Think About It

When the Apostle Paul wrote the First Century Christians about family relations he noted, “Wives, be subject to your husbands, as is fitting in the Lord. Husbands, love your wives and do not be embittered against them. Children, be obedient to your parents in all things, for this is well-pleasing to the Lord. Fathers, do not exasperate your children, so that they will not lose heart.” (Colossians 3:18-21). Throughout the years I have read this section several times, but the other day something really struck me. Did you notice that a successful family isn’t focused on what people do for “me”, it’s about looking out for them? Paul calls upon each segment of the family to take into consideration the needs and desires of others. Being a successful family begins with doing something good to others. There is a lot of talk about dysfunctional families today, but maybe we are making the problem too complex. It isn’t that families are too messed up, maybe it is that we are just upside d...

I was recently visiting with someone who reminded me of the difference between “fairness” and “equality”. On the surface, the two words sound similar but there are some fundamental differences including the practical applications to achieving the result. Equality is traditionally viewed as providing the same thing to everyone while fairness involves making sure that everyone has what is needed to attain the common goal or standard. Since no two people are the same, the amount of assistance needed will be unique to each person. Some will require more to reach the target while others need less – but eventually everyone has the chance to be at the same place. As I thought about this concept, I got to thinking about one more fundamental difference – the standard itself. A conversation of “fairness” and “equality” needs to begin with a common definition of the goal. Neither of these principles are of much value until we agree on a desired outcome. From a social perspective, workin...

F ear is an interesting thing. On one hand, we all face it – but we do not fear the same things. Some people are afraid of spiders while other fear the things that lurk in the shadows. Some people fear what might happen while others are afraid they will never move beyond where they are now. Our fears may be diverse, but we share a common emotion. Even if we have different specific phobias, one common fear is being overcome by our foes. Whether it is the physical fear of violent behavior or an emotional fear of being oppressed, many of us are afraid of certain people around us or even of society as a whole. Interestingly, even King David – the valiant warrior and man after God’s own heart struggled with dealing with his foes. However, he had an ally in dealing with his fears. In one poem he observed, “My foes have trampled upon me all day long, for they are many who fight proudly against me. When I am afraid, I will put my trust in You. In God, whose word I praise, in God I h...

I can’t say for certain, but I would imagine that Cinco de Mayo (May 5) is probably a bigger deal in the United States than in Mexico. The formal Mexican Independence Day is September 16; May 5 celebrates more of a regional battle than a national accomplishment. However, for whatever reason, Cinco de Mayo has a pretty big following north of the border – and what’s not to like about it! Celebrating the good food and culture of Mexico strikes me as a good idea. In an era when our nation can struggle with being – well, neighborly – it’s a good thing to honor one of our neighbors. Sure, there are some differences between our nations, but celebrating our common heritages and even some of the differences draws us closer together. Do we get along with our neighbors – in particular those who live closest to us – or do we fuss and fight over things that don’t really matter all that much? When God brought His people together in a common quest to find their promised land He challenged th...

When Gerald Ford was sworn in as Vice-President on December 6, 1973 he walked into a hornets nest. Ford was replacing Spiro Agnew who had resigned because of questionable (if not criminal) activities. Before his term was over, he would again replace someone who had failed to live up to his promise to the American people. I am almost certain Vice-President Ford failed to realize just how far-reaching these words would be; but after he took his oath, he made a pledge, “I promise my fellow citizens only this: To uphold the Constitution, to do what is right as God gives me to see the right, and…to do the very best that I can for America.”. I would imagine that the years that followed were fraught with headaches and heartaches, but I am impressed with his vision. There was no way he could right all the wrongs or even make good decisions for people who failed to do that on their own – all he could do was do the best he could. If you are a good and moral person, it is probably tempting ...

When the Jews returned from Babylonian Captivity, they had a lot of work to do. In addition to the damage done in the occupation, the great city had been unoccupied and idle which intensified the deterioration. By the time of the return the temple was in disarray and the walls of the city were ineffective. Repairing the walls became a focus of a guy by the name of Nehemiah who led the occupants in the rebuilding. Unfortunately, not only did they have to be involved in heavy construction, they also had to endure the criticism of their enemies. The adversarial leaders could be heard saying, “What are these feeble Jews doing? Are they going to restore it for themselves? Can they offer sacrifices? Can they finish in a day? Can they revive the stones from the dusty rubble even the burned ones?” (Nehemiah 4:2). Fortunately, Nehemiah had the heart of a leader. He prayed for God’s deliverance and it took it one step further by keeping the people focused on the work they had to do. Neh...

I have several things in my office that have been in my office for a while. The particular problem with these items is that they don’t work – and haven’t for a while. Oh, when I set them aside I had every intention of getting them repaired, the problem is that once I set them aside, I kind of forgot about them. In the beginning, I probably thought, “Oh, I need to take care of that problem” but each time I didn’t do it, it became easier not to do anything. Eventually, they just became a part of the background of my office and I ignored them. If I did an inventory of my office, I would realize something needed to be done, but until then they aren’t much more of an afterthought (if even that). The reason I bring up my broken items is to show how easy it is to ignore things that are damaged – even people. Sure, if we look for them, we’ll see them. If we do a specific inventory of them or their issues, we’ll see them; however, until we do they have a tendency to just blend into the ...