Humble yourselves before the Lord, and He will lift you up.
James 1:10 NIV
I am not an adventurous soul—nor was I an adventurous teenager. You can read “not adventurous” and translate it to mean boring; that is completely accurate! Therefore, it was with more than a little trepidation that I entered Kings Island Amusement Park with my parents as a young teenager. I was excited about the roller coasters—as long as they did not go upside down, or hang me dangling with just a harness between me and my assured death should the electronics/software/mechanics all decide to malfunction at once. As you can see, this was promising to be one fun day with a teenager who didn’t want to try any of the exciting rides.
They claim it wasn’t but I think all of this was thought through by my parents, especially my dad, that when we entered the park he looked at one of the big attraction rides to our left and said, “Hey that line is short let’s start there!” and proceeded to drag us over to the Drop Tower. The Drop Tower is a 280-foot tall tower that, as you sit foolishly strapped into a seat and your feet are slowly separated from the earth, hulls you and 49 other people up, up, up! They strap you in so you don’t realize how ridiculous you were to get on the ride and try to jump off once you realize that you’re already pretty far off the ground and that you still have a long, long way to go before the top!
I sat watching the ground disappear, listening to my father happily chatting away about how far we could see being up this high—maybe he could but my eyes were closed!! When you finally reach the top you hear the machine that dragged you up release, but you don’t drop immediately—oh no, you hang there for a bit. In case you should ever be silly enough to want to experience this, I won’t tell you for how long they keep you suspended well above the tree line, but suffice it to say it is just long enough that you start to relax, just a teensy bit. Then you drop. My mom said she screamed so long she had to take a second breath and scream again. Personally, I couldn’t breathe in a second time on the rush down and so one long scream, possibly the last one of my life was all I could muster before we came to a stop, completely unscathed at the bottom of the ride. I had survived! I couldn’t wait to do it again!
As we waited in line a second time, I asked Dad if he had screamed—he said no. Incredibly, I quizzed him on how such a phenomenon could take place. He patiently explained that if you relax and focus on staying calm then you can let your legs float up and you enjoy the wind rushing past your ears. I thought he was crazy (which was what I thought most of the time in those years) but determined I would try it the second time around. I did and he was right; it was also way less thrilling but rather was a more relaxing, enjoyable, kind of ride. I was thinking about this experience when I realized that this is yet another metaphor for what happens in our life of faith.
So often we are tightly gripping, our bodies rigidly holding on to people, money, circumstances, control—you name it! We hold onto the thing we are so scared of releasing because we don’t know what will happen, but if we keep clenching then we will stay in control, or so we think. By not surrendering to God, we exhaust ourselves trying to keep the thing out of His hand and in our own hands.
When we surrender though, we can experience the peace we were missing out on. Our ride may not be smooth, but instead of being terrified and exhausted, we can rest in Him knowing that He is holding us. The peace that comes with this kind of surrender is nothing that we can provide ourselves outside of Him.
Corrie Ten Boom said, “Hold everything in your hands lightly, otherwise it hurts when God pries your fingers open..” What are you holding tightly today? What circumstances are you trying to prevent through your human strength? He is waiting, ready to give you rest if you will only surrender to Him.
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He chose to give birth to us by giving us his true word. And we, out of all creation, became his prized possession.
James 1:18 NLT
A while ago my husband and I were enjoying dinner at our house with one of my husband’s friends when he asked a question I didn’t know how to answer. Partway through dinner our friend looked over at our china cabinet and asked about the three different sets of family china I have displayed. I told him the short story. There are three sets of china: one from my paternal grandmother, one from my maternal grandmother, and one from my maternal great grandmother. Since I only ever knew my paternal grandmother, these dishes form a connection between me and the grandmothers I never knew.
Our friend commented on how china was one of the prized possessions of the previous generations and I agreed. I was thinking about how my grandmother had told me about picking out her china pattern on her 20th wedding anniversary. Our friend asked, “What do you think is the china of our generation?” What is the possession that we toil after, work for, and cherish? What a great question, and a perplexing one…
I have given this matter some thought and I don’t know that my generation has one concrete thing that is our “china.” I think my generation’s prized possession is simply more. We want more. We want more money, more fame, more experiences, bigger houses, new electronics—we have become gluttons for more. If pressed for one item that I would say my generation prizes, I would say electronics—our computers and phones.
I look at the degradation that the past two generations have seen—while it’s true that there is nothing inherently noble about the collection of china, there was still something about my grandmother smiling as she told me about how she waited while they worked and saved for the nice set of china. There is something heartwarming about how she looked forward to passing it down to a younger generation that she hoped would use and enjoy it. What is my generation’s prized possession? Do we plan on passing down anything? We rush for the newest and latest thing and indeed, our electronics only last for a few years before becoming totally obsolete. We have wrapped ourselves up in a frenzy of pursuing things that will hardly bring any lasting joy because they themselves don’t last. Yet many of us rush and work for what? Richard Foster observed, “In contemporary society our Adversary majors in three things: noise, hurry, and crowds. If he can keep us engaged in ‘muchness’, and ‘manyness’ he will rest satisfied.” We aren’t sure but we know we want “more” than this. More than our parents, and more than our grandparents.
What a trap we have fallen into—when more is our pursuit, there will always be more to aspire to. I’m not saying that we shouldn’t aspire to use our gifts well, it is our duty to use the well, but when our focus is always on achieving the bigger thing, we can never be content where we are. And when our focus is on things, we miss the people who really matter. We miss the relationships that really matter, including our relationship with God.
James 1:18 says that we are God’s prized possession—out of all creation He loves us best. How many of us live like that? How many of us love God best, and our fellow humans second best? How many families are torn apart due to the pursuit of more—more credentials, more money, more fun, more happiness when the life we have achieved hasn’t brought with it the “happiness” we thought it would? Patience, kindness, self-control—these are the virtues we would be better off chasing. Finding joy in using our God-given abilities—that would light us up! We would feel more fulfilled if we would pour more time and energy into the people in our lives, taking care of relationships. That is a good use of time. We must keep an eye on what our eventual earthly goals are as we keep Christ in the forefront of our lives, that is what the Bible says comprises a well-lived life, living for Christ and others rather than the pursuits of our flesh.
While I will always cherish my family china, I want it to serve as a reminder, not of the stuff my ancestors amassed while on this earth, but of the values and relationships that have enriched my life thus far. What about you? What possessions do you hold dearest and why?
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But now we have been released from the law, for we died to it and are no longer captive to its power. Now we can serve God, not in the old way of obeying the letter of the law but in the new way of living in the spirit.
Romans 7:6
I am a rule follower. Even as early as my childhood daycare, I was the child who would get in trouble for scolding other kids that they were not following the rules. I rather like a list of rules that imply if these things are followed then nothing bad will happen, I need only follow the rules.
Sometimes I think how nice it would be if the world was a series of equations and formulas that if you do X then Y will happen. Of course, this wouldn’t really be all that great because then there would be no room for the surprises of life, which would mean we wouldn’t be taken off guard by any of the bad, but neither would we be surprised with the unexpected good fortune God bestowed upon us.
When the Israelites received the law it was very black and white. There was a (very!) long list of dos and don’ts. The Israelites were bound by this law, they had to follow it, or else they were living in sin. And unlike you and me who only need to repent to Jesus in prayer to be forgiven, they had to sacrifice animals to atone for their sin!
Then along comes Jesus and He changes everything. We are no longer bound by the law in fear and anguish of what will happen if we don’t, but rather we are now bound by love to adhere to the law. Some use this as an excuse to slacken their adherence to the law, stating that if they sin they will just ask for forgiveness—that’s not exactly how this works. While God will always forgive someone who sincerely repents, He knows who is sincere.
Living freed from the law comes with even more responsibility than living bound by the law. We are now bound by our love for Jesus to serve Him even more than we might do if we were simply bound by the law.
If two people marry and they do only what is required of them for the other person, i.e. fidelity, maintaining the house, working to pay bills, etc., they have a household but the marriage may not last. Why? Because there is no expression of love! No simple kindnesses such as pouring coffee for the other person in the morning, no hugs, no phone calls just because—the marriage is simply a glorified business arrangement.
I believe this is exactly the type of relationship Paul is talking about us having with Jesus in Romans 7. We are not bound by the law to do this list of things, rather we are bound by our love. We don’t have to read the Bible—we get to as a way to gain wisdom and learn more of God’s love. We don’t have to obey the commandments but we want to as a way to show our commitment to Jesus. As great as I might think rules are; even I have to admit that love is even greater.
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My frame was not hidden from you, when I was made in the secret place, when I was woven together in the depths of the earth. Your eyes saw my unformed body; all the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.
Psalms 139:15-16 NIV
As I have mentioned in my last two posts (Magic Tricks and What We Model), my grandfather used to take me to the library every Friday. It was a joy, but there was a hurdle we had to overcome before I could start picking out titles to take home—I needed a library card!
The reason this was a sticking point was because I was under 18 and needed a parent to sign in order for me to be able to get a library card. So the next time my mom and I were in the area we stopped by the library and got a library card—a card that had my mother’s name on it since my card from another library was at home and there was no way for this new library to know that I did in fact have a real library card. However it didn’t really matter, my mother didn’t really need a card for this library so she gave me the card to use and use it I did! For the next 10 years, I was in a happy book-surrounded haze. But, something a little embarrassing happened over the course of those 10 years…
Since grandpa and I were very much creatures of habit, we went to the library around the same time every Friday which meant we had to wait until breakfast was cleared and grandpa had finished his cup of coffee which he drank while reading the newspaper in his big red leather Eazy Boy recliner. We usually saw the same librarian, Alice, every time and we would exchange pleasantries with her and got to know her over the years as we gradually built up our status as regulars. Then one day as we were heading out the library doors I heard Alice say, “Bye Luanne!” For the record my name is Alaina—-my mom is Luanne, as was the name on my card…
Since we were heading out the door, I didn’t stop to correct her figuring I would do it next time. The following week she didn’t address me by name. Then a time or two later the same thing happened! She called me my mother’s name as I was leaving! It went on like this, her calling me my mother’s name when I was just about out of the library that I never felt I had the right opportunity to set the record straight. Finally, I gave up and just figured I’d assume my mother’s identity while in the library. Alice need never know.
It pretty much worked like that. I graduated high school, attended and graduated from beauty school, all the while being known by my mother’s name every time I stopped into the library. One day I stopped and Alice was there; I told her about my recent graduation from beauty school and she asked for my business card. Without thinking I handed it over. I saw a puzzled look cross her face as she stated that the name on my business card was not in fact the name she had been calling me for the majority of a decade! I was mortified as I explained the whole embarrassing story to her!
Alice knew me, albeit not especially well, but she recognized me. She knew my grandparents, our reading preferences, and our Friday routine. But even after a decade, she still didn’t truly know us—she didn’t even know my real name!
It’s like that with people; it’s easy to get confused and tangled up and miscommunicate. The truly beautiful thing about our relationship with God is that not only does He know us by name, He also knows our hearts. He knows the intentions of our hearts. He knows what it is that we are desperately trying to say to Him but can’t quite find the words to say when we feel like we are just rambling in our prayers to Him. We can get to know Him better by spending time daily in the Word and in communion with Him. He knows us much deeper than just by name—but how well do you know Him?
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Beware of false prophets who come disguised as harmless sheep but are really vicious wolves.
Matthew 7:15NLT
I return again this week with another story from my grandparents and the library!
The first time I remember my grandparents taking me to the library was to see a magic show! I believe I was 5 or 6, as they took me and urged me to sit with all the other kids. I watched in rapt amazement as the magician performed feat after amazing feat—amazing to a 5 year old at least! I don’t remember most of the tricks that he did, but there is one that I remember even after all these years.
For his closing act, the magician performed an act with which you may be familiar. He placed a piece of white rope into a wooden box, closed the box, and placed a large square of material over the box. He then said “abracadabra,” before pulling off the material to reveal a lovely white dove! I was amazed! I love animals and I fell in love with this white dove—we were allowed to carefully reach out and touch it and it was so soft.
I thought about that white dove miraculously appearing the whole way home and by the time we reached my house, I had a plan. I went into my room, emptied out a wooden box, found a piece of white string, and grabbed a blanket. I had paid close attention so I knew what to do. I held the box with my left hand while saying “abracadabra,” and slowly waved my right hand over the box. I held my breath as I pulled off the blanket waiting to see a dove that would be my new pet—nothing. I tried again, but still nothing so I paused to evaluate. I had a white string and the magician had used a piece of rope—that must be the issue! The string was probably too little to turn into a dove. I found a small piece of string that was just thick enough to be considered a rope in my book and I tried again. And again. And again. I’m not sure how long I spent trying to turn this bit of rope into a dove but it felt like all afternoon, with no luck.
I was fooled by the magician’s magic trick that day and I’m sure I wasn’t the only one. Of course, in this case, my knowledgeable grandparents had taken me to a harmless magic show but I was unwittingly taken in! That is somewhat the purpose of these magic shows. We put ourselves in front of it willing to be deceived and taken in by the magician’s tricks but what about false teachers? Not every deceiver is as easy to spot as these magicians!
This is why the Bible tells us to beware of deceivers and false prophets. Many times these false prophets can look like legitimate teachers of the Word. So how are we to know? By spending time in the Word and getting to know God as a dear friend. If we invest time getting to know Him as we would one of our friends then we can spot the false teacher a mile away! But if we don’t invest in a relationship with Him, we can be easily deceived. If you had big plans for spending a lot of time in the Word and you find yourself getting derailed, I urge you not to give up! This is the most important relationship you can invest in and it’s worth pushing through the challenges that might get in your way in order to get to know Him better!
Commit yourselves wholeheartedly to these commands that I am giving you today. Repeat them again and again to your children. Talk about them when you are at home and when you are on the road, when you are going to bed, and when you are getting up.
Deuteronomy 6:6b-7 NLT
I was not a big fan of reading early on—I liked being read to but not when it was myself doing the reading. It was hard! I didn’t pick it up right away and it took effort! This was probably why as a 7-year-old I would get a little annoyed with my grandparents when they touted the advantages of reading; how it keeps your mind sharp, and how you can learn about other times and places, people, and travel.
Even though they talked a lot about reading when I was very young, it didn’t make a big impression on me. Around the age of 7, I started spending Fridays with them. Every Friday around 10 in the morning Grandpa would take me down to the library. They loved their local library which was a decent size library and they visited it frequently. He would send me off to the children’s section for me to pick out my books and, after selecting his books, he would open up the newspaper, settle into a chair, and wait for me. These Friday trips to the library are some of the best memories I have with him.
What made an impression was living out the example in front of me. Grandpa wasn’t just encouraging me to read, he was teaching me his values through the time we spent there each week. It was all those trips to the library that started to get me interested in reading. It was the cozy times when I would spend the night at their house, when they would pull out their books and recline in their easy chairs, and not a sound would be made except for the turning of pages. These were the things that caused me to fall in love with reading.
The Bible speaks again and again about instilling our values into our children. Instilling our values into our children isn’t just about talking to our children about the Bible—it’s about living out these examples on a daily basis. As parents and role models for the children in our lives, it’s not just about what we say, it’s about what we model. We can talk all day long about how wonderful having a relationship with God is, but if we act like going to church every Sunday is such a drag, then our children are not going to believe us.
It is not enough for us to just say all the right things, we have to live the right things as well. Let us always remember that the children and young people watching us are taking in way more than we probably wish they were about how we live our lives. We will mess up and there will always be things that we could have done better, but let us always be trying to model our values for our young ones, out of a place of love, not drudgery.
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