Do Justice

What does justice or injustice look like? How do we live life so that we “do justice” (Micah 6:8)? I see Genesis 1:27 as being a foundation verse from which justice should flow.

So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. (Genesis 1:27)

We all have been created in the image of God, and that means everyone deserves dignity and respect. There needs to be equal treatment for all. Whether you are rich or poor, the Lord is the Maker of them all (Proverbs 22:2). Justice is for all. This means there is no place for bias, partiality, or bribery (Deuteronomy 16:19). The same laws apply to all, whether immigrant or native (Leviticus 24:22). People, regardless of race, class, gender, ability, and behavior, must be treated equally with fairness and respect. Justice means there is equal treatment for all.

Justice also is about being generous. The Bible is very clear that private property exists. We own, create, and produce stuff that is ours. It is clear that we should not steal (Exodus 20:15), and that includes kidnapping, stealing of a person (Exodus 21:16). And yet at the same time God reminds us that reality is that we really own nothing. We are only stewards of what God has given us. He is the real owner (Deuteronomy 10:14). Even our abilities are a gift from him (Deuteronomy 8:17-18a). In Israelite society, the farmer was required to leave some of the crop for the poor to be able to glean (Leviticus 19:9-10). This allowed those lacking to be able to eat. Also debts were forgiven every seven years (Deuteronomy 15:1-2), so that no one would be in a situation they could not recover from. The principles derived from these passages lead not to strict socialism, and they are also not laissez-faire capitalism. Either extreme is not Biblical. God calls us to be generous with what he has given us.

Doing justice, also means being an advocate for those without power. The wealthy have the power and money to take care of themselves. The poor, the needy, the destitute, and the oppressed need us to advocate for them and defend their rights (Proverbs 31:8-9). They too were created in the image of God and need to be given dignity and respect. Back in Zechariah’s day, God said:

“Thus says the Lord of hosts, Render true judgments, show kindness and mercy to one another, do not oppress the widow, the fatherless, the sojourner, or the poor, and let none of you devise evil against another in your heart.” (Zechariah 7:9-10)

Who are the oppressed today? How can we stand up for them and defend their rights?

So how does injustice happen? It can happen in two ways, directly and indirectly. If I am robbed, injustice to me has directly happened. And there can be socially institutionalized ways of life that promote sin, and/or favor the rich and powerful allowing the poor and the disadvantaged to suffer injustice. We may not directly be involved in those sins, and yet we may be complicit and responsible as a society. God can hold and has held families, groups, and nations corporately responsible for sins that others committed in the past. The consequences of those sins can linger for generations. There is a corporate responsibility for injustice that lingers. Daniel repented for the sins of his ancestors (Daniel 9:3-19) even though it is likely that he was not directly guilty of those sins. In Amos, God pronounces judgment for the past sins of the surrounding nations (Amos 1), as well as the sins of Judah and Israel (Amos 2). Those nations bore the responsibility and all in those nations suffered the consequences. What are those national sins today? What consequences of past national sins still linger today? What past and present national sins do we need to repent of? How do we do justice and work to make things right? In America, racism is still affecting Americans of all colors. It is one old national sin that continues to produce consequences that still needs to be dealt with.

So we need to treat all people equally because we all are made in the image of God. This can be done by being generous to those in need. That includes standing up for the powerless and oppressed, and helping them get by in today’s society. And it also means taking responsibility for past national sins and working to make things right. Let us do justice.

For the Lord your God is God of gods and Lord of lords, the great, the mighty, and the awesome God, who is not partial and takes no bribe. He executes justice for the fatherless and the widow, and loves the sojourner, giving him food and clothing. Love the sojourner, therefore, for you were sojourners in the land of Egypt. You shall fear the Lord your God. You shall serve him and hold fast to him, and by his name you shall swear. (Deuteronomy 10:17-20)

This was inspired by a section in Timothy Keller’s book, “Hope in Times of Fear: The Resurrection and the Meaning of Easter”. Timothy Keller also has a book on how God’s grace empowers us to be gracious, generous, and just. It is called “Generous Justice” and is also an excellent and inspiring book.

A New World

You have been set apart and chosen. Photo by Gift Habeshaw.

Today, we in the West are living in a new era or a new world that is very different from the one 50+ years ago. Today, there is no social benefit to being a Christian. In fact in many cases, there is a social cost. Christian values are seen by many as oppressive, incomprehensible, and/or outdated. Today, Christian values are very countercultural. So how does a Christian interact in this new world?

We need to be intentional. We can not wait for people to ask about our faith. We need to identify ourselves as Christians, and explain what we believe. Note today many people think they have an idea of what a Christian believes, but many times they have wrong ideas. Christian ideas can seem strange to a non-Christian (e.g. people are not naturally good). We may need to start by explaining some very basic Christian concepts, because these concepts have been forgotten by society.

Society today is hyper-individualistic. Everything revolves around oneself, and freedom is a key concept. The ideal that is promoted is that you are free to be whoever you want and to do whatever you want. Ultimately this means everything is dependent on you. All moral values are determined by you. All relationships end up being transactional since you are at the center. Your identity is fragile because it depends on you and others’ opinions. And life fulfillment is also dependent on you and your circumstances. The end result is that many of today’s young adults are struggling with anxiety and depression, and with life in general.

We Christians have the answers for a full life with purpose. Because of Jesus Christ’s saving work, we have a purpose and meaning to life that suffering cannot take away. Circumstances cannot take away our joy or satisfaction with God in control. Because of our secure identity as a loved and forgiven child of God, our relationships can be more than just transactional. Because of God’s forgiveness, we do not need to be burdened by guilt and we can offer forgiveness to others. We also can offer a generous justice to those oppressed without becoming an oppressor, because of God’s love for all. And because we know God is good, we can face the future with a sure hope that not even death can take away. We Christians have a lot to offer this hurting world. We need to help them see that their needs and longings are really echoing their need for God. We have God’s love as our driving force, not power or the need for freedom.

And it all comes down to the fact that throughout history our attempts to create a utopia, a good full life for all, have utterly failed. We are broken beyond our repair. We can not save ourselves, but God can and in Jesus Christ he offers freedom from our brokenness, so we can live that full life to his glory.

Because society in the West today is at best neutral-Christian and at worst anti-Christian, we need to make certain ourselves and our children are well grounded in the faith. The dominant worldviews today are not Christian. We need to not only know why the Christian worldview is the right one but why the dominant worldviews are lacking when compared to the Christian worldview. This way we can be “vaccinated” against the dominant worldviews. Not only should we teach ourselves, but we need to let society know the love of God and what Christians are all about. One of the best ways to do that is for Christians integrate their faith life into their work life. Do not compartmentalize your life.

The early Christian church formed a unique community. They were racially, ethically, and economically diverse. Everyone was welcomed. They were highly committed to caring for the poor, the sick, and the marginalized. They did not retaliate but rather were committed to forgiving. They were strongly against abortion and infaticide, so to make certain any unwanted baby was cared for. And they had a unique stance on sex. It is only for married couples. Today when we look at these five characteristics we would call the first two liberal and the last two conservative. You can not pigeon hole the early Christian church, so we Christians in today’s non-Christian culture should not be pigeon holed. We might want to model that early Christian community today.

Looking at what is happening in the West, one might think Christianity is on the decline, but that is not the case. By God’s grace, Christianity is growing (but not in the West). At least 70% of Christians live outside the West. The Christian Church is definitely global, and because of that there is hope for a revival in the West. God can do it. God has started sending missionaries from “deepest darkest Africa” to the West. Some have already arrived.

This post was based in part on the article “How to Reach the West (Again)”.

Christian?

When people say “I am a Christian”, what do they really mean? I was looking at a 2021 survey of Millennials (which includes Gen Z adults), and found some very interesting statistics on Millennials, who say they are Christian, view God. The percentages were surprising. It confirms I live in a Christian bubble and I have not realized how much the world has changed, even though I have been interested in declining church attendance among the younger generations for over 20 years. 40% of Millennials do not know if God exists, or do not believe that God exists, or do not care whether God exists. 40% have effectively written off God. 57% of Millennials say they are Christian. Of those 57%, only 46% agree that God is “all-powerful, all-knowing, perfect, just creator of the universe, who rules the universe today”. I would have hoped that statement would have had 100% agreement for those who say they are “Christian”.

So if only 46% Millennial “Christians” give the Christian answer of who God is, what do the other Millennial “Christians” think God is? 6% “don’t know”. 1% say “there is no such thing as God”, and 22% agree with the statement that “a higher power may exist; nobody knows for certain”. That is 29% of Millennial “Christians” that doubt the existence of God. They are part of that 40%. To continue, there are 4% who say “Everyone is god”; 15% who have a new age take saying “God refers to the total realization of personal, human potential or a state of higher consciousness that a person may reach”; and 7% who agree that “there are many gods, each with different purposes and authority”. Those responses are from all who claim to be Christian. The word “Christian” does not have the traditional biblical meaning for many people. (An interesting aside is that 31% of “Non-Christian” Millennials gave the correct Christian answer from the choices to who God is.) I believe that for many Americans saying that one is a “Christian” is the same as saying “I am a good person”.

And I believe this is also true for other generations. It is just more pronounced for the younger generations as America has become more and more a post-Christian nation. This is made clear in the percentage of people with a biblical worldview. Only 4% of Millennials have a biblical worldview. It is 6% for Gen X, 8% for Boomers, and 9% for Builders. There are not all that many with a biblical worldview, but the decline is also clearly seen. So what is the worldview that these generations have? The dominant worldview for each generation is the same (from 83% to 89%). It is Syncretism. Syncretism is the amalgamation (or patchwork) of different religions or worldviews. In this case, it is the worldview where you pick and choose what you want to believe in. For the Millennials and Gen X’ers, they tend to pick their concepts from the Moralistic Therapeutic Deism worldview. For the Boomers and the Builders, they tend to pick from the Biblical Theism worldview. The Create-Your-Own worldview has always been popular. The difference is as the Christian influence wanes through the generations, the younger ones are less likely to pick and choose from Biblical Theism. Still the dominant worldview for each generation is not a biblical worldview.

The end result for Millennials is that most of them are searching for purpose in their life, and a majority of them often have bouts of depression and anxiety. They want to belong, so many of them have connected with what I call the latest social contagion, that is they identify with or as LGBTQ. The table below lays out the percentages. They are hurting. They want a good life, but today’s cultural influences and forces have left them lacking. Their patchwork worldview does not handle reality the way it should. It is sad that 40% of them have effectively written off the existence of God and the Christian Faith, because I have a full and abundant life because of Jesus. I think a lot of their problems would be solved if they would turn and embrace God.

Thinking about your commitments, would you describe yourself as …	Percentage of those who answer “Yes”
Searching for purpose in your life	75%
Believing all religious faiths are of equal value	74%
An American patriot	55%
Often feel anxious, depressed or unsafe	54%
Deeply committed to practicing your faith	52%
Prefer socialism to capitalism	48%
LGBTQ	30% but39% for Gen Z only

Note a Gallup poll that was taken at roughly the same time put LGBTQ Millennials at 9% and LGBTQ Gen Z’ers at 16%. I believe the difference may be in the way this survey worded the question. This survey question may show more of the support for LGBTQ cause as opposed to their own sexual preference. It may be some of them are identifying with LGBTQ cause but not identifying as a LGBTQ person. Whatever the case is, both surveys show a large uptick in LGBTQ identification among the younger generations. I believe it is about identity. They want to know who they are and gender identity is the big issue in today’s culture, so they identify with LGBTQ. If they don’t effectively write off God (like 40% have done), they can find their identity as forgiven and loved children of God. That identity has been a solid rock for me.

My takeaway from this post is that we live in a very different world from 50 years ago. We, older Christians, need to recognize the change and not assume nothing has changed. The world has changed significantly and Christians need to realize that the world they live in today is in many ways more like the world first century Christians lived in than the world from 50 years ago. We need to get out of our Christian bubble and reach out to those hurting because of a false worldview. And we need to support the real Christian Millennials. It is rough out there for them in this very post-Christian world.

Praise God for Jesus’ Resurrection!

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead (1 Peter 1:3)

All Christians, praise God for his great mercy! Though we were dead in our sin (Ephesians 2:1-3), he has made us alive in Christ Jesus (Ephesians 2:4-7). We have been born again (John 3:3-8). We are a new creation (2 Corinthians 5:17-18). We have a living hope, a great expectation (Romans 15:13), because of Jesus’ resurrection from the dead (Matthew 28:1-10).

All this is already ours today. We have been born again. We are a new creation. God has made us alive. Because of his resurrection, through baptism, we can walk in the newness of life (Romans 6:3-4). If we have been raised with Christ, we can set our mind on things above (Colossians 3:1-4) and not on earthly things (Colossians 3:5-8). It is by God’s grace we have been saved (Ephesians 2:8-9) to be his workmanship so we can do good (Ephesians 2:10). Because of Jesus, the Kingdom of God is here now (Luke 17:20-21 and Matthew 12:28), and we are empowered to serve in the Kingdom of God as ambassadors (2 Corinthians 5:20).

And yet at the same time the Kingdom of God is not fully realized. Because of Jesus’ resurrection we have this living hope, this great expectation, of a certain future. Jesus in rising from the dead was the firstfruit of those who died in Christ (1 Corinthians 15:20) and he is the firstborn from the dead (Colossians 1:18). His resurrection makes our rising from the dead a certainty. We can live life knowing that an inheritance in heaven (1 Peter 1:4-5) that waits for us. It will be a wonderful life with a full enjoyment of God’s gifts and a fully restored relationship with God (Revelation 7:9-17). We will be free from sin and its brokenness (1 John 3:1-3), able to live life to its fullness as it was originally meant to be.

But today we are in an “already but not yet” state. Today we live by faith (2 Corinthians 5:1-7 and Hebrews 11:1). We are already a new creation and yet we sin and keep on doing what is wrong (Romans 7:18-19). We are already living an eternal life (John 3:16) but death still exists (1 Thessalonians 4:13-18). So we wait for Jesus’ second coming when all God’s promises will be fully realized and everything will be made right. Today we live knowing that Jesus is our resurrection and life (John 11:25-26). It is all about Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord.

The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain. (1 Corinthians 15:56-58)

PS This post was inspired in part by Timothy Keller’s book, “Hope in Times of Fear: The Resurrection and the Meaning of Easter”.

PPS Check out this Bible Project video on Jesus’ resurrection as recorded by Luke.

Are You Okay?

I remember the phrase “I’m okay, you’re okay”. It was a popular phrase in the 1970’s and 80’s. It originates with a 1967 self-help book. The phrase took on a life of its own, and has been used to promote self-esteem, especially in children. I think the phrase is still in use today to promote self-esteem, but for many people, in practice, I think it has become “I’m okay but you are not okay”. People today seem to feel that they are pretty good and have it together most of the time, but those they disagree with are not okay. Those disagreeable people have been misled and/or have serious issues. They must not be okay. I think that is a common way of thinking today.

People today look around and blame today’s problems and the problems we experience on cultural influences and other people with serious problems. These are problem people, who we believe by our own definition, do not want to do things the way we want them done. Today’s “enlightened” people believe it is wrong thinking and wrong societal ideas that are creating the problems, which can be found in societal structures of domination and oppression (Critical Theory). It can not be our fault because we are okay, relatively good, so we look outside ourselves to locate the problems. Even though there are cultural influences and other people creating problems, the real core problem is inside each and every one of us.

Here is the reality. Each and every one of us is not okay. We all have our problems. We all are broken. Some people want us to embrace our brokenness and say that is just who we are. I do not think it is a good idea to deny or embrace self destructive behavior. I believe our brokenness is self destructive and it is also not good for others. The fact is I am not okay. I am not good or good enough. I have my problems. I have my issues. My brokenness is not healthy for me and for others. And since it is true of everyone, that is why the world is as messed up as it is.

If you pull back the curtain and look deep inside you, you will find that you are a self centered selfish person whose ego is focused on yourself. Whether you are feeling good about yourself or despairing, the focus is on you. Even when you try to be generous and giving, that self centeredness is still there. That self centeredness corrupts everything. That is the core problem with you and the world. Christians have a name for that condition and for all the wrong doing and wrong thinking. It is called sin. We are left in a pretty hopeless situation.

But there is hope. Though we can not solve the problem, God, the Creator of the universe and of us, can. Because he loves each and every one of us, he has sent Jesus to us as the solution. Jesus came to Earth and was born. He grew up and lived a perfect life. He died on a cross as a payment for our sin, and then he rose again so that we may have a full life in him. That full life in Jesus empowers Christians, those who have received Jesus as Lord and Savior, to work for a better life for all, and one day we, Christians, will live eternally with him in a world without sin. Today it is clear that we are not okay, but God still fully and completely loves each and every one of us, so it is okay.

That is what the Bible says. Below is from the Apostle Paul in his letter to the Romans.

Everyone is a sinner and needs God’s salvation. “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23)
The consequence of sin is death, but God offers salvation for free. “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 6:23)
In love, Jesus Christ took our place and died for our sins. He paid the price for us. “but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” (Romans 5:8)
It is through faith that we receive salvation and eternal life. “because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved.” (Romans 10:9-10)
Because of Jesus Christ, our relationship with God has been restored. We are no longer condemned by our sin. “Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.” (Romans 5:1) and “There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” (Romans 8:1)

Father God, Thank you for saving me because of all that Jesus has done. I am yours. Forgive me, cleanse me, and restore me for I am broken, a sinner in need of your forgiveness. Thank you for that forgiveness and for your love, mercy, and grace. Let your Holy Spirit enable me to live a full life dedicated to you. I ask this because of Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection. He is Lord and Savior! Amen!

Fear and Anxiety

Fear and anxiety seem to be a big part of today’s society. Questions abound! What is happening to society? Will I die from Covid-19? Will the Democrats usher in communism? Will the Republicans put into place a theocracy? Will the other party take away my freedoms? Will I be a victim of a crime? Will I be killed because of the color of my skin? Will I be able to pay my rent? Will global warming spell the end of the human race? And there are many more concerns.

There is an element of truth in most of these concerns. What makes for an effective lie is to have a kernel of truth and then blow it out of proportion by adding falsehoods to it. That leads to anxiety and irrational fears. Today there are many people who are promoting fear. They use fear to promote their agenda, to sell advertisements, to sell products, and/or to dehumanize others. The end result is stress because we become anxious about things that may or may not happen.

Fear is not always a bad thing. You do not step in front of a speeding car. You do not run off a 200 foot cliff. Fear of getting hurt should prevent you from these stupid acts. You demonstrate fear and respect for the speeding car and for the 200 foot cliff. However, it is irrational to not be able to walk up to an edge of a cliff. Also it is irrational not to be able to cross any street because of the fear of getting hit. Both of these actions can be done in a safe manner.

In the same way, it is good to fear God and to give him the respect, awe, and reverence he deserves. When Isaiah found himself in the presence of God, he cried out, “Woe is me! For I am lost; for I am a man of unclean lips…”. And that he was and because of his sin he was right to fear God. And yet forgiveness was spoken to him in the words, “your guilt is taken away, and your sin atoned for”. The same is true of us. We are lost in our sin, and yet God desires to forgive us and bring us back to him. We turn to him as forgiven children of God and are told not to be afraid.

God is our foundation, our rock, in this frightening world we live in. We need not fear and be anxious about the happenings in the world. God is at work in the world, redeeming it and there will be a day when Jesus will come back and make all things right. Though we can go through some tough times, when we may wonder where God is, know that God works all things for good for those who love him. We need not be afraid and anxious even when things look bleak. Trust God and he will come through in his time and at the end of time. As children of God, we cannot lose. We will win in the end.

I have experienced some tough times, and God has used those tough times for my good. 23 years ago, I fell deathly ill with Guillain-Barre Syndrome. I spent 6 weeks in the hospital (2 weeks in the ICU) and 7 weeks recovering in a nursing home and many more months getting back to near normal. All this happened while I was engaged to Gail. This was a tough time for Gail and I. The strange thing was through the illness, I grew closer to God by recognizing more of his goodness and grace. Because of my illness, Gail got time off from teaching in Oregon to come and see me in Colorado, albeit in a hospital bed. And going through that struggle, our love for each other was strengthened, so that our marriage started strong. Though I would not recommend it to anyone, God used my illness for my good as well as the good of our marriage. There was no reason to be afraid or anxious, because God was in control and he was working things out for our good.

So whether it is Covid-19 or political divisiveness or something else, trust that God has this and God will work it out in his way and his time. You need not fear. This hope and trust is not some sort of pollyanna positivity, and it is not wishful thinking. You need to be realistic and realize that the world is broken and bad things happen. And yet God is there for you, to walk alongside you, and to give you hope. He is there with you through the tough times though you may not understand why things are so bad. Just know that there is no need to be anxious, because God is working things out in his way and in his time for your good. Our calling is to trust God, and to follow and serve him as we live out our lives for him. Do that, and do not worry about the rest. God has it.

Is Love Love?

How would you define the word love? English has a very broad definition of love. In honor of Valentine’s Day, I am going to focus on the interpersonal love found in marriage between a husband and wife. The ancient Greeks had many words for love. Wikipedia puts the count at 6 different words, but I have seen lists vary between 3 and 8 different words. I will look at what I consider to be the 3 main Greek words for love and how they relate in marriage.

Today’s romantic love focus seems to be on the passion for one another with an emphasis on the sexual attraction and action. That sort of love is the Greek word eros, from which we get the term erotic. I believe eros love includes passion, affection, and delight in one another, which does not have to be sexual in nature. Eros love produces strong feelings that are powerful. However, those feelings will wax and wane over time. The media emphasizes eros love because it is flashy and easy to express. Some people will equate eros love with lust. They say it is all about our own sexual desires and the fulfillment of those desires. I believe that eros love is more than the lust of sexual attraction. Eros love creates an unstable foundation for marriage, especially if it is focused only on sexual attraction.

Philia is the Greek love word that denotes friendship. It is a love word where you enjoy one’s company, talking with each other, and doing stuff together. It is the love of friends. Many times it is described as “brotherly love”. Friendship in marriage is important. You want to know your spouse and share life together with them. Philia love is all about sharing life together.

Agape love is the main love that you find in the Bible. It is an unconditional love that embodies self-sacrifice and commitment. It is a love that causes you to act in your spouse’s best interest and not your own. Agape love first looks to others and not to yourself. It is the main love God has for us. Agape love allows for true intimacy to occur. The commitment to each other allows for one to be vulnerable to each other. That is what intimacy is all about. Because of that intimacy, agape love strengthens the friendship of philia love and increases the passion of eros love. It makes marriage a safe place to express oneself, to share concerns, and to work through issues. It is a love that binds us together. Agape love is the stable foundation from which the other loves should flow from. Agape love is described well in this Bible passage.

Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogantor rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never ends. (1 Corinthians 13:4-8a)

How does your love fit this description? My love does not always fit well to the description, but it is something I desire to do better at and in doing so it will strengthen my marriage. Agape love makes for a stable foundation for one’s marriage. God’s agape love does fit this description. Replace the word ‘love’ (and ‘it’) with God or Jesus and see how God loves you.

God has many times in the Bible expressed his love for us in terms of marriage. We, the people of God, are the bride and God is the bridegroom or husband. God passionately pursues us (eros). He seeks to restore that personal friendship that was lost in Eden (philia). And he loved us so much that he died for us, so that we can be united to him (agape). (Note, only the Greek love words philia and agape appear in the Bible.)

A closing thought:

Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love. In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him.In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God abides in us and his love is perfected in us. (1 John 4:7-12; agape love)

P.S. This post was inspired by a session from the Marriage in Christ Seminar.

Rule of Life and New Year’s Resolutions

I have been thinking about New Year’s resolutions, and I have realized that for me they tend to be reactionary to specific desires and many times what is currently happening. For example, I always want to lose the weight I gained during the holidays and a little bit more. I make a resolution/goal to lose weight and I do usually lose the holiday gain but not more. I found that there is another way that does not need to include resolutions and goals. The Rule of Life is a document of simple statements that create a pattern of life to live by. So a New Year’s resolution concerning weight loss for me would be something like to lose 5 pounds by summer, whereas corresponding life rules would be something like “eat small portions” and “exercise daily”. You can see that resolutions and life rules can go hand-in-hand. The Rule of Life provides an order and a foundation to proceed with the resolution if needed. And if the Rule of Life is working well there is really no need for any resolutions.

So what is the purpose for creating a Rule of Life? For me, it is to better serve God, and that includes keeping myself healthy, having healthy relationships, being available for the opportunities God gives me, and making use of some of the spiritual disciplines. I have not formally set down and created a list of life rules, but informally I have some rules I follow. Some rules, like daily scripture reading, prayer many times a day, and weekly worship with other Christians, I have faithfully followed for most of my life. I do not like the term ‘rules’, I would rather call them habits or guides. Keeping these habits or guides have made my life better, and better prepared me to serve my God. Doing them does not save me or make me better than others, because God has done all the saving. At my church Immanuel we have the “Marks of Discipleship” (scroll down in the link to the marks), which are a somewhat similar concept to the Rule of Life.

About 15 years ago, three words came to me over a period of a year. I believe the Holy Spirit gave me those words. The first word that came to me was “Intentional”. I need to be intentional in what I do. The second word was “Discipline”. It takes discipline to be intentional. And the third word was “Relationships”. “People are important”, said my college pastor to me way back then, but it has taken over 40 years for that to fully sink in. Those three words have helped me in my life to better serve God. Those three words can be made into life rules.

Be intentional in my actions.
Be disciplined with my intentions.
Make my relationships a priority.
Always recognize that “people are important” (to add a fourth one, quoting my college pastor).

Am I going to make some rules or habits for life? I am thinking about it. Looking at the above two paragraphs you can see I already have several unofficial habits of life that help guide me and make my life more intentional. I see this as a way to counteract some of the bad cultural forces in the world today. I need to be intentional instead of reactive to today’s culture. The goal is to keep my life centered on God. He is my foundation. Note, a Rule of Life is not something one can whip up in an hour or two, rather one should spend some time to prayerfully consider how God has gifted you, what opportunities there are, and how to best grow to become more like Jesus. Take some time to do it right. I am thinking of doing that. Some categories I have decided to look at are

Spiritual, Relationship with God
(Other) Relationships
Healthy Living
Service Opportunities

This list of categories for me is a starting point. Your Rule of Life does not have to be long with many details (e.g. the Rule of St. Benedict), but it can be short and creative (e.g. this and this). I suspect mine will be a page or two.

I think a Rule of Life document should define how you interact with people and what activities you will always engage in. It is a little late to get this done by January 1 because it should take some thought and deliberation, but it is something to consider doing and not something to put it off.

PS I pray during this Christmas season, you remember (and have remembered) that Jesus came to earth and was born so that he could bring us back into relationship with God. Christmas is primarily about Jesus and not about gifts and family though those are nice too.

Santa Claus and Saint Nicholas

In today’s culture, Santa Claus is the main icon of Christmas. Christmas today is a secular holiday whose religious origins are forgotten or ignored by many people. (Even atheist Richard Dawkins celebrates Christmas.) So who is this Santa Claus? Did a bunch of stores create him so that they could sell more toys? Today’s Christmas is definitely very commercialized and the stores do make use of Santa Claus to sell their goods at this time of the year, but no, there is a lot of history and tradition behind Santa Claus. Behind the modern version of Santa Claus are the traditions of the historical figure of Saint Nicholas, the English Father Christmas, and the Dutch Sinterklaas.

Saint Nicholas of Myra was the Christian bishop of Myra (present day Demre, Turkey). He was born on March 15, 270 and died on December 6 in 343. Saint Nicholas was known for his generosity. The most famous Saint Nicholas story is the story where St. Nicholas for three nights dropped a small bag of gold coins each night in an open window so that the three daughters of the house would have a dowry and would not remain single and be forced to become prostitutes. He was known to have made a pilgrimage to Egypt and Palestine. He was also imprisoned during Diocletian’s persecution. And he was likely at the First Council of Nicaea in 325, where some say he slapped (or punched) Arius, the heretic. Though he does not have any writings existing, he has been a very popular saint down through the centuries.

Saint Nicholas Day is December 6. In some parts of the world, people wake up on the morning of December 6 to find sweets in their shoes or in their hanging socks. Folklore has had a large part in determining who the giver of gifts is in the various parts of Europe and from Europe to the rest of the world with Santa Claus being the main figure. The dates when the gifts are given vary from December 6 to January 6, depending on who the giver is. In America, the 1823 poem “Twas the Night before Christmas” influenced how we see the Santa Claus legend, and other 19th century authors and illustrators also influenced our view of Santa Claus.

Though not all that much is known for certain about Saint Nicholas of Myra (there is a tomb and bones that date back to the right time period), I did find one quote, only one quote, attributed to him. And this quote fits the theme of giving.

“The giver of every good and perfect gift has called upon us to mimic His giving, by grace, through faith, and this is not of ourselves.” (Saint Nicholas of Myra)

So let us give, by God’s grace through faith, remembering God who gave his Son that we might have a full life in him. “Every good gift and every perfect gift” is from God (James 1:17).

For God so loved the world,that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. (John 3:16)

Gratitude

We recently celebrated the Thanksgiving Holiday. Did you have an attitude of gratitude? For many people Thanksgiving is a holiday of family, food, and football with shopping also on their minds. And sometimes there may be some talk about what they are thankful for, but it seems that seldom God enters in the conversation. There is nothing wrong with that, but Thanksgiving was about giving thanks to God in the original 1789 Thanksgiving Proclamation. The proclamation by George Washington at the urging of Congress was to set aside “a day of public thanksgiving and prayer” in response to the many blessings poured out on America by Almighty God, in particular acknowledging God’s hand in the nation’s independence and the peaceful transition to a national government. That gratitude perspective seems to be lacking today.

I am guilty of treating Thanksgiving only as a time for food and fellowship, and not acknowledging God’s “kind care and protection”, and asking God “to bless them with good government, peace, and concord”, and also asking God to “to pardon our national and other Transgressions” as found in the 1789 Thanksgiving Proclamation. Fortunately, I am in the habit of going to a Thanksgiving church service that covers those things. It is important to me to reset my mind on the goodness and providence of God. Our Heavenly Father is gracious and merciful, providing for all our needs. We need to be reminded that everything is God’s, and we own nothing.

Behold, to the Lord your God belong heaven and the heaven of heavens, the earth with all that is in it. (Deuteronomy 10:14)

It is all God’s, and even our abilities come from God.

Beware lest you say in your heart, ‘My power and the might of my hand have gotten me this wealth.’ You shall remember the Lord your God, for it is he who gives you power to get wealth (Deuteronomy 8:17-18a)

In America, we live a luxurious life, and as Americans we want to be self-reliant. God reminds us that reality is different. It is all God’s and we are just managing what we have been given. God asks us to use what he has given us to his glory. We seldom have that stewardship perspective. We are focused on ourselves, and we do not realize that everything we have is really God’s. From the air we breathe to the car we drive, it is all God’s. The good news for us Christians is God has control, and he is working things out for our good (Romans 8:28). Therefore we can

Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18)

If you are going through tough times and are not feeling very thankful because things are not going as desired, turn to God and tell him how you feel, and then look back and remember all God has done and thank him for that. Because knowing all God has done for us, we can look forward with hope. It lifts our spirits and stops our grumbling.

Do you have an attitude of gratitude? It has been shown to be good for your health and your relationships to have that gratitude perspective. By thanking God, you take the focus off yourself, and put it on God and how he has provided for you. Like our Founding Fathers, let us thank God for his gracious provision. It is good to do so.

It is truly meet, right, and salutary, that we should at all times, and in all places, give thanks unto Thee, O Lord, Holy Father, Almighty Everlasting God