When does perseverance stop and futility begin?

If I pull up on my boot straps long enough, and hard enough, will I eventually rise?

Doesn't it make sense to evaluate my methods based solely on my success or my failure? Does my inability to achieve a desired result make my choice of methods futile, or does it just mean that I simply didn’t try hard enough or stick with it long enough?

I know that patience, perseverance and determination are all good Christian virtues. But, what if I am being patient and persevering in the wrong way? For example; when it comes to my lifelong battle with my ever growing waist line, I have yet to find a method that yields any favorable long term results. My wife tells me that it is because I simply lack the perseverance and determination that I need to succeed. I am convinced of course that I just have not found the correct method yet. I know that I could really be determined and demonstrate great perseverance with a plan that worked. The trouble is, no plan will work unless I am determined and persevere. I’m doomed!

Then again, perhaps the only reason that I can’t fly is because I am simply not flapping my arms fast enough. I will just have to try harder.

Losing My Religion

Solomon said it best in Ecclesiastes 1:18, “For with much wisdom comes much sorrow; the more knowledge, the more grief.”

Toby Keith, (The country singer) said it this way; “I wish I didn’t know now what I didn’t know then.”

I long for the days when religion was simple. I still remember the comfort of having a simple childlike trusting faith that accepted without question and believed without logic. Life was so much easier when I truly believed that my church was the only church.

But, somewhere along the way I asked too many questions. I took passages like Acts 17:11 too literally. In my searching I accidentally discovered that some of the things I had been taught over the years were not necessarily correct – others were absolutely incorrect. That is really not an earth shattering discovery for most folks. Most folks would just learn from their misconceptions, adjust their course, and move on. But consider this; I was taught to believe that my church was the one and only “true church” by virtue of the fact we were the only ones left on earth who believed, understood, taught, and practiced everything correctly according to God’s will.. Other religious denominations did not qualify for true church-hood because they were not as correct as we were. So, in my mind incorrectness, however so slight, meant a fall from grace.

At first these questions were just a small chink in the armor of my religion.
I learned quickly that some questions were deemed inappropriate and out-of-bounds. Such questions simply had no place in a serious Bible class. To question was to sow discord. To disagree was to disrespect. So I kept quiet. I kept my questions to myself.

It’s a long boring story, so I will spare you the details. But, over time the religion of my youth grew less and less magical. Its importance slowly began to fade. What had once seemed so vital and so invincible now seemed somehow shallow and orchestrated.

The good news is that while I was busy doubting and losing my religion, God was busy working in the real world of my everyday life in undeniable ways. As my religion faded my faith grew. God has never been more real to me. I am still in awe. When it comes to God, I still enjoy the comfort of having a simple childlike trusting faith that accepts without question and believes without logic. He taught me that I don’t have to understand and I don’t have to know all of the answers. He just wants me to be still and know that he is God.

Am I saying then that religion is not important? Yes, I guess I am. Especially if your religion (like mine was) is the sole focus of your faith.

The Bucket List

"We live - We Die, and the wheels on the bus go round and round.."
Jack Nicholson, The Bucket List.

I haven't seen the movie yet, but it's on the top of my to-do list for the month of January.
Some day when I get braver, and when I get some time, I will share my "Bucket List" with you.
It includes a lot of crazy things like: Playing guitar in a tight little jazz combo in some swanky night club, and running in a real marathon - all pretty far out, crazy goals - I know..
But, as I was looking back, I realized that the "List" of things that I have already done is far crazier than my "List" that continues to go undone.

I have tubed down a river in the rain forest of Central America.
I have snorkeled in the Great Barrier Reef.
I went back to school after 25 years and earned a nursing degree
I have raise (helped raise) 5 children
I have been happily married to my High School sweetheart for 32+ years

However, before you accuse me of bragging, I must admit - I consider them all blessings and not acomplishments. They were not because I was so smart, they were all because I am so blessed.

Do you have a list? I would love to hear about it.

Broken God Moments

In my last article I may have left the false impression that I believe the life of a true believer is always supposed to be good, and fair, and pleasant. The sad truth is that life, even for true believers, is not always so pretty. As a matter of fact, it can get very ugly - and be very cruel.

High School graduation is just around the corner. It should be a happy occasion for parents and students alike. But this year, at the Columbia Academy ceremony, there will be an empty chair. And for some, it won’t be happy at all. One split second mistake on a busy highway two years ago and a beautiful, talented, and loving young Christian girl was taken away never to return. She was an only child.

Then there is the lovely young Christian woman who is raising two daughters all alone because her husband was tragically taken away in much the same way. And as if that pain were not enough, now her extended family is rejecting and ostracizing her just for having an opinion and a mind of her own.

I could go on, but I don’t need to. I am sure that you all know tragic stories just like these. So, what do you do with God Moments like that? Well, two things:

First, be in awe. God has promised to never allow anyone to be tempted beyond what they are able to bear. That means that if God is true to his word, (and I believe with all of my heart that he is) then the people left behind in the two stories above are true giants - heroes of faith that the rest of us are not worthy of. I don’t pretend to know their hearts their thoughts or their feelings, but as far as I know, their faith and their devotion to God have never wavered.

Second, did you ever notice what Jesus said in Luke 13:1-9 when he was asked the question, “Why do bad things happen to good people?” He started talking about manure of all things! (Dung in the KJV, just fertilizer in the NIV) He was basically saying that God allows random tragedies to happen to some simply to motivate and fertilize the rest of us. These tragedies remind the rest of us just how fragile and fleeting life really is. They remind us of the real purpose of our existence. They help the rest of us get our lives and our priorities straight.

Wednesday Night Bible Class

This week in our Wednesday night Bible class we talked about I Peter 3:15. You know the passage that says; “Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give a reason for the hope that you have…”

I was always taught that this passage was telling me to always be ready to argue – always be prepared to win a debate as to why my church is right and your church is wrong. It is another sad example of something that I must now add to my ever growing list of “Things that I was taught and believed incorrectly”.

Peter is not telling us to argue or defend. This passage has nothing to do with debate. It is simply about sharing your own personal story. Peter is telling us is to always be ready and willing to tell our God stories – what God has done for us – how Jesus has changed our lives. God wants us to enthusiastically tell others about our encounters with him. It is all about that dreaded “Baptist word” that I was always taught had no place in the real church. The word is testifying.

True believers know that there is no such thing as luck, coincidence, or chance. God is in control - even when we don’t want him to be – even when we don’t recognize it – even when we don’t acknowledge it. He is the conductor and we are his orchestra. He wants others to hear the music that he makes through us.

So, be on the lookout for your God moments. When you discover one, tell someone about it. It will bless you both.

Proverbs 3:5-6 Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.

The Conversation

I had an interesting talk with an older gentleman the other day. This gentleman was very opinionated and spoke very harshly about the “State of the church” today. He claimed that a terrible evil had infiltrated the church. This evil that he was referring to was what he called “The Contemporary Movement”. He called the leaders of this movement “religious terrorist” – “wolves in sheep’s clothing”. He boldly proclaimed that these contemporary leaders were “rolling Hell right through the front door of the church”.

Just to give you a little of the flavor of the conversation, here is a direct quote:
(He gave me a printed copy of his thoughts)

Hell is rolling in the front door of the contemporary churches, demons are climbing through the windows, and the Devil is standing on the podium laughing with glee. These so called churches have become cesspools of sin and they are leading precious souls into the very jaws of hell.

Usually I would not find such a conversation interesting at all. Usually I would have very little tolerance for this type of venom. But, I was sort of a captive audience. So I listened with all the respect and patience I could muster. Apparently what had this fellow so fired up was his fear of change – any change. There wasn’t really any Biblical backing or support for his complaints, but to him, because church did not look or feel the way it used to, it must surely be evil. The old style churches that made him feel comfortable were dying, and the contemporary ones that he despised were growing. He bemoaned the fact that some popular preachers today were wearing flip-flops and Tee-shirts; they were preaching entertaining sermons and using upbeat contemporary singing in their services. (Apparently sermons and songs have to be boring and dull to be scriptural)

I did not argue with him. I did not try to point out the obvious inconsistencies that I saw in his line of reasoning. I simply told him that I knew a lot of good people who would agree with him. And I really thought what I told him was true. I do know a lot (a whole lot) of people who would absolutely agree with him. In fact, they would agree with him wholeheartedly - that is until they heard the rest of the story….

There were two things that made this conversation so interesting. First was the fact that this old gentlemen had been a preacher for over fifty years. The second thing was the odd fact that he was not a Church of Christ preacher. He was a Southern Baptist preacher.

So, maybe I don’t know anyone who would agree with him after all.

I wonder which is worse; a conservative Southern Baptist, or a contemporary member of the Church of Christ?

Deep Thinking

Here are some profound things that I know to be true:

1. Eating too much makes you fat.
2. Sitting around too much makes you lazy.
3. Spending too much money makes you poor.
4. Reading books makes you wiser
5. Watching TV makes you an idiot.
6. If you re not growing and improving, then you are decaying and dieing.
7. Knowing these truths is not the same as acting on them. (Knowledge without
action is worthless)
8. I am responsible. (I have no one left to blame)

So, in 2008, if the Good Lord allows, I am going to strive to act on these simple truths.
I will let you know how I do.