The Search

I have often found myself reflecting on the tension between the role of human choice and the need to simply submit to God's choice. While these two seem to be contradictory, both are needed in our walk with God. In theology, the classic debate is between Augustine and Pelagius or between Calvin and Arminius. To this day, it's seems much easier to simply retain the debate (and throw stones at the other side) than it is to try to see the need for both emphases. For example, Calvin clearly taught that God's choice to save us is prior to our choice, that we would have no choice if God did not choose first. Some then took his teaching to an extreme and concluded that human beings are merely passive recipients of God's grace. Arminius objected and tried to define (withine the context of Dutch Calvinism) a role for faith as the human response to God's choice. For those who love to debate (and prove how smart they are), it still seems unlikely that these two positions can be reconciled. I contend that, in light of Scripture, both positions are right.

There's no question that "the search" begins with God seeking us. God promised through the prophet that he would take the initiative to search for his lost sheep (Ezekiel 34:11). Jesus defined his mission as "seeking" and "saving" the "lost" (Luke 19:10). There would be no plan to redeem and restore humankind apart from God's initiative. Those who claim that humans can initiate their own salvaton with an act of will do not see the clear pattern of Scripture - God has sought us out and as a result, we have been given the opportunity to respond to his initiative in our lives. 

In fact, I'm struck by the fact that God highly values our "search." Somehow we not only have the opportunity to respond to God, the extent to which we respond with passion and diligence is important. We are not only to respond in some passive, "hopeful" way, but with all our hearts, a search that reflects a profoundly deep hunger and thirst for God and his righteous rule. (Pascal's "Wager" is not enough.)

In the early days of God's relationship with Israel God promised, "if from there you seek the Lord your God, you will find him if you see him with all your heart and with all your soul" (Deuteronomy 4:29). It's not that God is playing some kind of "hide and go seek" game with his people; God just wants to see the heart of the human seeking after God. Are they just being superficially religious, or do they really want to know God? 

David, a man after God's own heart, clearly proclaimed his passion. "You, God, are my God, earnestly I seek you; I thirst for you, my whole being longs for you" (Psalm 63:1). On the other hand, some are not truly dedicated to the search. "In his pride the wicked man does not seek him; in all this thoughts there is no room for God" (Psalm 10:4). The wisdom of Solomon provides important life lessons for those who truly want to know God. Concerning a desire for wisdom we read, "If you call out for insight and cry aloud for understanding, and if you look for it as for silver and search for it as for hidden treasure, then you will understand the fear of the Lord and find the knowledge of God" (Proverbs 2:3-5). Later words are put in the mouth of wisdom personified: "I love those who love me, and those who seek me find me" (Proverbs 8:17).

I'm fascinated by another statement made by Solomon: "It is the glory of God to conceal a matter; to search out a matter is the glory of kings" (Proverbs 25:2). While God is not hiding himself or truth from us, God chooses to reveal himself in a way that calls for a search. A polite but passive hearing will not lead to a discovery of God's truth. In fact, God has designed human beings to want to, and be able to "search out a matter." It is their glory! (That's why there should be no real conflict between faith and the scientific method of inquiry.)

The prophets continued to preach among the people God's desire for an earnest, heart-felt search. "You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart" (Jeremiah 29:13). Unfortunately, the people being addressed by the prophets were not always deeply sincere and passionate about the need to turn and submit to God. Their religious responses were superficial and short-term. The prophet Hosea put it this way: "Israel’s arrogance testifies against him, but despite all this he does not return to the Lord his God or search for him" (Hosea 7:10). When Hosea called the people to repentance, he proclaimed, "Sow righteousness for yourselves, reap the fruit of unfailing love, and break up your unplowed ground; for it is time to seek the Lord, until he comes and showers his righteousness on you" (Hosea 10:12). I love how the prophet Amos put it in clear and simple terms: "This is what the Lord says to Israel: 'Seek me and live'" (Amos 5:4).

Jesus came with a renewed call to repentance, announcing the Good News of God's Kingdom. He was clear in exposing the deficiency of external religion as well as the life centered on temporal values. "But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well" (Matthew 6:33). The follower of Jesus must "seek" certain things, must diligently search for certain things. Those things are sumarized by anything and everything that might be implied by God's righteous rule in every area of life. The search for God's and a sincere submission to God's authority is the essence of what it means to follow Jesus.

Later in the New Testament the life of faith is defined for us in clear terms: "And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him" (Hebrews 11:6). Our belief in God is not a matter of philosophical precept but values and decisions founded on a clear convinction that our God is a certain kind of God: A god who "rewards" those who "earnestly seek him." God is not looking for shallow commitment but rather a passionate heart that searches for God at every point in life, a passionate love relationship with the Father Creator and with the Son, our Lord Jesus Christ.

So those who conclude that Jesus followers are just passive recipients of God's grace, while reflecting an important truth, are missing the mark. A passive response is exactly what God is not looking for. God is looking for sons and daughters who so hunger and thirst for him that they will dedicate their lives to the Search. 

God Has No Grandchildren

I've often wondered why one child grows up in a very toxic, dysfunctional family environment and becomes a highly sane, balanced, fruitful, godly adult, while another child grows up in a very wholesome, loving, healthy family and grows up to be a very unstable, unbalanced, addicted, crisis-prone adult. In fact, how is it possible for two children to grow up in the same godly family receiving the same nurturing, loving, consistent parenting, and then develop into radically different adults, one finding a life of fruitfulness and fulfillment, the other a life of frsutration and failure? The obvious answer is that each person is a unique individual who goes through life making unique choices, all of which have profound consequences. But from the perspective of godly parents committed to providing the very best opportunity for their children to be all they can be and do all they can do under God, what are other important factors that need to be taken into consideration? And what are the general implications for our children and young people in our local congregations? Here are a couple of ideas (and observations):

It's All Grace! No one is able to connect heart-to-heart with God apart from God's grace. No human being can initiate their own salvation; faith is always our human response to God's initiative in our lives. (And even faith is a gift.) No amount of consistent parenting or pastoring can replace the need for God's grace in a person's life. I know a young man who as a child was a real rascal. He was always misbehaving, angry, disobedient, moody. And then at age 12 he had a personal encounter with Jesus who personally took him through a healing experience - and it transformed his life. Apart from God's grace working in his experience there's no telling where he might be today.

The condition of the human heart must be prepared to receive God's grace. The human heart is the place where we connect personally with God. All of us find our hearts changing from time to time - growing hard, becoming corrupted, getting soft - due to a variety of factors. It brings to mind the Parable of the Sower (Matthew 13:1-9, 18-23). The focus of this parable is not on the sower or on the seed but rather on the condition of the soil receiving the seed. In every case, the sower is Jesus and the seed is his word. However, not every soil is ready to receive the seed. The soil is simply an image of the human heart. Some soil is hard - the seed simply sits on the surface until a bird comes and eats it. Some soil is shallow, ready to receive the seed but not deep enough for a root structure to develop. Some soil has so many thorn bushes already growing in it, the roots already present choke out the seed. But some soil is soft and moist (good), ready not only to receive the seed but also put roots down and ultimately bear good fruit. The good news is that God can provide a life-plow that may come along and turn the soil over, giving it a fresh start.

Every person needs their own encounter with God. Faith is not just believing the right things about God. Those who grow up in the church can fall in love with the idea of God and never actually fall in love with God. Faith is personal, relational, and experiential. Everyone needs to "see" God for themselves. I had a great love for Jesus as a child and grew up in a wonderful Christian home. And yet as a young adult I realized my faith needed something more. As a university student I grew desperate - not for more answers to more questions, but to really know God for myself. One night I grabbed a blanket and went into a small chapel in our dorm and told the Lord I was not going to leave until he met with me. I was not testing God - I really wanted to know. The Lord met me that night, and my life has never been the same.

It's possible to grow up in a godly home, to spend every weekend in Sunday School and church, to keep most of the rules, but never really have a personal connection with God. The good seed of the word can fall on a heart week after week but it never take root and never bear fruit. More than a religious commitment is needed.

In 1980 we had the privilege of hosting David duPlessis in our home in Springfield, Missouri. "Uncle David" was an important figure in the charismatic renewal and he had come to Springfield to restore his relationship with the Assemblies of God. One of the many things he shared has stuck with me: "God has no grandchildren." God only has children. Every church runs the risk of lasting only one generation, because every generation needs its own revival - its own encounter with God. So you see, this spiritual reality applies to more than individual lives - it applies to local congregations and even to generations. While we need to continue doing our best parenting, training and pastoring, ultimately the most profound thing we can do is to faithfully and persistently intercede - for God to open the eyes of those he has placed in our lives and to visit them in a personal way. Indeed, our prayer is for God to visit a new generation of young people who need to see his glory and to put all their hope, trust and confidence in Jesus - to fall in love with Jesus in a profoundly personal, transformational way!

"None"

The Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life regularly surveys the "religious affiliation" of Americans. One of the options available is "none." As it turns out, that option represents the fastest growing religious demographic, a fact causing considerable conern if not alarm in the American church. In 2005, 15% of respondents identified themselves as "nones." By 2010, that had increased to 20% (32% of those under the age of 30). However, this growing group of Americans are not simply atheists: 68% say they believe in God, 37% say they are "spiritual but not religious," and 21% say they pray every day.

It very much reminds me of the time when many members of my generation were deciding to follow Jesus in the late '60s. We were very clear in saying that our decision reflected a commitment to "relationship" with God through Christ and not to "religion." I wonder if a lot of us might not have answered "none" to the Pew questionnaire for that reason.

Living in the very relgious American southeast I have once again been reflecting on the difference between religion and a dynamic, transformational relation with God. When you live in a place where Christianity (in fact, evangelical, revivalistic Christianity) is part of the cultural DNA, it affords a significant opportunity to observe how deeply faith goes in determining people's perspectivs, values, attitudes, and life choices. No matter where you live, the difference between religion and relationship with God can be easily seen.

In fact, it was the key issue between Jesus and the Pharisees in the New Testament. I have always been impressed with the reason why Jesus chose his disciples. "He appointed twelve that they might be with him and that he might send them out to preach and to have authority to drive out demons" (Mark 3:14-15). Jesus had three goals for his followers: (1) To be with him, to be his companions, for relationship; (2) to preach, to announce the Good News of the Kingdom that had come with the coming of Jesus; and (3) to have authority, to share with Jesus in the authoritative work of the Kingdom. Notice that the first reason was all about relationship. In fact, it can be said (in the light of Genesis 1-3) that God's first reason for creating human beings was to have a creation that could freely respond to, return, and share his love. 

With the rapid increase in "nones" maybe it's time we took another look at this issue.

Moralism v. Grace. It was C. S. Lewis who opined that "grace" was the most distinctive idea in Christian faith. "Moralism" is a more logical view of life. It claims that there are clear moral scales in the universe, a moral order with moral consequences. With "evil" on one side and "good" on the other, the scales tip based on a simple system of behavior and rewards. Too much "bad" behavior will always result in a negative consequence. Just the right amount of "good" behavior guarantees a good result. Job's "comforters" were arguing based on this traditional view of life. In fact, I think moralism is hard-wired into the human psyche. "Grace" begins with the understanding that all humans are "bad" and that only God is "good." Therefore, the only possibility of a good reward is God's unmerited favor. The Good News declares that God's favor has been made available to all human beings as a result of the coming and work of Jesus. Therefore, it is only a right relationship with God through Christ that can result in God's favor and blessing. No amount of positive human accomplishment can ever "earn" God's favor. God is not impressed! And there are no "brownie points." And the power of God's grace is the power to transform us from the inside out, to make us more like Jesus.

Exclusion vs. Inclusion. A system of moralism logically leads to a system of comparison, seeking to show that some are better or superior to others. Those who are worse or inferior are to be rejected and excluded. In fact, if we are members of the "in crowd," having established our superiority, excluding the "other" serves to reinforce our sense of special designation and destiny. As my old teacher Kevin Conner used to say, we want to feel we are "the select of the elect" (said with an Australian accent). It's only natural that those on the inside conclude that God is also about excluding those who are not good enough, those who are "outside." In fact, some have concluded that God is looking for reasons to exclude as many as possible from his family. On the other hand, Jesus came to invite everyone to his banquet hall, to heal the sick, to serve and not to be served, to specifically include those society had excluded. The irony was that Jesus saw everyone as sick and blind; but only those who fully understood their blindness and their need for God's enlightenment were candidates for a kingdom cure. In fact, I get the impression from Jesus that the Father is looking for reasons to include folks in his eternal family. You can reject God, but God will not reject you. A church that preaches (and practices) a gospel of superiority and rejection, of exclusion, is representing human-based religion and not a passion to walk in a relationship with God through Christ. It's also true that Jesus is the Way, the Truth, and the Life. A consistent, conscious decision to reject relationship with God, to decide to not make a home with God, is a decision we will eventaully regret.

Enclave vs. Embassy. I have spent all of my adult life and ministry reflecting on the nature of the church Jesus is building. Cultural Christianity is seen most clearly in our Sunday morning gatherings. To be honest, for most people a local church is a religious social club, a place where we can feel safe "with others like you." However, Jesus has called his followers to be his royal ambassadores, his official representatives in the world. The difference between an "enclave" and an "embassy" comes to mind. An "enclave" is "a country or district surrounded by the territory of another country; an isolated territory." The verb simply means "to isolate or enclose." An enclave builds walls around it to protect and keep its citizens save and untarnished by the outside world. On the other hand, an "embassy" is "a diplomatic mission; a group of people from one organization being represented in another; an ambassador and his/her entourage." An embassy exists to represent the rule of another in a foreign land. It seeks to be an influence and to build bridges of relationship to the surrounding citizens. As Christ's ambassadors, we are called to send embassys, not build enclaves. Unfortunately, the vast majority of American local churches are enclaves, competing with other enclaves for its citizens while protecting themselves from the world. I contend that this vision of the church has nothing to do with the church as defined in the New Testament. It is not the church Jesus is building.

Unfortunately, so many of our "nones," including those who are clearly committed Jesus followers, have so given up on the institution of the American church that they have ceased any participation in Jesus' kingdom community. They have completely given up on the vision that committed, connected followers of Jesus can be agents of redemption and transformation in the world. At the same time, some of our youngest "Jesus freaks" are exploring new expressions of Jesus's community, and are once again serving as salt, light and leaven in our world. Dropping out is not our only alterantive. It is still possible to join with Jesus and his community in a realization of his "kingdom coming" and his "will being done...on earth as it is in heaven." It's still possible that the best is yet to come!

Liturgy of the Divine Names

We worship you

YHWH Jireh, the Lord Our Provider (Genesis 22:14)

            You see perfectly what we need

            and you always see to it.

We worship you

YHWH Rapha, the Lord Our Healer (Exodus 15:26)

            You are repairing

            and restoring us.

We worship you

YHWH Nissi, the Lord Our Banner (Exodus 17:15)

            You have gone before us and won the victory;

            we would walk in your victory.

We worship you

YHWH M’Qadish, the Lord Our Sanctifier (Leviticus 20:8)

            You have set us apart

            for yourself.

We worship you

YHWH Shalom, the Lord Our Peace (Judges 6:24)

            You are our harmony

            and our wholeness.

We worship you

YHWH Roeh, the Lord Our Shepherd (Psalm 23:1)

            With you

            we lack no good thing.

We worship you

YHWH Tsidkenu, the Lord our Righteousness (Jeremiah 23:6)

            You have provided us with your own righteousness

            in your Son.

We worship you

YHWH Shammah, the Lord Who Is There (Ezekiel 48:35)

            You are always with us;

            you never leave us nor forsake us.

We worship you Lord Jesus Christ

YOU ARE (I AM) the Bread of Life (John 6:35)

            Only you

            can satisfy.

We worship you Lord Jesus Christ

YOU ARE (I AM) the Light of the World (John 8:12)

            You are the light shining from the Father

            showing us the way back.

We worship you Lord Jesus Christ

YOU ARE (I AM) the Gate for the Sheep (John 10:7)

            You have provided us

            entrance into the Father’s household.

We worship you Lord Jesus Christ

YOU ARE (I AM) the Good Shepherd (John 10:11)

            You have laid down your life for the sheep;

            we would listen to your voice and follow you.

We worship you Lord Jesus Christ

YOU ARE (I AM) the Resurrection and the Life (John 11:25)

            You have led us out of death

            into life.

We worship you Lord Jesus Christ

YOU ARE (I AM) the Way, the Truth and the Life (John 14:6)

            You are the way to the Father,

            the truth about the Father,

            and the life that comes from the Father.

We worship you Lord Jesus Christ

YOU ARE (I AM) the True Vine (John 15:1)

            We are the branches and the Father is the Vinedresser;

            we would abide in you and you in us;

            we would submit to the Father’s pruning.

We worship you Lord Jesus Christ

YOU ARE (I AM) a King (John 18:37)

            You are the King of kings and the Lord of lords;

            all authority in heaven and on earth belongs to you.

We worship you Holy Spirit

You are the Spirit of Truth (John 14:17)

            You are guiding us

            and teaching us the truth.

We worship you Holy Spirit

You are the Spirit of Holiness (Romans 1:4)

            You are separating us from those things

            that separate us from the Father.

We worship you Holy Spirit

You are the Spirit of Life in Christ Jesus (Romans 8:2)

            You are the River of Life

            that flows from the throne of God.

We worship you Holy Spirit

You are the Spirit of Adoption (Romans 8:15)

            You have provided us birth into the Father’s household

            and are preparing us to be mature sons and daughters.

We worship you Holy Spirit

You are the Spirit of Promise (Ephesians 1:13)

            You are the Father’s earnest and guarantee

            of an inheritance in his household.

We worship you Holy Spirit

You are the Spirit of Wisdom and Revelation (Ephesians 1:17)

            You are opening our eyes

            and showing us the Father’s perspective.

We worship you Holy Spirit

You are the Spirit of Grace (Hebrews 10:29)

            You are administering grace

            out of the rich treasuries of the Father’s grace.

We worship you Holy Spirit

You are the Spirit of Glory (1 Peter 4:14)

            You are revealing the glory of the Father

            and are transforming us from glory to glory into the image of his Son.

What Does the Lord Require of Us?

Do you ever find it challenging to maintain a clear, spiritual focus? With so many competing sounds and sights, issues and attractions, keeping “our eyes on Jesus” can be very difficult. Some of us do good to have our hearts focused on God during times of corporate worship on Sunday mornings (and for some, not even then). Jesus’ Parable of the Sower used the illustration of seed sown among thorns where “the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke it, making it unfruitful” (Matthew 13:22). Our minds and hearts are being continually influenced by the insistent messages of the surrounding culture. We love the annual Super Bowl commercials without necessarily stopping to consider the messages we are taking into our souls.

The message of the apostle John seems so clear and simple: “Do not love the world or anything in the world” (1 John 2:15). Don’t attach your personal desires and affections on the elements that make up our society. Why? “The world and its desires pass away.” Our societal systems are temporary, and the values that drive our culture are temporary. Yet they demand the kind of attention and loyalty due only permanent, eternal things. Instead, “whoever does the will of God lives forever” (1 John 2:17). God is eternal. The will – desires, values – of God are eternal. Those who choose to live their lives focused on God and his will find a life of eternal meaning and fulfillment – eternal, abundant life. You will remember that John defined the temporary desires and values of the temporary world system in these familiar terms: “the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life” (1 John 2:16). When we define our values in terms of our physical desires, what can be seen and observed with our eyes, and the natural and material accomplishments of our lives, we distance ourselves from God’s eternal values – “love for the Father is not in them.”

Compare this teaching to one found in the prophet Jeremiah. “Let not the wise man boast of his wisdom or the strong man boast of his strength or the rich man boast of his riches” (Jeremiah 9:23). This is an excellent description of the things we tend to boast about, are proud of – the things we tend to value and to praise others for, the ways we measure success and significance.

• Wisdom. Our society values intelligence. Having attained high levels of formal education results in automatic status in many circles. We take pride in our IQ and the intelligence of our children. But it’s possible to master areas of learning and to have great intellectual gifts without seeing the big picture or being of practical value to others. In fact, those who “boast in their wisdom” can be insensitive if not offensive when it comes to human relationships. Those with the “gift of learning” forget that any ability they might have has been given to them by the Creator.
• Strength. The desire for power is a universal human tendency. Gaining influence and control in our lives and over the lives of others gives us a sense of importance and significance. Feeling powerless and out of control results in high levels of worry and anxiety. Yet, what a person does with their power is the ultimate measure of their success.
• Riches. Power and wealth go together. Accumulating things is more easily done in a position of power and control. Getting greater wealth can be the primary motivation behind attempts to grab power from others. As the bumper sticker famously declared, “He who dies with the most stuff wins.” But as with power, what a person does with their wealth is the true indicator of the meaning of their lives.

Through the prophet the Lord goes on to say, “Let him who boasts boast about this: that he understands and knows me” (Jeremiah 9:24). Finding true meaning and fulfillment in life can only be founded upon an understanding of God – a thoughtful, skillful, careful reflection on the nature and purpose of God – and on a personal, experiential knowledge of God. For as Jesus said, knowing God is eternal life (John 17:3). If we get to know God, we will also come to understand God’s perspective and God’s values. We will discover that God “delights” in specific things:

• Kindness (Hebrew chesed). God values covenant-making, covenant-keeping love. God delights in committed, loyal personal relationships.
• Justice (Hebrew mishpat). God personally delights in justice, in the exercise of justice as it pertains to the guilty and the innocent, the weak and the strong.
• Righteousness (Hebrew tsadaq). God places a high premium on integrity, on right behavior in the context of right, covenantal relationships.

A focused life in God’s Kingdom will value the things God values and will not be lived according to the values of the surrounding culture. I have often wondered what God’s perspective is on our feeble attempts to know him, love him and serve him. What is God looking for? What does God require of us? “He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God” (Micah 6:8). That’s the very definition of abundant life, of the life of a disciple of Jesus. Is that the definition of your life? 

The Overflow

What we say and how we say it is very important in our culture. And that varies greatly from place to place. Growing up in a holiness church we were not allowed to say “golly” or “gee.” But hearing “Did you hear what so-and-so did?” was not uncommon. I experienced the cultural importance of language in Jamaica; when preaching one day I nearly lost the entire congregation when I pointed out that our son was a “stinker,” only to discover that this was one of the most profane words on that island. (Other words I considered profane were a normal part of their daily vocabulary.) We can be so focused on the cultural significance of language that we forget the moral and spiritual power of our words.

King David described the people who live in God’s presence, who can never be shaken, this way: They is the one “who speaks the truth from their heart; whose tongue utters no slander, who does no wrong to a neighbor, and casts no slur on others” (Psalm 15:2-3). A person’s words reflect the moral condition and spiritual health of his heart. That’s why David could sincerely pray, “May these words of my mouth and this meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight” (Psalm 19:14). What if he wanted to receive blessings from the Lord? “Whoever of you loves life and desires to see many good days, keep your tongue from evil and your lips from telling lies” (Psalm 34:12-13). His commitment was simple. “I will watch my ways and keep my tongue from sin; I will put a muzzle on my mouth” (Psalm 39:1), and “Set a guard over my mouth, Lord; keep watch over the door of my lips” (Psalm 141:3).

The prophet Isaiah saw the power of sin primarily in terms of the use of his words. When he saw a revelation of the holiness of God he responded, “I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips” (6:5). When God then pronounced his forgiveness for Isaiah we read, “Then one of the seraphim flew to me with a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with tongs from the altar. With it he touched my mouth and said, ‘See, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away and your sin atoned for’” (6:6-7). How could the atonement for Isaiah’s sins be accomplished by touching his mouth with the fire of holiness? Clearly our words have more significance than we know.

Jesus explained it most clearly: “For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of” (Matthew 12:34). Other translations bring further clarity to what Jesus was teaching. “It’s your heart, not the dictionary, that gives meaning to your words” (Msg.) “For whatever is in your heart determines what you say” (NLT). “For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh” (KJV). It’s helpful to note the context of this saying. The Pharisees had been claiming that Jesus was driving out unclean spirits “by Beelzbul, the prince of demons” (v. 24). Jesus responded by warning them of the possibility of blasphemy, but concluded that it was really impossible for “you who are evil [to] say anything good” (v. 34). Because their hearts were evil, the effect of their words would always end up being destructive.

There is really no way to overstate the power of our words, for both good and ill. The true condition of our hearts will always eventually overflow in our words. If our hearts are filled with self-pity and self-centeredness, it will ultimately be heard in our words. If our hearts are filled with fear and worry, our words will reveal it. If faith is filling our hearts, that too will be – and must be – evident in our words. The apostle Paul wrote, “’The word is near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart,’ that is, the message concerning faith that we proclaim: If you declare with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved” (Romans 10:7-9). Our words literally participate in our salvation – our deliverance and life of faith and overcoming. In fact, more than anyone else, you need to hear words of faith and hope coming out of your own mouth! Your words enter into your ears and mind first – you are the first partaker of the power of your words. Your words will participate powerfully in your spiritual health, growth and fruitfulness. “Whoever would love life and see good days must keep their tongue from evil and their lips from deceitful speech” (1 Peter 3:10). After all, our words are simply the overflow from our heart.

When I was a kid I learned a little poem: “Sticks and stones may break my bones / but words can never hurt me.” I can’t imagine anything further from the truth. Broken bones will heal but words haunt us every day of our lives. All of us have experienced the power of words. “You’ll never amount to anything” has kept untold people from experiencing growth into their potential. On the other hand, “I believe in you” has liberated many, giving them a sense of permission to move ahead into all God had in store for them. The power of life and death is literally in your mouth, in your words. How will you use that power? 

Mañana

Here’s a Spanish language lesson: Mañana simply means “tomorrow,” and sometimes “morning.”  In common usage it can also mean “later.” In its cultural context this word expresses a certain value and an attitude: “Why worry about something today when it can be put off until mañana?” It reflects an easy-going approach to life that can sound very inviting – especially on a hot summer day. What a great idea! Don’t worry! Be happy! There is just one problem: it is actually the opposite of what Jesus advised. “Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own” (Matthew 6:34). In other words, “Don’t put off until tomorrow what can be accomplished today.”

Because God has created all things, everything we have is a gift from God. Our very lives are a gift. Our friendships are a gift. Our resources are a gift. Our time is a gift. Every new day – every hour, every minute – is God’s special, intentional gift to us. As managers (stewards) of our lives and every good gift from God, we have a clear mandate from heaven to make productive use of our time – to “redeem” the time. The apostle Paul said it this way: “Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is” (Ephesians 5:15-17). Verse 16 has been translated in a variety of ways: “Redeeming the time, because the days are evil” (NKJV); “Make the best use of your time, despite all the difficulties of these days” (Phillips); “It’s a scandal when people waste their lives” (Msg).

Seeing our time the way God sees it is so very important. Moses wrote a song in the book of Psalms that contains a meditation on time. He begins by describing God’s experience of time: “Before the mountains were born or you brought forth the whole world, from everlasting to everlasting you are God” (v. 2); and “A thousand years in your sight are like a day that has just gone by, or like a watch in the night” (v. 4). God essentially exists outside of time and space, since both things have been created by God. He is God “from everlasting to everlasting.” While we are limited, created, finite, time-bound creatures, our experience of time is not a limitation to God. In fact, our experience of 1,000 years is like a three-hour watch in the night. However, time means something differently to us: “You turn people back to dust, saying, “Return to dust, you mortals’” (v. 3); and “Yet you sweep people away in the sleep of death—they are like the new grass of the morning: In the morning it springs up new, but by evening it is dry and withered” (vv. 5-6). Compared to God our temporary, mortal journey on planet earth is a brief moment in time. Days come and go in a steady, rapid march toward the end of mortality and into an unhindered experience of eternity. Moses stated, “Our days may come to seventy years, or eighty, if our strength endures” (v. 10). If a 1,000 years in God’s sight is like our experience of a 3-hour watch in the night, 70 years is 12 minutes 36 seconds and 80 years is 14 minutes 24 seconds in God’s sight. Not even enough for a decent coffee break.

Understanding the brevity of this mortal journey puts each day into its proper perspective. “Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom” (Psalm 90:12). Wisdom comes from understanding our experience of time. Seeing each day as a gift from God motivates us to take advantage of every day. Our commitment before the Lordship of Christ is to being wise, productive stewards of God’s gifts – of God’s gift of time. So don’t put off until tomorrow what you can accomplish today – tomorrow is not guaranteed – you only have today.

As human beings, we experience time on a daily basis. Now that I’m in my sixth decade I’m sometimes aware of the fact that there are fewer days before me than behind me. We observe that youth suffer from “an illusion of immortality” while older folks have various kinds of identity crises (mid-life and otherwise). The simple fact is this: any sense that anyone has more or less days than anyone else is an illusion. Everyone is only guaranteed one amount of time: Today! A person in their 20s has been given today; someone in their 40s is alive today; an individual in their 60s is experiencing the gift of today; a brother or sister in their 80s woke up this morning and discovered that “this is the day the Lord has made!” No one has more or less time than this day! Being young without having learned to “number our days” will tend to result in an unwise, unproductive use of each day. Being older and assuming that there are few days ahead, forgetting that each new day is a gift from God, will also tend to result in an unwise, unproductive use of each day.

How many times have you heard someone give the excuse, “I don’t have time for that”? The fact is, everyone has the exact same amount of time. You have 24 hours in a day; the President of the US has 24 hours in a day; a homeless man trying to survive on the street has 24 hours in a day. The difference is in the use each one makes of their time. Everyone has enough time to do what they really want to do. Here’s an interesting experiment: Keep a log of your time (maybe in one hour increments) each day for seven days. Then take time to reflect on how your use of time reflects your priorities, your values, the way you view the meaning and purpose of your life. Finally, ask God to adjust your values and priorities and adjust the stewardship of your time accordingly.