filled with water in a WW II army surplus backpack. The canvas pack contained among other treasures a peanut butter and jelly sandwich to be eaten sometime in the afternoon around an imaginary campfire. Frequently we traded portions of our lunch with someone else who seemed to have something more appealing – maybe a ham and cheese sandwich or a chocolate brownie. The question of food allergies was never raised in the trades, just the fairness of the trade. Oddly enough, we went through those days reasonably healthy, and mostly emotionally well-adjusted – although those who know me may question that last description!

     Later elementary years were spent in pick-up sports that matched the seasons. The guys in the neighborhood would rush home from school and change into clothes that our mothers had defined as “old clothes.” We then sat on our front porch, clutching the appropriate seasonal sporting gear even if it was just a taped-up baseball bat, unraveling baseball, underinflated football, or a scuffed-smooth basketball. Guys would walk by and yell, “You wanna’ play?” Magically a team of players materialized as we headed to a vacant lot, a less traveled street, a distant school playground, or a neighbor’s driveway that had a backboard and hoop attached to a garage. No adult supervision was there to explain the rules, officiate the game, settle disputes, or make sure we were being fair. We stood in a line, two guys picked team members, and everyone played. Character building took place when you were the last guy picked!  I never saw a face mask in a baseball game, a helmet in a football game, or a team shirt in a basketball game. The games were not measured in innings or time. They ended when we were called to supper. In later years organized league programs became dominant in our neighborhood and it seemed that fewer guys played together informally. Was it because we got older or were there other factors? Certainly things changed.
     Nostalgia has a selective memory. We recall pleasantries we chose and conveniently forget what was less enjoyable. Looking back often simply catalogs change and does not explain the causes nor interpret their impact. Sometime the reason for the change is so obscure we are hesitant to single out one factor as the agent of change realizing it may only be a minute ingredient in the entire process. I suppose one could say, “Change is often easier to see than it is to define or manage.” Perhaps that is why so many are either annoyed or threatened by change. Change confronts the status quo, and offers unfamiliar alternatives which some individuals evaluate as good and others perceive as harmful. The common denominator is that something is different and we react to the alteration.
     In today’s world we are facing a rate of change that is unsettling for many individuals. We feel we are in a state of chaos as we adjust to one change only to discover what we have just processed has already changed. According to Dr. David Schilling, until 1900 human knowledge doubled approximately every century. By the end of World War II knowledge doubled every 25 years. It is surmised that now human knowledge is doubling every 13 months. Should our aim be to keep pace with the knowledge explosion or develop wisdom that enables us to process knowledge as it expands? It seems to me that developing wisdom is the best way to process rapid change. Where does that wisdom begin? The Bible suggests that, “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom” (Proverbs 1:7). By way of analogy perhaps we could say that God needs to be both our software and the processor of all the knowledge that streams our way. When we refuse to allow Him to fulfill that role in our lives we may simply be smart people who make dumb decisions.
     King Solomon, who was described as the wisest of all of his peers, was a discerning observer of life. He knew he would face changes as he ruled a kingdom. He was wise enough to seek divine wisdom to help him process all this change (1 Kings 3:5-9; 4:29-31). Unfortunately, toward the end of his life, he ignored the wisdom of God and chose instead to live his life by his changing passions (1 Kings 11:4-6). Many have concluded he wrote Ecclesiastes at the end of his life when his wisdom and knowledge had become vanity (1:16-18).  He ends the book by challenging youth to learn from his mistakes and, “Remember their Creator in the days of their youth,” and to “Fear God and keep his commandments” (12:1, 13). These admonitions are the key to making adjustments as we process the changes of life. In all of life’s changes we should rely upon the One who says, "For I am the LORD, I do not change (Malachi 3:6 ).
     Our childhood experiences are not the only things that change! Life is a series of changes interrupted with an occasional crisis! That is what it is like to live life in a state of change.                

We Don't Know What a Day Brings Forth

I recently returned from speaking at a teen camp at Little Mahoning Bible Conference near Punxsutawney, PA. Last Tuesday had been a typical summer camp day marked by thick humidity, hot temperatures, and a low cloud cover that seemed to compress the sticky mess into an oppressive shroud. The slightest effort seemed to generate beads of perspiration that could only be assuaged by a cannonball into a cold camp pool. Unfortunately, several times that day the pool was quickly closed as thunderstorms rolled through the area and forced children to seek shelter in surrounding buildings. Even comfort derived from a brisk pool was short lived for safety’s sake.
            In the evening I was speaking on a Bible passage in James 4:13-15 where James writes “Come now, you who say, ‘Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, and spend a year there and engage in business and make a profit.’ Yet you do not know what your life will be like tomorrow. You are just a vapor that appears for a little while and then vanishes away. Instead, you ought to say, ‘If the Lord wills, we will live and also do this or that.’” I stressed that since time is not certain it is wiser to allow God to set our agenda. The study generated some good discussion about life’s uncertainty and brevity. I got the impression that the truth I shared appeared rather abstract to a group of teens focused upon fun and most likely inoculated with a sense of immortality.
            Meanwhile on that same day at another camp about 200 miles to the southeast in Carroll County, MD, the truth became a somber reality. At the same time I was speaking about the brevity and uncertainty of life, a fast-moving storm with heavy winds toppled about 20 trees at River Valley Ranch. This resulted in the injury of eight campers, two seriously, and the death of one 12-year-old boy tragically struck by debris from one of the trees. The children had been meeting in an open-air pavilion for Bible study and a song time when the sky suddenly turned dark. As the children were being rushed along a wooded path to a safe shelter about 150 yards away, the storm descended rapidly, violently, and tragically. In a matter of seconds, life’s plans were altered, innocence of childhood was shattered, and the reality of what life was really like confronted 114 teens at that camp. They saw the brevity and frailty of life, not theoretically, but as a horrific reality. 
            Life is often like this. We have the tendency to put life on autopilot until suddenly and unexpectedly, something barges into our life to shake our status quo. In these unsettling times we are forced to look at life through different lenses, process realities from alternative perspectives, and admit securities we had previously assumed were naïve at best and delusional as worst. At these pivotal points in time, we can either learn a timely lesson or continue to embrace figments of our imagination which assumes life continues on as it always has.
            Those who continue to embrace life as unchanging, embrace the philosophy of uniformitarianism. This view of life promotes a teaching that the universe is governed by rigid unalterable and unexceptional constraints. In fact Peter addresses this mindset in 2 Peter 3:4 writing that some people say, “All things continue as they were from the beginning of creation.” He challenges this thinking by saying, “They willfully forget” (verse 5). Then he points to historical events that radically shredded the status quo in the past and were presently being purposefully ignored. Why do people refuse to acknowledge the obvious? Usually it is because the obvious is too unsettling to things as we would like them to be. When events take place like those at the camp in Maryland, the luxury of denial is vanishes. The life of a twelve year old boy and his family has been altered. The inconvenient truth, “We do not know what a day brings forth,” has been validated.
            However, there are other realities that can enter our uncertain world. The truth that, “God heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds” (Psalm 147:3) also alters life – even in lives whose status quo has been shattered. The pain of living in a fallen world does not have to be seen as unalterable. God can and does make a difference even in the bleakest and most inexplicable times. He can enter what we see as pervasive gloom with His love and peace planting hope in the ashes of a person’s despair. We need to see the other side of life’s uncertainties – hope. Paul says to people who had experienced the death of their loved ones, “We do not sorrow as other that have no hope” (1 Thessalonians 4:13). Even to that which seems most unalterable, death, God’s Word interjects the solace of hope anchored in the resurrection firmly attached to Christ’s. 
            While it is true that “we do not know what a day brings forth,” we do not have to live in a state of paranoiac paralysis. We face this reality with the other truths the Bible provides that plants hope in the soil of uncertainty. This propels us to live confidently to God’s glory. It is reported that Evangelist John Wesley was asked what he would do if he knew he would die tomorrow. He replied, “Why just as I intend to spend it now. I would preach this evening at Gloucester, and again at five tomorrow morning; after that I would ride to Tewkesbury, preach in the afternoon, and meet the societies in the evening. I would then go to Rev. Martin’s house, who expects to entertain me, talk and pray with the family as usual, retire to my room at 10 o’clock, commend myself to my heavenly Father, lie down to rest, and wake up in Glory.” Even uncertainty can be faced confidently and productively when it is connected to hope.   

Ignoring God's Advice

How well do you listen to the advice you have sought? I was considering this the other day as I issued my periodic, seasonal complaint about my weight. This grumbling always seems to arise about this time when the beach, pool, lake, water park, and lawn sprinkler season appears on the horizon. On a late spring morning an epiphany emerged as I stood in front of a mirror. I have put on a “little” winter weight. Either that or someone has sneaked into my bathroom and installed one of those “fun-house mirrors” that is distorting my “manly” physique. I groan, “I have done-lap-disease again! My midsection done lap over my belt.”

            I try to rationalize what I see. There is a perfectly reasonable explanation for the expansion of the belt buckle. Humans unlike bears do not hibernate all winter; they eat all winter. Meanwhile they hunker down in their houses only emerging occasionally to fill their pantry larder. Such a combination is good for a seven to ten pound weight gain which is often exacerbated by a slower metabolism as we age. As spring comes and the layers of clothing begin to diminish like the melting snows of winter, our extra pounds are exposed. The bulky sweaters and clothing that have aided us in camouflaging winter’s weight gain can no longer endure daily temperature increases. Spring comes and I stand exposed before an unforgiving mirror – a reincarnation of the Pillsbury Dough Boy.

            So I do what every over-weight American does; I go to the internet to see if there is a new miracle process to melt away the winter weight gain so that we can again see our toes. I discover that even after a whole year there is still no miracle solution. Same old advice they gave me last year. These uncreative purveyors of weight loss are still advising winter-weight-gainers to eat healthy and exercise more. Such advice translates to me, “Eat the tasteless green stuff and engage in gladiator training.” Another trip past the mirror motivates me consider the advice and to visit the produce aisle of the local grocery – surprisingly just on the other side of the bakery department – and to also begin hunting for my exercise gear.

            Once advice is given what do we do with it? Perhaps we treat it the way I have been dealing with winter-weight gain over the years. We hear the advice. We understand it. We may even reason it would be good to respond to the advice we were given. However, more often than not we ignore it. We assume that by ignoring the advice that somehow it will be altered to align itself with our assumptions or aspirations. I am still looking for the shed-winter-weight-by-eating-donuts-diet. You would think someone would have discovered that one by now! Maybe next spring!

            Good advice is often ignored and negative consequences endured. This is demonstrated in many contexts of life. Consider the account of King Jehoshaphat of Judah. He was pleasing the Lord and he was being blessed (2 Chronicles 17:4-6). However, there came a time when he made a foolish decision. He chose to align himself with an evil king named Ahab. That king invited him to join him in a military campaign, which Jehoshaphat wasn’t too sure about. He sought advice from God by appealing to a prophet of Jehovah, Micaiah (18:13). The prophet clearly advises both kings that the military campaign will be a disaster. What does Jehoshaphat do with the advice? He summarily dismissed it. He assumed that the majority opinion of Ahab’s advisers, even though not prophets of Jehovah, was better advice. He ignored the advice God gave and the consequences were devastating. Not only was there a great military defeat as God had indicated, but Jehoshaphat faced the wrath of the Lord rather than His blessing (19:2).

            Too often God gives us His advice and we are just like Jehoshaphat – we ignore Him. In the wisdom and mercy of God He has given us a whole book of advice called the Bible. It is profitable not only for doctrine, but also for rebuking, correcting, and training in righteousness so we can live a life pleasing to God and therefore pleasing to us (2 Timothy 3:16-17). Yet it seems we are more willing to listen to the advice derived from cultural influences like polls, majority opinions, influential personalities, or social media. Doesn’t it seem more reasonable to listen to the Creator than to heed the hallow wisdom from various elements of His creation? Elevating the advice of false advisers does not make their advice true. All it does is place us in a disastrous position of ignoring that which is true and constructive for that which is distorted and destructive.

            Advice is only valuable when it is both heard and heeded. It is only profitable when it is coming from a reliable source that knows the solution to our dilemma and truthfully reveals it. Don’t come to me to learn about losing winter-weight! 

Pinnacles of Success and Precipices of Decision

The news media appears attracted to people who have been notable successes and then at a crucial moment seem to collapse into apparent failure. Recently the news outlets reported on an individual who faced such a situation. Brendan Eich was on the top of the “success heap” in the world of technology. Eich had been the co-founder of the company that created the web browser called Firefox used by multiple millions around the world. He seemed to be at the pinnacle of success when he was promoted to CEO of the tech giant Mozilla in March 24, 2014. There on that pinnacle he faced a crisis. Would he be a man of character marked by conviction, decisiveness, and fortitude while facing the onslaught of cultural criticism? Or would he capitulate under the withering attacks? On April 3, 2014, it became obvious what kind of man he was when he resigned his position rather than abandon his convictions. At this precipice of decision, cultural critics declared him a failure. However, overwhelmingly the feedback on Mozilla’s Foxfire Input revealed that others viewed him as a leader of character, a conclusion advanced even by some of those who opposed his personal cultural convictions.

            Whether or not we are leaders, all of us face times when we will be placed in positions when our character will be revealed. It is then we must realize that our character is not as clearly seen on the pinnacle of success as it is on the precipice of decision. Our life and character is reflected in the choices we make.

            Recently I was reflecting on the life of King Solomon as recorded in 1 Kings 10-11. The Scripture reports that this period of the king’s life was a character revealing opportunity. Solomon without a doubt was at the zenith of success. The Queen of Sheba visited to verify the reputation of Solomon that she had heard about while in her empire 1,200 miles away. After exploring his wisdom, words, wealth, and the architectural works, she concluded and announced, “It was a true report which I heard in my own land about your words and your wisdom. However I did not believe the words until I came and saw with my own eyes; and indeed the half was not told me. Your wisdom and prosperity exceed the fame of which I heard” (10:6-7). Her assessment was he was at the top of the “success heap.”

            Perhaps one of the most dangerous places to be in life is at the pinnacle of success, because often linked to that occasion is the precipice of decision. In chapter 11 just such a precipice for Solomon is revealed. The issue was this, “Will he be a man of steadfast conviction and fortitude in following the clear directives God had given him?” On two separate occasions the Lord had appeared to him and commanded him to be loyal to Jehovah warning him to not follow after the false gods of the pagan culture around the children of Israel (11:10-11; Cp. 3:5; 9:2). The decision he had to make was clear. Either he follows God’s clear directives and desires, or abandons this revelation and follows his own wisdom and passions. Faced with this decision, he chose to forsake his commitments and convictions to the Lord his God and adopt the religious practices of the many foreign women he loved (11:1). The nation and Solomon had been warned by the true God that they should not intermarry with the nations around them because, “Surely they will turn away your hearts after their gods” (11:2). He ignored the warning and as a result his many “wives turned his heart after other gods; and his heart was not loyal to the Lord his God” (11:4). The result for him and his kingdom was discipline, disaster, and defeat (11:11-13). Poor choices at the precipice of decision can be costly.

            Rather than looking harshly at a foolish “wise” King Solomon, a better exercise would be to engage in some personal reflection. Are we ignoring what God has revealed in exchange for our own personal passions and preferences? The activity can be rather subtle. All we have to do is allow something around us to influence us more than what God has revealed to us. In the New Testament, the Apostle Paul gives a strong challenge to a church surrounded by a pagan and hostile culture. He demands, “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God” (Romans 12:2). He is challenging this church to be prepared when the precipice of decision comes along and to align themselves with what God wants more than with what the culture around them espouses and demands. One paraphrase states the verse this way, “Do not let the world squeeze you into its own mold, but let God re-mold your minds from within, so that you may prove in practice that the plan of God for you is good, meets all his demands and moves towards the goal of true maturity” (J. B. Phillips). This re-molding takes place as a person spends time reading, processing, and obeying the Bible which reveals God’s plan and purpose for our lives. At the precipice of decision we must make sure that our choices are being influenced by the right source.

            Earlier in his life Solomon wrote these words to his son, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths. Be not wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord, and turn away from evil. It will be healing to your flesh and refreshment to your bones” (Proverbs 3:5-6). How sad Solomon ignored those words later in his life. The advice could have made a great difference in his decision making!

Responding to Poverty

Responding to poverty in the world is often the great omission of believers in Jesus Christ. We placate the nagging feeling that we ought to personally respond to poverty by rationalizing, "The need is too overwhelming. What could we do to make a difference?" Sometimes we respond by spiritualizing, giving some type of super-spiritual response partially quoting Jesus' words to his disciples, "You always have the poor with you." Somehow the distorted notion is that we should leave the poor alone because they should always be around and be poor. However, Jesus said in the same verse after he was anointed with costly oil (Mark 14:7), "Whenever you wish you can do good to them [the poor]; but you do not always have Me [to do good to]." Jesus was addressing a current situation not endorsing a perpetual state of poverty for the poor.

     How we respond to poverty somewhat reflects how we view God. Recently I read insightful words by Chris Tiegreen in his book,One Year Walk with God Devotional. Here is a summary of what he wrote in reference to Proverbs 14:31, “He who oppresses the poor shows contempt for their Maker, but whoever is kind to the needy honors God.”

     

     “For most of us, caring for the poor is an afterthought. We’re not unconcerned; we’re just not very intentional about our efforts. For God, caring for the poor is essential. It is an emphatic theme in His Word. It is expressed in His wisdom, it is measured by the prophets, it is characteristic of Jesus, and it is a substantial ministry of the New Testament church. From cover to cover, the Bible tells us of God’s concern for the poor.

     “Modern Christianity maintains ministries for the poor, but often they are peripheral ministries… God is a hands-on God, and we are to be hands-on people.

     “Our attitude toward other people is symptomatic of our attitude toward God. Or to put it another way, our love of God will determine how we treat other people – even the very least of them. If we can easily let His creation suffer, we probably don’t think much of God.” 

     

     Since the poor may always be with us, we should be ready to intentionally respond to that reality. I am encouraged when I see ministries like HOPE International www.hopeinternational.org. providing believers opportunities to this. They address not only the physical poverty of individuals but also their spiritual poverty. While it is important to address people's physical needs, to ignore their eternal, spiritual needs is a travesty. Jesus knew that and addressed both the physical and spiritual needs of individuals.  

Seeing Disasters and Uncertainties in Context

Disasters capture our national attention. News outlets document disaster accounts in graphic detail and people seem to soak up the despair and hopelessness that they portray. Recently people focused upon the March 8, 2014, disappearance of Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 with 239 people aboard. A short time later, March 22, 2014, the nation’s attention was transported from the vastness of the Indian Ocean to the state of Washington where a massive landslide tore through a community, to date killing 17 and leaving 90 missing. I suppose disasters, whether they are labeled natural or man-made, cause us to see life as it really is – dangerous, uncertain, and most unsettlingly, beyond our control. When we hear of these accounts our minds naturally register a question, “Exactly how safe are we and can we even expect to be?” Most people do not live life anticipating disaster. Passengers did not board Flight 370 with the expectation that their destination was uncertain and their human existence would shortly end. No resident of the devastated community 60 miles north of Seattle anticipated that a mountain landslide would crush their world taking their possessions and even their lives. The example of just these two disasters allows the uncertainties of life to impact our collective thinking – especially when we realize multitudes of other catastrophes occurred that did not make the news.

     How does one respond to the uncertainties of life that we are forced to confront on a daily basis? One response may be fear. According to the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), 40 million American adults over 18 years of age deal with anxiety disorders, filling them with fear and uncertainty. One web site suggests there are over 530 name phobias. Beyond this the NIMH states there are 6.8 million people with a “generalized anxiety disorder” marked by unprovoked exaggerated worry that fills their waking hours in fear. I suppose one could say, living in a fearful world for some is fear inducing.

     Another response to living in an uncertain world is emotional dismissal. Some embrace a fatalistic attitude and take as their motto, “Eat drink and be merry for tomorrow we die.” Rather than being a modern thought, this was written many centuries ago by the writer of Ecclesiastes 8:15. A person with this personal mission statement has concluded life is too uncertain to worry about, so just live life that you have now until there is no more life to live. Having spoken to many people that have embraced such a philosophy, I have concluded that their’s is but an attempt to suppress uncertainty with activities that mask a gnawing reality they cannot dismiss.

     For others their response is to turn to an almighty, all-knowing, and all-wise God to make sense out of the uncertainties of life. God’s Word agrees that life is uncertain. James puts it this way, “You do not know what will happen tomorrow” (James 4:14). The Bible adds that God knows our natural tendency is to worry about the uncertainties of life. Jesus challenges that tendency and says, “Do not worry about your life” (Matthew 6:25). Then he addresses how God works in His world and how we need to live by faith in a God who knows our ultimate needs and can provide for them. Jesus adds “life is more important” than what we obsess about and is most often shrouded in uncertainty. He concludes his discourse saying, “Therefore, do not worry about tomorrow” (6:34). Jesus wants us to see past the uncertainties of the present life, live life by faith, and focus upon an ultimate destiny that does not have to be uncertain. Jesus asks a probing question, “What does it profit a man if he gains the whole world, yet forfeits his soul?” He adds, “For the Son of man is going to come in his Father’s glory with his angels, and he will reward each person according to what he has done” (Matthew 16:26, 27). Perhaps we should ask, “If we could remove all the uncertainties of this present life, and yet not prepare for eternity, are we still living in uncertainty?”     

     When confronted by the reality that life is uncertain and disastrous at times, we should respond appropriately. Not in paralyzing fears. Not in delusional indifference. Rather, our focus must be upon the eternal realities of life. Faith tempers life’s uncertainties when it is attached to a relationship with a God who loves us enough to give us His Son. He makes it possible to remove the uncertainty of eternity from our lives. When our eternity is certain, our present uncertainties are viewed in a different way. The Apostle Paul lived a life of disaster and uncertainty being imprisoned, beaten, exposed to death, shipwrecked, dangerous situations, sleepless nights, hunger, thirst, cold, and nakedness (2 Corinthians 11:23-29). Yet he views the uncertainties of life differently. He writes, “I consider our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us” (Romans 8:18).

     Difficulty and uncertainty do not need to paralyze us. We need to view them in a proper way. History records an amazing response to uncertainties by the Moravians, who are often credited as the igniters of the protestant mission movement in the 1700’s. They moved into uncertain areas and anticipated difficulty and disaster. Historians record that hundreds of them, when leaving their homes, packed their meager belongings in coffins rather than trunks because they never expected to return home alive. Fear did not paralyze them. They did not dismiss the realities they faced. They were propelled by faith in God and what he could and would ultimately do for them. Likewise, don’t allow disaster and uncertainties to undo you. Face them by faith.