Debbie Downer – Devotion for 11/17/08
A few years ago there was a skit on Saturday Night Live that was called “Debbie Downer.” In these skits, there would be a gathering of family or friends who were having a great time, and then the title character would add share some horrible news which would completely bring down the whole mood, subsequently followed by the comedic “Wah-wah.” For example in one skit, Debbie was with family at a Disney World theme restaurant, and when Pluto comes and visits at their table, Debbie remarks, “Oh, hey Pluto. Boy, it must be fun to work here ... although, the biggest drawback to working at a theme park is that you must live under constant fear of deathly terrorist attacks." Pluto responds by immediately storming off, leaving the family trying to call him back to cheer him up again. “Wah-wah.”
Have you ever known a “Debbie Downer?” Sometimes there are people around us who just seem to have something negative to say, and sometimes we really just don’t want to hear the negativity. I thought about that this morning as I was reading Matthew 16:21-28. Just before this particular passage, Jesus had asked his disciples who other people said he was, and then he asked who they said he was, and Simon had answered, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”(Matt. 16:16) Jesus seemed to be thrilled with his answer, and basically said, “Simon – you Rock!” That’s really just the Adam Seate paraphrase, but Jesus did say that his name would be Peter (rock), and on that rock he would build his church. Everything seemed great – everyone seemed happy. But then verse 21 comes along – “From that time Jesus began to show His disciples that He must go to Jerusalem, and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised up on the third day.” Can’t you almost hear the “wah-wah?” As you can imagine, that’s not exactly the kind of happy, good-feelings stuff that some of them wanted to hear, so Peter took Jesus to the side and began to rebuke him, saying “God forbid it, Lord! This shall never happen to You.” In one way, I sort of feel like he was trying to tell Jesus to quit being a “Debbie Downer.” Jesus then says, “Get behind me Satan! You are a stumbling block to Me; for you are not setting your might on God’s interests, but man’s.”
We all may have known a “Debbie Downer.” Maybe it is someone who always says something that you ultimately know, but you really just didn’t want to hear it. For me it’s kind of like enjoying a piece of pizza, only to have someone mention how many calories are in that one piece. “Wah-wah.” However, as much as we don’t want to hear these types of things, sometimes I think that if we don’t hear them we might miss something. Jesus was able to go on and explain that as great as life was, there is something better. Without his rebuke of Peter we might not have learned how necessary it is for each of us to sacrifice, to take up our cross and follow Him. Next time you have a “Debbie Downer,” before we so quickly dismiss them or ignore them completely, maybe we need to recognize that it might be something we need to hear – even if we don’t want to. Wah-wah.
Debbie Downer video clip: http://media.putfile.com/SNL-Debbie-Downer-WDW
Monday, November 17, 2008
Thursday, November 13, 2008
My right hand man - Devotion for 11/13/08
My right hand man – Devotion for 11/13/08
Last month my family and I went to the North Carolina State Fair. Exciting carnival games, fried food, fried food that was then subsequently fried again – and then covered with sugar, sideshows (although some of the best were the free ones where you got to watch the natives eat some of the fried food), all the animals (no – I don’t mean the natives), and last but not least – the rides! I did not ride too many of the rides this time, but the boys had a blast. There was one particular ride that one of the boys wanted to go on, however the other did not want to ride it, and he absolutely would not ride it. Neither Jenn nor I had any real interest in riding it either. But the thing was that as bad as he wanted to ride it, he didn’t want to ride it alone.
We take great comfort in knowing that we are not alone. We want someone to be with us when we ride the scary rides, and we want someone to ride with us to the doctor. We want someone to be with us when we go to eat at a restaurant, and we want someone to be with us when we are driving in the car (if you don’t believe me, pay attention to how many people are driving alone yet are talking on the cell phone). We want to be with someone. Being with someone make the experience more complete. Being with someone makes the experience more real. Being with someone makes the experience more bearable. Being with someone makes everything more.
I referenced Psalm 16 earlier this week, but as I’ve read that Psalm each day this week, I continue to be drawn to two particular verses – verses 8-9: “I have set the Lord continually before me; Because He is at my right hand, I will not be shaken. Therefore my heart is glad and my glory rejoices; My flesh also will dwell securely.” We need to be reminded that we are not alone in any of our endeavors. We need to be reminded to “set the Lord before us.” And we need to be reminded to rejoice that we have one who desires to be our “right hand man.”
Last month my family and I went to the North Carolina State Fair. Exciting carnival games, fried food, fried food that was then subsequently fried again – and then covered with sugar, sideshows (although some of the best were the free ones where you got to watch the natives eat some of the fried food), all the animals (no – I don’t mean the natives), and last but not least – the rides! I did not ride too many of the rides this time, but the boys had a blast. There was one particular ride that one of the boys wanted to go on, however the other did not want to ride it, and he absolutely would not ride it. Neither Jenn nor I had any real interest in riding it either. But the thing was that as bad as he wanted to ride it, he didn’t want to ride it alone.
We take great comfort in knowing that we are not alone. We want someone to be with us when we ride the scary rides, and we want someone to ride with us to the doctor. We want someone to be with us when we go to eat at a restaurant, and we want someone to be with us when we are driving in the car (if you don’t believe me, pay attention to how many people are driving alone yet are talking on the cell phone). We want to be with someone. Being with someone make the experience more complete. Being with someone makes the experience more real. Being with someone makes the experience more bearable. Being with someone makes everything more.
I referenced Psalm 16 earlier this week, but as I’ve read that Psalm each day this week, I continue to be drawn to two particular verses – verses 8-9: “I have set the Lord continually before me; Because He is at my right hand, I will not be shaken. Therefore my heart is glad and my glory rejoices; My flesh also will dwell securely.” We need to be reminded that we are not alone in any of our endeavors. We need to be reminded to “set the Lord before us.” And we need to be reminded to rejoice that we have one who desires to be our “right hand man.”
Wednesday, November 12, 2008
Call on me! - Devotion for 11/12/08
Call on me! – Devotion for 11/12/08
There seems to be a natural instinct in us that when we are in a class and the teacher asks a question, almost everyone does everything they can to avoid eye contact with the teacher. I’ve seen this even when I’m teaching Bible Study, and I’m not even giving grades! We have this built in fear of embarrassment, and answering the question incorrectly in front of the whole class would be embarrassing, so we do what we can to avoid having to even try. I always had a fear that maybe I somehow misheard the question, and so if I answered the question that I thought I heard then I would be completely wrong. I eventually developed a tactic that never quite worked: I would initiate eye contact with the teacher when the teacher asked the question, and then I would suddenly glance at someone else as if that person had the answer. Yes this tactic actually worked a time or two, but not nearly enough for my liking (however, it was more than enough for the poor saps that the teacher did call on).
Christians know that we are called to share our faith with others; however we don’t always know how to do it. So sometimes we live as though we are trying to avoid being called on by God to share what we have. Truthfully, there are a lot of so-called Christians that I wish would try to avoid their sharing tactics a little bit more, as it seems they almost do more harm than good. However, this morning in my devotion time I read from Colossians 4:2-6, and I was reminded that we need to earnestly devote ourselves to prayer, and pray that “God will open up to us a door for the word, so that we may speak forth the mystery of Christ” (Colossians 4:3). We need to pray for the opportunities to be called on, and when we are, “Let your speech always be with grace, seasoned, as it were, with salt, so that you will know how you should respond to each person.”(Colossians 4:6)
There seems to be a natural instinct in us that when we are in a class and the teacher asks a question, almost everyone does everything they can to avoid eye contact with the teacher. I’ve seen this even when I’m teaching Bible Study, and I’m not even giving grades! We have this built in fear of embarrassment, and answering the question incorrectly in front of the whole class would be embarrassing, so we do what we can to avoid having to even try. I always had a fear that maybe I somehow misheard the question, and so if I answered the question that I thought I heard then I would be completely wrong. I eventually developed a tactic that never quite worked: I would initiate eye contact with the teacher when the teacher asked the question, and then I would suddenly glance at someone else as if that person had the answer. Yes this tactic actually worked a time or two, but not nearly enough for my liking (however, it was more than enough for the poor saps that the teacher did call on).
Christians know that we are called to share our faith with others; however we don’t always know how to do it. So sometimes we live as though we are trying to avoid being called on by God to share what we have. Truthfully, there are a lot of so-called Christians that I wish would try to avoid their sharing tactics a little bit more, as it seems they almost do more harm than good. However, this morning in my devotion time I read from Colossians 4:2-6, and I was reminded that we need to earnestly devote ourselves to prayer, and pray that “God will open up to us a door for the word, so that we may speak forth the mystery of Christ” (Colossians 4:3). We need to pray for the opportunities to be called on, and when we are, “Let your speech always be with grace, seasoned, as it were, with salt, so that you will know how you should respond to each person.”(Colossians 4:6)
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
What am I going to say? - Devotion for 11/11/08
What am I going to say? – Devotion for 11/11/08
Do you ever find yourself worrying about what you are going to say before you even have to say something? So many times before I have a meeting I tell myself, “I am not going to say anything other than what I have to.” I say that because I know how I am, and I have a tendency to say more than I should, or begin to get passionate about something and say something that I probably shouldn’t. So I go into a meeting just constantly reminding myself, “I’m not going to say anything – I’m going to keep quiet – I’m only going to say what I have prepared to say.” Unfortunately, that plan doesn’t always work, and I’m not sure that is always a bad thing.
This morning in my devotion time I read Luke 12:1-12, and in particular this passage Jesus is talking about hypocrisy. As the passage reminds us to live a life of integrity and not concealing who or what we actually are, verses 11-12 read, “When they bring you before the synagogues and the rulers and authorities, do not worry about how or what you are to speak in your defense, or what you are to say; for the Holy Spirit will teach you in that very hour what you ought to say.” As I read that I believe that although it is a good and safe plan to be prepared when I go into a meeting, there will be times that the Holy Spirit is truly guiding me to speak what has been laid upon my heart. Just like the passage from yesterday said regarding God instructing us in the night, He can also guide and instruct us in the day, and instead of going in with a plan to silence what He lays upon my heart, maybe I need to listen a little more closely to what He is saying.
Do you ever find yourself worrying about what you are going to say before you even have to say something? So many times before I have a meeting I tell myself, “I am not going to say anything other than what I have to.” I say that because I know how I am, and I have a tendency to say more than I should, or begin to get passionate about something and say something that I probably shouldn’t. So I go into a meeting just constantly reminding myself, “I’m not going to say anything – I’m going to keep quiet – I’m only going to say what I have prepared to say.” Unfortunately, that plan doesn’t always work, and I’m not sure that is always a bad thing.
This morning in my devotion time I read Luke 12:1-12, and in particular this passage Jesus is talking about hypocrisy. As the passage reminds us to live a life of integrity and not concealing who or what we actually are, verses 11-12 read, “When they bring you before the synagogues and the rulers and authorities, do not worry about how or what you are to speak in your defense, or what you are to say; for the Holy Spirit will teach you in that very hour what you ought to say.” As I read that I believe that although it is a good and safe plan to be prepared when I go into a meeting, there will be times that the Holy Spirit is truly guiding me to speak what has been laid upon my heart. Just like the passage from yesterday said regarding God instructing us in the night, He can also guide and instruct us in the day, and instead of going in with a plan to silence what He lays upon my heart, maybe I need to listen a little more closely to what He is saying.
Monday, November 10, 2008
Restless night - Devotion for 11/10/08
Restless night – Devotion for 11/10/08
You ever have one of those nights that you simply can’t get any rest at all? Maybe it is that you are filled with anxiety and worry over something going on in your life. Or maybe it is that you can’t sleep because you don’t feel well. Or maybe even it is that your spouse is snoring a bit much. Saturday night was one of those restless nights for me. It had nothing at all to do with worry or anxiety, because I was pretty much at peace with the world. It had nothing to do with not feeling well, because frankly I felt pretty darn good. It didn’t even have anything to do with my spouse snoring (on this occasion). No instead it had to do with constant interruptions. Somewhere around 1:00, my youngest son came in to tell me he really needed to show me something, and when I asked him what, he replied, “I don’t know, but I really gotta show you this thing.” Aaron went on to explain that it was this “thing” that did all these awesome and amazing things, and I finally in my sleepy haze began to realize that Aaron was sleepwalking-and-talking, as he has been known to do from time to time. Though I found our conversation tremendously amusing, I also was completely exhausted so I was finally able to get him back to bed. Then around 3:00, my other son came into the room telling us that he thought he was going to throw up, and so with all the love that father could manage at 3AM, I told him “Well, go to the bathroom!” Jacob did not throw up, which I was tremendously grateful for, however by the time I got him settled back down into bed, and then by the time I got settled back down into bed, our crazy dog Oscar was deciding that 3:30 was a perfect time to play! Between all of these interruptions, something kept hitting me about the message for Sunday morning, and even though I had thought previously I was going in one direction, I was beginning to see and understand something much different, which I subsequently got up and incorporated into the message. I felt this complete peace with the new message, and I actually became grateful for the middle of the night interruptions.
I thought about that experience this afternoon as I read Psalm 16. Verse 7 of that psalm reads, “I will bless the Lord who has counseled me; indeed, my mind instructs me in the night.” I think that many times God does speak to us in those long sleepless nights, and those long restless nights provide ample opportunity for God to instruct and help us to face hard facts. And though I tend to be one who gripes and complains about such restless nights, truthfully I should bless the Lord because it is those nights that I usually find clarity. Maybe when we all have those kinds of nights we need to listen a little more closely to what God is saying as He counsels and instructs us.
You ever have one of those nights that you simply can’t get any rest at all? Maybe it is that you are filled with anxiety and worry over something going on in your life. Or maybe it is that you can’t sleep because you don’t feel well. Or maybe even it is that your spouse is snoring a bit much. Saturday night was one of those restless nights for me. It had nothing at all to do with worry or anxiety, because I was pretty much at peace with the world. It had nothing to do with not feeling well, because frankly I felt pretty darn good. It didn’t even have anything to do with my spouse snoring (on this occasion). No instead it had to do with constant interruptions. Somewhere around 1:00, my youngest son came in to tell me he really needed to show me something, and when I asked him what, he replied, “I don’t know, but I really gotta show you this thing.” Aaron went on to explain that it was this “thing” that did all these awesome and amazing things, and I finally in my sleepy haze began to realize that Aaron was sleepwalking-and-talking, as he has been known to do from time to time. Though I found our conversation tremendously amusing, I also was completely exhausted so I was finally able to get him back to bed. Then around 3:00, my other son came into the room telling us that he thought he was going to throw up, and so with all the love that father could manage at 3AM, I told him “Well, go to the bathroom!” Jacob did not throw up, which I was tremendously grateful for, however by the time I got him settled back down into bed, and then by the time I got settled back down into bed, our crazy dog Oscar was deciding that 3:30 was a perfect time to play! Between all of these interruptions, something kept hitting me about the message for Sunday morning, and even though I had thought previously I was going in one direction, I was beginning to see and understand something much different, which I subsequently got up and incorporated into the message. I felt this complete peace with the new message, and I actually became grateful for the middle of the night interruptions.
I thought about that experience this afternoon as I read Psalm 16. Verse 7 of that psalm reads, “I will bless the Lord who has counseled me; indeed, my mind instructs me in the night.” I think that many times God does speak to us in those long sleepless nights, and those long restless nights provide ample opportunity for God to instruct and help us to face hard facts. And though I tend to be one who gripes and complains about such restless nights, truthfully I should bless the Lord because it is those nights that I usually find clarity. Maybe when we all have those kinds of nights we need to listen a little more closely to what God is saying as He counsels and instructs us.
Monday, November 3, 2008
Is this really working? - Devotion for 11/3/08
Is this really working? – Devotion for 11/3/08
Do you ever feel like you’re doing something and you’re not quite sure it’s working or not? Maybe you’re following an exercise and diet plan and not quite seeing the results you were hoping for. Maybe you’re taking medicine for a medical condition and you’re just not sure if it is working or not. Many times we can think of situations such as these where we are taking a certain course of action, hoping and praying to see some sort of confirmation that what we are doing is actually working, and yet we are left wondering, “Is this really working?”
I can only imagine how many times someone like Moses must have wondered if what he was doing was really working or not. As he led God’s people through the wilderness, hearing complaint after complaint, I wonder if Moses every wondered if God had him deliver the right people or not. Frustration was apparent several times in the life of Moses, as it seemed he simply wanted to see some of the fruits of his labor. That is a legitimate desire I believe, and a completely natural one, to want to get to see just some of the fruits of our labors – to have confirmed that what we are doing actually is working and making a difference.
The oldest psalm that we have is Psalm 90, and it is a prayer of Moses. In this psalm, Moses acknowledges the eternal nature of God, the frailty and sinfulness of man, and he prays for God’s grace on His people. In verse 17, Moses prays “Let the favor of the Lord our God be upon us; and confirm for us the work of our hands; Yes, confirm the work of our hands.” As Moses prayed such a prayer, let us join with him today in praying that God would confirm the work of our hands, showing us in the places of our frustration what is really working. May God reveal to each of us today what He is really doing through our work.
Do you ever feel like you’re doing something and you’re not quite sure it’s working or not? Maybe you’re following an exercise and diet plan and not quite seeing the results you were hoping for. Maybe you’re taking medicine for a medical condition and you’re just not sure if it is working or not. Many times we can think of situations such as these where we are taking a certain course of action, hoping and praying to see some sort of confirmation that what we are doing is actually working, and yet we are left wondering, “Is this really working?”
I can only imagine how many times someone like Moses must have wondered if what he was doing was really working or not. As he led God’s people through the wilderness, hearing complaint after complaint, I wonder if Moses every wondered if God had him deliver the right people or not. Frustration was apparent several times in the life of Moses, as it seemed he simply wanted to see some of the fruits of his labor. That is a legitimate desire I believe, and a completely natural one, to want to get to see just some of the fruits of our labors – to have confirmed that what we are doing actually is working and making a difference.
The oldest psalm that we have is Psalm 90, and it is a prayer of Moses. In this psalm, Moses acknowledges the eternal nature of God, the frailty and sinfulness of man, and he prays for God’s grace on His people. In verse 17, Moses prays “Let the favor of the Lord our God be upon us; and confirm for us the work of our hands; Yes, confirm the work of our hands.” As Moses prayed such a prayer, let us join with him today in praying that God would confirm the work of our hands, showing us in the places of our frustration what is really working. May God reveal to each of us today what He is really doing through our work.
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