Lose Heart

Lose Heart

August 13, 2018

Galatians 6:9  "Let us not lose heart in doing good, for in due time we will reap if we do not grow weary."

Paul writes to the Galatians and encourages them in their Christianity. He said, "don't lose heart." What does it mean to lose heart? It means to grow discouraged and give up. Surely the Galatians didn't need encouraged, right? You and I never need encouraged, do we? Only high-maintenance, insecure Christians need encouraging, right? We all know the right thing and just submit to that; doing the right thing is easy all the time, right? If that were true there would be no fallen Christians. Paul knew what most leaders need to readily grasp, that the saints need encouragement in doing the right thing at all times. It isn't easy, staying the course, doing the right thing, especially if you can't see the results of the hard work. Paul was telling them to to do the right thing, even if they don't see the results of their hard work, simply trusting in the good they are doing.

We all know the right thing to do, but it is easy to think no one is paying attention and the work doesn't really matter, that we can quit and it wouldn't change anything. After all, we aren't really having an impact on this world; no one's life is being changed for the better? This work, it does not matter. The small ripple in the pond has no effect on anything; it quickly dissipates without any true impact. When you can see the results of your work it is easy to keep going, doing good after immediate feedback. But what if there is no feedback loop? What if you know the right thing but there is no reward, no visible sign of the impact, no knowledge or understanding of the harvest? Can you keep going? How long can you keep doing goodness blindly? Can you do the right thing, day in and day out, without see a harvest, and still keep going? My guess is you're tempted to give up and quite sooner rather than later. I'd like to give up many times, as well. I think of quitting often, not my Christianity, but just the simple goodness from day to day sometimes, to take a vacation for an extended period of time, maybe not even getting back from vacation. My good work, it really doesn't matter to anyone, no one will miss it. Some days I can't even define what my good work is, or what it is supposed to look like. If I can't see it, then no one else can see it right? Paul says that argument would be wrong. He should know. He endured so much for doing good and barely saw the immediate feedback. Thousands of years later, his good work is still impacting the kingdom. He says not to lose heart.

People are watching you more than you'll ever realize. Your life is on display, so is the good work you are doing. People notice it, and are benefit ting from your good work, only they aren't telling you. You don't see the harvest, but the impact is real and people's lives are being blessed. Paul says to keep going, even if you cannot see the reward or the results. The point is not the results, the point is the work. We are trained to desire a feedback mechanism them, a reward system. If there is no reward then why do it? Paul said to fight against the lack of reward system, to not look at that but focus on the good work. If you look for the reward you'll likely quite too soon. Paul says to focus on the good, on doing the right thing. He promises the reward in due time, but the due time frame is up to the Lord. Don't lose heart.

Don't take my word for it; look it up: Deut 6:18, Is 1:17, John 14:21 Gal 6:7-16, 1 Cor 10:13

Hurried Instructions

Hurried Instructions

July 30, 2018

Hebrews 13:16  "And do not forget to do good and share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased."

The author of Hebrews is unknown, but some believe it to be Paul since in the last few verses the author mentions Timothy and life in prison. Nonetheless, the author of Hebrews takes great care to lay out the majority of the book and then the last chapter of the book, Hebrews 13, seems rather hurried. He is writing as if he is running out of time but wants to give out a list of things to remember, instructions to keep in mind. Maybe he was in prison and sensed his time running short. Maybe he would be traveling soon and needed to come to a close. Regardless about his time frame, and the hurried instructions, they are not to be taken lightly. There are a few themes woven throughout the last chapter of Hebrews and the themes actually connect nicely, despite the laundry list of items.

He says we are to be hospitable, taking care of strangers. Then a few verses later he mentions the Lord will equip us to accomplish His will if we answer His call. And then just a few more sentences later he instructs us to be generous to others with our sacrifice in that generosity being noticed and appreciated by the Lord. While the complete set of important instructions in Hebrews 13 are hurried they are not a laundry list of mutually exclusive items. They are all important and even build upon each other, progressive in maturity. 

Being generous to strangers, with brotherly love, involves doing something that is not quite natural. It is natural to serve the self, but serving those we have no attachment to, that is another thing. He instructs us to be hospitable to strangers, entertaining angels unaware. Culturally, they understood that back then. You welcomed strangers to your front door and took anyone in, treating them like royalty. But it goes beyond the knock at the front door, it goes into every person you bump into at the grocery store or waiting in line for coffee. You should show hospitality to them, too. This is rather easy because those instances are truly for a few nano seconds. Anyone can hold it together for nano seconds. It is easy to fake a smile and be polite for a few nano seconds. But the author of Hebrews does not stop there. He suggests we should go out of our way to be overtly generous to them, to the point of sacrifice, self sacrifice.

When was the last time you gave to someone in a sacrificial manner? Maybe you sacrificed for a loved one, maybe a dear Christian in your church, but what about a stranger? These instructions, to give generously, sacrificially, to strangers is akin to the story of the Good Samaritan. Remember the Good Samaritan took the fallen man to a nearby town and paid the inn keeper to feed and house him. The Good Samaritan didn't just help someone stranded on the road change a tire, he paid for weeks of food and shelter. It was a sacrifice. The Lord says we are to live this way, being sacrificial to strangers. We are all called to sacrifice for strangers but few of us answer that call. When you have the opportunity to respond to the call for the strangers you meet, the Lord will equip you to to accomplish it. He doesn't ask that you give out of your extra or plenty. He asks you give even if it hurts a little; this is what blesses Him. These instructions are hurried from the author of Hebrews but the implementation of them are anything but simple or easy or hurried. It takes deliberation to live with and implement these hurried instructions.

Don't take my word for it; look it up: Luke 10:25-37, Heb 13

Redeem One Hour

Redeem One Hour

July 23, 2018

Matthew 26:40  "Then he returned to his disciples and found them sleeping. 'Couldn't you men keep watch with me for one hour?' He asked Peter."

Jesus was about to face the worst physical part of His human life, the crucifixion on the cross. He knew it was coming; He foresaw it and He understood what was going to happen.  He went out to pray and asked His disciples to pray as well, to keep watch and pray. Jesus asked them to keep watch while He prayed because He knew the soldiers would be there to arrest Him. Danger was coming and the disciples needed to be vigilant. Praying and watching were the instructions, because Jesus knew that a state of prayer would be required if and when the soldiers approached while Jesus was off in the woods praying. Jesus knew the disciples needed to be in a good spiritual state should the soldiers arrive when Jesus wasn't looking. He did not want the disciples to be caught off guard and respond in a fleshly manner.  The instruction could not have been more clear and yet the disciples failed Him in that one hour of request. They could not do it.

In effect, Jesus was asking the disciples to redeem one specific hour, to dedicate it to helping Him, most importantly in prayer. This hour, the one the disciples fell asleep during, was not necessarily an hour dedicated to anything else. It was an hour they could have spent doing anything and they used it to fall asleep. He was not asking them to skip work or family or any other productive activity. They had nothing better to do and He asked if they would give Him that one hour. They used that hour to fall asleep.  Falling asleep is symbolism for being lazy and complacent in the Bible. The analogy of falling asleep, in some instances, is also akin to walking away from Christianity. Jesus was asking the disciples specifically to focus on their Christianity, and instead they were lazy and took a nap.

The ask from the Lord is unique to each of us, however I do know collectively He has asked us to pray. When you pray, however, is completely between you and the Lord. In keeping with the parallel to the disciples, if we have nothing better to do, and we could pray, we usually take the lazy way out and fall asleep as well. Look over at all the minutes in your day and sum up all the time you spend surfing social media or videos, when you truly are surfing without any specific intent other than to waste your time away. We all do it, and likely waste so many opportunities to redeem that time for the Lord in prayer. Surfing the internet, without intent, is akin to the disciples falling asleep when they could have been praying. When you get to heaven, and the Lord reminds you of all the time you wasted just scrolling on your phone with your thumb, are you going to be pleased or disappointed you could have spent some of that time dedicated to the Lord, more intentional with your life, possibly in prayer?

Try redeeming some of your time. Try to be intentional and put down any distracting device when you are truly just wasting time and redeem it for the Lord. Spend that time in prayer, when you are driving, or waiting for a conference call, or standing in line. Every chance we can waste, if we do not attempt to redeem it, we are falling asleep.

Don't take my word for it; look it up: Matthew 26:36-46