God’s Grace Is Never Redundant

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Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. Phil 3:13-14 NIV

I came to realize after a midnight emergency surgery as an eight-year-old that I could live a long and fruitful life without my appendix. It may be considered a redundant organ, but it sure caused me a tremendous amount of pain when it ruptured. It wouldn’t be considered a redundant organ for a second grader when you had to miss being in the school’s Christmas program. According to scientists, certain body organs adjusted to changing circumstances which forced them to adapt to the changes such as the appendix, wisdom teeth, and goosebumps. Now, I never realized that goosebumps were considered a body part until writing this post.

The lowly little appendix though is a great example of something making a comeback. New research shows the appendix may have an essential role in gut health, helping the immune system fight pathogens and houses bacteria that repopulate the gut microbiome after an illness or antibiotic use. (info from an article by Julia Craven) “Sometimes redundancy has a way of showing up under certain conditions; they’re not truly redundant. Going back to the appendix it’s been suggested that it does have a use,” according to Michael Snyder, director of the Snyder Lab at Stanford University.

There are natural causes for body organ changes but there is also a burgeoning plastic surgery business in body part changes. If it can be tucked, tightened, folded, adjusted, enlarged, or decreased you will find a booming business. Americans alone spent approximately $26 Billion on plastic or cosmetic surgery according to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons. Globally that amount increases to $112 Billion with Brazil leading the world in cosmetic surgeries but the United States dominating in nonsurgical cosmetic procedures. Getting a liposuction was the most popular surgical procedure worldwide in 2023.

People may spend billions to get their body parts moved and realigned but spend precious little time on critical soul issues such as anger, anxiety, idolatry, bitterness, rage, slander, pride, and the list goes on. Plastic surgeons may give amazing results with all the money spent worldwide but can you imagine what a difference it would make if we chose to focus on doing some soul surgery?

The Apostle Paul may not have been a member of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, but he did have some valuable insight on what makes a person truly beautiful. Writing in the book of Ephesians he proposed some major surgical removals. “Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice.” His post-surgical recommendation followed, “Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.” (Eph 4:31-32 NIV)

Paul understood long before society would be spending mega-billions on plastic surgery procedures that it would have limited value. The best Plastic Surgeon can only give temporary results, but Paul had a more eternal perspective in mind when he wrote, “to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.” (Eph 4:23-24)

Megan Fate Marshman, in her book, Relaxed writes, “First, we open our hearts and come out of hiding to our God who loves us. Crack open anxiety, worry, envy, jealousy, arrogance, pride, laziness, lust, disobedience. We can’t do this in a day because our hearts didn’t get that way in a day.”

March 5 begins the season of Lent when a large part of the church family celebrates 40 days of fasting in preparation for Easter. Historically it has been a time of giving up something with the intended purpose of drawing nearer to God. Instead of giving up something material such as coffee, chocolate, or electronics, can you imagine the impact if more focus on some of the things Paul mentioned? Granted it is harder to deal with anger than to give up chocolate but focusing on Paul’s lists would be life-changing.

I am not big on Christian cliché but one that makes a lot of sense is, “Christianity is not a religion, it’s a relationship.”  Jesus understood fully that we would struggle to transform our lives and made provision that we wouldn’t have to do it alone. “Spiritual disciplines do not transform you. They open you to the God who can.” (Dr. John Coe) The transformed life starts and ends with Christ within you.

Jesus gave us an amazing way to deal with our soul’s burdens, himself. “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” (Matthew 11:28-30)

Now that is a transformation that lasts forever!

God is great!

Building On Solid Ground

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For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ. I Cor 3:11 NIV

“The only thing to fear is fear itself.” Franklin Roosevelt spoke these words in his first inaugural address to a weary nation facing financial and natural disasters and the rise of Hitler to power. FDR’s words serve as an example that all presidents have had to face their own unique challenges as they came into office.

Today marks Presidents’ Day in the United States to honor the sacrifice and courage of past presidents, remembering their legacies, accomplishments, and failures.  Originally it was a day set aside to honor the nation’s first president, George Washington, on his birthday.  It was later expanded to include all Presidents. President Washington would have had all his successors follow his advice, “I hope I shall possess firmness and virtue enough to maintain what I consider the most enviable of all titles, the character of an honest man.”

Challenges are not unique to the office of the president, or for that matter, any position. America’s sixth president, John Quincy Adams wrote, “If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more, and become more, you are a leader.” How we handle those challenges as a leader is dependent upon the foundation upon which we build.

Jesus didn’t close his Sermon on the Mount message with a poem but with a powerful reminder for his followers on what to build their lives upon. “Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.” –Matthew 7:24-27

Mark Batterson sums up how many of us prefer to face challenges. “When we face a problem, our predominant prayer is to ask God to change our circumstances. I have no doubt that God can do that, but sometimes the circumstances we ask God to change are the very circumstances God is using to change us.” If our foundation is built upon public approval, personal preferences, or a comfort mentality, chances are great that the foundation will crumble.

Jesus gave us the foundation on which to build, a footing that will hold against the worst storms possible. There is nothing wrong with praying to change the circumstances but if they don’t change, I like what the old British preacher Charles Spurgeon wrote, “I have learned to kiss the wave that throws me against the Rock of Ages.”

There is a God who gives beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, and the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness. Adapted Isaiah 61:3

Annie Johnson Flint learned how to “kiss the wave” in her life. Orphaned at an early age, she then grew up in a home filled with the love of God, reading, writing, and a love for music. Her dream of becoming a concert pianist ended when she developed rheumatoid arthritis in her early twenties, leaving her hands deformed, in pain, and unable to walk by her 30s. A foundation built on sand wouldn’t have held a life like Annie Flint.

Christ was powerfully formed in Annie despite her agony and suffering. She took her deformed hands to write of God’s love becoming a prolific writer and poet. Robert Morgan wrote that her obituary called her a “poet of helpfulness.” Cultural Theologian Jim Denison writes of Annie, “Her work was unfailingly realistic regarding life’s trials, but it always pointed to the hope found in Christ.”

Annie’s writing of poems, songs, and articles captured the overwhelming goodness of God. In her poem, “What God Hath Promised,” the foundation on which she built her life is captured:

“God hath not promised skies always blue,

Flower-strewn pathways all our lives through;

God hath not promised sun without rain,

Joy without sorrow, peace without pain.

God hath not promised we shall not know

Toil and temptation, trouble and woe;

He hath not told us we shall not bear

Many a burden, many a care.

God hath not promised smooth roads and wide,

Swift, easy travel, needing no guide;

Never a mountain rocky and steep,

Never a river turbid and deep.

But God hath promised strength for the day,

Rest for the labor, light for the way,

Grace for the trials, help from above,

Unfailing sympathy, undying love.”

Presidents’ Day allows us to celebrate the accomplishments of a particular moment in history. Lives such as Annie Johnson Flint remind us that our lives can have a far greater impact when built upon the foundation of God. “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” 2 Cor 12:9

God is great!

 

 

Love In The Air

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We love because he first loved us. I John 4:19 NIV

Are you looking for that perfect verse for your Friday’s Hallmark Valentine’s Day card? You might have a go with some of these timeless quotes. Cartoonist and Peanuts creator Charles M. Schulz wrote, “All you need is love. But a little chocolate now and then doesn’t hurt.” That only works if you buy the good chocolates. For those a little more romantic sounding, you might try English writer and poet, Christina Rossetti, “Love shall be our token; love be yours and love be mine.”

For you poets at heart, you might go with something from William Shakespeare, “Doubt thou the stars are fire, Doubt that the sun doth move. Doubt Truth to be a liar, but never doubt I love.” This goes really well when quoting a verse from King James. If you are not really into Valentine’s Day you might try something a shade darker from Orson Welles, “We’re born alone, we live alone, we die alone. Only through our love and friendship can we create the illusion for the moment that we’re not alone.”

This Friday marks the second most popular holiday for sending cards, Valentine’s Day. Over 150 million cards will be exchanged during Valentine’s Day and that is just in the United States. J.C. Hall founder of Hallmark began selling Valentine’s Day postcards in 1910, adding greeting cards to their inventory in 1913. Hallmark may have profited from the day but they are not the creators of Valentine’s Day.

Valentine’s Day was named for a martyred St. Valentine with its roots going back to the third century. History records a couple of priests who were both named Valentine but both had a love element to their tragic stories. One of the priests defied Emperor Claudius II who had decreed that soldiers made better fighting men if single but Valentine continued to secretly perform their marriages.

The romantic side of Valentine’s Day is a rather recent event, dating back to the 14th century thanks to Geoffrey Chaucer and William Shakespeare. Then along came Richard Cadbury in the 19th century with heart-shaped boxes of chocolate and the Hallmark line of greeting cards in the 20th century. Valentine’s Day is our one day out of 365 marked exclusively to focus on love!

Valentine’s Day may be a nice way to express how one feels with gifts of cards, flowers, chocolate, and jewelry. However, long before Hallmark printed their first card, Cadbury molded his first heart-shaped chocolate and Chaucer penned his sonnet, God showed us true love. He took us into the depths of love and showed us the enduring and unbreakable nature of what is true love. He gave us love when we didn’t deserve it yet willingly died for us. (Rom 5:8). He showed us a love that sacrificed His only Son. (John 3:16). He showed us love that we should be called “children of God.” (I John 3:1)

The world’s standard for love often comes down to what makes me feel good about myself, or what I enjoy doing. Even when love is focused on someone else, it still comes down to what I can get out of it, how it makes me feel or how can it help me. It is not surprising that the me part gets pretty big in worldly love.

Dave Mercer asked his Old Testament professor when he was in seminary, “What is the one thing that I should walk away with when studying the Old Testament?” The professor’s answer was short and simple, “The unconditional love of God.”

The unconditional love of God is actually a good summary of all of Scripture. From day one of Genesis until the closing curtain of earth, God’s love has permeated all of life. It is a love that at times has been very costly for God. Adam and Eve set the script for disobedience, but God rewrote the script back to how He intended it to be, unconditional. The cost continued to mount until Jesus spoke those heaven-shattering words, “It is finished.”

The Puritan writer John Owen wrote, “The fountain of the grace and mercy of Christ is infinite…His love is eternal, free, and unchangeable. Whom he loves, he loves unto the end! His love is such as never had a beginning and shall never have an end. He is the Beloved of our souls, holy, harmless, and undefiled, full of grace and truth.”

Love in the English language can cover everything from I love Chick-fil-A to the words spoken at the bedside of your dying partner in life. Love can be used in terms of sacrifice, romance, and mushy sentiments but it fails to capture the power of what it can be. The word love can be used to motivate, encourage, express feelings, or manipulate.

“Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking. It is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails…And now these three remain: faith, hope, and love. But the greatest of these is love.” (I Corinthians 13:4-8a,13 NIV)

There are few definitions of love greater than what Paul wrote in his letter to the Corinth church. He gave us definitions for love which do not just sound nice on a sentimental greeting card but how love can make a difference in our lives every day. It is a love lived out that impacts the world around us. We can be grateful that God gave us a true definition of love, He gave himself! Now that is what I call a Valentine’s Day!

God is great!

 

 

 

Groundhog Day Living

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The grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of our God endures forever. Isaiah 40:8

One of the most profound questions asked yesterday wasn’t spoken from the pulpits of our churches, nor the echelons of Washington power brokers but from a crowd gathered in Punxsutawney, Penn. The monumental question, “Did Phil see his shadow?” has high expectations around the world on Groundhog Day as people wait for one of the most famous weather “persons” to give his forecast, Punxsutawney Phil. Living in his luxurious home at Gobbler’s Knob outside of Punxsutawney, this little groundhog has one job, to forecast spring or continue winter.

If Phil sees his shadow, we have six more weeks of winter but if he does not, then it is a forecast of an early spring. This tradition of forecasting dates back hundreds of years, but Punxsutawney Phil has been doing this job since 1887. You would think after that many years of predicting he should be pretty good at his job but Phil only gets it right about 39% of the time!

Punxsutawney Phil found his stardom when he met the cynical television weatherman Phil Connors in the 1993 fantasy comedy, “Groundhog Day”. Weatherman Phil played by Bill Murray is sent on his annual trek to Punxsutawney to do his weather show. The problem, though, is that Phil hates the assignment, and shows only contempt for the locals and his co-workers. As fate would have it, a blizzard forces everyone to stay overnight after the Groundhog Day festivities. He awakes to Sonny & Cher’s “I Got You Babe” playing on the radio which will be Phil’s story as he has to relive Groundhog Day over and over in a continuous time loop. The loop forces him to relive his daily life as he goes from an angry, resentful, and frustrated person to a compassionate, caring individual who finally breaks the loop as a changed man.

Groundhog Day may not be listed among the great movies such as Casablanca, Titanic, the Star Wars movie sagas, It’s A Wonderful Life or the Rocky series but it did have an impact on the cultural definition of language. Groundhog Day isn’t just about weather forecasting but now expresses a life that is monotonous, unpleasant, repetitive, unwelcome, tedious, or recurring.

Doc is a new TV series where the lead character, a doctor, is involved in a car wreck resulting in the loss of her last eight years of memory. What she lost in those eight years was the knowledge of her son’s death, the estrangement with her daughter, and her divorce. Following the death of her son, she had become cold, harsh, and critical of her fellow doctors, staff, and patients. The new version of her life resembles her old self. No longer carrying the baggage of the last eight years she has become again a caring and compassionate doctor. I’m not sure where the show is going but it has been interesting to watch as she begins a new life.

Phil Connors got to replay his life over and over again. I can think of times when I wish I could have had a Groundhog Day; mistakes I have made, words not spoken well, redoing a decision made, or simply doing something different. However, like everyone else, I didn’t have that opportunity.

What I did get, and what is available to everyone is grace. God has opened the pathway for us to move forward with forgiveness and redemption. God doesn’t let us get caught in a Groundhog Day but beautifully reassures us “As far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us.” (Psalm 103:12) Unlike the TV doctor who loses her memory, God chooses to extend grace and forgiveness to us. He no longer holds our past against us but restores and makes us whole again. He gives us a totally new story that we can tell.

Whether Punxsutawney Phil saw his shadow or not, it really doesn’t matter. Spring will come whether it is tomorrow or six weeks from now. Ultimately Phil is simply a cute little groundhog but in God, we have a God who loves us giving us life, hope, and a new beginning.

The families of those who died in the horrendous plane crash last week in Washington D.C. would give anything for a Groundhog Day. The tragic loss of husbands, wives, children, and friends leaves us without words to adequately express the sorrow all of us feel at this time. Dr. Thomas White, president of Cedarville University speaking to the students following the news of one of their own, 20-year-old Grace Maxwell, who died in the crash said,

“Death seems wrong. It seems wrong because God didn’t create this world to be this way. Death came into this world because sin came into this world. And so, for us to see this death and think this is not right, it’s normal. Friends, it’s moments like these where your worldview matters most. When we recognize this is not the way it should be. So, we grieve and we’re sad, and we don’t know why a young, bright, shining star was taken from us way too soon, but we know there’s a God that will make all things new.”

Dr. White closed with the words, “This is not the end, and one day, the Jesus that we bear in common will wipe away every tear, and he’ll create a new creation where there will be no more death and no more sadness and no more sorrow, and that’s the way it was meant to be.” (Jesse T. Jackson, ChurchLeaders)

There will be days when you feel you are trapped in a Groundhog Day and equally there will be special days when you would like for the day to be a Groundhog Day. However, either way, it will still fall short of being caught up in a God-shaped day.

God-shaped days are new every morning, directed by God who loves us. We listen silently as he sings over us, trusting him when we cry out for help, resting in the strength of Jesus interceding for us and knowing God is ever-present.

“Open your mouth and taste, open your eyes and see—how good God is. Blessed are you who run to him.” Psalm 34:8 The Message

God is great!