Walking in Kindness

I was reminiscing the other day, thinking back to thoughts from previous life. I often saw what I call "unintentional rudeness," those instances when one is so focused on self that they ignore the way their actions impact others. It might be something as simple as going through a door and letting it close on the person behind you. Quite simply, it is living a life that is inconsiderate. If I am to live a life that reflects the person of Christ, I need to be aware how my actions impact others; I will be aware of the consequences of my actions, I will live with others in mind.

When I practice the fruit of the Spirit as described in Galatians 5:22-23, (But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.) I will consider how my life intersects with those around me. Christ lived each day with a focus on others as He looked ahead to the cross. His was not a life of comfort and ease, nor was it a life pushing for personal success. His was a life dedicated to meeting the needs of others, even at His own expense. When I truly follow His example, I live to meet the needs of others; however, I can only meet needs that I am aware of and I will only be aware of other's needs as I make those folks important in my life. Even "strangers" become important when I realize that my life impacts theirs, even in ways that may seem insignificant to me. Hence, the idea of unintentional rudeness. I do not need to go out of my way to be rude, I can do that with no thought at all. Likewise, I do not need to take drastic detours to be kind to others; I can demonstrate the fruit of the Spirit without radically changing what I do. What I need to change is the focus of my life and the reason I do what I do. I need to be others-focused and live to represent Christ in a world that desperately needs to see him.

As I walk through each day, I need to avoid unintentional rudeness and live a life that is indeed considerate to those around me. I need to see people and I need to see their needs. It may cost me a couple of minutes here and there, but the rewards far outweigh the costs as I represent Christ by living for others. In this world, that kind of behavior stands out and it may open a door to share the gospel Christ with others. 

Walking Day After Day

My, how quickly time goes by. Just yesterday (Jan 1) I thought that I might make posts each week. Obviously that did not happen. I do, however, want to do more posting this year. So, here goes.

As I look back on the week, the first thing that comes to mind was the Sunday morning message at church. The last two messages really were a blessing to the heart. Pastor preached about being involved in the ministry and then about staying true to the faith. You can find the message on youtube or on SermonAudio. I would strongly recommend viewing/listening.

Next I think of work and the boxes. The first thought that comes to mind is the necessity of everyone doing their job and not leaving their work for someone else to do. When we only do some of what is expected of us, someone else needs to pick up the slack. Basically, we are asking them to do their job and some of ours. We need to do our job in such a way that we can assist others as much as is possible.

On to today, Valentine's Day. While the focus is obviously on those that we love here, any discussion of love must include the love of God. He not only declared His love for us, He demonstrated it. And not only was it demonstrated, it was shown in a manner that revealed the depth of His love -- He gave His Son to die in our place. No greater love has ever been shown. He who had no sin died for those who are defined by sin. That indeed is love.

Meandering into 2020

By now 2019 is in the rear view mirror and 2020 is in full view out the windshield. Wouldn't it be nice to see what lies around that first bend in the road? My, how quickly and how much life can change in a short period of time. Some of the changes are welcomed and others are avoided, but change is inevitable. When change comes, it is comforting to remember that we serve a God who doesn't change; He is the same yesterday, today, and forever. When we are confronted with the unexpected and possibly frightening, our omniscient God knows exactly what we are facing and He continues to provide and protect.

As we enter 2020, there will be numerous allusions to (clear) vision and seeing things clearly. We live in a world that desires clarity and yet chooses to ignore/reject Biblical insight. So many see the Bible as just another book or maybe a book of fables and tales; some even see it as a book of lies and falsehoods. All because they willfully reject fact that God gave us His word that we might now Him and what He expects of us.

Moving into the new year, may we each commit to be students of the Word, students who read, student, and put into practice the principles of the Scriptures. It is not simply to be an academic pursuit, but to be our passion because we have a love for God and the things of God. It is imperative that we accept the gift of eternal life as described and prescribed in the Bible if the book is to become real and alive to us. The Bible is more than another textbook, but is indeed God's personal message to us. As we live each day of the new year, God's Word has the principles that we need to guide us day by day. If we are going to see clearly and live biblically in 2020, we need to know what God has to say and be willing to do what He says. The only way that we can accomplish that is if we make the Bible significant and treat it so. And so, a commitment is needed, a commitment is needed to God and His word and a commitment to humble obedience. He loves us and deserves our faithful service. 

Walking (running) through the Calendar

Well, it is once again Christmas day and I have again been slack in writing on this wonderful page. But, today is a new day and I shall type.

Think of all of the reasons that people celebrate Christmas and all of the "reasons" for Christmas that are given:.

• It is a time for family.
• It is a time of giving.
• It is a time of new movies (if Hallmark or Lifetime are to be believed).
• It is a time to "believe" -- though I seldom, if ever see an object of belief with that statement.

So, Christmas is once again upon us and it is indeed a great time of year, The decorations, the chill in the air, the sales, the special Christmas Eve and Christmas church services...it is indeed a wonderful time. But what exactly is it that makes Christmas special? 

John 3:16 tells us clearly that God gave and that He gave a gift so far beyond what we could have ever dreamed of. He gave us the means to have our sins forgiven and the means for us to have eternal life with him. We were condemned by our sins and sentenced to hell and He saw our need and provided the way for our salvation.

Now we celebrate Christmas and set aside this time to remember the birth of the Savior and also to recall that the reason He came was not to make life better, but to die that the price of our sins might be paid. He paid an incredibly high price, a price that His love made acceptable.

We also have many other gifts from the Father: health, family, church, and so much more. If we took the time to enumerate and to give full description, we could have a post that would take quite some time to read and even more to actually digest. He has blessed us so greatlly and yet often we do not take time to give Him the thanks that He so greatly deserves.

And so again, why do we celebrate? Because God sent His son to be born and later to die for us. Thanks be to our Father for His blessings to us.

Walking in the Dark

For so many people, the day after Thanksgiving is Black Friday, a day devoted to crowds, sales, and associated mayhem. Then there is my version of Black Friday:

After working the overnight, it is dark room, eyes closed, time for sleep. I am a bit partial to my black Friday these days.

Walking with Gratitude

O give thanks unto the Lord ; for he is good; for his mercy endureth for ever.

1 Chronicles 16:34

As I reflect on Thanksgiving Day, there are so many directions that I could go. First and most obviously, thanks are due to the Father for all that He has done for us, especially for the gift of salvation. There are so many elements: my sin, God's standard, the Savior's blood, and more. 

Then there are all of the blessings He has given.

     1. Family

          • My wonderful wife

          • My three great kids

          • My fantastic parents

          • My siblings

          • My super in-laws

     2. Home and stuff

     3. Health and safety

     4. Provision: job and the means to work

     5. Church fellowship and worship

If I were to take the time to elaborateon each if these, I could write paragraphs. And so, I end this too short post by saying that I indeed have much to be thankful for. God has richly blessed me and my family and He continues to do so.

Walking with Dad

Father's Day 2019. I have been richly blessed of God and given an incredible father, though not just one. First, I have my Heavenly Father who so richly loves me. John 3:16 says that God greatly loved the world,so much so that he gave His son to die in our place.

Next, I have my own dad. When I look back over the years of my life, I see so vividly the many blessings that I was the beneficiary of. Whether opportunities in the woods of Upper Michigan, family trips, or church/school events and trips, I had so many privileges growing up. We never realized what we didn't have because we had so much.

Finally, in 1989 I gained another father when I married Bec. My father-in-law has been a great blessing over these thirty years.  He has offered support and advice, as well as oil changes, tire rotations, engine rebuilds, etc.

Here are a few thoughts on fathers, focused on some characteristics of the Heavenly Father. (key thought courtesy of Focus on the Family)

• He is the source of life. No father = no life. That is especially true of spiritual life. But even physically, life would no't exist without our Creator Father.

• He lovingly corrects us. God's discipline and correction are always done out of love (Hebrews 12:3-11). God's Spirit corrects us in our everyday decisions and interactions with others. Sometimes that correction is subtle, sometimes harsh. We need to sense Him prodding us toward decisions that reflect His love and truth, and we should be convicted when we choose to disobey.

• He provides for our needs. We have so much for which to be thankful. The poorest among us are incredibly wealthy when we pause to meditate on all that we have. How much joy the true Father must receive when we enjoy all the good gifts that He has provided through creation (Matthew 7:11). All that we have comes from the Father above. He provides for a daily necessities, plus so much more.

• He gives us His wisdom. Dads are to help teach their children and if they do not, who will? We help our kids learn life skills and encourage them in their gifts and talents. One thing that we much teach children is that true wisdom comes from our heavenly Father. His inspired Word is the ultimate source of wisdom and truth (2 Timothy 3:16-17d).

• He always welcomes us back. We forgive our children when they mess up, and we try to help them make better choices in the future. Help your kids recognize that this is just a glimpse of God's role in our lives. He is the ultimate model of forgiveness. We all mess up, but our true Father is constantly on watch for our return, running to us with joy when we turn back to His family (Luke 15:11-32). God doesn't expect perfection. as seen in the fact that he taught about confession and forgiveness. So fathers should teach about forgiving and forgetting. So many of the tragedies that dominate the news these days stem from simmering bitterness over relational issues. If we would practice Biblical forgiveness, so much could be avoided.

There is obviously more that could be written, but here I cease. Thanks Dad(s) for everything.