A Few Words

There are parts of The Imitation of Christ, by Thomas a Kempis, that read almost like a Social Media User’s Guide for 2020:

Section 1 chapter 3- “If men used as much care in uprooting vices and implanting virtues as they do in discussing problems, where would not be so much evil and scandal in the world, or such laxity in religious organizations.”

1-4- “Not to act rashly or to cling obstinately to one’s opinion, not to believe everything people say or to spread abroad the gossip on has heard, is great wisdom.”

1-6- “A proud and avaricious man never rests, whereas he who is poor and humble of heart lives in a world of peace.”

1-9- “Everyone, it is true, wishes to do as he pleases and is attracted to those who agree with him. But if God be among us, we must at times give up our opinions for the blessing of peace.”

1-11- “We should enjoy much peace if we did not concern ourselves with what others say and do, for these are no concern of ours. How can a man who meddles in affairs not his own, who seeks strange distractions, and who is little or seldom inwardly recollected, live long in peace?”

1-12- “It is good for us sometimes to suffer contradiction, to be misjudged by men even though we do well and mean well. These things help us to be humble and shield us from vainglory. When to all outward appearances men give us no credit, when they do not think well of us, then we are more inclined to seek God Who sees our hearts.”

1-14- “Differences of feeling and opinion often divide friends and acquaintances, even those who are religious and devout.”

1-16- “Try to bear patiently with the defects and infirmities of others, whatever they may be, because you also have many a fault which others must endure.”

1-20- “If you withdraw yourself from unnecessary talking and idle running about, from listening to gossip and rumors, you will find enough time that is suitable for holy meditation…

“No man appears in safety before the public eye unless he first relishes obscurity. No men is safe in speaking unless he loves to be silent. No man rules safely unless he is willing to be ruled. No man commands safely unless he has learned well how to obey.”

1-23- “If you had a good conscience you would not fear death very much. It is better to avoid sin than to fear death. If you are not prepared today, how will you be prepared tomorrow? Tomorrow is an uncertain day; how do you know you will have a tomorrow?”

2-7- “You will quickly be deceived if you look only to the outward appearance of men, and you will often be disappointed if you seek comfort and gain in them. If, however, you seek Jesus in all things, you will surely find Him.”

2-11- “Jesus has always many who love His heavenly kingdom, but few who bear His cross… All desire to be happy with Him; few wish to suffer anything for Him.”

“When words are many, transgression is not lacking, but whoever restrains his lips [and fingers] is prudent” (Proverbs 10:19).

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(Disclaimer- there are other parts of the book that have serious theological issues, and therefore I do not recommend it as devotional reading.)

 © 2020 Dawn Rutan. Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture are ESV and all images are copyright free from pixabay.com. The opinions stated do not necessarily reflect the views of my church or employer.

The One That You Love

For a couple days I’ve had a line from Air Supply on my mind: “Here I am, the one that you love, asking for another day. Understand, the one that you love, loves you in so many ways.” I know some people take issue with the “love song” perspective of God, but as I was humming to myself it struck me that God does sometimes say things like that. “Here I am. Are you going to give Me this day? Do you understand how much I love you?”

God can remind us of truth in unexpected ways, including love songs. Mark Buchanan wrote in The Rest of God, “God is always speaking. ‘There is no speech or language / where [his] voice is not heard’ (Ps. 19:3). But we’re not always listening. We don’t make the effort and so fail to go boldly into his throne room to receive what we need: a word that can pierce, and cut, and heal… Are you listening?”

We all need reminders of God’s love. Jesus told His disciples “As the Father has loved Me, so have I loved you. Abide in My love” (John 15:9). The Apostle John referred to himself as “the disciple whom Jesus loved.” We don’t know what it was about their interactions that made John say that, nor do we know what the other disciples thought about it when they read what he’d written.

In Christ, all of us can know we are His beloved children. “But to all who did receive Him, who believed in His name, he gave the right to become children of God” (John 1:12). “See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are” (1 John 3:1). But I think, if we’re honest, most of us have a hard time remembering “I am the one that He loves.” We know that God loves all the people He has created, and He has a special love for all who belong to Him through Jesus Christ. But it’s harder to grasp that God loves me with all my sins and failures and wanderings and unbelief. We sing “Jesus loves me this I know for the Bible tells me so,” but we may struggle to comprehend His love.

The Apostle Paul prayed for the believers in Ephesus “that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God” (Eph. 3:17b-19). Paul wasn’t one to waste words, so it seems likely that the Ephesians needed that prayer, and we do too. There are aspects of God’s love that we’ll only understand in eternity.

My prayer today is, “Here I am, the one that You love, asking for another day in Your presence. I don’t love You as I should, but I want to love You with all my heart, soul, mind, and strength. Help me to understand that You love me in ways I can’t yet begin to comprehend.”

“Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you” (James 4:8a).

© 2020 Dawn Rutan. Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture are ESV and all images are copyright free from pixabay.com. The opinions stated do not necessarily reflect the views of my church or employer.

It happens all too frequently—a well-known Christian author and speaker is revealed to have serious issues with integrity, pride, and sexual sin. It’s not a new narrative. King David, the “man after God’s own heart,” is remembered for conquering Goliath but falling for Bathsheba. King Solomon, the “wisest man,” is known for his hundreds of wives and concubines. If they can’t get it right, who can? (And if Christian leaders have this much trouble, I hate to think what non-Christian leaders are doing behind closed doors.)

Back in 2015 Christianity Today published an article with the somewhat tongue-in-cheek title “Pastor Exposed as Faithful to Wife of 17 Years.” Thousands of faithful pastors and leaders rarely make the headlines. It only takes one bad choice to ruin a reputation. Our culture of celebrity Christianity is a problem. Although many people rise to prominence for the good things they have said and done, few can stand up to the long-term public scrutiny of every word and action. And when they fail, it blackens the reputation of the whole Church.

Similar things happened in Ezekiel’s day and God spoke His judgment against them—

“Ah, shepherds of Israel, who have been feeding yourselves! Should not shepherds feed the sheep? You eat the fat, you clothe yourselves with the wool, you slaughter the fat ones, but you do not feed the sheep. The weak you have not strengthened, the sick you have not healed, the injured you have not bound up, the strayed you have not brought back, the lost you have not sought… Behold, I am against the shepherds, and I will require My sheep at their hand and put a stop to their feeding the sheep. No longer shall the shepherds feed themselves” (Ezek. 34:2-4, 10).

The day will come when all of us will face the judgment of God. Pastors also will have to give an account for how they shepherd the flock (Heb. 13:17), whether their flock is twenty souls or many thousands. Some may be surprised to see much of their work destroyed by the fire of judgment. “If anyone’s work is burned up, he will suffer loss, though he himself will be saved, but only as through fire” (1 Cor. 3:15).

October is Pastor Appreciation Month. By all means, go ahead and give them gifts and words of encouragement, but perhaps the most important thing we need to do for our pastors is to pray for them all year round. Pray for God to protect them from the temptations of pride, self-sufficiency, envy, lust, etc. Pray for them to be filled with God’s wisdom in all their decisions and for wise counselors to surround them. Pray for all the aspects of their ministry—sermon preparation, preaching, teaching, counseling, etc. As someone shared on Facebook, don’t put your pastor on a pedestal, but lift him up in prayer.

“For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life—is not from the Father but is from the world” (1 John 2:16).

“Pray for us, for we are sure that we have a clear conscience, desiring to act honorably in all things” (Heb. 13:18).

 

© 2020 Dawn Rutan. Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture are ESV and all images are copyright free from pixabay.com. The opinions stated do not necessarily reflect the views of my church or employer.

One Life to Live

“The years of our life are seventy, or even by reason of strength eighty; yet their span is but toil and trouble; they are soon gone, and we fly away” (Psalm 90:10).

There is a deleted scene from the Star Trek Enterprise third season episode “Similitude” that says:

“If you had five days left, would you spend them sleeping? …Did you know that at one time in history human beings lived an average of only 35 years? The average Vulcan lifespan was only 40? … [Both] species expend a lot of effort to change those statistics. I guess it’s just natural for people to want to stick around for as long as possible.”

According to Wikipedia, the life expectancy at birth in the bronze age and iron age was 26 years, and in 2010 was 67 years, with some regions of the world around 80 years. But how well do we use the time we have? If life expectancy were only 40 years, what might we do differently? Would we want to spend 16-20 years getting an education for a relatively short career? Would we spend 40+ hours per week in the office trying to earn enough to pay for the big house, second car, dream vacation, retirement, etc.? Would we invest thousands every month in healthcare and insurance, if it can’t significantly extend our lives? 

Those things aren’t necessarily bad if we assume we’re going to live 80 years, but maybe they aren’t the best things. What would you do differently if you knew your time was short? Declutter and simplify your life? Leave work early? Turn off the TV? Spend time with family and friends? Enjoy nature? Make sure you understand the Bible and have a right relationship with God? Share the gospel with those you love? 

If we think we have many years ahead, we get lackadaisical about setting priorities. Things don’t matter very much if there’s always tomorrow. There is a benefit to living with a sense of urgency to accomplish things that really matter in whatever time we’re given. Although the early Adventists were mistaken in setting a date for Christ’s return and they ended up looking foolish (twice!), at least they were willing to take a stand for what they said they believed. If you know the end is near, it is perfectly rational to give away all your possessions, warn people of the coming judgment, and say your goodbyes. 

Jesus urged readiness in His parables in Luke 12, “You also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect” (v. 40). He repeated, “Blessed is that servant whom his master will find so doing when he comes” (37, 43). It is in this context that Jesus said, “Everyone to whom much was given, of him much will be required, and from him to whom they entrusted much, they will demand the more” (v. 48). How often do we consider that length of life is a gift entrusted to us, that we are to invest and not squander our time? Whether our years are 20, 40, or 80, have we done more than just try to stick around as long as possible and build bigger barns for our stuff? 

With each new day we have a chance to decide what matters most to us and invest accordingly. How many days are left on the calendar for you, for me, for this world? 

“So teach us to number our days that we may get a heart of wisdom” (Psalm 90:12). 

© 2020 Dawn Rutan. Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture are ESV and all images are copyright free from pixabay.com. The opinions stated do not necessarily reflect the views of my church or employer.

Self-Care or Self-ish?

There are conflicting opinions even among Christians on where self should fall in our order of priorities. When I was young, the popular saying was “Jesus-Others-You.” Now we hear phrases like self-love, self-care, or soul-care. There are elements of truth in many of these ideas.

God provided for Elijah’s physical needs of food, water, and sleep before sending him back to work (1 Kings 19).

“For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it…” (Eph. 5:29).

“If someone does not know how to manage his own household, how will he care for God’s church?” (1 Tim. 3:5).

Jesus said, “If anyone would come after Me, let him deny himself…” (Matt. 16:24).

“Whoever loves father or more more than Me is not worthy of Me, and whoever loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me” (Matt. 10:37).

The Apostle Paul warned against idleness and said, “With toil and labor we worked night and day… If anyone is not willing to work, let him not eat” (2 Thess. 3:6-12).

“Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others” (Phil. 2:3-4).

We should be good stewards of all God has given us, including our physical bodies, our mental and emotional health, and our relationships. But self-care can quickly turn into selfishness if we aren’t seeking God’s guidance in prayer and through His Word. We need adequate sleep, but we also need to join with the church body in worship and fellowship on a regular basis. We need to pay our bills, but we also need to contribute to the work of the church. We need to spend time with family, but we also need to make sure they are receiving the discipline and instruction of the Lord.

There aren’t black and white guidelines for what is right for every person in every possible circumstance. However, Scripture does place more emphasis on sacrifice, suffering, and self-denial than many in the Western church are willing to accept.

Would the church have emerged if the apostles had been more concerned with protecting their houses, families, and personal well being than with spreading the good news? Would the church have spread around the world if missionaries decided to stay in the comfort and safety of their home country? Would the church be able to function if every member did only what felt convenient and fulfilling?

That’s not to say that every Christian needs to be involved in every church activity ever planned. I sometimes wrestle with the false guilt of legalism. “I should go … But I don’t feel like going … But I want to show my support for my pastor … But attendance figures aren’t everything … And it’s not all about what I might get out of it … But what can I give to others when I know I’m not likely to add anything to the discussion? … Am I being hypocritical to show up when I don’t want to? … And are people going to be respectful of social distancing and masks?” All those thoughts and more go tumbling through my mind, so I know firsthand that decisions about priorities aren’t always easy. But for many people the debate never goes further than “I don’t feel like it, so I won’t.”

God intends for us to enjoy His good gifts of rest, food, and relationships, but we must remember that He is the source of all good things so we can keep them in proper perspective. If we seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, the other things will fall into place where they belong.

“Incline my heart to Your testimonies, and not to selfish gain!” (Psalm 119:36).

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Here are a few articles that give different perspectives:

https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/article/self-care-soul-care/

https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/article/self-care-and-self-denial/

https://www.desiringgod.org/articles/the-insanity-of-self-care

https://www.desiringgod.org/articles/denying-yourself-is-loving-yourself


© 2020 Dawn Rutan. Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture are ESV and all images are copyright free from pixabay.com. The opinions stated do not necessarily reflect the views of my church or employer.

In Triumph and in Death

 A Bible search for the word “always” led me to see to a curious juxtaposition of verses in 2 Corinthians. On one hand we have the victorious image of 2:14 (ESV):

“But thanks be to God, who in Christ always leads us in triumphal procession, and through us spreads the fragrance of the knowledge of Him everywhere.”

That’s the kind of verse everyone would like to claim. We’d all like to feel triumphant over sin, adversity, and death. And we often seem to think that our faith will be easily shared with others, like a fragrance wafting across the room with no real effort on our part. But then just two chapters later the Apostle Paul writes:

“[We are] always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our bodies. For we who live are always being given over to death for Jesus’ sake, so that the life of Jesus may be manifested in our mortal flesh” (4:10-11).

That picture isn’t so pleasant or desirable. We don’t particularly want any form of death, whether it is the daily death of our own selfish desires or the death that comes from persecution for our faith. Christianity would be so much easier and more appealing to the world if it were obviously victorious and comfortable. If it were really about health and wealth, it wouldn’t be hard to convert people. There would be no need for evangelistic crusades or prayer meetings or hard conversations. In fact, it wouldn’t even require the work of the Holy Spirit.

But from the beginning faith has required death. When Adam and Eve sinned in the Garden of Eden, death was introduced into the world (Gen. 3). The curse included the death-like futility of toil, physical death, and spiritual death. God’s first action after pronouncing this death was to kill animals in order to make garments of skins to cloth Adam and Eve (v. 21). It wasn’t long until the Old Testament sacrificial system was enacted as a temporary substitutionary death that pointed ahead to the Messiah who would “give His life as a ransom for many” (Matt. 20:28), and “without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins” (Heb. 9:22).

We must first put our faith in the One who died in our place, but it doesn’t end there. As we put on our new life in Christ, it requires the death of our old self—we can’t put on the new without putting off the old. “For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God… Put to death therefore what is earthly in you” (Col. 3:3, 5). We won’t be conformed to the image of Christ without sacrificing our own wills to His (Rom. 12:1-2). We won’t “spread the fragrance of the knowledge of Him everywhere” unless His life is being lived out day by day. “In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent His only Son into the world, so that we might live through Him” (1 John 4:9).

In this age of self, this is not a popular message. Everyone wants to live their own life, follow their heart, and fulfill their own desires. But for those who claim faith in Christ, it is not my life but His, not my desires but His, not my will but His. “Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body” (1 Cor. 6:19-20). This message is repeated in various ways throughout the New Testament, so anyone who believes that they can be a Christian and yet live however they please is sadly deceived.

“For we are the aroma of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing, to one a fragrance from death to death, to the other a fragrance from life to life. Who is sufficient for these things?” (2 Cor. 2:15-16).

May we be a fragrant offering, broken and poured out for Him.

“It is my eager expectation and hope that I will not be at all ashamed, but that with full courage now as always Christ will be honored in my body, whether by life or by death” (Phil. 1:20).

© 2020 Dawn Rutan. Unless otherwise indicated all images are copyright free from pixabay.com. The opinions stated do not necessarily reflect the views of my church or employer. 

Fruitful Living

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law” (Galatians 5:22-23 ESV).

When this Scripture was read in our church service Sunday morning, it occurred to me that the fruit of the Spirit is the fruit of Christlikeness. As the Apostle Paul wrote to the church in Rome: “For those whom He foreknew He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, in order that He might be the firstborn among many brothers” (Romans 8:29). We display the fruit of the Spirit as we are conformed to the image of Christ. Consider how each aspect of the fruit was exhibited in the life of Christ. This is just a small sampling. 

Love
“This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends” (John 15:12-13).

“But I say to you who hear, ‘Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you’” (Luke 6:27).

 
Joy
“These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full” (John 15:11).

“Looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God” (Hebrews 12:2). 

Peace
“Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid” (John 14:27).

“As they were talking about these things, Jesus Himself stood among them and said to them, ‘Peace to you!’” (Luke 24:36). 

Patience
“And Jesus said to her, ‘Woman, what does this have to do with Me? My hour has not yet come’” (John 2:4).

“Jesus said to him, ‘Have I been with you so long, and you still do not know Me, Philip? Whoever has seen Me has seen the Father. How can you say, “Show us the Father”?’” (John 14:9). 

Kindness
“And behold, a leper came to Him and knelt before Him, saying, ‘Lord, if You will, You can make me clean.’ And Jesus stretched out His hand and touched him, saying, ‘I will; be clean.’ And immediately his leprosy was cleansed” (Matthew 8:2-3).

“Jesus turned, and seeing her He said, ‘Take heart, daughter; your faith has made you well.’ And instantly the woman was made well” (Matthew 9:22). 

Goodness
“And Jesus said to him, ‘Why do you call Me good? No one is good except God alone’” (Luke 18:19).

“Jesus answered [the Jews], ‘I have shown you many good works from the Father; for which of them are you going to stone Me?’” (John 10:30). 

Faithfulness
“Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in Me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on My own authority, but the Father who dwells in Me does His works” (John 14:10).

“I glorified You on earth, having accomplished the work that You gave Me to do” (John 17:4). 

Gentleness
“Take My yoke upon you, and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy, and My burden is light” (Matthew 11:29-30).

“And they were bringing children to Him that He might touch them… And He took them in His arms and blessed them, laying His hands on them” (Mark 10:13, 16). 

Self-Control
“He saved others; let Him save Himself… ‘If you are the King of the Jews, save yourself!’” (Luke 23:35, 37).

“Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil… ‘It is written, “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God”’” (Matthew 4:1, 4).

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I pray that we’ll see the increasing fruit of Christlikeness in our lives.

“Beloved, we are God’s children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared, but we know that when He appears we shall be like Him, because we shall see Him as He is” (1 John 3:2). 

© 2020 Dawn Rutan. Unless otherwise indicated all images are copyright free from pixabay.com. The opinions stated do not necessarily reflect the views of my church or employer.