The Scale is a Cruel Taskmaster

One of my New Years’ resolutions was to try to lose weight.  Losing weight is the number one New Years’ resolution for Americans according to a recent survey.  21.4% of Americans resolved to lose weight in 2018.  The next closest resolution on the list was life/self-improvements at 12.3%, followed by better financial decisions at 8.5% and quitting smoking at 7.1%.  These are all good goals.  You may have heard that a good goal is SMART: Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant and Time-Bound.  Let me focus on the goal being measurable.  Weight loss is certainly that.  We measure weight loss by stepping on a scale, but the scale is a cruel taskmaster.

It is cold, mechanical, insensitive, harsh and exacting.  I stand on mine every week with a mixture of hope and dread while it calculates.  In those two seconds of waiting, my effort for the entire week will either be validated or will have been in vain.  My scale blinks three times before rendering final judgment in menacing black digits against an icy blue background.  The scale is merciless.  It doesn’t care how hard I have tried to please it this week.  It is not interested in how much I have exercised this week, or how many times I chose the salad over the cheesy burrito.  It is heartless and emotionless.  It tells the truth without regard for my feelings or how much its judgment might discourage me, and it gives me no hope for the week to come.  When I step on the scale for my weekly weigh-in, I know I will pay the price for every Ring Ding or Raisinette I may have eaten during the week, because the scale tells the truth without grace. 

I wonder if you can tell where I’m going with this.  In contrast to my severe scale is my gracious God.  I believe that Jesus died for my sins and rose from the dead and because of that I will be in heaven with Jesus one day.  That’s the good news of the gospel.  The Bible says “there is now no condemnation for those in Christ Jesus.”  Unlike my painstaking effort to lose weight, my salvation does not depend the least bit on my effort, but on the effort of Jesus who died for me.  Unlike the cold and callous scale, my Savior loves me and gives me His abundant grace.  He did ALL the work required for my salvation, dying to pay the penalty for my sin, taking the punishment that is mine on Him.  The Bible says of Jesus: “We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.  When I stand before Jesus, I will not pay for any sin that I committed.  The truth is that I deserve judgment, but because of His grace, I will get mercy. 

If you’ve ever tried to lose weight, you know that even when you have not cheated the whole week, you still might not lose any weight.  You might even gain weight.  You think you’ve done enough to lose weight that week, but on judgment day (weigh-in day), you find out that you have not.  Maybe you ate something salty and you are retaining water.  Maybe you didn’t exercise as much as you thought. You can never be sure if you’ve done enough to lose weight.  Trying to get to heaven by your works is similar.  The only difference is that with the scale, you can do enough good works to lose weight this week.   But without trusting in Jesus, you can’t do enough good works to get heaven.  With Jesus, you never have to worry if you have done enough.  He has done it all.  All you need to do is believe. 

The scale is a cruel taskmaster, but Jesus loves you more than you can ever know.  Believe in Him today and know for certain that you have eternal life.

Integrity in the Movies

Every now and then, Molly and I do some binge movie watching. It usually happens right after the Oscars when we try to catch some of the movies we missed during the year.  We’ve seen several movies in the last few weeks, and I noticed that there was a common thread ran through most of the movies that we saw: the main character’s integrity.

“Roman J. Israel,” is a movie about an upstanding lawyer, (there is such a thing!), passionate about revamping the plea bargaining system to protect indigent criminal defendants.  Unfortunately for him, his own integrity failed him.  The irony of the movie is that this ethical attorney used attorney-client privileged information about the whereabouts of a suspected killer to collect a $100,000 reward.  When the suspected killer learned that Israel had turned him in and collected the reward, he had Israel killed from jail.  Israel’s failure of integrity cost him his life.

“I, Tonya”, is a movie about the life of figure skater Tonya Harding.  Harding came from humble roots to put it politely, and became the best figure skater in America at one point, winning the 1991 US Championships.  She did not medal in the 1992 Olympics, but was set to compete again in the 1994 Olympics in Lillehammer.  Harding’s husband Jeff Gillooly, and his friend Shawn Eckhardt conspired to send death threats to Harding’s rival Nancy Kerrigan, hoping by psychological warfare to intimidate Kerrigan into skating poorly.  Unfortunately, Eckhardt took the scheme a step further. He hired men to break Kerrigan’s knee so that she wouldn’t be able to skate at all.  Of course the FBI quickly uncovered the plot. This failure of integrity resulted in criminal convictions for all, and Tonya Harding’s lifetime ban from skating.

“Chappaquiddick” is the story of Ted Kennedy’s car accident that killed Mary Jo Kopechne.  The movie portrays Kennedy vacillating between wanting to do the right thing by reporting the accident truthfully, and covering it up to protect his political career.  Ultimately, his integrity failed him.  His own ambitions, combined with his desire to please his domineering father, prevailed over his conscience.  Kennedy went on to serve for over 40 years as a US Senator from Massachusetts. Most likely, the Chappaquiddick incident put a ceiling on his political career.  Though beloved in Massachusetts, he was never able to win the Democratic nomination for President.  I wonder if Kennedy was haunted by his failure of integrity for rest of his life.  

In contrast to these tragic stories of failure of integrity is the movie “Paul, the Apostle.”  This movie portrays Paul, Luke, Priscilla and Aquila as models of Christian integrity.  Christians were being fed to the lions in the Colosseum, and being made into human torches to light the Roman streets.  They could have recanted their faith to save their lives, but they would rather be martyred than dishonor Jesus.  Paul of course was beheaded for his faith.

As I thought of the common theme of integrity in these movies, I couldn’t help but be reminded of Paul’s own writings.  Paul wrote, “Our conscience testifies that we have conducted ourselves in the world, and especially in our relations with you, with integrity and godly sincerity” (2 Cor. 1:12).  Paul instructed Titus, “In everything set them an example by doing what is good. In your teaching show integrity, seriousness ⁸ and soundness of speech that cannot be condemned” (Titus 2:7).  In a famous passage closely related to integrity, Paul wrote about temptation, “No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it” (1 Cor. 10:13).

Our integrity is important to God.  The Bible says “Walk in a manner worthy of your calling.”  Our integrity is also important to the watching world.  Matthew 5:16 says, “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.”  How can we live lives of integrity that will be pleasing to God?  Integrity is consistently, 1000 times a day, making decisions to be honest, truthful, moral, just and fair-minded to others.  If our integrity fails us even once, our reputation is lost.  Sadly, it seems that integrity is no longer found in politics, business and even church.  Politicians on both sides of the aisle have been part of the sexual abuse scandal.  Enron, Wells Fargo and Bernie Madoff among many others have killed hope for integrity in business.  Even in church, scandal runs rampant, with Willow Creek as the most recent high profile example. 

As humans, we will face challenges to our integrity every day.  As Christians, we are God’s representatives on earth.  Let us be sure that we represent Him well.  We’ve all blown it at one time or another, but you can start fresh today. Let’s let people see that there is something different about us.  Let’s let God use our integrity to draw them to Jesus.

Lessons from the DMV

I had to take my daughter to renew her driver’s license at Motor Vehicle. If there is anything that approaches my dread of going to the dentist, DMV would have to be right up there.  While we waited, I noticed that one of the clerks seemed different than the others. He was very friendly to his customers (clients, visitors, guests? I don’t know what we are called.)  He was funny and engaging and helpful.  I was hoping that Alli would get him when her number was called and she did.  Alli went up to the counter and I watched the man ask questions to get to know her, and then show genuine interest about Baylor and her major.  It made me think about a few things.  

Colossians 3:23 says “Whatever you do, do your work heartily, as for the Lord rather than men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance.” Whether we are CEO of a Fortune 500 company or an employee at DMV, we can work heartily as for the Lord.  This man exemplified that principle.  

Another thing that I thought was that this man took time to get to know individuals that he will likely never see again.  After Alli was done, he said, “I’ll see you in 6 years.”   That was a very nice way to end their business and it made Alli and me smile.  It’s not often that you leave DMV with a smile on your face.  If taking time to build a relationship in a one-time, five-minute business interaction can have that kind of effect, how much more effect will it have if we take time to build relationships with people we see every day.  What effect could we have on our neighbors, co-workers, friends and family if we were willing to invest in our relationships with them.  

Finally, I saw a man that was content in his work. Ecclesiastes 5:18-19 says: “Here is what I have seen to be good and fitting: to eat, to drink and enjoy oneself in all one’s labor in which he toils under the sun during the few years of his life which God has given him; for this is his reward. Furthermore, as for every man to whom God has given riches and wealth, He has also empowered him to eat from them and to receive his reward and rejoice in his labor; this is the gift of God.”  No matter what God has given us to do, it is a gift from Him and we ought to do His work with joy and enthusiasm.  

I rarely did this while working as an attorney because I didn’t like what I was doing. I say that to my own shame and conviction. God never said do your work heartily if you like your work, or enjoy oneself in your labor if you like your work.  He wants us to do what we do as unto Him and to serve others as we would serve Him. You may not love your job, and even most people who like their jobs don’t like them every day.  God calls us to serve Him and serve others and shine the light that He has given us to the world, and that includes in our work.  I pray that we would all try to view our work interactions as evangelism opportunities, and opportunities to be salt and light in a dark world.  You never know who is watching you work, and the effect that you might have on another by your attitude toward your work.  

The Fate of a Bunny

I went out for my morning walk today while it was still dark.  As I was walking down the road I could see headlights coming up from behind me and then right in front of me a little bunny darted past me and ran into the street. My first thought was “Oh no! Run bunny, run!”  I was rooting for the bunny.  I didn’t want to see him get smeared by the oncoming car.  Then I thought, why should I care what happens to that bunny. I did not create that bunny.  I don’t love that bunny, and yet I still feel compassion for him. I might feel different if it was a rat or a snake!

An evolutionist would have no answer to the question of why should we care about the bunny, because to an evolutionist, there is no God, life evolved from the slime by chance, life on earth is ultimately meaningless, and only the fittest will survive to pass on their genes.  An evolutionist would say that if the bunny dies it is because it is too stupid not to wait for the car to pass, and now he will not pass his stupid gene onto other bunnies, resulting in only smart bunnies surviving.  That’s a very clinical way to look at the situation, but only the most hardened evolutionist would root against or be indifferent to the bunny.  Why? Because we are ALL made in the image of God and God has given us hearts like His, hearts of compassion.  

Now if that is true about our relationship to a bunny, imagine how God feels about us.  God created us. God loves us.  God sent His Son to die for us to pay the penalty that we deserved for our sins so that we can be with him in heaven.  Of course God is rooting for us a million times more than I was rooting for that bunny.   Romans 8:31-32: “What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?”

Isn't it a glorious thing to know that God is for you?  God is rooting for you!  He is not indifferent to you.  He is not, as a deist might say, a God who created the world and then left it to its own devices.  He wants intimacy with the world and the people He created. He loves you and He wants you to be encouraged.  He wants you to be of good cheer.  Christ the Savior is born!  I know that this time of year can be a discouraging time for many who are hurting, or lonely, or dealing with loss.  A friend of mine gave me a great quote yesterday.  He said “discouragement never comes from God.”  And of course that’s true.   

Discouragement is a weapon that the enemy uses to hold us down, to keep our eyes and thoughts on ourselves so that we will not worship God.  God wants us to be encouraged.  John 14:1: Do not let your hearts be troubled…Believe in God, believe also in me.  John 16:33: I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world. Romans 15:4: “Through the encouragement of the scriptures we might have hope.   

Think of people you know who may not have that joy and offer them some encouragement today!   

FYI, happy ending: the bunny made it across the roadJ. 

Learning from a Labrador

Our chocolate Labrador is named Boaz.  Boaz means “There is strength in him.”  He’s an aptly named dog. He’s a 95-pound, indestructible, food-seeking, eating machine. We call him “Bo.”  We buy the 40-pound bags of food for him and I’ve often been tempted to pour the whole bag on the floor and see if he could take it down. I’d like his chances.  I was in the kitchen cutting up the last of a rotisserie chicken today and there’s Bo, right by my side, hoping for any morsel to fall to the floor so he could pounce on it.  We eat rotisserie chicken about once a week so he recognizes the container and stands at attention knowing that some chicken skin is probably coming his way. There’s some good gristle near the skeleton too, but when I’m scraping meat from the carcass, I have to be careful that no small bones get mixed up in it or he could choke.  But Bo doesn’t know that.  He wants me to throw the whole chicken on the floor and let him have at it.  I can’t do that because I know what’s best for him. (You may say that chicken skin is not best for him either, but don’t be a party pooper!)

As I was thinking about that, I thought about how we pray.  Our prayers are usually asking God to relieve some form of pain or suffering, or asking Him to provide us with something we do not have.  We want God to give us everything we ask for immediately.  But God knows better.  He knows that if He gives us everything we ask for when we ask, bad things will happen.  When we are living in unbridled prosperity, we tend forget God and drift away from Him. Being disconnected from God is a bad thing.  It's often our need that keeps us close to Him.  Not only that, but there are lessons to be learned while we suffer and while we wait on God that we would miss if God were like a genie in a bottle, granting our every wish.  

I’ve heard it said that God answers our prayers based on what we would have asked for if we knew everything that He knows.  I like that. Since I’m not omniscient, I can’t know everything God knows, so I don’t know what’s best for me.  But since I know that God is good and that He loves me, I know that He will give me what is best for me in His timing.  If Bo knew what was best for him, he wouldn’t be begging for me to toss him the whole chicken carcass.  If I knew what was best for me, I wouldn’t be asking for God to fix all my problems at once.  The blessing is often in the waiting.  

Here’s another thing I noticed this morning.  When the chicken skin was devoured, Bo did not lick my leg appreciatively or otherwise rub up on me to show his eternal gratitude at this bounty of blessing. No, he continued to look at me like, “That’s it?  Come on, what else is there?!”  We do the same with God.  Many times, God has answered my prayer and fixed a problem that I could not solve, and 5 minutes hasn’t passed before I’m complaining about the next problem I have. I forget to thank God, and I’m consumed with the next thing.  I’m sure that I disappoint God when I have that attitude.  I need to remember to thank God for His daily and abundant blessings in my life.  Every one of them is an act of pure grace on His behalf.  He owes me nothing, and gives me so much.  Yet, I act like I am somehow entitled to more, like He owes me everything.  

Remember that God gave us His Son to die a shameful and agonizing death on a cross to pay for our sins so we could have eternal life if we will believe in Him for our salvation. As if that wasn’t enough, Romans 8:32 says, “He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him over for us all, how will He not also with Him freely give us all things?”  He will not withhold any good thing from us, but let Him decide when we should have it. He knows what’s best for us.  In the meantime, don't forget to thank Him for the blessings He has already given you, and don’t miss the lessons that He has for you while you wait.  

Scrambled Eggs and Christian Maturity

Dear Church,

I love eggs.  I eat lots of them.  I like them over easy, but my favorite way is scrambled. I like them loose, moist and fluffy with salt and pepper.  If I feel like throwing my health to the wind, then I add cheddar cheese and ham.  As I was making my scrambled eggs this morning, I realized that my simple breakfast is a metaphor for life as a Christian.   To make scrambled eggs you have to break the shell, exposing the egg inside. Then you take a fork and beat those eggs so that the yolk breaks and mixes with the white.  Next, you pour the liquid eggs into a pan, exposing them to the extreme pressure of the external source of intense heat. Finally, you push them around the pan with a spatula until the liquid eggs become solid and firm.  Then you take them off the heat.

The Christian walk is like scrambled eggs. Like the egg, so often we are broken and beaten, and exposed to the extreme pressure from the world that comes in various forms.  It can be work pressure, time pressure, financial pressure, health pressure, relational pressure, and so many other kinds of pressure that the we are subjected to by the world.  How can we manage all of this pressure?

2 Corinthians 1:8-11 says, “⁸ We do not want you to be uninformed, brothers and sisters, about the troubles we experienced in the province of Asia. We were under great pressure, far beyond our ability to endure, so that we despaired of life itself. ⁹ Indeed, we felt we had received the sentence of death. But this happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on God, who raises the dead. ¹⁰ He has delivered us from such a deadly peril, andhe will deliver us again. On him we have set our hope that he will continue to deliver us, ¹¹ as you help us by your prayers. Then many will give thanks on our behalf for the gracious favor granted us in answer to the prayers of many.”

When Paul wrote this, he sounds like he was on the verge of a nervous breakdown.  The pressure was beyond what he could handle. He thought that he was about to die.  He was broken and beaten and subject to extreme pressure from an external source.  We are not told what the source of the pressure was but it must have been great, if he despaired of life itself.  In reading the book of Acts, we find several instances where Paul was under extreme pressure in Asia.  But in his circumstances, he learned to rely on God and found that God was able to deliver him. That knowledge strengthened his faith that God would continue to deliver him. What a great encouragement in a time of great need!  Not only for him, but for those who were praying for him.  Many shared in the blessing.

God allowed Paul to be broken and beaten, and subjected to extreme pressure from an external source, to make him solid and firm like my scrambled eggs.  When Paul learned the lesson God had for him, God took him off the heat.  When we face the pressures of life, we must know and embrace the truth that God has a reason for them.  Nothing can happen to us without God allowing it, and God doesn’t waste anything that He allows.  God intends that the pressures of life will build us up, make us solid, firm and steadfast, that we will grow in maturity, and that our maturity will help others become more mature in their faith as they are encouraged by our maturity.  

As you face the pressures of life, whatever their source, I pray that you will be encouraged, not discouraged. At the end of verse 9 above, Paul says God allowed the pressure so that they might rely not on ourselves but in God, who raises the dead.  I don’t believe that Paul wrote those last words as a modifier, so that we would know which God he was talking about.  I believe he was saying that God raises the dead and that if Paul died, so be it, God would raise him up again. Coming off Easter weekend as we are, we remember that our hope (defined biblically as a “sure and certain expectation”) is that God will raise us from the dead. 

If we can look at life from God’s perspective, we will see like Paul did, that our afflictions are momentary compared to the eternal weight of glory that awaits us in heaven.  Pressure is for a time, but then God removes the heat as He makes us more solid and firm in the faith.  I pray that we trust God more in our circumstances as we read His Word, pray, and develop our relationship with Him.  Even when we are broken beaten and exposed to external pressure, we have a God in heaven who loves us, who sent Jesus to die for us, and whose plans for us are for good.  May the pressure you are exposed to make you more solid and firm as you trust in the Lord today.