Thursday Thoughts (9/22/16)

 I was thinking this week about how we (our family) practice kindness. Kindness has taken a huge hit in our culture (at least from what I experience). A few weeks ago I was stranded on the side of the highway with a flat tire. I walked to a nearby U-Haul to see if they sold trailer tires (they did not). As I was waiting for a clerk a gentleman next to me began conversing with me. I explained why I was there and he mentioned that he too had a similar experience recently. The clerk informed me that they didn’t sell tires. I asked about a Wal-Mart and it was a mile up the road.

As I turned to leave the man I was talking with offered to give me a ride. It was very kind of him, and so when he was finished we headed off to Wal-Mart (they didn’t have an auto department either). He offered to take me someplace else, but by this time I had a friend coming to my rescue. In a world where it is dangerous for adults to talk to stranger’s, kindness ruled the day.

I began thinking of how I offer kindness to others. There are many examples of unkindness that came to mind. Oh, not of me being unkind, but examples of others who are unkind. You have probably experienced sitting with people at a meal listening to them complain about the food, the price, the server, and then walk away without leaving any sort of tip. I just don’t want to be that kind of person.

Many years ago, Lisa and I decided to spread kindness in peculiar ways. When we ate at a restaurant we would ask for the manager and then tell them how awesome our serve was. We wouldn’t lie; if the service was bad, we didn’t say anything (but we always left a good tip). Managers would often come to our table and the first thing they would ask was, “is something wrong?” After we would praise the employee managers would often (almost always) say, “Yes, they are one of our best employees.”

In my last pastorate I was bi-vocational for a period of time. I drove a delivery truck for a printing supply company. I was on the road everyday all day. I witnessed more than a few bad drivers. One day I was traveling down an eight lane divided boulevard. In front of me was a Keebler Truck. I always drive the speed limit and this truck was doing the same. The driver didn’t ride on people’s bumpers and when she/he needed to change lanes they turned the signal on and waited for a space (I was impressed).

On the back of that truck was a phone number and the words “How’s my driving?” So, I called the number. The woman who answered asked for the trailer I.D., and her next words were, “What’s the problem?” I then explained there was no problem, I just wanted to let someone know how good a driver the person was and that someone should know. Her next words were, “Really?...Well I will forward this to their dispatcher.”

Kindness seems to be so rare these days that people are flabbergasted when someone actually is kind. It really isn’t all that hard to be kind. When someone hurts you, it is possible to respond in kindness, even if you have to let them know they did. The Bible tells us that God’s love is Kind. In 1 Corinthian 13:4-8 that kindness is explained. The Bible also tells us that the world will know that we are like Christ by our love. Hopefully, that connection is easy to make. If I don’t have God’s kind of love, I certainly am not like Christ. Ouch, that hurts.

Just a thought.

Father in Heaven, I need your love. It came in flesh as your Son, Jesus Christ. He not only revealed how you love, he taught us how to love, and when he returned to you he gave your Holy Spirit who is love. I need your Spirit to overthrow my bitterness, my selfishness, and my hatred, so that your Holy Love will transform me by the renewing of my mind. In anticipation of your positive response to my prayer, by faith I will do the work of love beginning with kindness. Perhaps, as I show your loving kindness others will meet you through me. Yeah, I think they will. Thank you Father, for being kind to me, you have been abundantly merciful.

Thursday Thoughts (9/15/16)

I was working on my father-in-law’s computer this week. One minute it worked and then it stopped. I am not a computer whiz, but I have fooled around with them long enough to know that there are certain steps that can help you re-enter in safe mode. Safe-mode is nice because it shuts down all the peripheral processes in hope of preventing, whatever is causing the trouble, from getting out into the rest of the computer.

Unfortunately, the computer would not open in any mode. After a little research I discovered how to access the reset mode for his operating system. There were two choices, reset keeping personal files, or total reset (everything be wiped clean). I tried the first, then the second only to receive an error message stating the reset could not be completed. It is possible, maybe likely, that the hard drive itself has a damaged sector and is unusable.

The base system in the computer will give you information, but the computer itself is useless. The only way for the laptop to be useful again is to remove its hard drive and replace it with a new one. Or throw it into the bin and buy a new computer.

This is how sin is when it returns to its host. Believers in Jesus Christ are warned again and again in the New Testament not to return to their former life. In Christ, we are made new, a new creation. Not a repaired creation. Not a creation that is in the mere process of being renewed, but we are a new creation, according to the Apostle Paul. That is, Jesus enters into our life and places within us a new heart. I am glad he doesn’t just grab some old spare part off the shelf, he gives me a new heart that is born in him.

That is right, we receive the heart of Christ. To be born again is to be born into the image of Christ Jesus (God). I become and living expression of the very nature of the Triune God. My words, my actions, my responses, everything about me flows not from the act of self-preservation, but from the beautiful expression of God’s Spirit living and acting through me. I am not my own, but I am an ambassador of Christ Jesus.

However, if my heart becomes infected with sin, it will return to reflecting the very enemy of God. He is easy to see. He is bitter, jealous, easily angered, hateful, unforgiving, divisive, rude, loud, and unashamed. When this happens to the heart of a believer the blue screen of death appears before the eyes of those who see me. Oh the basic operating system turns on, and the reset screen appears, but if the heart is unwilling to be changed by the Spirit, there is little anyone can do to help me.

In the story of Cain and Able, Cain had a wretched virus. He blamed his brother for his malady and ultimately killed him in hopes that it would take away the disease. But Able was not his problem. His own diseased heart was. God tried to renew him, but when we are infected with selfishness, we often divert such attempts by God to others, and they become the victim of our brokenness.

In our culture Christianity has often taken on a very bitter appearance. The “Church” at times appears hateful, self-serving, vindictive, and judgmental. None of which are found in the image of Christ. Perhaps, it is time that we examine our hearts? Perhaps, it is time that we allow God to restore that which once was? Perhaps, we have become like the churches of Revelation, we have pushed Jesus out the door. We keep singing the songs, and putting on the show, but Jesus is standing outside, knocking on the door.

Oh, that I would see my attitudes, behaviors, and responses through the eyes of the Holy Spirit. Only then will I be fully formed into the image of Christ Jesus. Forgive me Jesus for the times that I reflect some other image than you. Woe is me, I am undone! Cleanse and heal me O’ gracious Savior, let me not be far from you. Fill me with your great mercy, love, and grace.

Just thinking!

Thursday Thoughts (9/8/16)

It is hard to believe that I have been married for 27 years (as of 8/12/16). In those 27 years there have been some really great times, and some very difficult ones. I have done some pretty ignorant things over those 27 years. Hopefully, I have gotten a whole lot better at the marriage relationship. Lisa and I love to be together; which makes some people sick, get over it. J

I was thinking of how many times I have had to utter those famous words, “I’m sorry!” Lisa loves me, so she has never failed to forgive me, even for the tough stuff. Then I started thinking about my relationship with Jesus. Sadly, I can’t count the number of times I have felt the need to tell him I am sorry. Sometimes I mess up big, sometimes small, but I cannot remember a time where he did not forgive me. In fact, when I recognized my error, he was the one coming to me to let me know he forgave me.

The reason any of us want to apologize to Jesus is because he has sought us out to forgive us. It is really quite remarkable! We do not come to Jesus because we are wrong, he comes to us so we may be made right. In spite of my sin the Son of God (Jesus) chose to make things right on our behalf. His birth, death, burial, resurrection, and ascension all witness the grace of God on our behalf.

Grace is a term we use a lot; we love to sing about it. Grace is the activity of God to bring humanity back into a relationship with him. He doesn’t offer grace based on our apology. If that were the case, then we are the initiators and he is the one who responds. Instead, He initiates the relationship and we respond by recognizing our separation and receiving the gift he offers through his Son. When we recognize we naturally want to say, “I am so sorry!”

What has captured my thoughts today is the fact that God forgave us while we were still sinners (his enemies). He loved us enough to send Jesus to die, even before we knew we were seperated from God. Here is the kicker, now that I am in relationship with God through Jesus, I must also be an agent of his grace. You know, that grace that forgave before asked. Ouch!

I recently did a funeral where a woman was carrying unforgiveness with a neighbor. The neighbor presumably had taken some jewelry from her mother (never officially proved). I thought: While I was yet a sinner Jesus gave his life for me so I might be forgiven. I see a lot of political junk on Facebook, what if “Christians” offered forgiveness to those running for office, the way Jesus did for us. I am not saying you have to vote for them, but really what does forgiveness language sound like. For those of us who have heard the voice of Jesus speaking to our heart, what did it sound like?

As a grace agent, how does the voice of Jesus sound from my lips. Forget, the far off politician, what about my brother or sister, my mother or father, etc? What would my life look life if I initiated forgiveness (Grace)? What if I treated others and blessed others as though they were forgiven, even if they never respond to the offer?

When we sing of Amazing Grace, and then don’t offer it, we are hypocrites. Jesus once told his disciples, if you do not forgive you are not forgiven. Forgiveness is not passive, it is active. It is not a response, it initiates response. Once we are forgiven then we must forgive, otherwise we have not truly received, or understood forgiveness. I sure hope I am not a black hole of grace, just sucking up grace, but never offering it. I would much rather be a mirror of grace. I God’s grace reflects off my life, may it illuminate the lives of others, so that they might see Jesus.

Who in your life today needs grace?

Just a thought.