Think About It

Wouldn’t it be cool if the whole world thought the same way we do?   Imagine how easy life would be if those who didn’t know Jesus would think the way believers do!   Now, on one hand, this might sound good; but it brings about an interesting question – who is going to give?   Believers and non-believers are so far apart, someone is going to have to give in and I don’t see the world changing anytime soon.   It might seem odd, but I believe there has to be a chasm between good and evil so that people can make a choice about which side they choose.   Sure, it might be uncomfortable to be in the minority, but let’s not give up our values just to get along.   The New Testament seems to highlight the need for conflict by noting, “See to it that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deception, according to the tradition of men, according to the elementary principles of the world, rather than according to Christ.” (Colossians 2:8...

One of the first things many of us learned to quote as children in Sunday School were the names of the apostles.   While many of us memorized their names by singing a song, Luke recalls them in this way, “And when day came, He called His disciples to Him and chose twelve of them, whom He also named as apostles: Simon, whom He also named Peter, and Andrew his brother; and James and John; and Philip and Bartholomew; and Matthew and Thomas; James the son of Alphaeus, and Simon who was called the Zealot; Judas the son of James, and Judas Iscariot, who became a traitor.” (Luke 6:13-16).   I was familiar with the names of these men at a young age, but it has taken me a while to appreciate their make-up.   It is easy to think of these guys as Jesus’ best buds, but a deeper dive into it reveals something interesting:   it was a diverse group of people.   Some were government workers and others were fishermen. ...

One of the heroes of faith throughout all times is the Old Testament great, Abraham.  There are several things that endeared him to the Lord and set an example for us including his willingness to offer his son, Isaac, as a sacrifice.  In fact, one New Testament writer noted, “Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered up Isaac his son on the altar?” (James 2:21).  I cannot imagine the amount of faith it took to be willing to sacrifice a child, but an interesting thing happened on the way to fulfilling this act of righteousness – he never had to kill his son.  He was willing to do it, but God spared him.   As I got to thinking about this I was struck by the fact that sometimes a willingness to do something is as important as the actual deed.  Abraham was no less an example of righteousness because he didn’t actually kill Isaac, he went as far as he could considering the circumstances.  The reason that this got my attention is won...

On this date in 1974, an entertainer by the name of Philippe Petit traversed a highwire between the two twin towers of the World Trade Center.   Now, I have to go on record as saying that this feat wasn’t not authorized by any official entity; however, it did bring him several moments of fame.   In fact, after being arrested and being subjected to a psychological evaluation, he was given the opportunity to atone for his crime by doing a publicly sanctioned event in Central Park.   The daredevil made quite a name for himself living on the cutting edge, so that’s why this comment caught my attention, “I, like everybody else, have a certain fear of heights, and I have to be very careful when I am in the clouds; but it is what I love; it is my domain, when you love something, you don’t have fear.”. As I thought about Petit’s observation I got to wondering what is holding us back from doing what we want to do?   No, I am not advocating that we all go out and break the...

One of the most beloved poems of all time is the 23 rd Psalm.   Among believers, it has a special place in our hearts and even those who don’t accept the Bible as their guide tend to look fondly on the comforting words of King David.   There is a lot of richness in David’s observations, but I want us to take a look at Psalm 23:2, “He makes me lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside quiet waters.”.   I love the imagery of how the Great Shepherd can lead His flock to this serene scene; but I have come to appreciate it even more when I apply it to those times of turmoil in life.   While this can be a wonderful experience throughout our day-to-day lives, it becomes quite important during times of stress and crisis.   As we deal with intense challenges and burnout, we need to go to those quiet places where our minds and spirits can be restored. Are you going through a difficult season in your life?   If so, have you allowed the Lord to...

Communication is an important part of our lives.   In fact, it is so important that we teach the process to our school children and offer it as advanced training for our leaders.   It doesn’t take too much effort to exchange simple information, but if we are going to build deep relationships we need to understand how to be effective communicators.   Now, I would imagine that most of us know this and agree with it, but have you noticed that few of us communicate effectively all the time? Even those people who pride themselves in their communication skills can find themselves failing.   I think one of the biggest challenges we face is when we need it the most.   Have you ever been hustling to accomplish something or deep in thought and had someone interrupt you?   We might be more tolerant when they have an emergency that needs to be addressed, but how do we react when we don’t feel it is all that urgent?   I have to admit that this is one of my weak...