Month: November 2017

Finishing Well

Sitting in the auditorium with other incoming freshmen, I listened with dismay as the orientation advisor spouted harsh realities: “Look to your left. Now look to your right. Statistically speaking, at least one of the three of you will not graduate from this institution.” The room was filled with bright-eyed, ambitious high school graduates and we gasped at this disconcerting fact. It was the summer of 1988 and I was experiencing my first cold splash of reality visiting the university where I would start classes in the fall.

The words of that orientation advisor echoed in my mind many times during the subsequent four years.  Each time I heard about someone who failed out, transferred, or chose to leave school for other pursuits I would think about that statistic. I was determined to persevere– especially my first year when I was adjusting to demanding classes, challenging living conditions, and severe homesickness. Putting on my cap and gown for graduation four years later felt like a true accomplishment. It wasn’t just a rite of passage, but a moment to celebrate a hard-won degree. Not only had I fulfilled the academic requirements, I’d persevered through a variety of personal challenges. I was leaving college with a diploma, confidence, maturity, and a much deeper faith

But the challenges I surmounted to finish well seem insignificant in comparison with Paul’s final words to Timothy: “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day—and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing.” (2 Timothy 4:7-8, NIV)

Throughout his years of sharing the gospel, Paul never lost his focus, no matter how difficult the journey became. Earlier in his ministry he’d explained, “I want to know Christ—yes, to know the power of his resurrection and participation in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow, attaining to the resurrection from the dead.

Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. 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.” (Philippians 3:10-14, NIV)

Paul pressed on through an amazing array of challenges. In his second letter to the church at Corinth, he explained, “I have worked much harder, been in prison more frequently, been flogged more severely, and been exposed to death again and again. Five times I received from the Jews the forty lashes minus one. Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was pelted with stones, three times I was shipwrecked, I spent a night and a day in the open sea, I have been constantly on the move. I have been in danger from rivers, in danger from bandits, in danger from my fellow Jews, in danger from Gentiles; in danger in the city, in danger in the country, in danger at sea; and in danger from false believers. I have labored and toiled and have often gone without sleep; I have known hunger and thirst and have often gone without food; I have been cold and naked. Besides everything else, I face daily the pressure of my concern for all the churches. Who is weak, and I do not feel weak? Who is led into sin, and I do not inwardly burn?

If I must boast, I will boast of the things that show my weakness. The God and Father of the Lord Jesus, who is to be praised forever, knows that I am not lying.” (2 Corinthians 11:23-31, NIV)

Paul’s faithfulness to his call despite the hardships he faced inspires me. The lengths he went to for the sake of the gospel humble me and motivate me to persevere in my faith even when it’s not easy. His words to the church in Rome sum it up well: “We know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.” (Romans 5:3b-5, NIV)

Paul poured himself out like a drink offering so that others could know Christ. In turn, those believers persevered and shared their faith with still more people. Over the years, the good news passed from one generation to the next until it arrived in our lives. Just like Paul, Timothy, and countless others after them, we’ve received the gospel and the gifting to share it with others. Being reminded of that throughout studying Beth Moore’s Entrusted renews my enthusiasm to press on in the faith, to persevere in hardships, and to share the love of Christ with others who will be blessed by Him as well. It’s a lifelong pursuit until the day we meet Jesus face to face and hear the words, “Well done, good and faithful servant.”

Whether the idea of being entrusted with the gospel exhilarates or intimidates you, the most important part is to lean into Jesus. We weren’t meant to share Him on our own strength and wisdom, but only through His. Listen to “Jesus I Believe” and make it your prayer today.

Beth Moore, Entrusted: A Study of 2 Timothy, Lifeway Press, 2016.

Proclaiming Your Thanks

A good friend of mine received a voice message from her son the week after he moved into his first college apartment: “Hey, Mom. I just wanted to let you know how much I appreciate you and all you’ve done for us through the years. Thanks for always having stuff available at our house like hand soap and dish towels. Anyway, just wanted to tell you that I love you and I’m thankful for all you do.” Living with a group of boys who weren’t as attentive to the finer details of stocking a household had given him a different appreciation for his mom. Some of the most basic things he previously overlooked suddenly had new meaning for him.  I love that he noticed and took the time to tell her.

And isn’t that just human nature? We take many good things for granted and rarely notice or acknowledge the efforts others take to provide them for us. Only when they’re missing from our lives do we realize what a blessing they were.

As I’ve been anticipating the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday, I’ve been thinking about the importance of directing our general feelings of gratitude to someone specific. That is, after all, how the holiday came into existence. You probably know the pilgrims celebrated the first Thanksgiving feast to honor God’s provision for them through a brutal winter. You might even know that Abraham Lincoln was the one who made it a national holiday. But, like me, you may not have realized that it was George Washington who made the original Thanksgiving Proclamation in 1789.

Washington’s words in the proclamation state: “Now therefore I do recommend and assign Thursday the 26th day of November next to be devoted by the People of these States to the service of that great and glorious Being, who is the beneficent Author of all the good that was, that is, or that will be—That we may then all unite in rendering unto him our sincere and humble thanks—for his kind care and protection of the People of this Country previous to their becoming a Nation—for the signal and manifold mercies, and the favorable interpositions of his Providence which we experienced in the course and conclusion of the late war—for the great degree of tranquillity, union, and plenty, which we have since enjoyed—for the peaceable and rational manner, in which we have been enabled to establish constitutions of government for our safety and happiness, and particularly the national One now lately instituted—for the civil and religious liberty with which we are blessed; and the means we have of acquiring and diffusing useful knowledge; and in general for all the great and various favors which he hath been pleased to confer upon us.”

The whole point of the holiday was to pause, look back and thank God for all He had done for our nation. The purpose of the day was not to watch football, attend parades, or even to eat turkey. It wasn’t created to signify the kick off to the Christmas shopping season or to boost the economy with Black Friday sales. The purpose of the national day of thanksgiving was to thank God for His care, provision, and protection of the citizens of our country. It was a time to pause and reflect with gratefulness to someone very specific—the Lord.

George Washington was not the first leader to do this, nor is the United States the only nation in modern times that pauses for a day to give thanks. We are following the examples of those who have gone before us: Moses, David, and Solomon are among a variety of people in Scripture that led others to stop, reflect, and express gratitude to God collectively.

With the many extra things that have been added onto Thanksgiving over the years, acknowledging gratitude to God often gets lost in the shuffle.  And even when we do reflect on our thankfulness, it tends to be about what we’re grateful for instead of to whom we’re thankful. This year, I want to pause to acknowledge and appreciate God in specific ways. I want to stop and notice not only the gifts I’ve received, but the Giver. Rather than just having a general warm fuzzy feeling of thankfulness, let’s direct our gratitude to the One who gave us all that we have. Make it a goal to follow the advice repeated throughout the Psalms:

“Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever.”  Psalm 106:1

Photo of George Washington’s profile at Mount Rushmore courtesy of Pixabay.com

Keep Your Head

Letting out a big sigh, I berated myself silently. I had committed to writing a Bible study focusing on the women in Jesus’ family line for a group at church. The idea seemed brilliant until I started digging into the lives of the characters. Some of the stories involving them were inspiring, but many were disconcerting or downright unsavory.

Weighing my options, I considered leaving out one or two names on the list that seemed too difficult to tackle. But after consulting with my  Bible study’s coordinator and mulling things over a bit more, I decided to push through and see what God had in store. Their lives were messy and complicated but they were all in the lineage of Jesus for a reason.

Further exacerbating the situation, I’d planned on using the lessons I was writing to lead another group of women who were newer to Bible study. I had no idea how I would explain some of the stories we were going to unpack. Still, I knew that leaving out the ugly parts and trying to present more sanitized versions would be inauthentic and dishonest. It would also limit opportunities to grapple with hard topics.

As it turned out, some of the “colorful” characters I dreaded discussing turned out to be the ones that inspired me most. Throughout the months of studying with those two different groups of women, I learned the beauty of wrestling with others through hard questions that didn’t have easy answers. And while we didn’t tie a neat bow on every discussion, we all learned and grew by not avoiding some of those stickier topics.

Melissa Moore puts it this way, “When we are not ashamed of the gospel, we have the freedom to ask good questions and listen to other people well. We are faithful to the tradition we’ve received but the bottom line is not protecting our big egos. We keep reading Scripture carefully, proving ourselves to be ones who carefully handle the word of truth (2:15), and we are not threatened by any worldview or perspective. We do not have to let go of our Christian convictions to actually hear somebody out. We are unashamed in our message; we proclaim it, persist in it, whether it is convenient or not (2 Time 4:2), and we do this with kindness and patience. Generous listening is a revolutionary act of kindness in a world of screaming and competing voices.” (Entrusted p. 153)

For me, the key to discussing hard topics in Scripture is deciding not to feel personally threatened by people whose views differ from mine. To be honest, I am not a person that enjoys a lively debate or sparring with words. In fact, I have a deep aversion to tension and conflict in relationships. But, I have learned the value in listening respectfully and offering a counter perspective. I’ve discovered the freedom in admitting I don’t have all the answers. And each time I have a challenging conversation with someone who asks hard questions, my faith grows exponentially. When I research to find more information about a thorny topic, my knowledge also grows. Sometimes I even get to circle back with the person who asked me about it to shed more light on the issue.

Paul admonishes Timothy saying, “Preach the word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage—with great patience and careful instruction… keep your head in all situations, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, discharge all the duties of your ministry. (2 Timothy 4:2 & 5, NIV)

Two phrases stand out in Paul’s list of instructions, the first is “with great patience” and the second is “keep your head.” When we’re talking about our faith with believers who differ from us or nonbelievers who lack understanding, these are important components to keep in mind.

Demonstrating great patience usually requires praying for the intervention of the Holy Spirit. If we get offended by someone’s differing viewpoint or irritated by their lack of understanding, we can’t keep a healthy dialogue going. And when we have the patience to see that a hard topic may require more than one conversation, it helps us to relax and not push so hard to overload someone with our opinions.

Paul also says, “keep your head,” reminding us not to takes things personally. When you’re having a hard conversation about spiritual matters, emotions intensify. If you start to feel your face flush or your jaw clench, pause and pray to keep your head. Losing your temper or getting defensive is not going to take a conversation about your faith in the right direction. If needed, put an end to the discussion before you lash out or say something hurtful. Your goal should be to finish on a positive note so that you still have an opening to talk more later.

There’s no doubt we’re living in tumultuous times where the Christian worldview is taking a beating. But if we shy away from opportunities to share the gospel, we’re not fulfilling our call to further God’s kingdom on earth. How can we lament the negative things we see in the world if we’re too fearful to impact others with the truth of God’s Word?

If you’re feeling weary and discouraged living in a culture that doesn’t put up with sound doctrine as Paul describes in 2 Timothy 4:3, take heart and be encouraged by Rend Collective’s song  “More Than Conquerors” included below.

And if you’re interested in learning more about the Bible study I wrote on the women in Jesus’ lineage or want to order a copy, click on the link below.

Click here for more information on Women of the Word: The Family Tree of Jesus.

Beth Moore, Entrusted: A Study of 2 Timothy, Lifeway Press 2016.

 

Thoroughly Equipped

I remember the first time my family went to the snow when our kids were very young. Taking a toddler and a pre-schooler on a trip to Tahoe in the dead of winter wasn’t something we could have done without significant advance preparation. Not wanting to invest a lot of funds in gear our boys would outgrow quickly, we devoted our energy to borrowing anything friends would lend us: mittens, boots, jackets, snow suits, socks, long underwear, hats, goggles, and sleds (of course). We knew that forgetting just one of these items would have put a damper on enjoying outdoor activities in the frigid conditions. We had to be thoroughly equipped to create a positive experience. Forgetting even one mitten or boot would have ruined the whole adventure.

In much the same way, God knows that we need to be thoroughly equipped to carry out His will. His Word promises us He’ll give us everything we need for spiritual impact: “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.” (2 Timothy 3:16-17, NIV)

Just as my husband and I did the work to provide our boys with the gear they needed for the snow, God does all that’s required to equip us for every good work. He doesn’t miss a single detail. Our responsibility is to study His Word so that we can put on the spiritual equipment He’s prepared for us there. We simply receive what He provides and allow His Spirit to work through us. Scripture reminds us of this several times:

“His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness.” (2 Peter 1:3, NIV)

“For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” (Ephesians 2:10, NIV)

“For it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose.” (Philippians 2:13, NIV)

Beth Moore explains, “We are equipped and made capable by Scripture even for good works that don’t necessitate sharing the Word. Scripture is just as strategic for equipping the man or woman of God who works in government, stays home with the kids, or fixes car engines. That’s the power of it. The Word of God works wherever the person of God works.” (p. 142)

None of us is exempt from being used by God, no matter what station in life we hold. Looking back over my past, I can see how the Lord used me whenever I made myself available to Him. From college onward, I recognize God’s handiwork–sometimes it was through my actions and quiet influence, other times it was through my words. Each season of my life has afforded new ways to impact others with God’s love and truth. The opportunities to be used by Him have changed with every chapter, but they’ve never ceased.

We’re headed into the home stretch of studying 2 Timothy so it’s time to take stock of what we’ve been learning. “If we get to the end of this study with a good look over our shoulder at the journeys of Paul and Timothy but no clear gaze ahead at the path we’re called to walk with equal tenacity, we will have missed the mission in 2 Timothy’s message. We—common people with common problems–get to carry on the uncommon legacies of Paul and Timothy. To do so deliberately will be to do so most effectively.” (p. 133)

It’s time to pray about how we’ll let this study change us. If we walk away with more head knowledge but no real plan to act on what we’ve learned, we’ll have missed the point. So I’ll ask a few questions to help you clarify your thoughts: How is God stirring in you as you study 2 Timothy? What are you learning about how to turn your vertical focus into a horizontal impact? If you’ve been following Jesus for a while, can you look back and see how God has equipped you previously? Is there anywhere new you sense Him calling you to step outside of your comfort zone? These may be scary questions to answer, but don’t let them intimidate you. Remember that God is trustworthy and He has good things in store for you. All you have to do is let Him equip you. He’s already prepared everything, you just need to tell Him you’re available to receive it.

“Do Everything” by Steven Curtis Chapman gives some good encouragement on this topic. Click on the link to enjoy the song.

Beth Moore, Entrusted: A Study of 2 Timothy, Lifeway Press, 2016.