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On April 11, 2019 By In Scribblings

Lenten Journey, Day 32, Managing Conflict

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace…”

When Jesus talks about managing something, he is referring to the proper responsibilities that come with an investment. A steward does not manage things for his own pleasure but for the pleasure of his master. I think this is the best way to think of conflict. A conflict is not God’s curse on you, it’s in the words of one writer, “a management opportunity.” It is quite fascinating how these virtues build on one another. Without going to too much detail, we can say that love and joy prepare us to manage conflict well. Someone who is selfish and prideful will look at conflict as a way of getting what they want. They will not steward conflict with godliness. In short, stewarding conflict will require love and joy. So, in the middle of conflict, we need to realize that these principles need to be at work. And this works well with our children: we remind them and ourselves that the goal of conflict is wholeness, peace.

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On April 10, 2019 By In Counseling/Piety, Scribblings

Lenten Journey, Day 31; When heaven breaks through

“But let all who take refuge in you rejoice; let them ever sing for joy. (Ps. 5:11)

Every time heaven breaks through our daily life, it is a reason to rejoice. It breaks through with tremendous regularity in big events, like the birth of a child, the provision of our financial needs, recovering through severe pain, or whatever it may be, we see heaven given to us regularly. But heaven also breaks through in many little things, like the response of a child to the wisdom of God, the beauty of a sunny day, the note or word of encouragement. Are we responding to that joy when heaven breaks through? It is common for people to talk to one another to report the sad details of other people’s lives; it is not so common to rejoice in the details of other people’s lives. We need more of that. We need to be genuinely joyful over the joy of others. Instead of lamenting the joy of others, let us rejoice in their well-being. Our lack of joy may stem from our lack of joy for other people’s joy.

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On April 9, 2019 By In Politics, Scribblings

Wise Men Use Double Standards

Avoiding contention is so important in Proverbs that you are told you need to make a habit of keeping your opinion of others to yourself. Insulting people is a way to get entangled in strife. “Whoever belittles his neighbor lacks sense, but a man of understanding remains silent”(Proverbs 11:12).

Notice here the discipline you’re supposed to impose on yourself is a double standard. On the one hand, you are supposed to be concerned about provoking others. On the other hand you must not allow yourself to be provoked. You should regard it as an honor to overlook an offense (Proverbs 19:11), but you should also consider it imprudent (as well as wrong in other ways) to cause an offense. You may change your life forever if you do so: “A brother offended is more unyielding than a strong city, and quarreling is like the bars of a castle.”(Proverbs 18:19).

If this strikes you as unfair, you’re missing the point. There is no conflict between living in a fireproof house and adopting the habit or not starting fires in other people’s houses. “For lack of wood the fire goes out, and where there is no whisperer, quarreling ceases” (Proverbs 26:20).

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On April 8, 2019 By In Scribblings

Lenten Journey, Day 29, Spirit and Spiritual

Galatians 5:22a: “But the fruit of the Spirit is…”

If the Bible speaks of the “spiritual,” our tendency is to think of something not visible or ghostly or otherworldly. But the Scriptures train us to see the word “spiritual” as the application of something formed in you by the Holy Spirit. The life that flows in the tree of human virtue is the Holy Spirit, motivating and giving the power to live up to the virtues listed.

Paul sees the body holistically, as a single unit; not divided into body and soul. When you think of “body” in the Bible think of your entire humanity, not just your flesh; your emotions, passions, desires, and decisions. The body is the battleground of good and evil. And the great battles of our bodies indwelt by the Holy Spirit are the nine great virtues of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.

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On April 6, 2019 By In Counseling/Piety, Scribblings

Lenten Journey, Day 28; Sacrifice and Love

I John 3:16: This is how we know love: Jesus laid down his life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters.

Laying down our lives is a distinctly Christian commitment. Only the Christian can truly say they follow a Lord who died for them. The sacrifice of Jesus on the Cross is the model of Christian existence. The Christian faith is self-sacrificial. The saint looks at his brother and says, “You are a follower of the crucified Lord and my duty is to lay down my life for you.”

Now, at this point, it is tempting to list ten examples of sacrifice, but one would naturally feel like once he completes the list his sacrificial disposition ends. Laying down our lives for one another is not always calculated, it is generally an act of service at a time when we least expect.

True love sees an opportunity to lay down our lives and seizes it with wonder at the Lord of glory who gave his body on a tree. In communion with one another sacrifice becomes the language of love. As C.S. Lewis describes: “When God becomes a Man and lives as a creature among His own creatures in Palestine, then indeed His life is one of supreme self-sacrifice and leads to Calvary.”

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On April 5, 2019 By In Scribblings

Lenten Journey, Day 27, Ruth’s Symbols

Ruth 1:1: So a man from Bethlehem in Judah, together with his wife and two sons, went to live for a while in the country of Moab.

The Book of Ruth is saturated with symbols. Bethlehem is a picture of the Church and Moab is a picture of the world. When Elimelech leaves Bethlehem–the only refuge for sinners–and goes to Moab, he is leaving the Lord God and the covenant promises. Bethlehem is the land where God’s name dwells. No matter how difficult it may be, there is no refuge apart from God’s presence. In the Old Covenant, God chose to dwell in particular places. To leave such places, no matter how dire the problems is to leave God himself. Remember in this Lenten Season that to leave God’s people is to leave God himself.

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On April 4, 2019 By In Scribblings

Lenten Journey, Day 26

Revelation 5:12: “Worthy is the Lamb who was slain
To receive power and riches and wisdom,
And strength and honor and glory and blessing!”

The question of what happens when Christians die has been discussed for centuries. Some Christian traditions believe that those souls at death exist in a dormant stage until the resurrection from the dead at the end of history. But the larger biblical story indicates that when our mortal bodies die, our souls immediately enter into the presence of Jesus and the great cloud of witnesses. There, in that heavenly state, the saints of all ages praise the Lamb of God who died and rose again, and eagerly await the day when Jesus will destroy all his enemies and make all things new.

Our Lenten hope is that the Cross of Jesus opened paradise and the second our earthly journey is over, our souls will rest in great hope and joy in the presence of God until Jesus returns.

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On April 3, 2019 By In Scribblings

Lenten Journey, Day 25,

Philippians 1:6 He who began a good work in us will complete it.

Throughout the ministry of Jesus, the Bible portrays in vivid language our Lord’s commitment to complete his earthly journey. No matter the adversary, no matter the temptations, the same journey begun in baptism will carry itself to completion at the cross. There is a profound exhortation for us in this narrative: just as Jesus completed His work, so too, we are called to complete our work by His strength. He who began a good work in us will complete it (Phil. 1:6).

Since this is the case, God has given us means to strengthen our journey in this world. He gives us his means of grace to pursue our callings in this world. Lent teaches us that in Christ all things are given for us. We journey with his gifts.

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On April 2, 2019 By In Scribblings

Lenten Journey, Day 24, God for us

Luke 23:33 When they came to the place called The Skull, there they crucified Him and the criminals, one on the right and the other on the left.

How often have we meditated on the truth that God is for us because of the cross? He is for us. Like a father is for his child; like a mother who praises her daughter; like a satisfied teacher with his student; yes, in those ways, but so much more. He is for us even though it cost his life; he is for us even though it would shake the very universe he created. He is for us even though we were not for him: while we were yet sinners Christ died for us.

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On April 1, 2019 By In Scribblings

Lenten Journey, Day 23; Bare Minimums

Romans 12:11: Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord.

You know that on a journey you don’t have the luxury of bringing everything you want. Lent is about bare minimums and re-evaluations. What do I need? Where do I see myself at the end of this journey? What kind of person will I be? What kind of person am I now? What areas have I indulged that has not brought me closer to Jesus but taken me farther away? This is a season of self-examination. Don’t end this journey the same way you started. Journey to Easter more satisfied and self-aware than you have ever been.

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