When Thanks Makes God Known

Nov 28 – 1 Chronicles 16:8

Give thanks to the LORD, call on his name; make known among the nations what he has done.

You know what struck me about this verse when I first read it?  Oftentimes in the Hebrew Bible (the Christian Old Testament), poets and other authors will repeat themselves as a way of strengthening the meaning in their words.  This kind of writing is all over Psalms.  For example, Psalm 3:1 says “O LORD, how many are my foes!  How many rise up against me!”  That’s saying the same thing, right?  Ok.  So keep that mindset and read today’s verse again, making a mental break at the semicolon.  What if the first part of the verse means the same thing as the second part of the verse?

“Give thanks to the Lord, call on his name” = “Make known among the nations what he has done.”

It gives a different perspective, doesn’t it?  One of my favorite authors, Brennan Manning, points out that the defining characteristic of a person who genuinely trusts God is an attitude of thankfulness in all things.  This makes sense to me because if you can thank God for your circumstances even in the most difficult times, then you are trusting God – He is in control with His best for all of us in mind.  So if we have that kind of gratitude when other people around us don’t, it becomes a testimony to the strength and goodness we find in our God.  Now, of course, it is another matter entirely to develop the kind of trust that can be thankful in all circumstances…but that takes a lifetime so we’ll save it for another day. 

How do you make God known among the nations?  Perhaps being thankful is one way you’ve never thought of.  I know I hadn’t.  Think about the ways your thankfulness might open a door for others to be introduced to God.  And then try to live that way.

Getting Sarcastic With God? Bad Plan.

Oct. 30 – Smarting Off To God

You would think people would be smart enough to know better.  God is powerful enough to make you so He’s powerful enough to “smite” you….But not Cain.  Not only did he kill his brother (REALLY BIG mistake #1), but afterward, he thought he would toss some attitude God’s way (mistake #2).

Here’s the brief exchange:
Then the Lord said to Cain, “Where is your brother Abel?”
“I don’t know,” he replied.  “Am I my brother’s keeper?”

That’s it.  But that’s enough.  Yesterday, we talked mainly about sarcasm with friends but when it comes to sarcasm with God or -to bring it into the human realm – sarcasm with people in authority, you’re crossing another line.  People in authority, even the ones you may not agree with or get along with, still deserve to be treated with respect.  That means treating them as a person of worth and recognizing the authority they have been given.  One of the most direct references to this concept is found in Romans 13.  Here’s the key verse:  “Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God.”  And even Jesus submitted himself to and acknowledged the rule of the day, as long as the earthly laws did not conflict with furthering the kingdom of God.  Jesus says to give to Caesar the money that is his and to God the things that are His.  (Matthew 22:21) and He does pay the required temple tax (Matthew 17:27).  Even while His trial was in process, He never direspected the ruler He was standing in front of.

So often, when someone in authority asks us to do something we don’t want to do or asks us a question we don’t want to answer (what happened to Cain), we come back with a smart-aleck remark.  Instead of saying the first thing that comes to mind, getting defensive, and acting like Cain, take a cue from Jesus here.  It’s better to say nothing than to say something that’s going to be disrespectful.  Even telling the person that you don’t want to answer at that moment because you’re too upset or because you’re afraid of what you might say will earn you a lot more respect in the long run.  Consider Psalm 141:3 which says, “Set a guard over my mouth, O Lord; keep watch over the door of my lips.”  If this kind of mouthing off is something your struggle with, consider praying that verse for yourself.

What To Do About Sarcasm

Oct 29 – Just Kidding?

Ephesians 4:29 is one of those verses that always gets me.  “Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.”  What?!  Do not let ANY unwholesome talk come out of your mouths?  Or what about a few verses later when it says, “Nor should there be oscenity, foolish talk, or coarse joking…”  Holy cow!  If you combine all of those things, that makes speech one very difficult thing to control.

I heard a quote once that said, “In every word of sarcasm, there’s a bit of truth.”  That’s the danger in it.  While we may intend for some of the disrespectful or mean words we say to be taken jokingly, oftentimes, the person we speak to will walk away hurt, not because they think we’re completely serious but because maybe we hit on some slkice of truth that really does hurt them.  For me, sarcasm is a weapon.  I use it when I feel backed into a corner or when I’m upset with someone but don’t want to confront the person about it.  In high school, one of my friends used sarcasm so much that I just didn’t want to be around him.  It was impossible to be in a conversation with him without him making you feel bad about yourself for something you did or just feel stupid for something you said.  That was his way of getting attention and making people laugh.  It worked, but it hurt, and it definitely affected our friendship.

Now I am the first to tell you that I am rather senstive to words.  I was raised to value them highly and to be careful when using them, so I admittedly respond more strongly to them than many people do.  That being said though, words really do have power.  I think we tend to forget that, especially in this age of computers and cell phones where we can so easily hide behind a screen when we talk to people.  As you talk to people this week, whether in person, online, or in a text message, focus on that second part of the first verse from today -  use words that are”helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.”  It may encourage someone you didn’t even know needed encouraging!

Talking it Out and The Dark Side of Sharing

Sept 28 – Night School 

Nicodemus made a brave move.  Even though he was one of the leaders of the Jewish people, he came to Jesus to talk about his faith questions.  He told Him what he believed about Him and then waited for some more answers.

Talking about our faith out loud can be a very difficult thing to do.  We may be afraid of what people will think when we talk about it or we may be afraid of what people might ask.  Depending on your age, you may feel like you don’t know enough to begin asking questions about who Jesus is or why He should matter.  You may even feel like you don’t quite know how to talk about things like God and faith.  All of that is ok. 

My encouragement to you is this – talk about it anyway!  Go ask a Christian adult or friend you trust the questions that are on your mind.  Even pastors won’t have all the answers but they can point you in the right direction.  Maybe you have a favorite story or learned something about God that you thought was really cool.  Tell someone!  You know what?  Good friends and trustworthy adults won’t mind being asked these questions and they love hearing when when you get excited about your faith!  In fact, they will respect you even more for it.  It’s hard to talk about things we don’t fully understand but it’s important too. 

Maybe some of you already talk openly about your faith.  That’s wonderful!  I hope you realize what a blessing it is to have that comfort level and freedom.  Keep going with that!  Talk to your youth leader, your friends, or your parents – anyone who lets you talk about the things you believe and the things you have questions about.  These are incredibly valuable people to have in your life!

Even more importantly, talk to God about how you feel and what you struggle with.  Listen for Him to speak some answers quietly to your heart.

Sept 29 – Forbidden Friendship

When our faith is something very surface-level in our lives, it’s not hard to avoid it.  We can talk about other things or change the subject when necessary and avoid any awkwardness we’re afraid might come up if we mention church or God.  But at some point in our faith lives, it becomes difficult or even dishonest to NOT talk about the way our Christianity intersects our lives.  This was the struggle today’s author had - she couldn’t stand to be silent anymore because it was simply being dishonest to one of her closest friends! 

But there can be consequences, in this author’s case, painful ones that completely severed a wonderful friendship.  I want to encourage you to read through a little bit of the book of Acts.  Start with the sections DevoZine recommends – Acts 4:1-21, 7:54-8:3, and 12:1-4.  What if you had to face risks and persecutions like those just to talk about your faith?  It would make it a lot harder, wouldn’t it?  And I’ll bet you would be pretty darn committed to that faith if you were willing to risk and endure that much to defend it.

Have you reached a place yet where your faith has to be shared?  Where you cannot separate the story of your life from the way God has moved in it?  There are times when mine sure hasn’t.  There are times when we need to allow our actions to speak louder than our words, but there are times when we simply must share something with someone about who Jesus is.  Pray to understand when each of those is necessary.  And while you’re at it, praise God that you live in a country where you can speak freely about your religion and your God, and pray for the people in countries who cannot speak Jesus’ name.    

Sharing Your Faith and The Denomination Dilemma

Sept 24 – A Buddhist Monastery

It is such a blessing to be in a country where we have the freedom to learn about and dialogue with other religions.  Not everyone has such easy access to people with cultures and belief systems that are different from the majority. 

Between church activities and school clubs, I have always found it easy to spend most if not all of my time with Christians.  To some people, this may sound like a dream come true, but really, living in a “Christian bubble” can be a dangerous thing.  We can lose the ability to relate to people who believe differently than we do.  Cocooning ourselves inside Christian circles doesn’t do anything to spread the news about who Jesus is and the kingdom He brought to earth.  The struggle here is to find the balance between Christian influences and other influences – I believe that those closest to you should be Christian because they influence you most, but to shut out other people entirely is not the way we are to live either.  As you try to follow Christ with your life and as you live with and around people who don’t claim the name “Christian,” you will (most likely at some point) be asked about what you believe, how you live, and why.  1 Peter 3:15-16 gives us guidance in how to deal with these situations:  “Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect…” 

Especially as you continue to discover who you are as a person and as a Christian, welcome and enjoy the Christian fellowship and friendship that you have, but also, don’t be afraid of the people who don’t look, act, or believe like you do.  Take the time to listen to their story, whatever that may be, to learn something about people in general and to show that person that you care.  Then when the opportunity arises, be willing and able to share what your faith means to you in a way that honors God and respects the other person.

Sept 25 – Not So Different

“Denomination.”  It’s a big word and I find that many people in the church, even adults, don’t know when to use it.  If you’re talking about church, the word is referring to the different divisions of Christian churches that are out there – Baptist, United Methodist, Lutheran, Catholic, Episcopal, Assembly of God, etc.  These “brands” of Christianity hold nearly identical core beliefs but differ on other major issues such as baptism, free will, and other things.  You may or may not notice significant differences in the services for each of these churches.  They may use hymnals or a big screen, play music with an organ or electric guitars, have the choir dancing up front or unmoving in the back – and one Baptist or United Methodist church may be very unlike another Baptist or United Methodist church.

So how do you figure out where you fit?  Is one right and the others wrong?  If you go to a Presbyterian church, are you automatically Presbyterian?  Those can be very hard questions.  If you have been in this situation or find yourself there now, here are my heartfelt words to you – Do NOT worry about it.  Spend some time checking out different churches.  Find the place where the teaching inspires you, where God and His son Jesus become more real to you, where you see ways that you can serve, and where you are challenged to grow in your life as a Christian.  Visit a denomination’s website for information about their specific beliefs if it is a concern to you, or make an appointment to talk with a pastor.  And while it is far from being the most important thing, find a place where the style of music excites you and the style of dress is what you are comfortable with.

In John 17, Jesus prays to His Father God for us – you and me, believers in Jesus in 2007 – and He prays this:

I pray also for those who will believe in me through [the disciples'] message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one: I in them and you in me. May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.

According to one reliable source, there are approximately 38,000 Christian denominations in the world.  I long for the day when Jesus’ prayer will come to fulfillment.

*I have been involved with many wonderful denominations in my life.  If this is something you struggle with and would like to chat about or ask questions about, please feel free to use me as a sounding board.

Hallway Horrors – A Change in Conversation and Loving Like Jesus

Sept 10 – The Power of Jest

The verse for today is one of my favorites.  I think it came in most handy in high school when I had to work on keeping my conversations positive, and I wish I had had it in middle school when joking quickly turned inappropriate or vulgar.  The magazine gives you part of it but here’s the whole thing:

But among you there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality, or of any kind of impurity, or of greed, because these are improper for God’s holy people.  Nor should there be obscenity, foolish talk, or coarse joking, which are out of place, but rather thanksgiving.  – Ephesians 5:3-4

Um, how hard is this to do???  “Not…even a hint”?  In today’s world, that’s practically impossible!  That being said though, we are chosen by God to be His holy people.  The word “holy” means “set apart.”  Sure, everyone else at school or on TV might be diving into sexual immorality or making fun of people or bad language but that doesn’t mean that you need to – set yourselves apart for God by living as an example in the way that you talk with your friends.  Take on that challenge to remove all of that kind of language and conversation from your daily life. 

One day this week when you’re hanging out with your friends, I encourage you to stop and listen.  Is the majority of conversation negative?  Vulgar?  Filled with sexual jokes or swearing?  If this is something you feel convicted about (feeling guilty with the desire to change), consider what it would take for you to stop participating in that with your friends.  I’m not asking you to stop talking to them or even to say anything to them about the things they talk about, but take responsibility for you and clean up your act.  Don’t be surprised if people notice and be prepared to share with them that you’re trying to make your language pleasing to God and uplifting to other people.

 

Sept 11 – All Alone

The girl who wrote this story has walked a difficult road.  Not only did she have a baby in high school, something which requires swallowing a lot of pride and great emotional strength, but she also faced the cruel abandonment of her friends.

There are so many issues and struggles people go through that seem to drive away friends who don’t know how to react or who are too fast to judge.  Some people might struggle with depression, other mental illness, pornography, self-injury, or same-sex attraction.  Others may have gone through a pregnancy at a very early age, had an abortion, or experienced abuse.  Some may have gone through the death or illness of a parent or close friend.  Any or all of these things have been known in the past (and present) to shame or isolate the very person who is already hurting.  When we surround the people in these situations with love, we recognize the hurt they have been through and demonstrate our willingness to walk through their struggles with them, giving them the hope and assurance that they are not alone and have someone to lean on when times get tough.  Even though it may be hard for us (and for them) and even though they may mess up along the way, our hope-giving love and understanding in the midst of these situations can literally save someone’s life. 

In John 8:1-11, Jesus’ wise words save a woman from being stoned (killed by having rocks thrown at her) after she had an affair with someone’s husband.  There are many lessons to take away from this story but what I wonder tonight is if anyone walked with her after Jesus rescued her.  Did some woman from her village take her hand and tell her she would help her as she fought to change her life?  Did anyone love her enough to say “Yeah, I know what you did, but you’re after a different life now.  How can I support?”  Would I have done that?  I wonder.

Ask God to expand your heart to include the people who struggle with things you don’t understand.  Pray for the wisdom to know when to reach out and the courage to follow through.  It’s one of the best ways I know to “be Jesus” to someone.

*Sidenote:  The verse from today is what the Hebrews verse from last week quotes.  Deuteronomy 31:8b says “[The Lord] will be with you; he will not fail you or forsake you.  Do not fear or be dismayed.”