Unresolved and Resolved

First, a side note—while it's true that my writing can sound a bit like preaching, the fact is I'm preaching to myself first and foremost. I just hope that others may also benefit from what I need to learn.

I've mentioned before that I don't make New Year's resolutions. It isn't that I don't have things I'd like to change, but I've been disappointed by the futility of trying to discipline the flesh apart from the intervening work of God. Jesus didn't come to reform us in the flesh, but to transform us into new creations. Having said that, I realize that we have to spend a lifetime in this fallen, fleshly body before we get to enjoy the full benefits of the new creation. And while we’re here we’d like to make the best of it. So here are Scriptures things I’ve been thinking about that have helped me to reframe my thoughts about resolutions. While I’m focusing on sinful actions, the same principles apply to anything that is unwise or unhealthy.

“The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately corrupt; who can understand it?” (Jer. 17:9).  “For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, fornication, theft, false witness, slander” (Matt. 15:19). Our lives are basically controlled by our mind/heart, and everything we do, both good and bad, starts with our thought processes. A sex addict doesn’t suddenly find himself in a hotel room with a strange woman and not remember how he got there. A woman on a diet doesn’t eat a pint of ice cream and not remember picking up the carton. Every wrong action begins with a first thought, a second glance, or a few steps on the familiar path.

“Put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh to gratify its desires” (Rom. 13:14). Just as wrong actions initiate from our thoughts, the solution also has to start in our thoughts. It’s easy to think, “I can handle that little temptation without giving in.” We’re wrong more often than not. Resisting temptation and changing habits may require some significant changes in our routines—avoiding certain places or situations that tend to trip us up, finding people to keep us accountable, and fixing our attention on things that will lift us up instead of pulling us down. “Whatever is true, honorable, just, pure, lovely, gracious, excellent, worthy of praise—think about these things” (Phil. 4:8).

I am reminded of a time many years ago when I was frustrated and fed up with a lot of things. I decided in my mind that I was going to go buy some alcohol as a way to cope with the issues. (I’m not saying that drinking is necessarily bad, but my motives were certainly wrong.) So I went to a grocery store I didn’t normally frequent, to try to remain anonymous. As I was scanning the aisles, who should I run into but someone from church. That scuttled my plans pretty quickly!

Sometimes God intervenes when we plan to sin, but sometimes He lets us sin and then face the consequences. “No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and He will not let you be tempted beyond your strength, but with the temptation will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it” (1 Cor. 10:13). We don’t always want to look for the way out, but we need to learn to do so if we are really going to change.

“Do not be conformed to this world but be transformed by the renewal of your mind…” (Rom. 12:2a). Personally, I know that I need to be more intent upon filling my mind and my life with good things so that I’m not consumed with the bad things. I want and need to spend more time in Scripture and in conversation with God. Writing is one way for me to focus on Scripture and apply it to my life, and journaling helps me to pray coherently and not drift off into random thoughts (or to sleep!). So while I’m not making specific resolutions, I am taking steps that will initiate change in my life and by God’s grace I hope to continue on this path.

Un-Merry Christmas

The more pop Christmas music I hear (and it’s unavoidable), the more I realize how disconnected most of it is from real life. “Tis the season to be jolly;” “Have a holly, jolly Christmas, it’s the best time of the year;” “There’s no place like home for the holidays;” and “Have yourself a merry little Christmas, let your heart be light, from now on our troubles will be out of sight.”

Let’s get real! A lot of us aren’t going to have a jolly Christmas for various reasons—depression, death, national tragedies, unemployment, terminal illness, divorce, family discord, etc. Even saying “Merry Christmas” is a bit of a stretch, though that is somewhat better than “Happy Holidays.” If you don’t know what someone is going through, don’t tell them how to feel about this time of year! Many folks are just biding their time until the shopping frenzy dies down and life can get back to a regular routine. (I purposely did not say “normal routine” because, as Patsy Clairmont said, “Normal is just a setting on your dryer.”) Of the secular songs, my favorite is “If We Make It Through December.”

I can accept most of the more Christian Christmas carols (except for Little Drummer Boy). At least they have some link to our faith in a Savior born in Bethlehem. As some have pointed out, the first Christmas wasn’t all that merry either—registering for taxation, a stable for a delivery room, babies and toddlers killed by a paranoid king… There’s nothing that would make me want to live in that era, not even for a chance to see Jesus in the flesh.

Jesus told the disciples, “I tell you the truth, you will weep and mourn while the world rejoices. You will grieve, but your grief will turn to joy” (John 16:20). As we are getting closer to the Second Coming, and we may hope these are the end times, there will be increased mourning, strife, and hardship. Things are going to get worse, not better. Jesus continued by saying, “I have told you these things so that in Me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world” (John 16:33). So even though this season may not be filled with happiness, you can still have peace in Christ, hope for eternity, and joy in knowing you’re not alone.

As I shared on Facebook, here are a few of the true gifts that are available in Christ and they cannot be taken away from us:
Joy unspeakable - 1 Pet. 1:8
Grace unending - 2 Cor. 4:15
Love unfathomable - Eph. 3:19
Peace incomprehensible - Phil. 4:7
Wisdom unsearchable - Rom. 11:33
Power incomparable - Eph. 1:19
Patience immeasurable - Rom. 2:4

May your Christmas be blessed with the knowledge of our Savior’s love!

Abundant Life

“I have come that they may have life, and have it abundantly” (John 10:10b).
 

What is this full, abundant life? I’m not sure I have it all figured out yet, but here are a few thoughts. The word used here is the same root word used in Matthew 14:20 and 15:37 referring to the abundant leftovers from feeding the 5000 and the 4000. It is also used in Romans 5:15 referring to the grace of God “super-abounding” through Jesus. It is more than enough, overflowing, extraordinary, profuse, and superfluous.

 

The context of John 10:10 is Jesus’ teaching that He is the Good Shepherd. He knows His sheep and they know Him and follow Him; He lays down His life for the sheep; He protects His sheep and cares for them. He is not simply a caretaker, but the owner and master of the sheep. He has a vested interest in the flock. Psalm 23 is a beautiful picture of our relationship with the Shepherd.

 

I should note that some have used John 10:10 as a basis for their “health & wealth” doctrine, claiming that God wants to give us abundant physical blessings. I won’t take the time to refute that here as many learned men have already tackled that subject. There are plenty of Scriptures that could be cited against that teaching.

 

So what is this abundance? Second Peter 1:3 says, “His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and goodness.” Ephesians 1:3 puts it this way, “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ.” Paul goes on to list some of those blessings in the next several verses: chosen, adopted, grace, redemption, forgiveness, wisdom and understanding...

 

We have the Creator and Lord of the Universe as our Father— we are heirs together with Christ. “Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights” (James 1:17). This page lists just a few of the promises we can claim in Christ:
http://ficm.org/index.php?command=textwhoamiinchrist

 

If we believed all that the Bible says is true about us, perhaps we would come closer to experiencing this abundance in our daily life. But the fact is that our life on earth is marred by sin—both our own and others. The creation itself is damaged by the effects of sin. We live in bodies subject to disease and death. Governments, societies, and churches are full of flawed people with limited understanding. So this life often seems far from abundant. In 2 Corinthians 1:4-5 Paul writes that God “consoles us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to console those who are in any affliction with the consolation with which we ourselves are consoled by God. For just as the sufferings of Christ are abundant for us, so also our consolation is abundant through Christ.” The sufferings of this age are tempered with the grace of God, and are used not only for our growth but for the growth of others.

 

Abundant life overflows to others. “Out of the believer’s heart shall flow rivers of living water” (John 7:38). We reflect God’s light and life to those around (Phil. 2:15). We are conduits of God’s grace.

 

A final thought comes from Matthew 28:20, “And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” No matter what we go through, the good, the bad and the ugly, Jesus is with us. We don’t have to ask Him to show up or plead for His attention. He is there whether we acknowledge Him or not. And not only is He present, He knows from personal experience what it is like to suffer in this life (Heb. 2:14-18), and He “knows what you need before you ask Him” (Matt. 6:8). When life is hard and we feel like we’re just barely getting by, we can take comfort in knowing that God knows our needs, hears our prayers, and is always present. The abundant life doesn’t depend on our feelings—it is already ours in Christ. May we all be encouraged by this truth!