My Dad can beat up your Dad - Devotion for 9/28/07

My Dad can beat up your Dad – Devotion for 9/28/07

“My Dad can beat up your Dad!” As a PK (Preacher’s Kid), we had another version of this: “My Dad can preach better than your Dad!” Of course, I’m sure that BK’s (no, not Burger King, but Baker’s Kids) probably had a different version: “My Dad can out-bake your Dad!” And again, I’m sure that OK’s (Optometrist’s Kids) probably had still a different version: “My Dad help people see better than your Dad!” As kids, I hope we all kinda looked up to our parents and thought in many ways that our parents were the best. We looked up to them with admiration and we were super impressed with their size, strength, and abilities. We had so much faith in them that we would easily make comments such as “My Dad can beat up your Dad,” fully believing and having all confidence that he could.

We have a God that we can have that same kind of confidence in. We have a God that time and time again has done it all – from creating a masterpiece (take a look in the mirror – you’ll see what I mean) to kicking the butt of the enemy (take a look at any of the Old Testament battles where God intervened – sometimes with just loud noise, other times with hail and fire). We can’t have too much confidence in our own actions, because comparatively speaking we are weak and unreliable. Paul reminded us as he defended his own ministry in 2 Corinthians 10 that if we boast or brag on anything, the thing we should boast in is our Dad – God. “For we do not want to baost about work already done in another man’s territory. But, ‘Let him who boasts boast in the Lord.’” (2 Corinthians 10:16b-17)

For the love of money - Devotion for 9/27/07

For the love of money – Devotion for 9/27/07

It’s funny to me that the last thing my wife and I talked about this morning before I left the house was about money, and then this morning I come into the office to do my daily Bible reading and the passage I was to read for today was about money (I think God planned that). Life was so much simpler when we were kids because back then we didn’t worry too much about money. I knew that my family didn’t have much, but I also knew we always had a meal on the table, and I always had clothes to wear. When I was young there may have been certain toys that I really wanted (like a Stretch Armstrong) and certain household things I knew would make our lives better (like a Commodore 64), but all in all I was pretty content. I didn’t worry about where my lunch money was coming from, and I didn’t worry about where my clothes were coming from. I didn’t even really care what I wore and whether it matched or not.

But then I began to get a little older. Suddenly the type of shoes that I wore became more and more important (“Can I please have the white Nike’s with the blue swoosh?”), and the shirts had to have a little alligator logo sewn on the front. The older I got the more concerned I became about money, or more importantly our lack thereof. With each year passing, money became more and more important, and the desire to acquire/earn money grew more and more. Now as an adult, money plays a prominent role every day – money for the kids lunch, money for my lunch, money for gas, money for bills. This trend is not something that is unique just to Adam Seate – this trend is extremely common. Something that as kids we didn’t worry much about eventually becomes such a big part of our life that it is the leading cause of divorce in America. Think about it – if you’re married, have you ever had an argument with your spouse about money?

The passage of scripture that I read this morning was 1 Timothy 6:1-19, and a large part of that passage regards money and what we do with it. Verses 8-10 read, “If we have food and covering, with these we shall be content. But those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a snare and many foolish and harmful desires which plunge men into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all sorts of evil, and some by longing for it have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.” Let’s find contentment in food and covering. Let’s find contentment like a child, knowing that we may not have everything we want, but we have what we need. Don’t let money cause us to wander away from our faith and cause us the pain and grief that Paul speaks of to Timothy.

Small miracles - Devotion for 9/26/07

Small miracles – Devotion for 9/26/07

One definition of the word miracle is “an extraordinary event, perceived to be the result of the direct, purposeful action of a god or the agent of a god.” (The Oxford Companion to the Bible) Every now and then we get to witness some special miracles, from the miraculous healings to the miracle of a life changed. Biblically, we can point out quite a variety of miracles, from the parting of the Red Sea for the people of Israel to cross, to the miraculous healings found in the book of Acts. We also are quite aware of the first miracle recorded in the Bible – Jesus turning water into wine at the wedding in Cana. Jesus took that ordinary water and made it into extraordinary wine.

St. Augustine felt that there are more miracles that what we normally recognize. Augustine wrote, “At the wedding that day he made wine in the six waterpots he had had filled with water; but he does the same thing every year in the vines . . . the Lord turns into wine the water that the clouds drop.” There is no God like our God, who does miraculous things each and every day. Every day I am amazed at the miracle of life when I think of the 2 boys that Jennifer and I helped bring into this world. Every day I am amazed at the miraculous beauty of the sky. Each and every day we have the opportunity to witness miracles – big and small. Let’s not overlook the small ones in an attempt to just see the big ones.

“There is no one like You among the gods, O Lord, nor are there any works like Yours. All nations whom You have made shall come and worship before You, O Lord, and they shall glorify Your name. For You are great and do wondrous deeds; You alone are God.” Psalm 86:8-10

People pleasing - Devotion for 9/25/07

People pleasing – Devotion for 9/25/07

Are you a “people pleaser”? Sometimes we become quite caught up in making everyone else happy, and in doing so, we end up making ourselves unhappy. A people pleaser will try to be what someone else wants them to be, and they are afraid of rocking the boat in certain situations. A people pleaser may find it hard to speak their own mind, finding it easier to just go along with what someone else wants. A people pleaser will just want everyone to get along, and so they also have a hard time saying “no” in situations so that they can just “keep the peace.” It is a natural tendency for us to want to be people pleasers – it begins quite early as children trying to please their parents and teachers. But at some point in our life we have to change our view of who we should attempt to please.

In Luke 12:1-21, I think Jesus is addressing “people pleasing.” He is talking about covering up things, keeping things hidden. We all have something in our lives that we keep (or try to keep) hidden from other people because we are scared what others might think of us if they knew the truth. But Jesus reminds us “there is nothing covered up that will not be revealed, and hidden that will not be known” (Luke 12:2). We are reminded by Jesus that he knows everything about us – “indeed, the very hairs of your head are all numbered” (I think I just lost #457!). He knows all about us, and he still loves us. Maybe instead of focusing on pleasing others we should focus on pleasing God. A God pleaser will try to be what God wants them to be, and the will rock the boat in certain situations if it pleases God. A God pleaser may find it hard to speak their own mind, because they instead speak from the mind of God. A God please will recognize that to have true “peace,” sometimes they will have to disagree with people and that not everyone will get along. Today, who do you want to please – God or people?

Praying the fog away - Devotion for 9/24

Praying the fog away – Devotion for 9/24/07

This morning in my devotion time, I read about the faith of an evangelist from the 1800s – George Müller. As I read this, I realized that these words would be a great word for anyone to read today. It seems that Mr. Müller was on a voyage aboard a ship that had encountered a very dense fog. Because of the severity of the situation the captain had stayed on the bridge continuously for twenty-four hours. Eventually Mr. Müller came to him and said, “Captain, I have come to tell you that I must be in Quebec on Saturday afternoon.” The captain informed him that considering the fog and the distance that getting to Quebec on Saturday would simply be impossible, to which Mr. Müller replied, “Very well, if your ship can’t take me God will find some other means of locomotion to take me. I have never broken an engagement in fifty-seven years. Let us go down to the chart room and pray.”

The two of them went down to the chart room, and the captain thought to himself, “What lunatic asylum could the man have come from? I never heard of such a thing.” The captain interjected to his determined passenger, “Mr. Müller, do you know how dense this fog is?”

“No,” he replied, “my eye is not on the density of the fog, but on the living God, who controls every circumstance in my life.” Mr. Müller then got down on his knees and prayed a simple prayer, a prayer that the captain though would be suitable for an 8 year old child. When he had finished praying, the captain was beginning to pray, but Müller put his hand on the shoulder of the captain and told him not to pray.

“Firstly, because you do not believe God will, and secondly, I believe that God has, and there is no need whatever for you to prayer about it.” Astonished, the captain just looked at him as Müller continued, “Captain, I have known my Lord for fifty-seven years, and there has never been a single day that I have failed to get an audience with the King. Get up and open the door, and you will find that the fog is gone.”

Indeed, when the two exited the chart room they both saw that the fog was indeed gone, and George Müller was in Quebec Saturday afternoon for his engagement.

Today, let us go to God with that same faith.

This story can be found in greater detail in I Will Lift Up Mine Eyes, by Glenn Clark.

Solving the mystery - Devotion for 9/20/07

Solving the mystery – Devotion for 9/20/07

Prior to serving Trinity, I had been appointed to serve a wonderful charge located near Spivey’s Corner, NC (Home of the National Hollerin’ Contest). The parsonage that we lived in was more than adequate, and the yard was tremendous (I was told it was just over an acre – whatever that means). When I went out to the storage building to look for the riding lawn mower, I threw open the door only to find a push mower. I quickly assumed that meant that they must have sent out the riding mower to have it serviced for the new preacher, because with a yard that large I was sure they had a riding mower for the preacher to use. It didn’t take too long for me to find out that I was wrong (imagine that), and that the only mower they had was that push mower, and I was told “Frank didn’t have any trouble with it.” Frank, you see, was the pastor who had just retired from the charge I was now appointed to, and there was no way I was going to complain if the previous old preacher didn’t complain.

Days went by and I held off on mowing the grass. Days went by and the grass kept growing. Since we lived on the same road as the church, and since everyone in the church drove past the parsonage at least once a day, eventually a member or two (or three) commented to let me know that it was acceptable for me to mow the yard. Finally a Saturday came, and my family was invited to a birthday party being held at a member’s swimming pool – and this member lived just about a half-mile down the road from us. As we were enjoying the fellowship out in the pool on that hot July Saturday, I knew that if the yard was going to get mowed, I had better get back home and get to it. So I left my family to enjoy the rest of the party and I went back home, changed clothes, and got out there to get started. After several minutes of pulling on the cord trying to get that darn thing started, it finally puffed to life. I went around to get started in the front yard, and I trekked along the front edge of the yard, and I soon learned just how big our yard was. After I had done just a few rows, I was already exhausted from the heat, the humidity, and the fact that the grass was kinda sorta high. Add in the fact that each row that I mowed was about a quarter mile long (or so it seemed). I was barely half way through the front yard and I already felt like I was about to give in. As I turned back to start another row something mysterious in the distance down the road caught my eye. It appeared to be something that looked like it was burning way down the road. I looked at whatever it was until I completed that row, and then I had to turn my back to it as I headed back in the opposite direction. When I turned around again I could see that whatever it was, it was moving closer to me, and now I could discern that it did not appear to be on fire, but instead it seemed to be casting a cloud of dirt. Finally I finished that row and had to head back in the other direction again, but now I was becoming more and more energized as I was extremely curious as to what this mystery was that I was seeing. I turned back and now I could make out just what it was coming down the road – it was a riding lawn mower! I was disgusted, saying to myself, “Here I am out in this hot sun sweating my tail off, and someone has the audacity to be using their riding lawn mower as transportation.” Man, I was ticked. Appalled, I finished that row and turned back around to head the other way, but when I turned back around again I only became more angered – it was a member of my church riding on that lawn mower on the side of the highway in the middle of July on the hottest day of the year! Man, I started thinking of all kinds of sermons I was going to preach to them on the need to better stewardship, stronger giving, and using more wisdom when I realized that the member on the mower was actually turning into my yard. I cut off my mower and approached, and she just waved and headed towards the backyard to begin mowing back there. By this time I actually needed a break from the heat, but there was no way I was going to let a woman finish mowing my yard with me sipping on some lemon-aid, so I kept on mowing (that’s the male ego for you). Soon we were finished, and this kind, gentle, wonderful spirited woman returned to her home about ¾ of mile down the road.

All along I new there was something coming down the road, but I just didn’t understand it. When I did recognize what it was, I became angry and still misunderstood what it truly meant for me. When I finally comprehended what it was that was being done, I was humbled and grateful for receiving such a gift. Sometimes in life we go through mysteries that we don’t yet understand. We know something is there, but we don’t fully comprehend what it means for us. Paul alludes to such in Ephesians 3, where he talks about how the Gentiles and the Jews were equal heirs in the one body of Christ. It was always known to the Jews that the Gentiles would be blessed, for this was predicted several times in the Old Testament. But now God has fully revealed that the Gentiles would be blessed, and not just blessed, but made equal to the Jews in the body of Christ. What had previously been a mystery to so many had now become clear. What had been a struggle for so many had now become a blessing.

We may find ourselves right now in the midst of a struggle, and maybe we know something is coming down the road but we’re just not sure what it is. Before it finally gets there we may have to go through the hardships of the struggle. Before the clarity of the situation finally arrives we may go through the anger. But know this – the mystery will be solved. God is coming to you in a special way. Keep on mowing – He’ll get there soon.

Play smart - Devotion for 9/19/07

Play smart – Devotion for 9/19/07

Once again this year I am coaching my sons in soccer. Coaching the kids is really something that I enjoy, and I am personally grateful for the opportunity to be able to be involved in the community. One of the things that I try to stress to the kids is an understanding of their position, and if they understand their position and where they are supposed to be when something is happening, they will be excellent soccer players. The problem is that some kids don’t want to play a position – they just want to run all over the field, and some are actually good enough to do that. But the problem with running all over the field trying to do everything is they become worn out, and soon they aren’t able to help the team at all. I try to teach them that a smart soccer player stays at home in their area they are responsible for, and the smart soccer player is usually the better soccer player. They demonstrate how smart they are by not doing the things such as running everywhere, trying to make every play all by themselves.

In the letter of James, at one point in chapter 3 he is talking about true wisdom. “Who among you is wise and understanding? Let him show by his good behavior his deeds in the gentleness of wisdom.”(James 3:13) Like the soccer players, God has given us certainly responsibilities that we are to live up, but many times we try to play by our own rules. When we deviate from the plan that God has established for us, we really just ending up running around in futility, wearing ourselves down and out. Today, consider what is the plan God has laid out for you. Are you living within the confines of his law (Love your neighbor and love God)? Are you living responsibly within the context of the team (the church)? If not, let’s start to play smart.

"How do I do this?" - Devotion for 9/18/07

“How do I do this?” – Devotion for 9/18/07

I know I’m modest, but I have to admit that my two sons are absolutely brilliant. I could brag about how smart they are, but I really don’t need to – after all, what else would you expect from my own offspring? (Just in case you didn’t know, there was just a little bit of sarcasm there.) All of that being said, homework time becomes quite a bit of a stressful time. They come home from school and first they want a snack. Then they want to pet the cats and the dog. Then they want to fight – well, I don’t know if that’s what they want to do – it’s just usually what happens. Finally they get settled down to open up their folders and books to begin working on their assignments. Before long, the boys will begin to seek out the assistance of whoever is home and available at the time – “Mooooommmmm, I need heeelllllp” (in a very whiny little tone). “Daaaa-ad, I don’t get thissssssss.” They bring the problem to us, or beg us to come to them, and as almost every time it really is something they already know how to do. I don’t have to do much other than clarify what is actually being asked and then they realize, “Oh – I know how to do that.” So it seems that we play this game going back and forth, with them asking for help when it really is something that they don’t need help on – they’ve just gotten side-tracked on other things and they have overlooked what is really being asked.

Sometimes that’s the way our lives get. Sometimes we overwhelmed by all the activities and stressors in our life that when we hit a little problem, we think that we are in a crisis. Many times when we turn to God in the midst of those “crises” and we seek His help, God has already provided us with the knowledge of how to handle them. We already know the answers, but we just seem to be having a difficult time sorting them out in the right order. I love that when God asked Solomon, “Ask what you wish me to give you,” that all that Solomon asked for was “an understanding heart to judge Your people to discern between good and evil.” (1 Kings 3:5, 9) Solomon wanted God’s wisdom to help him sort out all the answers to the problems that would arise. He knew that the answers would already be there – God’s wisdom would help him put them in order. Today, as we face those problems and issues that arise, and as we begin to cry out for help, recognize that God has probably already presented the solution to you. We’ve just got to seek His wisdom to recognize how it is to be done.

Despising wisdom - Devotion for 9/17/07

Despising wisdom – Devotion for 9/17/07

Sometimes I can’t stand it when someone gives me advice. The reason is sometimes that advice flies completely in the face of what I want to do, but somehow what they are telling me makes sense. Deep down I know what they have told me to do is the right thing to do, but I just don’t want to do it, because I have my heart set on something else . . . plus I still hold out that I’m right. I recall many times going through this sort of thing with my father. Many times he would give me his opinion on something, and that opinion would not agree with my opinion on something. Dad would just say, “Trust me on this, Son. I know what I’m talking about.” However, I just wouldn’t want to listen. And almost every time I later discovered that I should have listened to him. So why is it that sometimes we despise wisdom? Why is it that we still want to hold fast to our ideas even when someone presents a wiser idea?

In Ecclesiastes 9:13-18 we read about wisdom. The passage references a small city that a great king came and surrounded with his men and large siegeworks. Inside the city was a poor but wise man, and this poor wise man delivered the city by his wisdom. Somehow, according to the passage, even though he delivered the city, “wisdom of the poor man is despised and his words are not heeded” (Ecclesiastes 9:16b). So we have the proverb, “Wisdom is better than strength” from Ecclesiastes 9:16a (sounds kinda like a fortune cookie, doesn’t it?).

I think that a majority of the time when we hear true wisdom we know it, yet we will still resist it. I see it in my sons, who want to argue with me even when I know I am giving them good advice. I see it in myself, when I still get those words of wisdom from my father that I have to learn the hard way that he was right. Today, if you hear those words that you want to despise and defy, recognize that God is the giver of wisdom, and those words we despise and oppose may have come from God.

Filing taxes - Devotion for 9/13/07

Filing taxes – Devotion for 9/13/07

I hate doing my taxes. For years I did our tax returns by using the some of the computer software you can buy, but it always something I despise. I always get nervous putting in all the figures, hoping that I am doing everything right. Being a minister, there are certain things that makes filing our taxes a little more complicated, because in some respects we are considered self-employed, and in others, employed. So this year we did something different. This past year Jennifer and two others formed a new law firm, and since she is now self-employed, we felt it would be safest for us to use an accountant to do our taxes. The whole concept of turning everything over to the CPA to do for us is magnificent! No worries at all – we just turn over all our paper work and records, the CPA computes all the relevant data, finds savings for us, and completes the job. After using the CPA this year, it really made me wonder why it took us so long to use one. If we had gone to one a long time ago, I wouldn’t have had to have that time of frustration and worry as I attempted to file the taxes by myself. It’s a great thing to just turn it over to him and not have to worry any longer about it I got it right or not.

“For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast.”(Ephesians 2:8-9) Thank God that in life we don’t have to worry about doing everything to save ourselves. Goodness knows I’ve made so many mistakes in my life. Any audit of my life that God could do would certainly find me guilty. That’s why I’ve turned it over to Him. Because I know through faith that God’s grace is sufficient for me, and I know that it is sufficient for you. Don’t stress over the mistakes we make. Just keep God informed so that they can be corrected. Turn it all over to Him.

Waiting to be unstuck - Devotion for 9/12/07

Waiting to be unstuck – Devotion for 9/12/07

One time when I was young, my Aunt Cordy came to Wilmington to visit for a few days. One particular day when she was at our house all alone, and she had to go out into the garage to get something. When she pulled the door closed, and she suddenly realized that she had just closed a locked door, and she was now locked out of the house. But fortunately for her, she wasn’t all alone – our pet Golden Retriever Rusty was in the garage with her. That is, he was in the garage with her until she mistakenly hit the button to open the garage door, and then Rusty took off running. The very unfortunate thing for Aunt Cordy was that she was only wearing her nightgown and bathrobe. She called out to Rusty to try to get him to come back, but he was gone, and dressed as she was, she wasn’t about to go running off chasing after him. She was stuck, and desperate for someone to come home with a key who could get her unstuck.

You and I have all had some kind of situation that we have been stuck in needing help from someone. Maybe it was embarrassing, or maybe it was desperate, we all know what it is like to feel trapped in a situation. In Psalm 25, David knows what if felt like to be stuck. “My eyes are continually toward the Lord, For He will pluck my feet out of the net (Psalm 25:15). David certainly had to feel as if he was stuck in net on several occasions:

• Stuck in the net of the sin of adultery, murder, and the consequences
• Stuck in the net of oppression as he is hunted by Saul
• Stuck in the net of sorrow of his own children’s actions

David had plenty of nets to be stuck in. And although he may not have always made the right decisions which led to him sometimes getting stuck in the net, he sure knew what to do when he got there. He called out to God, and waited for the Lord. Are you waiting to be unstuck from some sort of net of trouble right now? “My eyes are continually toward the Lord, For He will pluck my feet out of the net.”

Tuned in - Devotion for 9/11/07

Tuned in – Devotion for 9/11/07

Have you ever noticed how good you are at tuning something out? Maybe it’s the sound of planes constantly flying overhead, or the sound of cars incessantly driving past your house – whatever it is, we have an amazing ability to selectively tune out some of the things we don’t want to hear. For example, as a kid when I would be sitting in front of the TV furiously playing Pitfall on the Atari, I developed the skill of tuning out the voice of my mother when she would tell me I needed to turn off the game. Amazingly enough, my sons must have inherited the same ability.

Today I give thanks that God is incapable of tuning us out. God loves us so much that He tunes in for every word of every prayer that we ever utter. In the mysterious ways of God, He is intimately tuned in to us, and God is eager to listen to us. This morning I read Psalm 141, and I was struck by the first verse: “O Lord, I call upon You; hasten to me! Give ear to my voice when I call to You!” I think all the exclamation points really made me pay attention. David was really emphasizing his need for God to tune in to him at that moment, and I know that we all can relate to those times. There are those moments when we are really in need of God hearing our prayers, and we feel that same desperation that David did. The good news is that we don’t have to try to get God’s attention. He is always tuned in.

After forgiveness - Devotion for 9/10/07

After forgiveness – Devotion for 9/10/07

Have you ever had an argument with someone you really care about – say a wife/husband, boyfriend/girlfriend, or even one of your parents? Obviously we all have, and at some point in time, hopefully, there is reconciliation. The two of you come together once again, and apologies are reciprocated back and forth, and then what? To me the time following forgiveness can be an awkward time. You’ve gone straight from being angry to being sorry to being . . . well, it’s just hard to describe. You’re kinda glad that the argument is over, but you’re still kinda stinging about some of the things that we said. You’re kinda glad that the apology was rendered, but you’re still wondering if this argument is going to come up again. So what do you do after forgiveness?

In John 5:1-15, Jesus comes upon a man who has been sick for 38 years, and he is unable to help himself. Jesus asks him if he “wishes” to get well, and the man begins to explain that he wants to get well, but he can’t get himself into the pool of water (there was a belief that at this particular pool of water, when it was stirred by “a spirit,” then the first person in the water would receive healing). So Jesus simply tells him, “Get up, pick up your pallet and walk” (John 5:8). Sure enough, the dude is healed, and so he gets up, and before you know if he’s getting blasted by some of the Jews because he’s carrying his pallet on a Sabbath, which was obviously work, and obviously a violation of the Sabbath. The dude passes it off on Jesus – “that dude made me do it” (Adam Seate paraphrase). Jesus found the guy in a short while in the temple and said to him, “Behold, you have become well; do not sin anymore, so that nothing worse may befall you” (John 5:14).

It’s safe to assume that the dude that was healed was in the temple to worship, which is a pretty cool thing to do after having been healed. But Jesus knew there was something else there, something else that needed to be said. This dude must have had something going on to make Jesus seek him out again and give him the little subtle reminder not to sin again. Now, I don’t think that Jesus was expecting perfection out of our newly-walking fellow. But I’m guessing that Jesus knew something deep, dark about this guy, and Jesus wanted him to know he had been forgiven, but he better not going back to his sinning ways. The guy might have been sort of in that awkward after-forgiveness moment. Harry Emerson Fosdick says in The Manhood of the Master, “Only by a stronger passion can evil passions be expelled.” So as the forgiveness has been granted, meaning that the sin or misdeed has been erased, it must be replaced with something positive, something good – a “stronger passion.”

After forgiveness has been established – after reconciliation has taken place – replace those hard feelings from the argument, those guilty feelings from the apology, and those awkward feelings after forgiveness, with something new – a new stronger passion. Embrace the forgiveness and give thanks to God for the reconciliation.

The Golden Rule - Devotion for 9/6/07

The Golden Rule – Devotion for 9/6/07

Have you ever noticed that there is no promise or guarantee associated with what is known as the “Golden Rule” – “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.”? That sounds great and all, but like I said, there is no promise or guarantee that just because you treat them the way you would want to be treated that they are going to do it. So what makes this rule so “golden”? Yes, I know that by living up to it we are storing up treasures in heaven, and no I don’t mean to demean that – but as far as life on earth goes, sometimes it is really, really difficult to treat others the way I would want (and expect) to be treated. So who came up with the idea that this particular bit of wisdom would be called the “Golden Rule”? And why does virtually everyone know this particular rule, but so few live up to it?

I think the idea to call it the “golden rule” derived from the element of gold (Au for all you science geeks). Gold, as you know, is a precious metal and it is precious because it is rare and has high economic value. It’s high economic value comes from how difficult it is to find, and once found, all the different ways it can be used. Gold is usually found as a nugget or vein in the midst of rock. To obtain pure gold, many times one has to mine down into hard rock, and once a vein has been found, it then has to be chipped out, separated, and purified – quite an extensive process. Sometimes people can luck out and find gold in the bottom of a river where the water has naturally eroded away the rock and left pieces of gold – but to find said gold is like finding a needle in a haystack. I think the level of difficulty of acquiring this precious metal sheds some light on the level of difficulty of living up to the “golden rule.”

It is not supposed to be easy to “treat others the same way you want them to treat you” (Luke 6:31). I don’t think it is supposed to be easy. There is no guarantee that just because you are kind to your enemy that your enemy will be kind to you. I’m a dog lover, and at one point in my life I dealt with a lot of dogs as I worked for the electric company, and part of my job was to go to houses and cut off the power if they had not paid their bill. I dealt will all kinds of dogs in my job, and I learned that most dogs, even the meanest ones, if you treated them kindly that they would befriend you. One day I was to cut off the lights at a house the had a fence around it, and inside the fence was a large, mean Doberman Pinscher. Although the dog was barking and growling furiously at me, I began to try to talk to him through the fence. I got him calmed down enough, so I reached over to let him smell my hand, and he did, so it seemed like we were on good terms. Suddenly that dog turned and clamped down onto my hand, and now I was the one howling. So I punched him with my other hand. I didn’t have a problem with the dog after that, and I was able to do my job, but I was angry at myself for even trying to be nice to that dog. My coworkers would have just sprayed the dog with our “dog mace” and gone in to do the job, but I wanted to show kindness. And because I had been bitten, I became bitter – not at the dog, because the dog was only trying to protect his territory. I became bitter at myself for trying to live up to that “golden rule.” If you try to live up to the “golden rule,” it will get hard, and you can become bitter, because you will get bitten. But just because we get bitten doesn’t mean we should continue to try. “Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful” (Luke 6:36).

What's the combination? - Devotion for 9/5/07

What’s the combination? – Devotion for 9/5/07

Jacob and Aaron have been riding their bikes to school each day, and because they were unable to do the bike locks that I had for the, that meant that I rode my bike to their school each day. So, I decided to get them each a new bike lock – one that they can easily do for themselves. It is a simple combination lock, and it came preset with certain numbers that they would need to memorize to be able to unlock the chain. In telling them about the lock and combination, I explained to them why it was important for them to memorize the combination and not tell it to anyone else. “Because if you are the only one who knows the combination, you are the only one who will be able to open up the lock.” I told them that other people could come up and claim that the bike was theirs, but if they didn’t know the combination to the lock, it would be easy to tell that they weren’t telling the truth.

2 John 2:3 states, “By this we know that we have come to know Him, if we keep His commandments.” This epistle goes on to explain that when someone claims to know God, but doesn’t keep God’s commandments, it is obvious that that person is a liar. As it states in verse 8: “The one who says he is in the Light and yet hates his brother is in the darkness until now.” The right combination to truly demonstrating that we are children of God is to live according to His word, and to live out that word through our love and forgiveness of others. Recognize that “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God”(Romans 3:23). But God calls us to live a life that shows the right combination of things that proves we belong to Him.

Facing forgiveness - Devotion for 9/4/07

Facing forgiveness – Devotion for 9/4/07

As a child, I found myself in mischief from time to time (yes, only when I was a child – not when I was a teen, young adult, or even now at 36 . . . ok, maybe just a little mischief). Whether it was getting into a little trouble at school or breaking (accidentally) some of my mom’s china, I’m not sure what I feared the most – the punishment I would receive, or the forgiveness. See sometimes the punishment wouldn’t be that bad, and while being punished I could find some way to direct my anger at the punisher instead of myself for doing whatever it was that I was being punished for. Somehow as I would be sitting in detention writing sentences (and sentences and sentences), I could transfer my shame and sorrow for what I had done into anger at my teacher for making me write “I will not throw spit balls in class” 500 times (or more). So, in some ways, sometimes punishment was welcome, because in receiving punishment I didn’t have to fully accept for myself what I had actually done.

But forgiveness – now that was something completely different. Forgiveness was something to be feared, because in receiving forgiveness I would fully understand what I had done, and that I was being let off the hook. Sometimes forgiveness accompanied the punishment that I still had to incur, and that was even worse because then I had to endure the punishment (such as sentences, spankings, or sitting out recess), yet knowing that I had been forgiven I had to own up to what I had actually done.

Listen to a couple of verses from Psalm 130 – “If You, Lord, should mark iniquities, O Lord, who could stand? But there is forgiveness with You, that You may be feared” (Psalm 130:3-4) It was difficult for me to relate “forgiveness” and “fear” that the author speaks of here until I really began to think about what forgiveness really means. To me, it really means that my “iniquities” and sins are washed away, and as I understand it in relation to Jesus Christ, He endures the punishment that was intended for me. That kind of love is something to revere, something to almost fear. I take that back – that kind of love isn’t something to fear, but the true understanding of all of our sins being forgiven is something to fear – because when we recognize how much we have been forgiven, we will recognize how much we are loved. Today, let us face forgiveness together, no matter what we have done.