It’s a Privilege

This week we celebrated Father's Day. What a privilege God has given to humanity; we can have a Father as well as be one. However, with the blessing comes great responsibility--a task that some take lightly. First of all men are to be priests and leaders. This means that we do not expect others to fulfill our role authoritatively.  Bill Cosby in one of his jovial comments once remarked "I'm not the boss of my house. I don't know how I lost it, I don't know when I lost it, I don't really think I ever had it. But I've seen the boss's job ... and I don't want it!" While jokingly stated, this response defines the attitude of so many dads. Voddie T. Baucham Jr. commented "It has been said that as goes the family, so goes the world. It can also be said that as goes the father, so goes the family." This is especially true as it relates to leadership; when father's fail in this area the family finds itself struggling for meaning and direction in life. Thus, someone or something else steps in, fills the vacancy and normally without positive results. Secondly, fathers are to be role models. Clarence Budington in speaking about his own father stated, "He didn't tell me how to live; he lived, and let me watch him do it." Children are always in the observation mode; meaning they do not have to be coached to follow the path we trod it's an automatic response. That's why it's so important to allow God to order our steps, then the steps of our children will follow suit. Thirdly, fathers are to be providers financially but even more so emotionally. What does emotional support look like? Jim Valvano explains it with his statement, "My father gave me the greatest gift anyone could give another person: he believed in me." Sigmund Freud gave input by suggesting "I cannot think of any need in childhood as strong as the need for a father's protection." Harmon Killebrew insinuated it meant playtime. "My father used to play with my brother and me in the yard. Mother would come out and say, "You’re tearing up the grass." "We’re not raising grass," Dad would reply. "We’re raising boys." Others would describe emotional support as being a hug, a kiss, a kind word, or a supportive smile. All of these are important to the mental DNA of our children. While working at fatherhood just remember it does not require perfection just performance. Reed Markham may have said it best. "Being a great father is like shaving. No matter how good you shaved today, you have to do it again tomorrow." So dads get out there and do it again--fatherhood is not a problem but a privilege.

The Boss

The boss was concerned that his employees weren’t giving him enough respect, so he tried and old fashioned method of persuasion: He brought in a sign that said “I’m the Boss” and taped it to his door. After lunch, he noticed someone had taped another note under his. “Your wife called. She wants her sign back!”  While this is a comical story it speaks of the plight of our modern day society.  When you look at politics it can leave you asking, “Who really is in charge? Is it the president, the congress, the senate, or the American people?”  The same can be said when observing the family. Often we see a great discrepancy as it relates to control. Children act as if they are the parent and vice versa. Sometimes we witness the same scenario in the religious spectrum. Is the pastor, elder board, or the parishioner in control? However, when we take a closer look at the world and the kingdom, the same does not hold true.  God is clearly declared “The Boss.” He defines Himself through the penmanship of Isaiah in these terms: “I am the first, and I am the last and beside me there is no God. I am the Lord and there is none else, there is no God beside me. Peter described God as the Chief Shepard. John in the book of Revelation described Him as the “Alpha and Omega, the first and the last.” For centuries man has tested God’s control only to realize it was a big mistake. Pharaoh, Herod, Nero, and Hitler flexed their muscles only to find out that God is boss. The Philistines, Amalekites, Syrians as well as other nations commissioned their forces and found out God is boss. I must admit there are times when it appears the world is out of control and the Devil has taken charge of every facet of its operation. However, a thorough reading of Scripture reveals the opposite.  When Isaiah was in question, he writes, “I saw the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and his train filled the temple.” When John was unsure he was caught up in the spirit taken to heaven and reveals what he saw. “I looked and behold there was a throne set in heaven and one sat on the throne.” The one positioned on the throne was clearly in charge of everything transpiring on earth. Nothing happening was beyond God’s control.  That being said, when it feels as if your life and the lives of those around you is out of control be assured that nothing could be farther from the truth. Be at peace; God has never surrendered or vacated His throne. He remains in charge which means He is the ultimate boss!   

Getting Our Attention

A few years ago, a young successful executive named Josh was traveling down a Chicago neighborhood street. He was going a bit too fast in his sleek, black, 12-cylinder Jaguar which was only 2 months old. He was watching carefully for kids darting out from between parked cars and slowed down when he thought he saw something. As his car passed the spot no child darted out, but a brick flew out and - WHUMP! – It smashed into the Jag’s shiny side door. SCREECH! He slammed on his brakes and his gears ground into reverse, tires spinning the Jaguar back to the place where the brick had been thrown. He jumped out of the car, grabbed the kid and pushed him up against a parked car. He shouted, “Who are you? And what the heck are you doing?” Building up a head of steam, he went on. “That’s my new Jag, and the brick you threw is going to cost you a lot of money. Why did you throw it?” “Please, mister, please…I’m sorry! I didn’t know what else to do! I threw the brick because no one would stop.” Tears were dripping down the boy’s chin as he pointed around the parked car. “It’s my brother, mister,” he said. “He rolled off the curb and fell out of his wheelchair and I can’t lift him up.” Sobbing, the boy pled, “Would you please help me get him back into his wheelchair? He’s hurt and he’s too heavy for me.’ Moved beyond words, the young executive tried desperately to swallow the rapidly swelling lump in his throat. Straining, he lifted the young man back into the wheelchair, took out his handkerchief and wiped the scrapes and cuts, checking to see that everything else was okay. He then walked with them to make sure that the younger brother was able to get them back home all right. It was a long walk back to the sleek, black, shining 12-cylinder Jaguar XKE – a long and slow walk. Josh never did fix that side door. He kept the dent to remind himself not to go through life so fast that someone has to throw a brick to gain his attention.  There are times when God has to do the same. Bricks in the form of trials, tribulations, sicknesses and temptations come from the dark to stop us in our tracks. However, when this happens we realize the dents and scrapes in life only serve to make us better people. It is through these experiences that we begin to see, hear, and understand what God really wants to do through our lives. So let me end by asking, “Is God having a hard time getting your attention?”    

He Remembered

I heard the story recently about a guy named John who had a serious memory problem. One day he ran into a friend he had not seen in a long time. He greeted him and said, “Bill, do you remember what a bad memory I had?” Bill answered, “Yes, I certainly do.” “Well, it’s not bad any more. I went to a seminar that taught us how to remember things. It was great, and now I have a wonderful memory.” Bill answered, “That’s great! What was the name of the seminar?” “Well,” John said, “wait a minute, my wife went with me. I’ll ask her.” He turned and saw his wife nearby. Then he turned back to Bill and said, “What’s the name of that flower with a long stem, thorns and a red bloom?” “Do you mean a rose?” Bill answered. “Yeah, thanks,” John said. “Hey, Rose, what’s the name of that seminar we attended?” All of us have problems remembering on occasions.  We forget people’s names, phone numbers, and special events just to name a few. However there are some things we cannot forget. Memorial Day is one of those. This is a time when we should focus upon the men and women who died fighting to maintain our nation’s freedom.  But it’s also a day when we should reflect upon those who lost their lives fighting for our faith. They refused to abandon their convictions. Hebrews chapter eleven mentions multitudes that fall into this category. They would not surrender to denial and because of that they were tortured, crucified, beheaded, and beaten to death. However, the ultimate person to remember is the one who fought for our future. When we were full of sin and without hope, Jesus died that we might become the righteousness of God. That’s one of the most important reasons we participate in Holy Communion.  Jesus said “take the bread and drink the cup and as often as you do, you are doing it in remembrance of me.”  But as hard as it is to admit, sometimes we forget. It’s not that we block him out of our memory altogether, we just don’t keep him as a priority in our lives.  This causes me to ask, “Can we forget the one who did not forget us?” A serious reading of the scripture reveals that Jesus as the supreme sacrifice remembered us in everything.  He knew we needed forgiveness--He remembered.  He knew we needed peace—He remembered. He knew we needed comfort—He remembered. He knew we were human—He remembered. He knew we needed healing—He remembered. He knew we needed hope—He remembered. He knew we needed encouragement—He remembered. He knew we needed provision—He remembered. He knew we needed deliverance—He remembered. He knew we needed power—He remembered. He knew we needed a home—He remembered. Yes, He remembered us in all things. That being said let us be sure to take the time, especially during this Memorial week to remember Him.  

Recognizing God

A few days ago I pulled into Kroger’s gas station to fill up the church van.  A gentleman across from me was doing the same. I spoke and he responded by asking, “What church are you with?” I replied “Gracepoint.” “Where is it located” was his next question. As I began to explain he interrupted and said, “Oh yes, I watch your pastor on TV regularly. He preaches on Monday or Wednesday right?” I said, “Yes it’s Monday.” He never recognized who I was and I did not tell him.  My curiosity tempted me to ask, “Does he do a good job?”  However I refrained thinking he might answer negatively.  Why did he not know who I was? Had I been dressed incognito I would have understood, but that was not the case.  Strangely enough two of Jesus’ followers experienced the same.  They were on their way to Emmaus when the Lord drew near to them. Although they had been in his company on multiple occasions and had heard him speak, on this day he was unrecognizable. Luke says “their eyes were restrained, so that they did not know Him.”  We are not given the reasons as to why this happened, but let me suggest a few.  Possibly the problem was lack of focus. They just failed to look closely refusing to entertain the idea that it just might be him. Maybe they were too preoccupied with their loss and were overwhelmed with grief. Or one cannot rule out the suggestion given by the author that Jesus just wasn’t ready to reveal himself as yet. He had them on hold. Regardless of the reason, they did not have the capacity at that moment to entertain him.  This holds true for us. There are those occasions when God stands in our very presence but we fail to recognize him. How wonderful it is when He lifts the veil allowing us to see and hear Him as He is. When this happens our hearts will feel the same burning as Cleopas and his unnamed friend mentioned earlier.  The encounter may come on your job, at the grocery store, or while taking a walk through the woods. The important thing is not the place but the person. It is about our being successful at recognizing God!        

The Importance of Mothers

A man came home from work and found his three children outside, still in their pajamas, playing in the mud. The door of his wife’s car was open, as was the front door to the house and there was no sign of the dog. Proceeding into the entry, he found an even bigger mess. A lamp had been knocked over. In the front room the TV was loudly blaring a cartoon channel, and the family room was covered with toys and various items of clothing. In the kitchen, dishes filled the sink, breakfast food was spilled on the counter, the fridge door was open wide and dog food was spilled on the floor. He quickly headed up the stairs, stepping over toys and more piles of clothes, looking for his wife. He was worried she might be ill, or that something serious had happened. He was met with a small trickle of water as it made its way out the bathroom door. As he peered inside he found wet towels, scummy soap and more toys strewn over the floor. Miles of toilet paper lay in a heap and toothpaste had been smeared over the mirror and walls. As he rushed to the bedroom, he found his wife still curled up in the bed in her pajamas, reading a novel. She looked up at him, smiled, and asked how his day went. He looked at her bewildered and asked, “What happened here today?” She again smiled and answered, “You know every evening when you come home from work and you ask me what in the world I do all day?” “Yes,” was his incredulous reply! She answered, “Well, today I didn’t do it.” An article in Forbes some months ago asked the question, "Think you can put a price on motherhood?" Then they presented a study on how many hours moms work and what the family would have to pay for outsourcing that duty. The 2012 survey determined the following: The average stay-at-home mom should make an annual salary of $112,962 based on a 40-hour per week base pay plus 54.7 hours a week of overtime; the average working mom should make an annual salary $66,969 based on 40-hours of mothering duties and 17.9 overtime hours per week. The question is “how much does yours make?” Very few of us would have the resources to pay those kinds of wages. However, I have found out that mothers really don’t require it. All they want is a little gratitude, a generous hug, and a sincere “I love you!” Because if we care to admit it all of us could agree with the words of Abraham Lincoln who wrote: “All that I am, or hope to be, I owe to my angel mother."  If you praise her appropriately she will know she is stupendous, priceless, and matchless. She’s really important!

Demonstrating Love

Has the Lord ever asked you to do something difficult? Watchman Nee in one of his teachings told a story about a Chinese Xian man who owned a rice paddy next to his. The Xian man irrigated his fields by pumping water out of a canal. Every day, after the Xian had pumped enough water to fill his paddy, the Communist man would come out, remove the boards that kept the water in his neighbor’s paddy, and allow the water to drain into his paddy so he wouldn’t have to pump the water. This continued for some time, until the Xian was just fed up with it. He prayed, “Lord, if this keeps up I’m going to lose all my rice, maybe even my field. What can I do?” The Lord responded by putting a thought in his mind. The next morning the Xian man got up early and started pumping water into his neighbor’s field first. Then he replaced the boards and pumped water into his own rice paddy. This resulted in both rice paddies becoming productive and the Communist man was moved by his neighbor’s loving action. The two men became friends and eventually the Communist man became a follower of Jesus. It comes as no surprise that God often asks us to do things we consider strange in order to develop character in us and to impact the lives of others. Such a request might involve praying for an enemy, mowing the lawn of a hateful neighbor; volunteering to fill in for the mean-spirited co-worker who drives you nuts; or being helpful and kind to an ex-spouse or estranged family member. It’s amazing but when God’s will involves development He often chooses a teacher that is diametrically opposite of us.  He may place you beside a co-worker considered to be the most distrusting person in the department, or a cantankerous neighbor. Your quiet neighborhood may become the next project in the city’s reconstruct the street initiative. Or even worse, the building you work in may be invaded by those nasty jack-hammers creating noise that goes right to the bone. Whatever the circumstance, once the project is completed you are a much better person because of it. In any event, no assignment is without its challenges but greater still its opportunities. God gives us the right situation in which to demonstrate His love.