Think About It

          I am blessed!  I am surrounded by people who encourage me, take care of me, support me and many who forgive me on a regular basis. I have friends who teach me what I need to know and tolerate me when I am not too quick on the uptake.  I have people who love me in spite of my shortcoming and like me in spite of my idiosyncrasies.  I am buoyed by people who are willing to provide me with counsel and are kind to me when I offer advice (sometimes, even when it isn’t solicited).  I have people who are willing to be sad for me and many more who are willing to rejoice with me.  All-in-all, my life is good. As I got to thinking about those who surround me, I recalled a passage of scripture, “ We ought always to give thanks to God for you, brethren, as is only fitting, because your faith is greatly enlarged, and the love of each one of you toward one another grows ever greater ...” (II Thessalonia...

Does it seem like Christians are being mistreated in our society?  Periodically, throughout the week, we will hear or read someone say something about how they are being “persecuted” for their beliefs.  Maybe it was a tough situation at work where they took a stand based on their beliefs and were ridiculed for it.  Others might cite a time when they weren’t chosen for an honor because they espoused a belief in God.  Some people relate stories of how various people say mean and nasty things to them because of their stated beliefs.  Sure, none of us like to be made to feel uncomfortable for our beliefs, but is this really persecution?   If we get our feelings hurt or we miss out on an opportunity does that make us a martyr?  I am sorry if this is happening to anyone, but is it time we started to return the true meaning to “suffering for the cause of Christ”? If we were to look back throughout history we would find people who lost their lives beca...

           What is the answer to today’s challenges?   It seems like we are surrounded by constant conflicts, what can we do to make things better?   Is there any hope?           The other day I was reading from the New Testament when I came across this suggestion, “ First of all, then, I urge that entreaties and prayers, petitions and thanksgivings, be made on behalf of all men,   for kings and all who are in authority, so that we may lead a tranquil and quiet life in all godliness and dignity.” (I Timothy 2:1-2).   The first thing that struck me was the lack of negative language – nowhere in here does it way that we should be criticizing other folks or pointing out each other’s faults.   The second thing has to do with the focus of our entreaties.   Typically when we read this passage we hone in on the section that teaches us to pray for our leaders, but did you no...

Each week many of us gather around the Communion Table to participate in what is called “The Lord’s Supper”.   This is a time for us to reflect on the incredible sacrifice Jesus made to make sure of our salvation.   One of the more common themes during this time is the sadness we feel at what Jesus endured at His death.   We hear stories and read passages about the brutality that can touch our hearts.   While this is a natural reaction to the message of the crucifixion, there is something that is just as important as our sorrow.   When Isaac Watts penned the hymn, “Alas, And Did My Savior Bleed”, he wrote, “But drops of grief can ne’er repay the debt of love I owe; Here, Lord, I give myself away.   ‘Tis all that I can do.”.   In essence, while grief may be a natural response to the greatest sacrifice of all times, what God really wants from us is a commitment to His cause.   It might be admirable to have an emotional feeling about what happened t...

          I am a little too young to remember the Cuban Missile Crisis firsthand, but it changed world history.  For a couple of weeks of October, 1962 the world stood on the brink of an international crisis and the potential of the next world war.  The governments of the United States, the Soviet Union and Cuba postured with each other over the presence of weapons in the Western Hemisphere (more specifically, in the Caribbean region, just a few dozen miles off of the coast of the United States).  The history books and personal reflections of the time reinforce just how close we came to hostilities that had the potential to be catastrophic.  As I think back on this time in history I am reminded of a few life-lessons: 1.  Life is tenuous .  The earth’s well-being was jeopardized by this event and it should be a reminder of how fragile life is.  I don’t know the amount of devastation that would have been wreaked on the world...

          Last week Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter became the king and queen of presidential couples.  Former president Carter and his bride have had the longest marriage of any president and first lady.  (They passed George and Barbara Bush when they reached 26,766 days together – that’s over 73 years as a married couple.)           As I read about this milestone, I got to thinking about what makes a marriage last and, while the list is quite extensive, here a few things that are important: 1.  Work together .  When we mention “work” within a marriage, we typically think of working to make it successful.  Yet, my point, is that when a couple shares common goals and projects they are apt to stay married.  For the Carters, they are actively involved in the Habitat for Humanity project.  Even in their 90s, they are out there working to make things better for other people. 2....

Does it seem like the world is spinning out of control?  Rather than drawing closer together it feel likes we find ourselves becoming more divided.  The more we write and talk, the more conflict there seems to be.  It seems like the more we walk along our way the further our paths divide.  I realize that this probably isn’t true, but it just doesn’t feel like we are making progress on the things that are divisive.  Is there any hope for us or those who are going to come after us? The other day I came across a biblical passage that seems to shed a little light on our dilemma.  You see, it may not be that we haven’t found the right answer – the issue might be in identifying the correct problem.  Rather than searching for inclusiveness and tolerance, the proper target should be love and selflessness.  Centuries ago, a religious leader wrote, “ For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there is disorder and every evil thing.” (James 3:16)...