A Journey of Faith

While in my home we were not permitted to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day because of our religious heritage, this day always stirs up memories for me. I recall my parents were both Irish immigrants from the “old country.” Dad came over on a boat and my mother in womb of my “Nana.” The immigration perspective was different for Mom and Dad. Mom knew no other world than the United States. My Dad on the other hand had made an intentional decision to leave Northern Ireland and to make a new life in a new land. He left all he knew and most of what he had. Marty, as Dad was called, arrived in the port of Philadelphia with all his earthly possessions in a small steamer trunk. Walking past that much-worn trunk residing in the corner of our spare room, I occasionally reflect on how much faith it took for a young twenty-something to leave the familiar for the unknown. He had no assurances, few acquaintances, little appreciation by others of his immigrant status, and probably apprehension about this journey on which he was embarking. Yet he forged a new life by finding a job, establishing a family, buying a home, enlisting in the Army, fighting for his adopted nation in World War II, returning home to pick up where left off, finishing a career, and finally being buried beside my Mother. Never did I hear him say, “I wish I had stayed in Ireland.” When he came to his new world and new life in the United States he made this his home.

            Leaving the known for the unknown is not an easy journey. The Bible records the lives of many who did so. Abraham was called by God to leave Ur of the Chaldeans (Genesis 12) for a nomadic life and “By faith… went out, not knowing where he was going” (Hebrews 11:8). Joseph was hated and sold into slavery in Egypt (Genesis 37-50) and there was used of God to rescue God’s chosen people. Moses left Egypt so he could return to Egypt to deliver a nation from bondage and lead them to a promised land (Hebrews 11:24-29). Daniel was forced to leave Jerusalem for Babylonian captivity and there made it his home becoming a leader under several rulers. The most amazing of all journeys was that of Jesus, who left heaven and came to planet earth to live among His creation and to die for sinful people (Philippians 2:5-8). His journey had the greatest impact that went beyond a family or nation. His journey impacted all humanity.

            However, on occasion people feared the journey before them. One such event is recorded in Deuteronomy 1. The children of Israel had been wandering in the wilderness for 40 years because of their rebellion. Just before they are to enter the promised land, Moses takes this opportunity to rehearse the historical record of how the generation before them refused (1:26) God’s command to enter the promised land (1:8). The refusal was clearly associated with focusing upon the giants before them and the hardship that the journey may involve (1:28).  Moses reminded this new generation of this historic rebellion and he recalled that he had told the previous generation to journey by faith into the land they were given recalling all that God had done for them (1:30-33). God had miraculously delivered them from Egypt. He had wonderfully provided for them in the wilderness. He had led them clearly in the way they should go. The key deterrent to the obedience of that generation was, “Yet, for all that, you did not believe the Lord your God” (1:32). People often forget the reality of God’s past faithfulness when faced with new challenges. This leads to a failure of faith often hindering one from following God’s direction for life.

            Often people look at God the way people are told to look at investments in stocks and bonds, “Past performance is no guarantee of future results.” We need to view God differently. His fulfilled promises must be remembered. His power must be considered. His provisions must not be evaluated as amazing coincidences. His person must be observed as loving and faithful. Our picture of God must be like that of David in Psalm 23. He saw God as the great shepherd who provides, leads, protects, corrects, and loves His sheep. When we lose sight of God’s character it is difficult to journey by faith and follow the demands and directions He gives. Perhaps that is why David challenges God’s people to “Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits” (Psalm 103:2).

            Has God called us to some sort of journey of faith? How are we responding? Perhaps all we can see are the “giants” and the “fortified cities” that lay before us – just like the children of Israel did. Maybe we need to change our focus and see the one who has called us into this faith journey. Remember, what he said to his children he wanted to go into the promised land, “Do not be terrified, or afraid of them. The Lord your God, who goes before you, he will fight for you” (1:29-30).

Keeping the Sweet in Sweetheart

     Tis the season to declare our undying love with numerous tangible expressions, which according to IBS World costs sweethearts a total of approximately $21.6 billion. That number breaks down to $135.10 per person – I hope my wife does not read this article and discover how cheap I am! This causes dentists to smile as they realize how much damage $2.9 billion worth of candy can do on the “pearly whites.” The florists begin rubbing their hands together as they consider what portion of the $1.8 billion spent on flowers will be theirs. The jewelers almost salivate as they consider the $1.7 billion that will be spent on jewelry to adorn one’s special Valentine. The card store owners hum with joy as they supply $882 million worth of romantic sentiments to express one’s unique love.  The failsafe gift of course is the $1.5 billion spent on gift cards. “Because,” as one person put it, “Nothing says ‘I love you’ like, ‘I have no clue what to get you.’” Frankly, Valentine’s Day is a financial bonanza for the USA economy. Merchandizers are praying the practice of 29% of people, who will type a romantic text messages, does not grow and morph into the sole expression of one’s endearing love.   

     At Valentine’s Day, how do we keep the “sweet” in Sweetheart? I suppose a card, candy, flowers or a romantic dinner are helpful. Let me suggest there may be an even more effective way of enhancing the “sweetness” in the relationship with our beloved. Let me make an acrostic from the word “sweet” to offer some suggestions. Let “S” represent “sacrificial commitment.” The one we love needs to be assured that the one who loves them is willing to be fully invested in them and their relationship. Jesus displayed this for His church. The Apostle John notes Jesus’ “sacrificial commitment” as he writes 1 Jn. 3:16, “By this we know love, because He [Jesus] laid down His life for us.” Our sweethearts need to know that we value them even more than we value ourselves and our desires.

     The “W” represents “words of edification.” What we say to a person can either tear them down or build them up. Our sweethearts need more than romantic words on a Hallmark card. They need to hear wise words infused with 1 Cor. 13:4-7 type love. Proverbs 15:1-2 advises that “A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger. The tongue of the wise uses knowledge rightly, but the mouth of fools pours forth foolishness.” Later it adds, “A man has joy by the answer of his mouth, and a word spoken in due season, how good it is!” Do our sweethearts hear the words from us that allow them to grow or wither?

     Let the “E” stand for “encouraging actions.” Attached to our words must be actions. John writes, “Let us not love in word or tongue, but in deed and in truth.” You probably have heard a person say, “Talk is cheap.” I might add, “But actions are priceless.” Supporting the words we express to our sweetheart must be the actions that confirm the declarations.

     Allow the other “E” to represent “enriching opportunities.” Do we engage with our sweethearts in events that cause us to grow as individuals? Proverbs 27:17 says, “As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another.” As we engage in common experiences and have opportunities to process them, we learn about ourselves and our sweetheart. Experiences like date nights, walks, worship times, prayer times, and much more, provide occasions when we can develop our love for one another and God.

     Finally let the “T” stand for “time investments.” In the crush of a busy world, it is easy to allow ourselves to short-change our relationships by not providing the necessary time to develop them. The Bible encourages us to “redeem the time” (Ephesians 5:15-16). The word “redeem” means “the payment of a price to recover from the power of another.” The world around us is clamoring for our time. We need to be intentional about investing and reserving time to spend in developing our relationship with our sweetheart. Relationships, like a garden, need attention, and tending. This requires time. It is impressive how Jesus modeled for us how in the busyness of his earthly life, he always invested time in the ones he loved. We need to “walk in the same way in which he walked” (1 John 2:6).

     To keep the “sweet in sweetheart” do more than give your sweetheart candy, flowers, jewelry, or a card. How about keeping the “sweet” in your relationship with them?

A Short Trip to Arrogance

             Through a driving rain in the late spring of 1977, I walked, then ran, a number of blocks from the train station in center city Philadelphia. I was a disgusted and soaked 28-year-old dressed in my best suit from J.C. Penny’s. I was headed to a committee meeting to which I had been appointed by the Trustees of a college. We were to conduct a search for the college's next president . The meeting was held in the prestigious Union League – a private club for the movers and shakers of the Philadelphia area. I got to the grand entrance of the Union League with hair dripping (yes I had hair then!), and any self-confidence I might have had washed away in the storm. Entering the Union League I was feeling very much out of place surrounded by accents of marble and dark walnut wood, quiet classical music, and the scents of fresh cut flowers mixed with the smell of brass and wood polishes. I was greeted by a man in a black formal suit with long tails, who, I felt, looked at me with raised eyebrows as he asked my name. I gave my name and he checked a list. He indicated that my meeting was in such and such a dining room, but perhaps I might wish to freshen up. This I surmised was a polite way of saying to me, “You look a mess, try and clean up a bit before you go any further into the Union League.”

                He directed me to a doorway and I walked into another room and was greeted by another man in a formal suit and long tails who asked to take my drenched coat. “I’ll attend to this sir,” he said, “the facilities are this way.” He handed me a white fluffy towel as I entered a room with more marble, walnut wood, and banks of mirrors. I dried my hair, sopped up the shirt, and tried to dry my paints. As I left the room the man finished blow drying my coat and asked if I would like some fragrances. I turned around and looked at a table filled with deodorants, colognes, and aftershaves – reminding me of a men's cosmetic counter in an upscale department store. After a few quirts of fragrances, I headed down the long hallway lighted by numerous chandeliers.

                The room was filled with a very long walnut table surrounded by crimson upholstered armed chairs filled with white haired men talking and laughing with one another. I was one of the last to enter the meeting room. The remaining seat at the table was beside the candidate being interviewed – an internationally recognized author, educator, and speaker. Sheepishly I sat down hoping my damp pants would not leave a mark on the upholstered chair. A pair of arms appeared around me and a white linen napkin was being placed in my lap by a man in a black suit and long tails. From the other side a man of similar dress opened a menu before me and asked me my beverage selection. “Water is fine,” I replied, as I tried to inconspicuously hide behind the rather large leather menu. Lovely menu, but no prices! A knot in my stomach suddenly developed. I recall thinking, “What’s the cheapest thing on this menu?”

                As the evening went on I began to enjoy the attention of those who were serving me at the table. Subtly I began to think how great I was. Here I was dining at the Union League. I had been chosen to be among the group of esteemed men to select the next president of the college that I had just graduated from six years earlier. I was sitting beside and talking with an internationally respected and well known speaker and author. Additionally I was being waited on literally hand and foot. 

                I really began to bask in being served like this. "Sir," I said to our server with an air of importance, "May I have some more water before our meeting begins?" I comfortably settled back in my upholstered chair and waited for the meeting to begin. It did not take long for a soggy out of place young man to begin to think more highly of himself than he ought to, did it? The trip to arrogance is a short one indeed.

Turning Over a New Leaf

Each year millions of people in the USA make New Year’s resolutions. In fact they are so popular that U.S. government's official web portal, USA.gov, has decided to get involved – surprise, surprise. They are giving advice on ten resolutions that are supposedly popular every year. They posted, “Here’s information that can help you achieve your goals in 2015.” The ten goals they selected were: lose weight; volunteer to help others; quit smoking; get a better education; get a better job; save money; get fit; eat healthy food; manage stress; manage debt; take a trip; reduce, reuse, and recycle; and drink less alcohol. It is rather hard for me to take advice from an agency that struggles and fails on a regular basis to achieve their stated goals and campaign promises. Perhaps it is easier to give advice to others rather than maintain discipline in areas that are our own personal responsibility.

     According to the University of Scranton and the Journal of Clinical Psychology, 45% of Americans usually make New Year’s resolutions, 17% do so infrequently, and 38% absolutely never make them. Perhaps the fact that only 8% of those who make resolutions actually succeed in achieving them puts a wet blanket on the idea of a New Year’s resolution. However, there is an upside to making a resolution. According to the same study, “People who explicitly make resolutions are 10 times more likely to attain their goals than people who don’t explicitly make resolutions.” That doesn’t make sense to me. If I do not make a resolution in the first place, how would I even know whether or not I did or did not achieve a goal!   

     I have turned over so many “new leaves” at this time of the year that I could probably “foliate” a good size forest. The problem as I see it is that instead of turning over new leaves on the same old tree or plant, I would have a better chance of making significant and lasting change if I were a new species altogether! I guess you could say new leaves on a poison ivy vine are still going to produce the plant’s oil to which many are allergic and cause an itchy rash. To use a totally different analogy, putting a pretty ribbon on a pig still leaves one with a pig and does not produce a pretty little girl!

     Yet, we expend lots of effort and invest large sums of money hoping that somehow we can act differently without becoming a different individual. The Bible addresses this with a question in Jeremiah 13:23, “Can the Ethiopian change his skin or the leopard his spots? Then also you can do good who are accustomed to do evil.” The gist of the prophet’s words is in essence unless our nature is changed it is unlikely we will be changed. Change that is lasting comes from the inside out not the outside in.

     Does this mean we are hopelessly doomed to a life of failure being bound by the nature with which we have been born? No. In fact another prophet, Ezekiel, talks about how real and lasting change can come about through God’s intervention. Speaking to a nation on a path to destruction because of their rebellion against God’s laws, he issues a statement of hope indicating that God can change them. He reveals that this involves a process whereby the very nature of the nation’s sinful rebellion is changed by God working in its heart – from the inside out. Ezekiel put it this way, “I (God) will sprinkle clean water on you, and you shall be clean from all your uncleanness, and from all your idols I will cleanse you. And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes and be careful to obey my rules” (Ezekiel 36:25-27). In order for people to make lasting change they need more than resolutions. They need a life transformation where they can now see and live life differently. This is the way God works – from the inside out.

     A New Testament writer, Paul, was a person whom God had transformed. He testified before King Agrippa in Acts 26:1-23 of the change of nature that occurred in him. Earlier in a letter he wrote to a church explaining that this process involved more than a resolution; it involved a transformation. He wrote, “If any man is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold all things have become new” (2 Corinthians 5:17). Jesus also spoke of the need for transformation to a religious leader, Nicodemus, saying he needed a new nature and thus had to be “born again,” or “born from above” (John 3:3,6,7). Too often we conclude that outward adjustments will generate permanent change. At best it is like a “coat of paint” being applied to a wooden board; it lasts for a while but will need touched up in the future. What is needed is a different kind of siding that eliminates the need for paint and future touch ups.

     Perhaps you have decided to turn over a new leaf in the coming year. I do not want to discourage you from that resolution. In fact, the scale in my bathroom indicates that a change needs to be made by me before I can no longer look down and see the scale! I simply want to encourage you to consider a change that will be more than an external, temporary adjustment to life. Consider a change that will have even larger benefits and eternal consequences. Those are changes that God can make in you if you allow Him to work in your life. Remember, we need transformation more than resolutions.     

The Impossible Becoming Possible

On a recent fall vacation with my daughter and her family, we were reminiscing about how much our grandchildren had grown and changed. In the course of the conversation, we recalled when our granddaughter, Meg, was about three. A babysitter asked my daughter if Meg’s vision had ever been checked. Regular physicals by the pediatrician had not noted any vision problems so my daughter assumed Meg’s eyesight was OK. However, the babysitter noticed Meg put her head close to books when they were reading. My daughter had also noticed that occasionally Meg would bump into things or trip and fall. To put our daughter’s mind at ease, Meg was taken to an optometrist for an eye exam. The report was startling. The doctor discovered that Meg was almost legally blind. Evidently since birth she had been compensating for her poor vision with her other senses. A prescription for glasses, that seemed to be as thick as the bottom of soda bottles, vastly improved her limited vision. She had a vision of life as she saw it without realizing it was a distorted view. Now she proudly wears a stylish pair of glasses and enjoys seeing things that she previously had never clearly seen.

     As our conversation continued it became apparent Meg was uneasy about us talking about her former vision problem. She shyly and quietly said, “I didn’t know that I didn’t see.” Assuring her that we were not making fun of her, we told her she had nothing of which to be ashamed. We were sorry her vision problem had not been noticed earlier and corrected.

     That event prodded me to think about my spiritual vision. Do I have distorted spiritual perspectives and am I unaware of my situation? Perhaps I am so used to having a spiritually distorted vision that I assume that the distortions are reality. It is only when one’s spiritual vision is corrected that one realizes how inept perspectives have been. There have been times I thought I knew how God operates only to discover that “His ways are not our ways” (Isaiah 55:8-9). I may be so convinced that God must work according to certain human procedures and constraints that I do not see how God might work in a situation I have deemed impossible.

     When I read the Christmas story in Luke, I see how a person’s spiritual vision may be distorted. Angel Gabriel announced to Mary that she would have a baby (1:31-33). Her response was, “How can this be, since I am a virgin?” (1:34). Distorted spiritual vision caused her to look at the news she received and conclude, “That’s impossible!” Focusing upon her current condition would not allow her to accept the announcement she heard. The vision she had only allowed her to see life through natural processes not by supernatural intervention.   

     God graciously corrected her vision by giving her the “lens” of divine revelation. God revealed Himself as one who could intervene in life, control processes, and produce His desired results (1:35-36). The angel assured her, “For nothing is impossible with God” (1:37). In that instant God was saying, “You need to see life differently than you have ever seen it before.”

     What did she do with this new vision? She accepted life as God saw it, not as she saw it. This allowed her to submit her life to God as a willing servant. No longer did she see things as unimaginable or as impossible. She now saw life through the unlimited perspective of a God who could do all things in any way He saw fit. Such a vision eliminates the barriers of conventional wisdom, expands the dimensions of probabilities, and explodes the myth that God does not intervene in His world. With her expanded and corrected vision, is it any wonder her perplexity was turned to praise (1:46-55)! Joseph, who was pledged to Mary, needed his vision adjusted too. He received a revelation that God was working in an unimaginable way in his betrothed so that a Savior could be born “to save his people from their sins” (Matthew 1:20-21). God was providing for humanity’s greatest need in a way that people would conclude was impossible. Joseph, however, was now seeing life in a new way. Thus he also obediently submitted his life to fulfill God unimaginable plan (1:24-25).  

     Certainly in all of our lives there are times we think a situation in life is impossible. Personally our financial situation may look bleak. Perhaps we have received a disturbing medical prognosis that shrouds us in anxiety. Maybe a relationship is in crisis and it appears like things are hopeless. Nationally and internationally the news may be depressing and the hope for peace and security seems elusive. In all likelihood you could suggest many other scenarios that one might label “impossible.” Perhaps these occasions require that our vision be adjusted so that we look at life beyond the natural and consider God may have a supernatural plan in mind.

     In these moments we need to recall the message given to Mary that cleared her distorted vision, “Nothing is impossible with God.” The message of Christmas is that God intervenes in His way, in His time, and in unimaginable and impossible ways. God is not limited by the conventional, the practical, the normal, or the way things are traditionally done. He steps into a messy world marred by sin and provides deliverance according to His sovereignly designed plan. Our response must be like Mary and Joseph. Once their vision was adjusted to see their situation the way God did they yielded to His plan for their lives. Faith in what God can do allows us to see the impossible as possible.