Dealing with a World That Has Shifted   

Last week someone driving a pickup truck veered off the road, barreled through the yard, and crashed into the house of one of my daughters and her family. Thankfully no one was hurt. However, the house didn’t fare so well. On the surface the damage appeared to be confined to the front porch and one room. Yet upon closer examination, it looks like there may have been significant structural damage as that entire part of the house seems to have gotten shifted by an inch or so. Therefore a more extensive repair job may be necessary.

It reminds me of what we’re facing in today’s world. Our society has been damaged through an onslaught of philosophies, attitudes, and actions which run counter to truth and godliness. At first glance it just seems that people have gotten off track concerning certain specific issues. We rightfully can and should address those matters, pointing out the errors, directing people to what God says about the subject, and encouraging a change in those behaviors.

However, the problem seems to go deeper than these various issues which are so noticeable on the surface of society. There seems to have been more significant structural damage inflicted somewhere along the way. It’s not just about views and practices regarding sexual matters, family relationships, law and order, race and whatever other walls in our nation and in our world seem to be cracked and crumbling. This place in which we make our home appears to have shifted off some of its basic foundations.

Truth has become blurry and subjective. Common sense and logic have been pushed aside while our feelings have taken over the driver’s seat. Long-held values upon which our society and its laws have been based are being replaced with less honorable principles. Even many who profess to be Christians are not only ignoring what God says about certain subjects but are undercutting the authority and validity of God’s Word altogether. Concern for the lives and well-being of our fellow man is disappearing in the growing, ominous shadow of self-centeredness, leading to hatred and distrust of others.

The Bible raises the question: “If the foundations are destroyed, what can the righteous do?” (Psalm 11:3). What can we do when this society in which we live is so damaged? First of all, we can pray. Nothing is too hard for the Master-builder who created this world in the first place. He is still on the throne. He can still work in hearts, transform lives, and even restore some measure of godliness and bring revival. Secondly, we can shine a light on the real problem. While others are dealing with the surface damage, we need to point out the deeper issues which should be addressed, such as recognizing objective truth, upholding good values, and submitting to God and what He says is the best way for us to live. Additionally, we can seek to be faithful to God and to His Word regardless of what those around us may be doing. We should be examples of those who are living in a right, close relationship with the Lord. We can manifest God’s love in an unloving world. We can show how blessed it is to live holy lives based on truth while others are suffering the consequences of choosing their own way over God’s way. We can be witnesses of God’s grace and power to a world that has lost its way.

Our house has shifted. While that makes our task more difficult, it’s not impossible. Don’t give up in despair. As followers of Christ, we’re called to keep proclaiming the truth and living for Him regardless of the condition of our world. Maybe He will use us to repair the damage.   

 

Seek the Power of the Holy Spirit   

The month of March is notorious for being windy. We were reminded of that fact last weekend when a strong weather front moved through our region. We had to deal with a cold, blustery day that left numerous twigs and pine cones scattered around my yard. However, I heard that those wind gusts were strong enough to bring down some trees as well, resulting in a number of power outages. Instances such as this, in addition to what we witness when tornadoes and hurricanes strike, cause us rightly to associate wind with power.

The Bible makes that connection, too. In Acts 2 when the followers of Jesus experienced the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, one of the unusual signs which occurred was the presence of a sound like “a rushing mighty wind”. That particular manifestation appears to have been intended to express the concept and reality of power in what was taking place in that moment. Jesus had told His disciples that they would receive power when the Holy Spirit came upon them (Acts 1:8). This was the fulfillment of that promise. Those who were filled with the Spirit that day proceeded to effectively minister and boldly witness for Christ with a divine power that they had previously lacked.

 Does such power still characterize those who follow Jesus today? Is the Church known for its power? I’m afraid not, at least not generally among those who profess to be believers. The opposite seems to be true. There is a disturbing lack of divine power among followers of Christ. We hold our meetings, carry out our programs, observe our rituals during this season of Lent, but where is the Spirit-generated enablement that results in sinners being convicted, believers living holy lives, and communities being impacted by the godly influence of the Church? Where is the power to be the light that overcomes the darkness in our own souls as well as in the world around us? There may be human-generated power at work at times, but where is that “power from on high” (Luke 24:49) Jesus told His followers to pray for and to expect?  

Such power is still available to those who know Christ today. Unfortunately, we’ve tended to downplay the possibility or lessened our expectations as to the extent to which such divine enablement can truly be part of our personal experience. We are satisfied with possessing the presence of the Holy Spirit living within us as believers, but fail to pursue the outpouring of the Spirit in His fullness. We settle for a life filled with daily spiritual failings rather than one of consistently yielding to God’s will for our lives. We content ourselves with whatever our efforts can produce rather than expecting the Lord to move in ways beyond our capabilities. We look for the natural instead of expecting the miraculous.

We need to follow Jesus’ instructions to His disciples – to prayerfully wait on God in anticipation of being filled with the Holy Spirit. We need to make sure we are trusting Jesus as the one who saves us from our sin. We need to surrender ourselves to His lordship over our lives, not holding anything back from being under His rule. Then we need to pray for the Lord to pour out His Spirit on us as He did on those disciples. Trust Him to do it and receive it by faith.

The wind of God’s Spirit can still blow today. We need the divine power that can make us holy, bold, effective witnesses for Christ. As March is known for its wind, may we be known for being filled with the Holy Spirit and for His power working through us.

 

Be Willing to Be a Servant for Jesus   

I have an important temporary new job. I’m currently performing the duties of a towel – that’s right, a towel. As my wife recovers from knee surgery, she is doing some recommended exercises to help regain her range of motion. In a couple of those exercises, she was instructed to pull on the ends of a towel stretched across the heel of her foot in order to add pressure as she bends her knee or lifts her leg in order to extend it. The only problem is that while pulling on the towel, she aggravated her bad shoulder. So now I’m substituting for her towel, helping to push her leg in the desired positions for those particular exercises. I guess I can add that impressive duty to my job resume – pastor, author, church association director, and…towel.

It reminds me of a couple of incidents recorded in the Gospels. On one occasion Jesus grabbed a towel and a basin of water while proceeding to wash the feet of His disciples. He carried out the most menial of tasks that would normally have been performed by the servant of the lowest rank. Afterwards Jesus explained to His disciples the lesson He was trying to teach them through that humble act of service. “You call me Teacher and Lord, and you say well, for so I am. If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. For I have given you an example, that you should do as I have done to you” (John 13:13-15). I don’t know that Jesus was encouraging the literal practice of washing the feet of other people, but He was certainly seeking to instill an attitude of humility and service in the hearts of His followers. No job in serving God and helping others should be considered “beneath us.” We should be willing to stoop to whatever level necessary in order to express our love for the Lord and our love for others.

The second incident this brings to mind is the time when a woman came to Jesus, washing His feet with her tears and drying them off with her hair. She literally made herself a towel for Jesus. While some were critical of this woman and what she did, Jesus commended her. Her unusual actions were an expression of her deep devotion to the Lord and her gratitude for the forgiveness of her sins which He offered to her. Do we so love Jesus that we’re willing to show that devotion by taking on the role of a servant? It’s not only about helping other people, but also about serving the Lord out of gratitude and love for what He’s done for us.

Over the years I’ve encountered far too many individuals who profess to be followers of Jesus who were unwilling to do certain tasks or to go to certain places to serve because of an elevated view of themselves and their position. Sometimes I hear pastors seeking volunteers from their congregants to take care of some menial task around the church facilities or grounds. While there is a place for delegating and encouraging people to get involved, in certain situations I’ve wanted to interject, “Why not do it yourself, or at least volunteer to get in there and do it with your people. Give them an example to follow. Be a servant-leader.” We all have to guard against the attitude of thinking more highly of ourselves than we ought to and losing sight of our role as a servant of the Lord.

Let’s show our love to God and His love to others by serving, even if it means washing feet – and even if it means being a towel.

 

Trust That God Is Directing Your Steps   

Last Saturday I was at a hotel meeting room with approximately fifty other men who had gathered for a retreat. As we lifted our voices in singing the old hymn, “Great Is Thy Faithfulness”, there was a knock at the door as it opened and a lady entered the room. She apologized for interrupting but went on to inform us how she had been outside listening to the words of that song. With tears in her eyes, she told us how her son had recently died in a car accident. As she had heard those reassuring truths communicated in the lyrics as they wafted throughout the hallway and lobby of the hotel, it had touched her heart and greatly ministered to her during this time of grief. She had been standing outside crying and singing along with us. She suggested that God had brought us there specifically for her that morning. Imagine that – a retreat geared toward men that somehow God used to bring comfort and hope to a grieving mom.

We took time to pray for this woman before she left to go her way. Afterwards one of the organizers of the event noted how this venue where we were meeting was a last-minute replacement. There had been issues that had taken this gathering away from its usual location. Even then, another hotel that had been booked to be our host had backed out only a couple of weeks before. So it had been quite an ordeal to end up at this particular place at that specific time. However, we all came away with the assurance that God had been working through all of those circumstances in order to bring us there, and even to be singing that particular song, in order to be of help to this person who would be there that morning.

 This example of a “divine appointment” should encourage us about our own circumstances today. It reminds us that God is working in the lives of those who are trusting Him and seeking to do His will. We are where we are for a reason. Sometimes we may not understand what that purpose might be. There may be times when there will be a knock on our door that will reveal how God has been working and why we are there at that moment. Other times we might never know until we get to heaven and we receive the fuller revelation of all that took place in this life. However, whether we obtain that knowledge now or later, we can have faith that God is directing the steps of His faithful followers. “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths” (Proverbs 3:5-6).

Let’s trust that God is leading us and is working out His plan. When doors close and nothing seems to be going as we had anticipated, let’s have faith that the Lord is directing our paths. When our own personal lives or the world around us appears to be sinking into chaos, let’s trust that God still has everything under control. You are where you are for a reason. God has a purpose for your being present in the world at this time in history. Concerning your workplace, your family, your church, your circle of influence – you are there for a reason.

So let’s keep living for the Lord and being faithful to whatever He’s called us to do and wherever He’s put us. Keep singing your song of God’s faithfulness. There may be someone within earshot who needs to hear it. That one encounter may be the whole reason you’re there.