Let God Use Your Competitive Spirit  

My brother-in-law passed away last week. He was a testimony of God’s grace and the dramatic difference Jesus can make in a person’s life. I only knew him after he had put his trust in Jesus as His Savior. Therefore, I saw him as someone who was devoted to the Lord, loved his family, and had a generous spirit. However, he would tell you that those admirable qualities in his life were all the Lord’s doing, because he wasn’t always like that. Jesus is the One who can make that kind of a difference in our lives too.

One of the notable characteristics of my sister’s husband was his competitive spirit. It caused him to excel in softball, winning numerous national championships and getting inducted into the Senior Softball Hall of Fame. However, that spirit was evident even at family gatherings as we watched football games on TV or engaged in a game of cards. He lived out the idea that if you are going to compete, work hard at it and strive to succeed. I have always enjoyed sports and have been rather competitive myself. Nevertheless, the Lord has taught me over the years that, despite what some coaches may advocate, sometimes there can be higher priorities and more important factors in life than winning a game. If we tend to be competitive, that can be a good quality in many ways. I don’t believe we need to rid ourselves of it, but we may need to make sure we keep it surrendered to God and even channel it in certain directions.

For example, we should recognize who our real opposition is in life. It isn’t other people. The Bible says, “For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places (Ephesians 6:12). Our main enemy is Satan and his cohorts. He is the one we need to be fighting against. In reality, he is already a defeated foe – Christ has won the victory over him. However, as he continues to try to hinder God’s work and destroy our souls, we need to steadfastly oppose him and his evil plans.

We also need to compete for God and for good. We should be putting all we have got into being everything that God wants us to be. The Bible compares our lives to running a race. “Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may obtain it” (I Corinthians 9:24). It doesn’t use these words, but basically it is telling us to be “in it to win it.” This runs contrary to any notion of simply doing the minimum in order to squeeze into heaven. It keeps us from sinking into complacency or becoming spiritually lazy. I am not suggesting that we are saved by our works. However, if we are following the Lord, this suggests that we should be seeking to get as close to the Lord as we possibly can. We should be doing all the good we can in our short years here on this earth. We should be competitive in that way.  

If we will view our journey as more like a race in which we are competing, and seek to run it well, then we will be able to say what the Apostle Paul did when nearing the end of his life. “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith” (II Timothy 4:7). I believe that was the case with my competitive brother-in-law. May it be so with us, too.  

 

The Lord Is with Us through the Storms  

As recent storms approached, I headed down into my basement after receiving notification that we were under a tornado warning, in addition to seeing the weather radar indicating that the twister could be targeting our specific community. As the TV meteorologists encouraged people to take various precautions and make preparation for the possibility of damaging winds, I added my own activity to the list. I prayed. I asked for protection for us, our family, our church family, and others in the path of the storm. I prayed that this angry red blob pictured on the radar might weaken and not be as big a problem as it portended. Thankfully, the threat did dissipate from our area rather quickly. The warning was cancelled. I am not sure what happened meteorologically speaking, but I gratefully give credit to God for answered prayer and for our being spared the brunt of the storm.

However, others weren’t so fortunate. Some people did get hit hard, experiencing significant property damage. There were even a few lives lost in the midst of this weather event and its aftermath. My guess is that I wasn’t the only one praying that day. Maybe some of these same folks who suffered loss from this storm were also seeking God’s help and protection. It raises questions as to why some people are spared while others are not. Skeptics might view it all as random acts of nature, leaving God and the effects of prayer out of the picture altogether. Nevertheless, I firmly believe that prayer makes a difference. Additionally, Jesus clearly showed that He has the power to calm the winds and the sea (see Matthew 8:23-27). The psalmist also suggested that God is in control of the winds, fulfilling His word and His will through their activity (Psalm 147:18; 148:8). While natural forces are at work in the weather, I believe God can still intervene to redirect or calm the storms.

We may not know the reasons why some are spared from the effects of the storms while others are forced to face them head on. That applies not only to those tempests in nature, but also to the other upheavals and challenges we face in life that we often refer to as storms, including sickness, financial hardship, and even death. Nevertheless, if we are trusting the Lord we can be assured of His presence and help whether it is in avoiding those adversities or in navigating our way through those rough waters and their consequences in our lives. He may calm our storm, or He may guide us and strengthen us to make it through that difficulty. Either way, we can count on His abiding presence.

I have come to better appreciate a song I previously had associated primarily with funerals. While it does relate to death, it also applies to other aspects of our lives. It expresses the desire for the Lord to “abide with me.” Part of it states, “I need Thy presence every passing hour…Who, like Thyself my Guide and Stay can be? Through cloud and sunshine, O abide with me.” If the Lord is with us, we can endure whatever comes our way, whether cloud or sunshine, whether in our relief of being spared from the storm or through our efforts to pick up the pieces, deal with the loss, and rebuild.

While we may rightfully pray for God’s protection and rejoice when we witness His answering those cries for help, our main concern should be for His abiding presence in our lives no matter what comes our way. If we have Him in our hearts and lives, we have what we most need to face the storms.

 

What Are You Relying on for Fulfillment?  

One day I noticed that a tire on my car looked like it could be a little low on air. No warning light had come up on my vehicle yet, but I thought I would go ahead and proactively take care of this potential problem. I mistakenly went to one of those machines outside a convenience store that is prominently labeled as a dispenser of air. After putting in my quarters, I connected the hose to my tire valve only to hear the hissing sound of air leaving my tire, but none being put back in. After several attempts, it was obvious that the hose wasn’t working properly. But even more frustrating was the fact that my efforts to solve the problem had only made it worse. Now a warning light was flashing. The machine that was supposed to fill my tire with air had actually only sucked more air out of it.

We often find a similar experience when we encounter the good-sounding promises of this world. We are assured that if we pursue these avenues we will find happiness, fulfillment, and success. Whatever it is that may be lacking in our lives, there are various dispensers around us clamoring for us to try them out as the answer to our deficiency. They promise us love, acceptance, wealth, power, fame, health, or any of a host of other attractive options. They assure us that if we will invest our time, emotion, money, and effort in that direction, we will be rewarded.

  In some cases, there may be some temporary benefits from those pursuits. However, in the end, whether immediately or in the long run, we will discover that those promises of this world fall short. They fail to satisfy the deepest longings of our hearts. They may put a bandage on the wound, but they don’t really heal the injury. And in many situations, like that faulty air hose I encountered, they actually make things worse. Instead of bringing us happiness, we experience heartache. Instead of fulfillment, we fall into despair. Instead of success, we hit rock bottom. We find out with the writer of Ecclesiastes that all such pursuits end up leaving us empty.

One of the ways they make things worse is by steering us away from the true source of those goals we desire to reach. As we invest our hopes, dreams, and efforts in these other things, we ignore God and the guidance He has given us for finding joy, fulfillment, and real success in this life and in eternity. We look for love in the wrong places, while overlooking the One who loves us more than anyone else ever could. While we are trying to get relief from the symptoms of our spiritual sickness, we refuse to consult the Great Physician who created us and knows exactly what can heal our souls. Or maybe we turn up our noses at the medicine He prescribes because of its initially bitter taste even though it will bring us health and happiness in the end.    

 What are you looking to and putting your trust in to supply what is lacking in your life? Don’t rely on the wrong things. Don’t fall for the false promises of this world. Don’t invest your affections and energy in the wrong direction. As an old song declares, “Only Jesus can satisfy your soul.” A new romantic relationship won’t do it. A promotion won’t do it. Winning the lottery won’t do it. Your team winning the championship won’t do it. Losing weight won’t do it.

Invest in pursuing a right relationship with the Lord. He can fill our hungering hearts with what we truly need.

 

Looking for a Better Perspective This Year  

Having a couple of medical appointments on the calendar was not my preferred way to begin the new year. I tend to view those events with a degree of dread and negativity. However, as I thought about it, I tried to become more thankful for those who help take care of my physical wellbeing and for the opportunity to have some health issues resolved. I thought about another family I know who started out 2023 with a funeral. In one sense, it seems like a terrible way to usher in a new year. However, there is also reason to rejoice as this loved one is no longer suffering but is enjoying the healing and blessings of heaven today. So much depends on our perspective, doesn’t it?

 I believe this is one of the areas the Lord wants me to work on this year – seeking to have a more positive outlook on life. I am not talking about developing some kind of unrealistic, Pollyanna-ish kind of over-optimism about everything. However, we can choose what we are going to primarily focus on as we face the realities of the days and months ahead. Are we apprehensive about the possible difficulties lurking around the corner? Or are we anticipating the opportunities that may come knocking on our doors? Are we shying away in fear at the Goliaths who may rise up to stand in our way? Or are we ready to run out to face any such challengers with the faith of a David? We even have to be careful about how we look ahead to some of those momentous occasions we will be celebrating. It can be easy to dread all the work and potential problems involved rather than joyfully anticipate the event itself.

There is much in our world to be concerned about, as well as many forms of adversity we are likely to be confronted with in our own personal lives. However, we need to face those situations with the spirit and attitude of followers of Jesus, not like those who have no relationship with Him. Our perspective should be based on a firm belief in God, in His goodness, and in His faithfulness to do what He has promised. We should view our situation with the assurance and peace that God is in control and can handle whatever comes our way. We can trust Him to be with us, to strengthen us, and to give us grace as we need it.

Even as we see our society plummeting toward the consequences resulting from its refusal to humbly submit to God, we don’t have to give in to despair. We can still have hope in a God who can open blinded eyes, soften hardened hearts, and transform misdirected lives. We can have hope in better things to come, whether in this life or in heaven.

We can also guard how we perceive the people around us. Let’s not allow our love for others to grow cold. We need to make sure we keep seeing people who don’t know our Savior as lost souls who need our compassion, not as enemies who deserve our harsh judgment. We all have needed grace and forgiveness from both God and other people. Let’s be sure to offer such grace to the people we encounter.

We don’t know what lies ahead for us in the coming months. Some things may be planned and marked on our calendars. Other unexpected events will happen in our lives over which we have no choice. However, we can choose our perspective about it all. Let’s keep our eyes on the Lord, while viewing our world with faith, hope, and love.   

 

Let Go of Anything Weighing You Down  

Are you making any resolutions for the new year? We tend to see the flipping of the calendar as the starting line of a new race – one in which we are committed to running better. Sometimes we decide that this is a good time to add some new or different activity to our lives. We might start the year determined to exercise more, to eat healthier foods, or to begin some long-planned project. Some of us may commit ourselves to greater involvement in certain spiritual disciplines, such as more regular church attendance, Bible reading, and prayer.  

While adding certain things to our lives can be beneficial, we often have to do some subtraction first. Before Christmas we went to see our granddaughter dance in a performance of The Nutcracker. She did a marvelous job, but it was somewhat bittersweet. She had decided to give up dance and to make this her last performance. It wasn’t that she didn’t enjoy this activity anymore, but there were other things she wanted to get involved in. Therefore, she needed to let go of an activity that required such a commitment of her time in order to make room for something else.

   I have found myself having to do that as well. I hadn’t planned on it, but it became somewhat of a recurring theme as this year has wound down to a close. I sensed God leading me to let go of a couple of areas of ministry in which I have been involved for many years. As circumstances and priorities had changed in recent times, my perspective concerning these particular activities had changed as well. I think I had been hanging onto them primarily due to the length of time I had been doing them and due to the blessing they have been. However, the Lord’s direction seemed to make it clear that it was time to let go.

 It reminds me of the Bible verse which says, “Let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us” (Hebrews 12:1). As a new year begins, we have a race to run and new opportunities to pursue. However, we may need to “lay aside” a few weights in order to be better able to do so. I am not talking primarily about sinful actions, although this verse includes those and anything in our lives that falls into that category definitely needs to be forsaken. But I am focusing more on other “weights”. Many of those can be good activities. They can even be worthwhile ministries. Yet we may need to let go of some of them in order to make room for what the Lord wants to include in our lives as we move forward.

In my case, I clearly have heard the message to let go, but I am not yet sure what the Lord may have in mind to replace those activities I am giving up. Sometimes we may be called to make room for something else, but then have to simply keep waiting and trusting until the Lord opens that new door of opportunity.

What may the Lord be calling you to lay aside as we head into this new year? Have you just been hanging onto something because it has been a part of your life for so long that it is hard to give it up? Is it still a vital part of God’s will and plan for your life? We have a race to run in 2023. Under God’s direction, be willing to lay aside anything that would hinder you from running it well.

 

Celebrate and Proclaim the Savior’s Birth  

We recently attended the Christmas program involving one of our younger grandsons. This choir of preschoolers did a great job of singing their holiday selections, often adding hand gestures and other motions to the lyrics. While we enjoyed the entire program, one of the highlights came when they joined their voices to perform the song, “Go Tell It on the Mountain.” I’ve noticed previously how children seem to ramp up the volume when they get to this particular song, and this occasion was no exception. It was so obvious that a smattering of laughter went through the audience as the kids began to belt out those familiar words – “Go tell it on the mountain, over the hills and everywhere; go tell it on the mountain that Jesus Christ is born!” This group was so enthusiastic in its rendering of the song that it could almost be described as shouting rather that singing. At any rate, their passionate performance seemed fitting for the subject matter as it reminded all of us that the birth of Jesus is great news that deserves to be shouted from the mountaintops.

As we have gone through this Christmas season, hopefully we have all been focusing on the importance and significance of Christ’s birth. Through the sermons we have heard, the songs we have song, maybe even catching some quiet moments of reflection while reading our Bibles and devotionals, I hope we have experienced some fresh personal inspiration concerning the great gift God gave us of His Son.

However, this good news isn’t meant to be kept to ourselves. As Mary did, we need to ponder these things in our hearts, but they are not to stay there as our own hidden treasure. This good news is meant to be shared. Like the shepherds, we need to spread the word about what has been revealed to us and what we have experienced. If we know that a Savior has been born, and if we have experienced the blessing of the salvation He came to provide, then we need to let others know about it so that they can receive the blessing too.

As Christmas Day approaches, who do we need to tell about the birth of our Savior? How can we shout the good news from the mountaintop? Let’s not just celebrate this occasion with joy in our hearts but also with some degree of the enthusiasm those preschoolers exhibited. This is great news! This is truth that our world needs to hear. There are people around us who need to experience the deliverance from the bondage to sin and guilt that Jesus came to provide. Let’s not fail to let them know about it or to remind them of what the celebration is really all about.

We live in a time when it is tempting to keep silent about such matters. If we speak too loudly about the truths of God’s Word, we are likely to be ridiculed, scorned, or rebuked. Maybe we need a renewal of the childlike enthusiasm we witnessed at that Christmas performance. If a Savior was truly born in Bethlehem, if God really did come in the flesh, and if Jesus went on to provide a way for us to have a right relationship with God and to receive the gift of eternal life, then that is news worth getting excited about. And it is news worth sharing with others.

So let’s celebrate the birth of Jesus this weekend, but let’s make sure we go beyond simply our own personal commemoration. Communicate this wonderful news to others who need to know about it. Go tell it to whomever is willing to listen. Jesus is born! And He came to save us from our sins.   

 

Jesus Considers You to Be Worth the Trouble  

After setting up my outdoor nativity scene, I noticed that the lone sheep among the group of characters was not lit up. I had plugged each figure in before taking them outdoors, so I knew it had been working just a few minutes beforehand. As I subsequently examined my baaaa…d patient to try to diagnose its problem, the bulb mechanism accidentally slipped through the hole and into the belly of the sheep. Between the smallness of the hole and the winged clip on the mechanism, it turned into quite an ordeal to try to retrieve the miniature light fixture. As my wife and I worked together to fix this issue, I remembered how this same figure had suffered from some previous serious malfunctions over the past couple of years, requiring the replacement of its electrical cord. Those memories combined with my current frustration resulted in my declaring at one point, “I think this sheep is more trouble than it’s worth.” I wouldn’t have given up on baby Jesus, Mary, Joseph, a wise man, or the shepherd, but I felt like a sheep was not necessarily an essential character in the scene. Nevertheless, we ended up being able recover the wayward part and ultimately got our sheep shining again.

I am thankful that our Shepherd didn’t give up on us. The Bible points out that “all we like sheep have gone astray” (Isaiah 53:6). We have all sinned, interrupting the connection between us and our Creator. We have all been guilty of going our own way rather than God’s way. We have all malfunctioned and haven’t received the light of Christ or failed to let it shine through us as God intended.     

Yet God didn’t look at us and say, “Those human beings are more trouble than they’re worth.” No, the Shepherd went to look for His lost sheep. Jesus talked about how a shepherd with a hundred sheep will leave the ninety-nine in order to go after the one that is lost. This is a picture not only of how the Lord pursues the lost today, but what He did when He came to this earth to provide the means of our salvation. When you think about it, Jesus went to a lot of trouble for us. And He considers us to be worth it.

Jesus left His glory in heaven to come to this earth. And our Shepherd didn’t just come looking for us – He became one of us. He took on flesh and blood to become one of the sheep Himself. Eventually, He suffered and died as the sacrifice for our sins. As the rest of that verse in Isaiah 53 states, “And the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.” And the amazing part of it is that our Shepherd believes we were worth the great price He paid for our salvation.

We may not be prominent figures in the landscape of this world. We may be relatively insignificant sheep standing to the side while the Marys and Josephs and wise men get the spotlight shone on them. However, we are important to our Shepherd. He considers you to be worth the effort for Him to come into this world. He believes you, with all of your sins, faults, and weaknesses, are worth fixing. He wants to shine His light in you, as well as make you a light to the world around you.

 Let the truth of the Incarnation – God becoming flesh – the Shepherd becoming a sheep – remind you that the Lord went to a lot of trouble for you because He loves you and considers you to be worth it. “For God so loved the world that He gave His Son…” And He did it for you.