Choose Joy

Author Brad Whittington recently posted on Facebook “If you have something in your life that gives you as much joy as I find writing on the deck, then you are indeed blessed. If not, take steps, if even small ones. We all must do the needful, but feeding the soul is every bit as important as feeding the body. Just ask Maslow.” Based on Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, we must tend to the basics before we can advance to the higher levels and reach self-actualization where we become the best that we can be. While Maslow was not writing in a Christian context, and has come under scrutiny for his lack of scientific rigor, we can learn from him.

Maslow’s focus was on the individual trying to build his or her own image in attaining self-actualization.  They may look at this in terms of feelings such as self-confidence or reaching a set goal. I would define self-actualization to the concept of becoming all that God intends for us to be.

Christian pastor and author Max Lucado expressed this in his book The Cure for the Common Life, Living in your Sweet Spot. Lucado maintains that God created us to live in a zone, a region, a life in which we were made to dwell. Hence, for a Christian, self-actualization is becoming what God intended for us to be when we were created. When I first read this book, I became impressed that I had always been a writer, of sorts. But I had neglected it as a serious pursuit, I became determined to work on my writing, and it transformed me. 

At the time, I was a Professor, teaching accounting and tax, so the logical place for me to begin was to work on writing academic articles. I began to write and (not surprisingly) found that it gave me joy and I was able to get several articles and a couple of books published. That soon branched out into a blog in which I published consumer-type articles on taxes. About that time, the Ledger started publishing a monthly Business Journal. I contacted someone at the Ledger and became the writer of a monthly tax column for the publication. While enjoying the writing and becoming fulfilled at what I was pursuing, it also served to enhance my professional career, as the Business School was pursuing AACSB Accreditation, and my publications gave a substantial impetus to that effort. I knew I had found my sweet spot.

Then I retired. After retirement, I was no longer interested in pursuing academic writing so my writing career got derailed. Before long, I realized that I missed it. About that time David Moscrip approached me about contributing to his blog Wonderfully Plagued. After writing several articles, I had some life events that distracted me and I began to get discouraged. I wasn’t reaching the world with my golden pen, I didn’t know if I was helping anyone. I grumbled to my daughter (among others) that I did not seem to be making an impact. She responded “do you write because you enjoy it or do you write for the validation and approval of others?” She had me. I had lost my focus. I realized that I do enjoy hearing that people like my writing and are helped by it. But I probably receive more benefit from my writing than anyone who may read it. First, I am doing what gives me joy – what I believe was the “sweet spot” God created for me. Second, since my writing is  primarily Bible-based, I study scripture as I research each blog. 

Going back to Brad Whittington, note that he stated that writing gives him joy. We live in a society that seemingly lives in pursuit of happiness. I would draw a distinction between happiness and joy. Happiness is external. It happens to us. When my sports team wins, I am happy. When I get a financial windfall, I am happy. But in the next game my team may lose. I may get hit with an unexpected expense. There goes my happiness. Joy is a choice I make, it is internal because my circumstances do not dictate my joy. When we find joy it’s infused with comfort and wrapped in peace. It’s an attitude of the heart and spirit, often synonymous with but not limited to following Christ Jesus and pursuing a Christian life. 

I need not remind you that joy is one of the fruits of the spirit. Galatians 5:22-23 reads “the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,  gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.” Joy comes from God.

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Unreasonable Love

Bear with me for a few minutes of speculation.  Imagine that you know nothing about God. Spiritual things are not a part of your life. Suppose someone told you that the God of the Universe left His exalted position and became human. Why would He do something so radical? When we view it from a human standpoint, it makes absolutely no sense whatsoever. It sounds unreasonable.

First, we need to accept the proposition that God is Love. John 4:8 states that very thing. Not that God loves (which He does) but God IS love, personified. Once we have come to terms with that though we can look a little further at John 4:8, which reads “The one who does not love does not know God, because God is love. Love is who God is. I often engage in the practice of describing something or someone in one word. As I write this, former President Jimmy Carter is dying, in hospice care. To describe him in one word, I would call him “humble.”  I would describe my wife as “loving,” but she is not love. Ricky Henderson holds the Major League record for stolen bases. Upon breaking Lou Brock’s record, Henderson lifted third base above his head, strutting around and saying “Lou Brock was a great base stealer, but today, I am the greatest of all-time,” while Brock stood just feet from Henderson. The one word I associate with Henderson is “arrogance.” Love is the word that describes God. All He does is based on the fact that God is Love. We may not always see it but be assured that God wants the best for each of us, which is why we don’t get everything we ask God for. Many times, in my prayers, I have petitioned God for my desires. He hasn’t always given me what I want. But, in retrospect, I see His infinite wisdom with withholding those requests and giving me something better. 

Secondly, look at the rest of John 4:8. It says if we do not love, we do not know God. An old saying once went “No God, No Love. Know God, Know Love.” Perhaps this explains why there is so much hatred in the world – stemming from non-Christians and so-called Christians. What does love look like? Saint Augustine once described what he thought love looked like “It has the hands to help others. It has the feet to hasten to the poor and needy. It has eyes to see misery and want. It has the ears to hear the sighs and sorrows of men.” Love, on a human level, has been described as having the characteristics of communication, affection, trust, appreciation, and mutual respect. These are all good qualities but Godly love goes further.

Third, we need to return to the proposition that God became human. On the surface, that sounds preposterous. Unreasonable, even. Not only did He take the form of a human, he lived among us, showing us the Way. It cost his life. Jesus, Son of God died on a cruel cross to save us from our sins. God’s love is unreasonable from a human standpoint. But viewed from the wisdom of a loving God, it was perfectly reasonable. We are incapable of saving ourselves. He died to give us the gift of life with Him in eternity. Such sacrifice deserves our full allegiance.

In Matthew, Jesus told a parable about a servant who owed a large debt to his master. When the servant pleaded with the master, the master forgave the debt. Then the servant went out and accosted a fellow servant who owed him much less. The master delivered the first servant to the jailers, saying “You wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt because you pleaded with me. And should not you have had mercy on your fellow servant, as I had mercy on you?” We are the first servant who has been forgiven a debt so large we could never repay it. Our response should be one of love and forgiveness to our fellow debtors.

Lady Julian from the 1300’s stated “Out of His goodness, God made us. Out of his goodness, He keeps us. When man had sinned, He redeemed us again out of his goodness. Then do you not suppose that God will give His children the best of everything out of His goodness?” He loves us so unreasonably, we must respond in kind. Hallelujah! What a loving God we serve!

Might, Power, and the Spirit

I was recently doing some devotional reading and came across Zechariah 4:6, which reads “Then he said to me, “This is the word of the Lord to Zerubbabel, saying, ‘Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,’ says the Lord of armies.” Zerubbabel was a civic leader in Jerusalem and had the responsibility of rebuilding the temple. Work was not progressing as fast as he would have liked, and he was discouraged. In this passage, the angel is speaking to Zechariah who had received a vision but did not understand its meaning. Verse 6 is the beginning of the explanation the angel gave to Zechariah. In a prior vision, God spoke through Zechariah about the issue of purity. In the current passage, God is saying that purity is not enough.

God is proclaiming that, in addition to purity, the work of God needs resources. Our tendency in these situations is to turn to human resources. Here, the angel specifies two resources that humans often rely on – might and power.

Might focuses on collective strength, the resources of a group of people. When we want to accomplish a task, we often turn to a large group of people. “By our numbers, we shall accomplish this task,” is our mantra. Power focuses on individual strength. We often refer to certain individuals as powerful.  We think “Joe Smith is a powerful person, if I can get him behind this initiative, we can surely pull it off.” The word of God to Zerubbabel was “No, your focus is off. To accomplish the rebuilding of the temple don’t focus on the resources of one or many but on My Spirit. This will not get done through your cleverness, abilities, physical strength, or will power, but by My Spirit.”

This led me to thinking about the ministry of Jesus. In human terms, there was no way for His ministry to outlast him, and thrive. In human terms, we may envision a small group of true believers, clinging to their past. After all, look at who his closest followers were. The disciples were not anyone’s first choice to lead a world-wide movement.  We don’t know a lot of specifics about them but likely they were all very young. Most Jewish young men married by the age of 18. Peter is the only one we know was married. Most were probably between the ages of 15 and 20. What kind of movement can be created out of a bunch of kids, we may ask.

Another factor is the educational system in place at the time. Usually about age 15 Jewish males had finished their basic training in the Torah. The next step would be more training at the feet of a rabbi who would take them on as a student. This usually occurred for sons who were bright enough to be accepted by a rabbi, or whose parents were wealthy enough to be taken on as a student. Paul, for example, was a very bright Jewish student whose parents could afford to send him to Jerusalem to study under Gamaliel. 

If a student did not merit continued studies, he would often enter the workforce, usually apprenticing under his father in the family trade. It is highly likely that this describes most of the disciples. They were not star students and local rabbis passed them over for mentorship. Jesus’ invitation to join him was likely a shock to these “underachievers.” This is reinforced in Acts 4:13 when John and Peter were arrested. “Now as they observed the confidence of Peter and John and understood that they were uneducated and untrained men, they were amazed.” When the Holy Spirit comes, amazing things happen.

Another indicator is from Jesus’ own words. In Matthew 11:25 and elsewhere, He referred to them as little children or little ones, indicating they were much younger than Jesus. No rabbi would take disciples until he was 30 years old, so the patriarchal culture came into effect as Jesus recruited his disciples when he reached 30.

So the early church was led by a ragtag bunch of young Jewish males who lacked status – no family connections, no money, minimal education, and certainly no respect. These young men (boys) faced the task of carrying on the work of a man who was crucified in a very public manner. They had to persuade others that He had risen from the dead and that He was the Son of God and Savior. It sounds like an impossible task. “You’re telling me that this Jesus, a good teacher, is the Son of God who died, and he rose from the dead, and he wants to be my savior?” But, they had the Holy Spirit on their side.

If they were trying to accomplish this by might or power, they would have failed. In the first chapter of Acts, we see that they still didn’t quite get it. Forty days had elapsed since He rose and the disciples were remained powerless. “Lord, is it at this time that You are restoring the kingdom to Israel?” they asked. He even told them they would receive power when the Holy Spirit came upon them “But you will receive power and ability when the Holy Spirit comes upon you.” Acts 1:8. 

Note that Jesus said they would receive power and ability when the Holy Spirit came upon them. Not human power or ability but the power and abilities from God, from the Holy Spirit. Since Jesus ascended thereafter, they didn’t get a chance to ask Him what he meant. So they went to the upper room and hung out. We are told they were of one mind and one purpose. I suspect there was confusion and questions about what to do now. To their credit, they devoted themselves to prayer. Then Peter, who was a man of action, got it. He got them off dead center, saying “It is necessary that the Scripture be fulfilled” making reference to the Holy Spirit.  What he did not explicitly say was that we are the ones entrusted with this message. We must spread this Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Then Pentecost came, and Jesus’ last statement came into fruition. “You will be My witnesses [to tell people about Me] both in Jerusalem and in all Judea, and Samaria, and even to the ends of the earth.” These men of humble beginnings with no human status or power received the Gift of the Holy Spirit, their lives were transformed, and the Gospel was spread. 

For us today, the message is that the Holy Spirit who came at Pentecost remains in our presence today. God is unchanging, what He did through Zachariah and, later, the disciples he can do today. We must never forget that God works through ordinary people, people that the world may overlook as lacking power or might. We accomplish great things for God only through the power of the Holy Spirit.

Karma

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Perhaps it is that I am more sensitive to the topic than in the past, but recently I have noticed numerous references to the word “Karma.” I’ve seen it in books, on Facebook, in conversation – it seems the word is everywhere.  We have Credit Karma, Karma Automotive, Karma Coupons. So what is Karma, and what place does it have in the life of a Christian.

One definition of karma is “the force generated by a person’s actions held in Hinduism and Buddhism to perpetuate transmigration and in its ethical consequences to determine the nature of the person’s next existence.” Let’s break this down.

“The force generated by a person’s actions.” This is saying that our actions can determine our lives. While this is true to an extent, it fails to account for God’s guidance in our lives.  It engenders an attitude of “I am the master of my fate, I am the captain of my soul” This means that it is ME who determines what my future will bring by the way I see life and prepare myself to face its realities. This allows for no recognition of God in our lives.

Held in Hinduism and Buddhism. These are not religions that recognize the one true God. By borrowing from these religions, we dilute the effectiveness of our Christian walk, maybe to the point that we are no longer Christian at all. +

To perpetuate transmigration and in its ethical consequences to determine the nature of the person’s next existence. Transmigration is the movement of a soul from one body to another after death. Our next existence implies the concept of reincarnation. Both of these are diametrically opposed to the Christian belief of resurrection. As Christians we do not believe we will forever come back to earth in human or other forms, but escape earth for an eternal existence in Heaven.
Realize that karma is not a moral law, it is a law of cause and effect. Morality is established and maintained by God. It is unchangeable, unlike what one may encounter in karma. Even dabbling in karma can be dangerous as it teaches doctrines that are opposed to Christianity. When we bring non-Christian concepts into our lives, our Christian witness is damaged. I am reminded of lyrics from the old hymn “ On Christ, the solid Rock, I stand; All other ground is sinking sand, All other ground is sinking sand.

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Blessings

People today often talk about being blessed. usually in the context of “God has really blessed me”   I started thinking about this and wondered “Why does God bless me?” “What have I done to deserve His blessing?” “If I am blessed, what should my response be  to those blessings?” It sometimes troubles me that I feel blessed in so many ways, while others around the globe are struggling to obtain commodities such as food, clean water, health care, education, a loving family, and other blessings. I sometimes feel like Kris Kristofferson’s song “Why Me, Lord” should be my theme song. The song begins: “Why me Lord, what have I ever done to deserve even one of the pleasures I’ve known”

Let’s first look at what we mean by a blessing. One definition of blessing is the invoking of God’s favor upon a person. But a blessing is far more complex than that simple statement. Why does God bestow a blessing upon a particular person? Everything from God is good. He can bless anyone, bestow good on anyone. Matthew 7:9-11 reads “Which of you, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? So if you who are evil know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good things to those who ask Him!” As children of God, he wants to bestow good upon us.

Why are others not so blessed? God blesses people because He chooses to bless them. It is not about an individual’s ability to merit God’s favor but about His non manipulative mercy to undeserving people. At the heart of it, we are all evil, underserving of God’s grace. Some accept that grace and learn to be more like Him. Becoming more like Jesus, or God, results in receiving blessings. I think of this similar to a student in class. A student can sit in class, listen to lectures, maybe study the textbook. But another student really gets into the subject, going beyond the bare minimum to pass the class. This second student is like the one who becomes more like Jesus. As we know Him more, we become more like him and blessings happen.  

What is the evidence of a blessing? Make no mistake about it, blessings are real. They can be tangible or intangible. Obviously, the tangible blessings are the easiest to pinpoint. For example, I have always had trouble selling a house.  The first two times I sold one, it seemed to take forever. So when I most recently put my house up for sale, I did so with trepidation. I, and others, bathed it in prayer. I took action to make the house as attractive as possible, following recommendations of my Realtor. Not only did the house sell in less than three days, I was offered a considerable amount above my asking price. I would emphasize that this approach took action on my part, It was not a passive process.

In other cases, a blessing is intangible. There may be no specific point where we know God has blessed us, but in looking back, we see when God blessed us. It may be a feeling, an evidence that a blessing has occurred, or some other indicator. I would add a caution here about feelings. We can easily fool ourselves into feeling that we have received an answer or blessing. Time will tell, God does not play games with us and wants the best for us. 

If I am blessed, what do I do with that blessing? Blessings are not something for us to accumulate, or hoard. As we are blessed, we are called to share our blessings, to bless others. An unshared blessing is like the Dead Sea, water flows in, but nothing flows out. As a result nothing lives in the Dead Sea, other than some microorganisms. Also, the Dead Sea has the lowest elevation on earth which can serve as a reminder to someone who does not share blessings received. It can be a low point for us. A  blessing in our lives should be more like the Sea of Galilee, which is a vibrant, living body of water. It nourishes the surrounding area and helps provide food and other benefits.

If you don’t feel blessed, have you asked God in faith? Examine your motives, confess your sin. Maybe it is not God’s time for granting the blessing. In Daniel 10, the angel was prevented from helping Daniel for 21 days while fighting off a demon. Perhaps your request is misdirected, and God knows that’s not best for you.  In order to reap God’s blessings we must remain close to Him, pray, and listen to Him.

We are to be a blessing to others, in other words, pass it on. We can encourage, help, give, listen, teach, and forgive. No matter what resources each of us has available to share, there is always something we can do to be a blessing. Be assured, God wants to bless us. In the words of Laura Story, “And all the while, You hear each spoken need.  Yet love is way too much to give us lesser things.”

 

 

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True Freedom

I was recently reading my Bible with no particular objective in mind and came across a familiar verse, 2 Corinthians 3:17, which reads “Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.” My initial thought upon reading it was that God must have removed His Spirit from our nation as we see more and more of our freedoms being eroded. But then I realized that was not what this scripture is about.  This led me to several thoughts about our freedom in Christ.

The first thought that occurred to me is that our freedom in Christ is not dependent on any government. Although a government may restrict our freedoms, we remain free in Christ. John 8:32 tells us “and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” Which brings one to question “What is freedom and what is truth?”

One definition of freedom is “the quality or state of being exempt or released usually from something onerous.” We are free, unrestrained, we can do whatever we want to do. When we throw off all restraints, we think we are free.  But that is not the case. When we go our own way, obeying our own rules, we will sin. Nothing enslaves like sin. It corrupts our thinking, and controls our actions. Sin separates us from God, leaves us without hope, and without peace (Ephesians 2:12-14). Our freedom is in God.

This leads us to the other concept of “What is truth?” God is truth. In John 14:6 Jesus said “I am the way, the truth, and the life. Furthermore, He states in verse 17 that the Holy Spirit is the Spirit of truth. This brings us back to John 8:32. The truth we need to know is God. That truth gives us real (eternal) life, real freedom, the real way. 

God is omnipresent, omniscient, and omnipotent. It is beyond the scope of this writing to deal with these in detail. His omnipresence means simply that God is always present for us. That presence includes the Holy Spirit, one of the three parts of the Trinity. So the Spirit also knows all and is all powerful. I recently ran across another “omni” word that applies to God – He is omnibenevolent. He possesses perfect or unlimited goodness. 

Therefore, the freedom we have in God is true freedom. What better to have than a God who is always there for you, a God who knows what you need, and a God who is powerful enough to provide for you.  But that’s not all. Our God is not just a good God, He is a God of unlimited goodness that he wants to bestow on us. No, we don’t always get what we ask of God – we get what He knows is best for us at the right time.

I recently watched the movie “Elvis” which deals with the relationship between Col. Tom Parker and Elvis Presley. Although Parker played an extremely large role in making Elvis rich and famous, it became apparent that Elvis was a prisoner. Parker kept him close. For example, Elvis wanted to travel – he wanted to perform  concerts  overseas. Parker blocked any and all efforts for him to do this. Parker was an illegal alien and could not leave the United States without the risk of suffering legal consequences. He needed to keep Elvis close so he could control him. While appearing to be working in Elvis’ best interests, he was, in reality, looking out for himself, making millions off Elvis to the singer’s detriment. We may envy people like Elvis, who seem to have it all. But he did not have freedom, the freedom that God offers.  Without God, our freedom is a vapor, an illusion. God, and only God, provides true freedom.

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Awe and Wonder

In Acts 2 the Holy Spirit came upon the gathered assembly. We are told that “all continued in amazement and great perplexity.” Peter stood before the crowd and declared that God had poured out His spirit on mankind. It is not my purpose here to discuss all that that means, but to look at what happened afterward. We are told that they were “pierced to the heart” and asked “what are we to do?”

Peter then explained that they should repent and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of their sins.” Peter gave an invitation and we are told that about three thousand souls were added to their number. At that the apostles then organized new members’ classes. Not really, but that is somewhat the result. 

Several things immediately happened as a result. First, we are told they were continually devoting themselves to the apostle’s teachings. They didn’t wait around to learn by osmosis, they wanted to know more about the Christian life NOW. It wasn’t once a month, it wasn’t weekly. We are told it was continual.  Sometimes we shrink back at that work, but we need a fuller understanding. Continual and continuous are similar words the there is an important distinction between the two. Continual means “an action that occurs frequently or regularly”. For example, Lakeland, Florida has a Saturday morning farmer’s market downtown every Saturday morning (with occasional breaks or cancellations)  That is continual – it occurs on a regular basis. Continuous means “an action that occurs without stopping.”  The Earth’s rotation around the sun is continuous – it just keeps on keeping on. I may enjoy a good steak and eat one frequently but that is not something I do without ceasing. I may wish to receive instruction about Biblical issues and attend weekly Bible studies. This is continual. I would soon get exhausted if I attended a Bible study that went on continuously, 24/7. In his sermon Peter stated that “I saw the Lord CONTINUALLY before me.” Even though the Lord may have always been with Peter, he did not see Him CONTINUOUSLY. 

Secondly, they liked to be together. In addition to continual teaching, we are told they were continually in fellowship and the breaking of bread. They wanted to spend time with other Christians. They wanted to sit down, eat, and talk with each other. AS we do today, I imagine they talked about a variety of things – how their family was faring, how things at work were going, plain everyday events. There was a bond, a commonality, an interest in the believers. 

 I often wonder how much Jesus Christ means to someone who does not desire to be in the presence of other Christians. This has become more of an issue with the COVID pandemic as we all were forced to “forsake the assembling of ourselves together,” for a time. But many have chosen to stay away, watching worship services on line every week. I readily acknowledge that online services have their benefits. Those who are unable to physically attend, may join in worship. If you’re traveling, it allows you to stay in touch with your church family. By not being physically present in worship, I feel many Christians are missing out. We should look forward to weekly worship services, to seeing old friends and making new ones, of being a part of something greater than us. We are told that. As a result of this fellowship of the early believers, everyone kept feeling a sense of awe  with many signs and wonders taking place among them.

Third, they had all things in common and they shared to the extent anyone had a need. The believers met each other’s needs, they shared what hey had. I often think that if all believers tithed (at a minimum) the main problem the church would have would be deciding how to use those funds for the Kingdom. I remember fondly the giving spirit of an elderly gentlemen in a church I once attended. His wife had been ill and he incurred a number of medical expenses prior to her death. A group at church spontaneously took up an offering to help him out. His response showed the depth of his Christianity. He told us that while caring for his wife he had been forced to reduce his tithe to five percent. He told us that he could use this offering to pay back to the Lord the additional five percent he had used to care for his wife. That man got what Christianity was about.

Fourth, we read that daily they were in the temple, they were going house-to-house, eating communal meals. They didn’t have the attitude “Oh,there’s another church group I have to attend today”  They were doing this with gladness and sincerity of heart, praising God and having favor with all the people. No interchurch squabbles here.

And what was the result of all this? The Lord blessed them as we are told that people were being saved daily. That’s a far cry from what we see today. I read of once denomination that baptized 154,071 in a single year . And God should be praised for the saving of these souls. But that represents three baptisms per church, one baptism per 100 members per year. Hardly being saved daily. 

This is not meant to castigate any church or individual, but merely to point out that many Christians have lost that sense of awe in the presence of God and wonder at his works.

If My People…

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In times of crisis, Christians are fond of quoting II Chronicles 7:14 which reads (NIV): if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land. This is a conditional statement, otherwise known as an “if…then” statement. God is saying IF we do certain things, THEN God will act. Unfortunately, we don’t always pay attention to the entire passage. We pray and expect God to act. 

We first need to see who this promise is addressed to. It is to God’s people – those who are called by His name. I readily acknowledge that God was speaking to the Israelite nation, but today, who are God’s people? Who are called by His name? I submit this applies to Christians today. Christians are God’s people, bearing the name of Christ.

What does God ask of us to do in this passage? There are four things God specifies here.

First, we are to humble ourselves. We tend not to be humble. At times, we tend to be an arrogant, proud people. Arrogant is defined as “having excessive pride in oneself, often with contempt or disrespect for others.” Most of us can be characterized as arrogant on occasion. We tend to think we are better than others. I spent most of my adult working  career in higher education. You don’t have to look hard to find an arrogant professor. By virtue of their doctoral degree, many academics tend to feel and act superior to other “lesser” beings. Of course, this does not apply just to professors, any one can be arrogant or proud. We need to be more like a lady I observed yesterday. We were in a line at Starbucks and the lady in front of us did not speak English as her native language. She did not understand what the barista was telling her. This humble lady didn’t berate the other lady for her lack of understanding, but stepped up to help her complete her transaction. Later she explained to the lady that they would call her name when her beverage was ready and she needed to go up to the counter to get it. That is humility.

Second, God asks that we pray. Any prayer can be an effective prayer, but there is more here than asking God to heal our land, removing whatever judgment we feel is upon us. 

Third, as a part of that prayer, we are to seek God’s face. The Amplified Bible states that we should crave, require God’s face. As human beings we look forward to spending time with our loved ones. When I see my wife, it can make my day. We should seek God’s face relentlessly – it must be something we pursue, never wanting to feel like we are away from His presence. When we live in a constant awareness of the presence of God, we will be more humble, we will seek to be a part of the solution.

Fourth, a part of this prayer should be confession of our sins, asking God’s forgiveness. Turn from our wicked ways. Before you get proud and say “I may not be perfect, but I am certainly not wicked” let’s examine that word. It derives from the old English wicca, which refers to a witch. In today’s language the word carriers a number of meanings but the one most applicable here is “evil or morally wrong.”  We must resist sin in our lives.

God then tells us that if we do these things, He will hear us and will heal our land. One difference in the Israelite nation and the United States is that Israel’s God was Yahweh. When the nation strayed, God was calling them back to Him. The United States is not really a Christian nation. It was founded to give us religious freedom. Even though Christianity may be the predominant religion in the United States, we, as a nation, cannot be called God’s people.  As Christians in this nation, it behooves us to act like Christians and pray for the welfare of our land. But we need to give God a reason to heal this land.

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What to do with a Blessing

As the calendar page turned from 2020 to 2021, I was not in the best frame of mind. There were four long-standing issues or concerns that I brought into the new year and none of them seemed to be on any path to resolution. So, I made a list of these issues along with my perspective on each. As time has evolved, I can almost see God in Heaven looking down at me and saying to St. Peter “Watch this!” 

The first issue was my health. I was recovering from serious eye surgery as well as having another issue with skin cancer on my scalp. I had had a series of other health issues over the past three years and I was tired of it. 

Second, I was contemplating a move to Georgia to be nearer my daughter in the event of failing health and my being unable to care for myself. This was not a move of desire but perceived necessity, as I love living in Lakeland. However, it was a frustrating search as I was simply not finding anything in Georgia that filled the bill.

The third issue was my social life or lack of it. Take my introversion, add spending several years of hermit-like behavior as I cared for Gloria, and then top it off with the COVID19 crisis and I felt isolated.

Finally, I was trying to resolve what to do about my part-time tax business. As taxes have gotten more complex the tax season has morphed into a year-long occupation and I didn’t want to work all year long. On the other hand, tax preparation has always been enjoyable for me as I enjoyed solving difficult tax problems and helping people in distress over their tax situation. 

As I prayed, I sensed movement among these issues. I quickly learned that they really weren’t four stand-alone concerns, but interrelated and interlocked parts of my life. As clarity came to one issue, there was an effect on the others.

Probably the first to fall was my concern about the tax business. I received an opportunity to write blogs about church and clergy tax issues which is a tax niche that I like more than the others. This would keep me attached to tax issues but allow me to write, which is something I enjoy. As time moved on I made the decision to close the tax business. Rather than feeling the expected regret and withdrawal from this decision, I felt at peace. I know this was the right decision. I was free to pursue other interests.

In regard to my health, I am recovering well from the eye and cancer surgery. I did some reading and discovered that many of my issues are stress-related from losing Gloria. So hopefully that’s on the upswing since I am learning how to deal with it. But with health you never know, so I continue to pray for good health.

The third issue is my social life. I was on a dating site and my subscription was about to expire. I was giving up if nothing happened. A week before the subscription expired, I got a reply from a message I had sent to someone local. We met, and found we enjoyed each other’s company. At this point neither of us knows where this relationship is going, but we have had several dates and are enjoying our times together. 

Assuming this relationship continues to grow, there is no longer the pressing need to move to Georgia, so that issue seems to be solved. So I am blessed to be able to remain in Lakeland, a place I love.

In looking back over the last three months, it dawned on me that these were more than answers to prayer. They are blessings. Where I was dissatisfied with my life in many respects God showed me how blessed I am. I am 74 years old and people tell me I don’t look or act that old. And I don’t feel that old. I am blessed with good health, despite bumps in the road.

I have had a fulfilling career. My main career of college professor allowed me to help shape the minds of future accountants and tax preparers. When I look around I see large numbers of successful accountants and business persons whose life I have positively influenced. My second career of tax preparation has allowed me to help people who are distressed by their tax situation. Not much is more fearful than an encounter with the IRS. I feel privileged to be able to help them and to reduce their stress levels. I’ve been blessed with two careers that I love passionately.

In looking at my social life, instead of focusing on what I don’t have, God showed me that I should focus on what I have been given. For nearly 50 years I was married to a wonderful woman who loved me unconditionally. Hopefully I will be able to say the same about my current relationship (probably not 50 years, though). I have been abundantly blessed to be so loved. 

As I was thinking about this topic of blessings and perspective, I was reminded that blessings are not given to me alone. When God blesses me, my responsibility is to turn that into a blessing for someone else. I would compare blessings to the Dead Sea in the Holy Land. This sea has no outlet. The water simply evaporates, leaving a high salt content. As such, animal and plant life cannot flourish in the Dead Sea. If we don’t turn our blessings into blessings for others, we become like the dead sea. And that is why we receive God’s blessings. So we can be a blessing to others.

The Greatest of These…

As Valentine’s Day approached this this year, I was thinking back that Gloria and I shared 49 Valentine’s Days. But what struck me was that I do not recall a single gift she ever gave me in celebration of our love on this day. That is not to say she didn’t give me anything, I just don’t remember any specifics. Likewise, I am hard-pressed to remember any specific gift I gave her. I do know that we tended not to go out for dinner on this day, as we wanted to avoid the huge crowds at most restaurants. At first, I felt bad about this lapse of memory but then it dawned on me that the gifts we gave each other were not dependent on our love for each other. Certainly, I would have given her a new Mercedes or other extravagant gift if I could have afforded it. But our love for each other was deep, real, and genuine and did not have to be affirmed through the giving of gifts. We lived out our love on a daily basis

As I pondered on this, I Corinthians 13 came to mind. Particularly the last verse “And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.” This chapter is very familiar to most of us. In fact, we may not have really taken a close look at what this chapter is saying. So I took a look.

In the first three verses, Paul basically says that even if we do great things – have a strong faith, be gifted with prophecy, be generous in giving, or even suffer hardship for the cause of Christ – they are meaningless if they are not done out of love. I am by no means perfect, but after Gloria passed away, numerous people came to me and told me what a “hero” I was for staying with Gloria and caring for her while she suffered with rheumatoid arthritis. I didn’t feel like a hero. I didn’t feel like I did anything special. When we wed, I promised to love her in sickness and in health. My caring for her was done, not out of any obligation, but because I loved her.

Then, in verses 4-7, Paul gives us a list of the characteristics of love:

1. Love is patient.

2. Love is kind.

3. It does not envy.

4. It does not boast.

5. It is not proud.

6. It does not dishonor others.

7. It is not self-seeking.

8. It is not easily angered.

9. It keeps no record of wrongs.

10. Love does not delight in evil.

11. But rejoices in the truth.

12. It always protects.

13. Always trusts.

14. Always hopes.

15. Always perseveres.

I am certainly not going to tell you that I always succeeded in meeting these rigorous qualities of love. I am human. I often failed. This standard of love is a reflection of God’s love. It is something we should strive for even though we will not always measure up.

I have always thought that the second stanza of the song “The Love of God” is one of the greatest expressions of God’s love. I always am filled with awe and wonder when I hear these words. Such love.

Could we with ink the ocean fill

And were the skies of parchment made

Were every stalk on earth a quill

And every man a scribe by trade

To write the love of God above

Would drain the ocean dry

Nor could the scroll contain the whole

Though stretched from sky to sky.

In verses 8-12 Paul mentions several spiritual gifts – prophecy, tongues, knowledge. But they are only temporary. They will pass. Verse 13 tells us that In the end only Faith, Hope, and Love remain. And the greatest of these is love. Paul does not say this, but I think he implies that faith and hope will also become unnecessary. Once we are in the presence of God there is no need for faith. Our faith has been confirmed as we are now in the presence of God. Our hope of eternal life has been fulfilled. All that remains is love – the greatest of these.

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