Return to the Lord

Return to the Lord your God,
for he is gracious and merciful,
slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love (Joel 2:13)

The God, we Christians worship, is one who loves us deeply and desires that we return to him. Though he loves us, he is also just and there are consequences for our wrongdoing and even our wrong thinking. That wrongdoing and wrong thinking is called sin. He wants the best for us but we are very self-centered and what we desire is many times bad for us. It is easy to see that we are broken.

God’s initial creation was good, very good, but Adam and Eve disobeyed God and broke themselves and all of creation. Ever since then God has desired to bring us back to him. He put a restoration plan into action. Beginning with Abraham and Sarah, he set out to make a people for himself that would bring blessing to all people (Genesis 12:1-3). From Abraham and Sarah came the people of Israel. They were to be “a kingdom of priests and a holy nation” (Exodus 19:6). They failed over and over again, but God was not stymied. His plan for restoration still moved forward.

Out of love, Jesus came into the world (John 3:16) to do what we could not do. He was the Israel that Israel could not be. He lived a perfect life. He fully loved people and God. He went to the cross to take our sin upon himself. His death was the death we deserved. He paid for our sin on the cross. And then he rose from the dead. Because he did all this, we can have a full life in him. With the Holy Spirit, we can be the people of God and bring blessing and restoration to all people. We are to be “a royal priesthood, a holy nation” (1 Peter 2:9) like Israel of old, and like Israel we still fail and fail again, but God is still at work. His restoration plan continues until when he will gather all who believe that Jesus is their Lord and Savior together with him in Heaven.

So what does this all mean to us? First, we need to recognize that we are not good. We are not even a little bit good. We are corrupt through and through. Oh, we may do “good” things but deep down inside is that self-centered selfish side of us that taints everything we do. We all are bad. And God wants perfection. Picture of a “totally white sheet of paper” as perfection. The very best we can manage is a “dark gray sheet with some black spots”. We can not by ourselves even come close, but Jesus was perfect, that “totally white sheet of paper”.

Second, we need to recognize that even though we may be a “grimy black sheet of paper”, God still loves us and desires to be in relationship with us. That is good news and that is why Jesus came so that we can become a “totally white sheet of paper”. Or in other words, we are set free and cleansed from all our sin. We can then live the good life God has in store for us, and worship and serve him in all purity.

Third, we who follow Jesus are not there yet. We need to daily turn from our sin and return to God to follow him and do what he desires. The Holy Spirit continues to be at work in us, transforming us. One day when we are united with God we will be whole, that “totally white sheet of paper”.

If you don’t have a church home consider attending a worship service at a church near you. This time of year is a most important time. It is when we especially remember that Jesus died for us and rose from the dead so that we can have a full life in him. This year, Palm Sunday, when Jesus entered Jerusalem, is March 28. Maundy Thursday, when Jesus celebrated Passover and changed it into the Lord’s Supper, is April 1. Good Friday, when Jesus died, is April 2. And Easter Sunday, when Jesus rose from the dead, is April 4. Many churches will have special worship services on these days. Do consider attending a worship service. (In Loveland, Colorado, I attend Immanuel Lutheran Church and School. You are welcome to join me and attend there. Or join us online (Youtube or Facebook), if you have Covid concerns.)

And if you want more information about the Christian Faith, feel free to contact me.

The Newest Social Contagion

Have you ever noticed how an idea, attitude, or behavior will sweep over a group (or society) changing it? It may be a good change or a bad change. That is what is known as a social or behavioral contagion. It behaves like an infection. People will see some behavior, think it to be cool, and then adopt that behavior or attitude. It is not necessarily rational. It is similar to peer pressure. It used to be that smoking was a social contagion.

A brand new survey was released by Gallup makes me think that a new social contagion has swept across the country. The survey counted the number of LGBTQ people there were. In the youngest generation of adults, Gen Z (ages 18-23), the percentage of LGBTQ people was 16%. That is about 1 in every 6 Gen Z persons. It was 9% for the Millennial Generation (ages 24-40). And then it drops to 4% for Gen X, 2% for Baby Boomers, and 1% for those older.

Most of the LGBTQ people (55%) consider themselves to be bisexual. Of the Gen Z LGBTQ people, 72% of them consider to be bisexual, and 54% of LGBTQ Millennials are bisexual. (The percentage then drops off for the older generations.) Women are more likely to consider themselves to be LGBTQ than men, and LGBTQ women are more likely to be bisexual than LGBTQ men.

What can we say about this bisexual trend? Well many of the young actresses that were on the Disney Channel are now LGBTQ. (In this article I count 10 actresses.) Those ladies by their celebrity status promote the LGBTQ lifestyle, making it a cool thing. So I wonder if many of these bisexuals are really bi-curious (heterosexuals curious about same-sex sexual experiences, or vice versa). They also could just be avoiding the label of transphobic (having a prejudice against transsexual or transgender people). I also wonder what is the influence of internet porn on their choices and lifestyle. As you can tell I am having a hard time accepting this LGBTQ social contagion. Maybe it really is a cool thing to be in today’s society, but I am concerned. I can not dismiss it for the LGBTQ community is a powerful force in society today.

I am concerned for the LGBTQ people because I believe their lifestyle is not healthy, They tend to have many sexual partners. (That can be true of heterosexuals too.) There are about 50 STDs (Sexually Transmitted Diseases) and they all can be found in the LGBTQ community. LGBTQ people also have high murder rate. Lesbians have a higher rate of physical violence and sucide than a heterosexual females. Gay men also have a higher sucide rate. Gay men tend to have a median life span that is about 20 years (maybe 30 years) less than an average heterosexual. It is similar for lesbians. Though HIV plays a role in the reduced lifespan, it is not the defining factor. It is a sad situation and one needs to be concerned about it.

And now the LGBTQ community is seeking special protected status in Congress with the Equality Act. It is, for the most part, the “Civil Rights Act” for LGBTQ people. (The act also would affect the abortion debate.) I agree that every person needs to be treated with dignity and respect, but I doubt they need special protection since gay men and lesbian women are making “significantly more” money than their straight counterparts. The Equality Act would create a host of major legal changes that would cause a lot of problems for religious schools, religious organizations, women’s shelters, women’s sports, sex-specific facilities, and many more. So I do not think that this act is needed since many of them are financially doing very well, and the LGBTQ community is already a powerful force in society today. This social contagion has already swept the country. I do not think it has been a change for the better.

More information on the Equality Act from a conservative Christian perspective can be found here.

PS The Equality Act (H.R. 5) has passed the House and is on its way to the Senate. You can contact your senators and let them know how you feel about this bill.

American Third Parties

American Flag Photo by Lisa Setrini-Espinosa

America has an ingrained two party system. Third parties (or minor parties) seldom make a difference in presidential elections. The largest third party is the Libertarian Party with a membership of about 0.65 million. Compared to the Democratic Party (47 million) and the Republican Party (35 million), the Libertarian Party is small potatoes. Its presidential candidate did take 1.77% of the presidential vote in 2020. Yet it is big compared to the next largest party, the Green Party, which has a membership of 0.25 million and took 0.255% of the presidential vote.

I think it makes sense that the Libertarian Party is the largest third party. Right now the guiding concept for many Americans is individual rights. And that is what defines the Libertarian Party. The Libertarian Party ideology is to let the individual (or corporation) do what they want without any government interference. They want a small government that leaves the individual (or corporation) alone. They are more like the Democrats with liberal social policies, and more like the Republicans with the economic and business policies.

The last third party to take a significant portion of the presidential vote was the Reform Party. In 1992, Ross Perot took 19% of the presidential vote, and in 1996 he took 8% of the vote. Since then no third party has taken 5% of the vote or more. Ross Perot was a character, a maverick, and he had money. I think those two things set him apart to allow him to be noticed by the voting public. It may be that character and money is what the next third party presidential candidate needs to have to collect a significant percentage of the vote.

So what good are third parties? I think they tell the two major parties what people are thinking. If the third party gets a significant percentage of the vote, the Democrats and Republicans need to take a look and see what was the reason behind the third party receiving a significant number of votes and then adjust their policies to reflect the needs of the people.

I am an Independent. I am not a member of any party. There are some ideas I like from the Democrats and some ideas I like from the Republicans. I am a social conservative which means on those issues I lean Republican. I believe in a good social safety net so on those issues I lean Democratic. I am also a fiscal conservative. Neither party has been good at attempting to balance the budget. The Republicans have been good at talking the talk but poor at walking the walk. Actually I think Democrats may be better at paying for what they spend. I took a survey which told me how much of a Democrat or Republican I am. I pretty much ended up in the center, neither left nor right. (The questions asked by these surveys are always frustrating because it is never as black and white as the question indicates. The “center” ranking was correct, I think, but the characteristics of the group I was placed in seemed wrong for me.)

This last election I took a closer look at several third parties. I found one that for the most part fit my political beliefs. I don’t fully agree with the party platform but it seems to come the closest to what I believe politically. So for the 2020 presidential election I voted for Brian Carroll of the American Solidarity Party. The platform espouses the political ideology called Christian democracy. I would place it as center-right for social issues and center-left for economic and environmental issues.

So did I throw away my vote on someone who will never be elected? No, I instead made a statement of what I want both parties and the new administration to consider. Living in Colorado, I knew that the state was clearly going Democratic for president, so the Electoral College votes were set. If I was living in one of the purple swing states, I would have considered that my vote could have made a difference in the outcome, and I may have voted for one of the two major party candidates. So if you are not in a purple swing state in 2024 and you feel that the two major parties don’t fit with what your political beliefs are, I would check out the third party platforms and choose a third party that best fits your political beliefs. Here are the platforms of the four third parties that “The Gospel Coalition” covered this last fall.

PS Yes, posting this post might have been better before the election instead of after the election. I have been thinking about this post for 6 months now. It is just that I was not ready to write the post until now.

Living in a Digital Babylon

I believe today we are living in a “digital Babylon”. The culture has shifted and Christianity now takes a backseat to other influences. Today the big influencer is the Internet. The younger you are, the more screen time you spend. All ages say they spend too much time online. It can be very addicting. Just as the Jews found themselves in a foreign culture when they were exiled to Babylon, so we are now exiles in a foreign culture influenced by the Internet. Christianity has become countercultural. We need to recognize that we are countercultural exiles and we should not succumb to today’s prevailing culture.

The Barna Group did a couple of studies that looked at 18-29 year olds, first in 2011 and then in 2019. They found three trends shaping culture. The first trend is “Access”. Via WiFi and other internet connections we can have access from just about anywhere at any time on about almost any topic. It is a great resource. Unfortunately the second trend is “Alienation”. The Internet is supposed to be a great connector and in many ways it is, but I believe this technology also isolates and promotes Individualism. It is you and your phone, or some other screen device. Have you looked in a restaurant to see how many people are on their phones and not talking to the person they are with. I find it kind of scary. The third trend is a distrust of “Authority”. Because of the Internet, you don’t need to rely on anyone. That independence alienates one from tradition and institutions, and in doing so it produces a distrust of institutions. Though Barna’s focus is on those 18-29 years old, I see these trends across all generations.

Barna says these trends have significantly impacted those 18-29 year olds who have grown up in the church. In 2011, 59% of those 18-29 year olds who had grown up in the church dropped out of any church involvement. By 2019 the number grew to 64%. Note these were children and teenagers who were there at worship and took part in youth activities, and now as adults they are gone. Many of them no longer identify themselves as Christian.

Only ten percent of those 18-29 year olds who went to church as kids are what Barna calls “Resilient Disciples”. They have a strong faith and they understand that they are countercultural exiles living in a digital Babylon. They attend a local church regularly and engage in other faith activities outside of the worship services.They trust firmly in the authority of the Bible, and they are committed to Jesus personally and affirm his death and resurrection. And they express a desire to live out their faith so that God is honored. Below is an infographic that gives more detail to what their resilience looks like.

What can we older church folk do? Note the importance of meaningful relationships. Be a friend to a teen or a young adult. We need to support each other in this culture, and use the Bible to keep the countercultural truth front and center. The Internet is a great resource but truth and falsehood are both easily found online, and there is nothing that tells one what is true. We are tossed to and fro by different ideas and concepts unless we have been grounded in the truth of Scripture. The Church provides that anchor of Jesus Christ to ground us, so we can find that needed support in a local church community. Let us be there for each other, especially those young in the Faith.

One Year of Blogging

2020

Starting A Blog – heinsite

What is love? (Christian)

Who am I? (Christian)

Oh My! (Current Events)

My View, Your View, Worldviews (Worldview)

Christian Worldview (Christian, Worldview)

Moralistic Therapeutic Deism (Spiritual, Worldview)

Worldview: Critical Theory (Worldview)

Four Acts of Love (Christian, Current Events)

Four Acts of Love in Action (Christian)

Technology Changing Society (Technology)

Authoritarian China (Current Events, Technology)

You Disclosed! (Technology)

The New 21st Century Normal (Current Events, Technology)

Happy 21st Wedding Anniversary (Gail, Paul)

The Communion Divide (Christian)

Be Kind! (Christian)

Where is the Unbiased News? (News)

Cancellation (Worldview)

Racism Today (Christian)

Facing a Changing World (Current Events)

Thankful Resilience (Christian, Thankfulness)

Individualism (Worldview)

Merry Christmas (Christian)

2021

Nationalism (Christian, Current Events, Worldview)

Cultural Christianity (Christian)

Cultural Christianity

Are most American Christians Christian in name only? Cultural Christians say they are Christian only because it is the cultural thing to do. I recently read a modern paraphrase of a 224 year old book by William Wilberforce called “Real Christianity” (paraphrased by Bob Beltz). Being Christian in name only was William Wilberforce’s concern for his fellow English Christians back then in 1797, and it is my concern today. 65% of American adults will say they are Christian but I believe that most of them say it because it is the cultural thing to do. I believe many of them believe in some variation of Moralistic Therapeutic Deism, not Christianity. Reading this book showed me that these concerns are nothing new. The problems back then are the same problems still here today.

(Note a paraphrase conveys the meaning of each sentence or paragraph and it is not a word by word “translation” but it still carefully follows the flow of ideas in the book. It was easy for me to compare passages in the original and the paraphrase. The flow of ideas tracked, and the ideas explained were the same.)

William Wilberforce was a British politician that supported many causes, but he is best known for his long campaign in Parliament to abolish of slavery in the British Empire. He was motivated by a desire to put his Christian principles into action and to serve God in public life. (A good movie on his life is Amazing Grace.) He wrote this book because he was concerned that many people in his day were not Christian, even though they said they were. They did not believe the Christian doctrines and/or understand what it was supposed to mean to call oneself Christian.

Cultural Christianity then and today has the state of humanity wrong. Cultural Christians would consider the average human to be relatively good, and not evil. The Bible says something different. We are not good. Because of our fallen nature, we are instead proud and selfish.

Real authentic Christianity recognizes our depravity and our inability to save ourselves from our own sinful nature. The good news is that God saw our plight, and Jesus came to save us from our sin. He did it by living a perfect sinless life, and he then died on a cross in payment for all our sins. After that he rose from the dead. And by the Holy Spirit we can have a life in him. That humbles us. We recognize that the grace we received was not cheap. It cost Jesus his life. That is real authentic Christianity. And as real authentic Christians, we believe those historic teachings of the Bible.

Cultural Christianity today seems to be either moralistic or therapeutic or both. A moralistic cultural Christian will say “I am a good person and I will do good deeds so that I will be good enough to make it into heaven”. They do not realize that only one sin is all it takes to keep them out. God demands perfection. They also miss out on the fact that God has already done it all for them. A therapeutic cultural Christian will hang onto the fact that they are loved by God. They will say “I need God to make me feel better”. They don’t realize that God desires to grow them and that may mean uncomfortable discipline. They miss out on the fact that God wants to be in a relationship with them and he is not a big lovable guy in the sky that is supposed to always make them feel good. In both cases those cultural Christians are centered on themselves and not on God. And that means their relationship with God is transactional and is not relational. Their Christianity is not true Christianity.

Real authentic Christians put their beliefs into practice, because what they believe is central to their life. To quote Wilberforce (via the paraphrase), they are “looking unto Jesus Christ!” And

“But to the men and women that possess authentic faith in Jesus Christ, these truths are the center of gravity toward which all life is in motion. They are the sun of their solar system! They are the origin of all that is excellent and lovely and the source of light and life.” [Italics are in the original and the paraphrase.]

As real authentic Christians, we commit to living life in the service to God and for his glory. It is important that we live out our faith, because the roles we play are crucial for the well being of society, and for the witness of our faith to others.

That is what Wilberforce in his book had to say to me. It is interesting, but not surprising, that a 224 year old book can speak to today’s situation.

PS I wonder if cultural Christians are becoming less common because today only 65% of Americans say they are Christian but in 2007 it was 78%. In 14 years the percentage of adult Christians in America has dropped 13%. That is a huge drop. Is that because some people no longer call themselves Christian? Or is it because the old, who are more likely to say they are Christian, are dying off and the new adults, the Millennials (and Gen Z), are less likely to say they are Christian? (Only 49% of Millennials say they are Christian.)

Nationalism

Recent events have me concerned about the faith of many Americans. It seems that many are worshiping Jesus AND America. That is an idol. I love my country, but my allegiance is to the King of Kings and Lord of Lords, Jesus Christ. It is not in part to a country, a political party, or a political leader. My allegiance is to Jesus Christ alone! What he says goes.

God is very clear about it. The first and foremost commandment is “You shall have no other gods before me” (Exodus 20:3). This means that the Triune God (God the Father, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit) is number one in your entire life. You are to serve and worship him. It is not the other way around. And there is no sharing of that allegiance. That is spiritual adultery. God wants all of you. Unfortunately we all fall short of that, time and time again, but God’s grace and mercy is there to lift us up, and restore us to him. But that is not an excuse. God is serious about sin! When we fail, we need to recognize that is wrong and turn again from that wrong.

My allegiance to America is predicated on the fact that Jesus tells me to obey the government. My allegiance to America is based only on and is under my allegiance to Jesus Christ. I can be involved in politics and support candidates and political parties, but my actions must come under the rule and authority of Jesus Christ. Recent events show that some Christians are ignoring God and what he says, and instead they are promoting people, political parties, and themselves to the detriment of the common good in America. In many cases it is all about power, or about using any means possible to promote their issue. That is wrong! It is not what Jesus desires.

Now people may have different ideas on how to achieve the common good, and that is okay. I believe one should go through the political process promoting their ideas in a way that Christ would approve. Ask the question, how can we come to an understanding that benefits us all? And please remember this, the end does not justify the means.

Up until now, I have named no names. I can find people in both parties who at times have been guilty of this idolatry, but what really raised my awareness was this rally called the “Jericho March” in Washington, D.C. It mixed Christianity and nationalism and even other faiths. I found reading about it scary. And now because of the rioters that attacked the Capital, I am writing this post. I believe many of the rioters have the dual worship of God and America, or of God and Donald Trump. That is idolatry, plain and simple.

So what does our allegiance to Jesus Christ look like? I am going to point you to a post by Ann Voskamp. Please read this post for she says it much better than I can. (Note she likes lots of pictures, so keep scrolling to find more text until you reach the bottom.)

And if 2020 was too much, remember as followers of Jesus we have hope. My pastor gave a short interview on the year 2020 in our local newspaper. He speaks to the hope we have in Jesus. It is all about Jesus.

Merry Christmas

2020 means Christmas will look a little different from past Christmases. We will not be able to celebrate as we have done in the past with all our traditions. We each have our own traditions and stories, but many of the traditions have developed over the centuries. How would a personal celebration of Christmas today compare with one a 100 years ago or 500 years ago, or a 1000 years ago? So many traditions have developed over the centuries that the original story of Christmas has become hidden for many people. It seems today most everybody worldwide now celebrates Christmas.

Today, Christmas is truly a secular holiday. Even atheist Richard Dawkins observes Christmas. (You can get an atheist Christmas card with a Dawkins quote wishing you a merry Christmas.) Christmas has become a holiday of giving gifts. Today there are sentiments of love, compassion, and peace connected with Christmas, but most of the time the original story of Christmas is missing. Here is a short FAQ, answering some questions you may have and revealing some of the traditions connected with the original Christmas story but are not really part of the story.

What was the original celebration of Christmas all about? The original celebration of Christmas was about the birth of Jesus Christ, Son of God, born to the Virgin Mary.

Where is the story of the birth of Jesus recorded? It is found in the Bible, in the Book of Luke, Luke 2:1-20. (Read Luke 1 for some of the back story.). And also in Matthew (Matthew 1:18 – 2:12) there is another account of Jesus’ birth.

Was Jesus born in a stable? We don’t know. The passage from Luke only says that Mary laid him in a manger. The traditional spot of Jesus’ birth is in a cave. It could also have been in a room for animals in a house, an attached “stable”.

Was Jesus born in 0 AD? No, there was no zero at the time the Anno Domini system was set up in 525 AD. So there is no 0 AD. 1 AD was when Jesus was supposed to have been born, but scholars today place Jesus’ birth at 6 BC to 4 BC. This is based on Luke 2:2.

Was Jesus born on December 25? There is no date given for the birth. Some scholars think some time during Spring would be likely. Eastern Orthodox Christians celebrate the birth of Jesus on January 6.

What about the Magi, the Three Kings, or the Three Wise Men? The Magi were members of a priestly caste of ancient Persia. They are in Matthew’s account of the birth of Jesus (Matthew 1:18 – 2:12). They are not necessarily kings or wise men.

Were there three Magi? The word Magi is plural suggesting more than one but the exact number is unknown. There were three gifts so tradition says three Magi. Note the Syriac Church tradition (and some other Eastern churches) has the number of Magi at 12.

Did the Magi and the shepherds appear together at the manager? Unknown. The shepherds hunted for a manger with a baby. The Magi followed the star to a house. To me it is likely that the Magi came later. King Herod would kill all the boys in Bethlehem, who were 2 years of age and under after the Magi failed to report back to him (Matthew 2:13-18). My guess is that Jesus was under 2 years of age when Herod slaughtered the boys of Bethlehem. He could have been about a year old, but again his age then is unknown. (Mary and Joseph may have decided that it was a good idea to stay in Bethlehem with the locals treating them well because they were the parents of the Messiah.)

Why was Jesus born? Jesus came to save us from our sins (Matthew 1:21). We are broken selfish people. Because of Jesus, we can have a restored relationship with God. Jesus paid the price on the cross for our wrongdoing and wrong thinking. He is our Savior. I believe my life is much better because of Jesus. If you recognize that you are a broken selfish person in need of God, turn to Jesus, receive his love, and place your trust in him. He will deliver you from your brokenness and set you on a path of life found only in him.

Many more entries can be added to this FAQ, but this is a good start. Read the two accounts of the birth of Jesus. See what is there and what traditions have been added to the accounts.

Individualism

America has a very individualistic culture. It has a culture where the emphasis or priority is placed on the individual instead of the group. We, Americans, are oriented around the self. Individualism sees the individual as its main focus, and values independence and self reliance. With Individualism, we don’t want society to get in the way of our goals, desires, and self expression. Individualism can be seen as another worldview.

There are several popular slogans that emphasize Individualism in society. Here are a few

Be true to yourself.
Follow your heart.
You do you.
You be you.
You need to find yourself.

Notice the ‘you’ in all of these slogans. They are saying what is most important is yourself. That means your freedom, your happiness, and how you define and express yourself is the highest good. Everything else is secondary. It is all about you. Advertisers know this. Their ads promote sayings like “you deserve it”, “you need it”, and “we will take good care of you”.

What are the beliefs of Individualism? You decide what is right for you. You are the ultimate authority. External authorities are to be considered, questioned, and/or rejected. There should be nothing that restricts your freedom or your self-expression, so you can be truly authentic. You are effectively an autonomous person. Tolerance of others is defined around accepting the identities and expressions of others. An individualist believes that if everyone did this, the world would be a better place, because humans are inherently good.

There are some good things about our individualistic society. We tend to put value on each and every person. Our Declaration of Independence says “all men are created equal”. That comes from our Christian heritage, because Christianity says each and every one of us are of very high value in the sight of God for God fully and completely loves each and every one of us.

Unfortunately, we all have this tendency to be self-centered. The worldview of Individualism promotes this self-centeredness. Many times we are willing to do whatever in order to fulfill our goals and desires. And many times our goals, our desires, and our self-expressions are not good for society as a whole or for our neighbor next door. The problem is we are not inherently good. We need boundaries. We need to have restrictions on our desires, our goals, and our self-expression, so to protect others.

Technology has made us less dependent upon each other. In general, technology supports Individualism. Many times, we do not need to interact with others. We type our own letters and emails. We purchase stuff from the comfort of our own home. We research ideas and concepts without attending a lecture or debate. Technology has made this possible, and it can be very isolating.

I think Individualism has created some of society’s problems. We are very divided as a country. We have done our own thinking and will not listen to the opposing side because we are the authority for ourselves. We do not want to be ordinary, so we find unique ways to express ourselves and define ourselves (think gender fluidity). We hide our real selves, so to craft a self we think people will like. We leave relationships because at the moment we are not feeling the “love”. We do not worry about the long term consequences of our decisions and our actions on ourselves and others, but we rather expect society to welcome our authentic self.

I think many of today’s problems boil down to the “Me First” mentality of Individualism. Because of the “Me First” mentality, Americans have lost sight of the needs of others. They will only deal with the needs of others only when it does not negatively impact themselves. God is not on the throne of their heart. They are. I believe American culture has taken the individual too far. We need to be less selfish and more concerned with being good members of society.

Thankful Resilience

In my last post I talked about being resilient in a changing world. I believe one of the best ways we have to be resilient is to be thankful to God for all of what he has given us (i.e. everything). 1 Thessalonians 5:18 says to give thanks in all circumstances, and Ephesians 5:20 says to give thanks for everything. It is not always easy to do, but I believe it is good for you, spiritually, emotionally, and physically. That thankfulness is supported by the confidence we have in God. It is the sure hope that we have.

The foundation of that hope and thankfulness starts with the fact that God loves you. He desires the best for you. He is on your side even through those tough times. He is using the circumstances of life to help shape and form you. Recognizing that, means that you can thank God for everything in all circumstances. He can take the wrong things in life and bring good out of them. In the end, he will make all things right. Note this is not optimism or positive thinking. This video talks about the word hope in the Bible. There are two Hebrew words for hope, which infer “waiting” (yakhal) and “tense expectations” (qavah). Biblical hope looks back and sees how God has faithfully acted and then looks forward and waits for God to act. It is in that looking back we can be thankful, and because of that thankful remembrance we can look forward in hope and be resilient.

It is fairly easy to be thankful for the good things that happen to you, but when you are in a tough situation it is harder to be thankful. You need to trust God and see his hand in directing you through the tough situation. Just making the effort to be thankful will help you to connect with God. Over twenty one years ago I came down with Gillian Barre. I missed 6 months of work. I was in the ICU for two weeks. It was a tough situation. Yet because of the illness, today I have a greater awareness of God’s goodness and grace. It also helped Gail and I to bond. I am thankful for that illness.

I find that I am in a better mood if I give thanks several times during the day. It reduces my stress and worry. Giving God thanks reminds me of God’s goodness and love. That allows me to trust him and to be flexible and resilient in that hope. It is a healthy attitude to have.