rotten bones

I heard a seminar recently about how to make sure your energy goes toward the most productive things. Part of the presentation described the least productive energy sinks, which the presenter called mental cancers. One of those is comparing. Comparing my life and accomplishments and possessions to other people’s, this person says, is like an eroding mental disease that will sap my productivity.

As with most wisdom, this premise was stated much more concisely and clearly in the Bible centuries ago. Here it is, in Proverbs 14:30: “A heart at peace gives life to the body, but envy rots the bones.”

It’s an interesting mental picture, isn’t it? Our bones are the structure that gives us form and strength. When they rot, we become less attractive and less capable at the same time. In fact, rotting bones is something we associate more with crypts. Yet scripture says that’s what envy will do.

I think my own experience validates this proverb. I have a great life, full of blessing. My kids and grandkids are nearby, as are both sets of parents. I have a challenging job that pays more than I thought I’d ever earn. By most standards, I’ve accomplished a lot so far. And I have a wife who loves me, a God who loves me more, and ample proof of both those loves every day. There’s every reason my heart should be at peace.

Still . . . .

There are a handful of people at my 800-person company who outrank me. My new house isn’t as big as the ones being built across the street. I don’t seem to have the same available cash for vehicles and boats and campers as a lot of my peers.

With just a little bit of looking around, I can destroy the delight I should feel in every blessing I have. When I do that, my dissatisfaction drags at me; I don’t attack life and work with the same energy. That’s envy rotting my bones. It is a cancer.

Contentment and a peaceful, non-comparing heart would have a greater, faster impact on my health and energy than almost anything I could do. 

soldiers

I don’t know how it is now, but when I was in the Guard we had to be very careful about political involvement. We couldn’t do anything that would suggest military support of a certain person or idea. If we chose to get involved somehow, we would never do so in uniform, and would make very clear any time we spoke that we weren’t representing anyone but ourselves.

There were very good reasons for that. The military mission of national security is a critical one, requiring full commitment no matter what’s going on in our various capitols. Not only could we not afford the distraction of politics, but we couldn’t allow any partisanship to weaken our resolve to follow the orders of the national command structure. Also, it was important that confidence in our constancy was high no matter who was in office.

I was reminded of that period of my life this morning when I read 2 Timothy 2:4: “No one serving as a soldier gets entangled in civilian affairs, but rather tries to please his commanding officer.” This is a true statement, which makes it an excellent analogy.

Paul was using soldiers as an example of exemplary discipleship. He was making the point that our focus on obeying Jesus should be as single-minded as a soldier’s determination to follow orders.

In that context, I don’t think I’m doing as well soldiering for Jesus as I did when I took the king’s gold, as the saying went. Then I was very clear about the boundaries, and it was a matter of professional pride always to honor them. By contrast, I think that often when Jesus checks on me he finds me completely distracted by worldly affairs.

Success in my career and personal goals are distracting by themselves, but often I jump into one side or another of a political or church or community controversy. There are ways to do these things that will advance the cause of Jesus, especially if my words and actions are notably loving and considerate. But I think to often what I do is shaped by our culture’s focus on winning arguments instead of friends.

Am I sometimes absent from my post as a Christian soldier? As serious as it is to go AWOL, I’m afraid sometimes that’s exactly what I do.

contentment

Yesterday was Cyber Monday. In addition to Black Friday, the mega retail shopping day after Thanksgiving (which I hear started on Thursday evening this year), we now have a second day devoted to the binge-buyer in all of us.

Much as I like a good deal, I don’t like these days. Estimates are that somewhere around seven billion dollars were spent by Americans yesterday on Cyber Monday deals. It’s hard not to think what good that amount of money could do to, say, ease the plight of the Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh or feed starving Yemeni women and children.

It seems to me that we’re a long way from the ideals of the early church. As Paul wrote to Timothy in 1 Timothy 6:6-8: “But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that.”

I can’t think of a single person I know who would be content with that. In fact, we consider people who have only those things to be poverty stricken and disadvantage. Yet in Puerto Rico, in Somalia, in Haiti, and in a dozen other places there are people we no longer think about who don’t have regular access to either food or clothing. And while they shoo the flies from their starving babies’ faces, we splurge on our iPhones, new outfits and 4K TV sets. Sometimes I’m not so proud to be an American.

Godliness with contentment would be great gain. I wonder if we’ll ever achieve it?

jewelry on a pig

Proverbs 11:22: “Like a gold ring in a pig’s snout is a beautiful woman who shows no discretion.”

This is one of my favorite proverbs. I think of it when I see news of Lindsay Lohan or Miley Cyrus. I think of it when I see ads for the Victoria’s Secret Christmas Fashion show. I think of it when I hear women swear.

It’s true: crass and brassy behavior, or flaunting and taunting using the beauty God gave them, makes the most attractive women much less so. Not that it diminishes their value – the gold ring in the pig’s snout still is worth it’s weight in, well, gold. Beautiful but tactless and graceless women are still God’s image bearers and have great intrinsic worth just by being human.

But ungodly behavior diminishes what should be a wonderful creation meant to bring glory to God.

I’m not blind to the fact that this proverb can be interpreted and applied in a gender-neutral sense. Certainly men can detract from their attractiveness by their arm-pit scratching and Speedo wearing. Discretion is the most flattering accessory for anyone.

But I think men have other weaknesses like rage and abuse of power that they’re more likely to exhibit to the un-glory of God. Women are less prone to those, but perhaps the temptation to use those things that make men stupid is too much sometimes.

The bottom line for all of us is this: we’re at our best when we behave the most like Christ. Otherwise we’re like jewelry on a pig.

conflict or love

Christians are supposed to be loving; I get that, and I like to think that I am. I believe in love as a fruit of the Spirit and a core Christian attribute. Yet I’m challenged by Proverbs 10:12:

“Hatred stirs up conflict, but love covers over all wrongs.”

I feel OK about the first part of that verse, because I’m getting better and better at keeping away from conflict. I don’t participate in many arguments; I certainly try not to start them. And I’m learning to be a calming voice and have successfully ended conflicts.

No, it’s the second part that makes me cringe. Sometimes I don’t let love cover wrongs. In fact, there are some wrongs I treasure. I hang onto them and pull them out once in a while to remind myself of how right I am and how wrong other people are.

I mean, really, my love is supposed to overlook those clueless drivers who inconvenience me? Or the idiot commentators who just don’t get how bad the other party is? I’m supposed to give people a pass when they do dumb things that cause me more work? Because that’s how Christian’s love?

Yes, I think I am. But often I don’t, which is why I cringe.

God is love, and the world will know we are his followers by our love. The fact that I can struggle with it just shows how distinctive actually doing it will make me. And that’s what Christians are supposed to be: distinctive, meaning noticeably different from non-believers. Through our lives, we’re supposed to give people an idea of what the love of God is like, and how it can change people.

A love that covers over all wrongs. That’s Christian love. Can I do it? Yes. Will I?

giving thanks

This morning, at our Thanksgiving service, we’re going to have a time for open mic. It’s the formal church version of the question that is asked so often at this time of year: “What are you thankful for?”

There isn’t any doubt what Paul gave thanks for most of all. He said it in most of his letters, like his second one to the Thessalonians. Here’s the pertinent part, from 2 Thessalonians 1:3-4: “We ought always to thank God for you, brothers and sisters, and rightly so, because your faith is growing more and more, and the love all of you have for one another is increasing. Therefore, among God’s churches we boast about your perseverance and faith in all the persecutions and trials you are enduring.”

I think that’s a great thing to be thankful for, that Christian brothers and sisters are growing in faith and in the love they have for each other. I am thankful for that, in my church and my community.

I don’t think I’ll say it at open mic, though. I think most people would think that was kind of weird. But I’m going to be thinking it. And I’ll pray it.

life plan

A friend and I were talking the other day about writing a self-help book. We were noting all the different ideas for health plans and diets and financial success that had made their authors wealthy. We discussed the new trend of life coaches, people who make a living telling other people how they should live. Surely, we thought, we can come up with something people would buy, since they seem to buy almost anything.

It was all in fun, but this morning I found it. I found that life advice I would write a book about. Paul summed it up in 1 Thessalonians 5:16: “Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”

It’s a simple plan, isn’t it? Only three steps.

Rejoice always. Isn’t that great? You don’t have to decide to be sad or mad or discouraged; the attitude that’s appropriate for every occasion is rejoicing.

And pray continuously. That’s the best way to be effective and productive. It’s the way to have the most energy and do the best things with it. An extended conversation with our Lord and Boss and Father and Provider is sure to yield everything we need.

And give thanks in all circumstances. Rain or shine, healthy or not so much, wealthy or not so much, thanks are appropriate, because our future has already been secured for us.

What could be easier? We only have to remember three things: rejoicing, prayer and thanksgiving. And they’re so closely linked its easy to do them simultaneously.

What these three things communicate is a singular truth: God, who made us, and Jesus, who died and rose for us, and the Holy Spirit, who guides us and advocates for us, are more than enough to get us through anything we face. They’re more than enough to help us accomplish any of God’s works. Because God himself is for us, no one can possibly stand against us.

That’s the only way we rejoice always, pray continuously and give thanks in all circumstances, by living that reality. People who don’t put their hope in God won’t get it. But those of us who do now have our perfect life plan.

memorable work

1 Thessalonians 1:3: “We remember before our God and Father your work produced by faith, your labor prompted by love, and your endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ.”

One of the hard things about an obedient life is that it’s not about what I do so much as why and how I do it. There are a lot of hard workers out there who do amazing things for reasons that have nothing to do with Jesus. It would be easy for me to be one of them.

Paul, writing his first letter to the church in Thessalonica, praises them – in fact, remembers them before God – for work that was produced by faith, and labor that was prompted by love. On top of that, this church was able to endure a time of suffering, referred to in following verses, because of their hope in Jesus.

Work isn’t enough, it has to be work produced by faith. What does that look like? Maybe work that seems beyond my ability to do on my own, like trying to stop human trafficking or helping a friend beat addiction. Or introducing a blasphemous soul to Jesus.

Labor isn’t enough, it has to be labor prompted by love. My reason for the effort I put in has to be other people – wanting the best for others is what love is all about, right? Kingdom work will always be done to benefit others and not myself.

All of this becomes possible because of the hope I have in Jesus. Jesus is Lord! My God reigns! That’s the basis of my ability to endure whatever the day throws at me, whatever obstacles come up as I pursue my faith-produced, love-prompted work for Jesus.

This verse seems to me to be a call to look for that need that I’m not certain I can fill, but I know God wants filled. My passion for Jesus and compassion for his image-bearers should be what motivate me, not whatever time I think I have available, or whether I think I have the right skills. I should expect it to be hard – I wouldn’t need endurance otherwise – but it will produce something worth remembering before God himself.

To do something worth remembering before God himself – work so memorable that people don’t just tell each other, but praise God – is a staggering, sobering goal. Do I have enough faith?

new clothes

There are some things you just don’t wear. Gang colors in certain inner-city neighborhoods can get you in trouble. So can a flashing Raiders sweater at Thanksgiving if your in-laws are all Chiefs fans.

What we wear signals some things about what we value. That may have been true in Paul’s day too, because of language he uses in Colossians 3. I’ll give you the larger passage, verses 11-15, because it will help understand:

“Here there is no Gentile or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave or free, but Christ is all, and is in all.

“Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.”

The first statement is critical: in God’s kingdom all those old ways we used to identify all those who aren’t like us – race, religious rites, social status, country of origin – are erased. Instead, Christ is everything to all of us, and he is in all of us. That’s the only point of commonality we should care about.

Because of that, Paul calls us to change our clothes. Here’s our new outfit: compassions, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Paul starts that sentence with the word therefore. That means we need this change of wardrobe because those differences no longer matter.

We used to wear things like anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language (those are in verse 8). We used to lie to and about each other. Various tribal markings used to be in style, the things that let us readily pick out our own and avoid others. But those clothes simply won’t do anymore. God’s sacrifice puts all of us in the same place: at the foot of the cross.

These aren’t just a new fashion, though; these are work clothes. They’re intended to help us in this business of bearing with one another and forgiving each other so that we can be united in our love for each other and Jesus. Practical clothes, but attractive too.

What a great outfit to wear for the holiday season.

investments

People who know about money tell me I'm not very smart with it. They say that because I don't like debt; that makes me do dumb stuff like keeping my mortgage small when the interest on it is low. I'm not trying to become a millionaire, or even become richer than I am. In fact, the problem with a lot of money is that you have to manage it, and I'm happiest when I can go all day and never once think about money.

I wouldn't exactly brag about my wisdom either, but I got a little bit of affirmation this morning while read in Proverbs 3. Look at verses 13-15:  

"Blessed are those who find wisdom, 

 those who gain understanding, 

 for she is more profitable than silver 

 and yields better returns than gold.  

She is more precious than rubies;  

nothing you desire can compare with her." 

I do spend time most days trying to add to my wisdom and understanding. In fact, while I don't like to think about money, I consider a day wasted if I haven't added to what I know. It's especially wasted if I don't spend some time pondering what I read in the Bible. 

And this chapter in Proverbs promises some good things if I do that, in verses 16-18: 

"Long life is in her right hand;  

in her left hand are riches and honor.  

Her ways are pleasant ways, 

 and all her paths are peace.  

She is a tree of life to those who take hold of her; 

 those who hold her fast will be blessed." 

Long life, and pleasant and peaceful paths to travel on – those are better returns, aren't they? In fact, aren't these things often the thing we think we'll get with our money? It's a reminder that the good things in life are available to the poorest among us, and not guaranteed to the wealthiest. 

knowledge

There's a problem with watching the news these days: the talking heads don't know much. I don't say that because I'm anti-media; as a former journalist I actually have a lot of respect for the profession, and give our media a lot more credit than most people do.

But the fact is, there's really only one way to know anything about anything in this world, and that's to first of all know God. That's what it says in Proverbs 1:7: "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and instruction."

You can't know about people without looking to God, because he made us. You can't know about the world, either. Christians are ridiculed sometimes as being anti-science, but true science, a true seeking to know and understand this world, has to start with God. The world exists, after all, to show us God. People exist to show us God. If we look closely at either and still can't see God, then we don't understand the thing we're examining.

This is a core truth that isn't much honored anymore. Sad to say, it isn't even honored in our churches as it once was. If it were, we'd all spend more time trying to know God. 

others

I'm not comfortable with the way so many Americans honor or military – we tend to put them on a pedestal when they're just people. There are crooks and jerks in uniform too. But one thing I do think is true about our service members – as a rule, they value something else more highly than their own lives. Usually, that's the lives of other people, and I think that's unusual. I think culturally most Americans are me-first in their actions and attitudes.

Paul again calls me to be counter-cultural in Philippians 2:3-4: “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.” 

That, honestly, is a trait found in most officers and NCOs in the military. But it's a trait far more prevalent in a far older institution: the church of Jesus Christ. Because only Jesus can make us truly selfless people.  

In humility, value others above myself, and look to their interests over my own. I can do it if I stay close to God. Otherwise . . . .