I was recently having a conversation when I mentioned a mutual friend. The other person responded, “Sad, not many think well of him.” That made me begin pondering what a reputation is worth. How important is it that people think well of us?
Proverbs 22:1 tells us that – “A good name is more desirable than great riches; to be esteemed is better than silver or gold.”
In Genesis 19, we find Lot sitting in the gateway of the city. The study notes in the Life Application Bible say this, “The gateway of the city was the meeting place for city officials and other men to discuss current events and transact business. It was a place of authority and status where a person could see and be seen.” Lot was hanging out with the influential crowd. He had a large enough home to invite guests to spend the night. He thought he was doing quite well for himself. Yet, when a few unusual situations arose, Lot’s character and reputation were revealed.
While the visitors were settling in for the evening, ALL the men from the city surrounded Lot’s house and demanded to have sex with his guests. Is that an indication of respect? When Lot refused to send them out, even offering his daughters instead, the mob became hostile, threatening and aggressive. They completely ignored Lot’s pleas and offer. They had no concern whatsoever with who he was or what he was saying. When Lot tried to convince his sons-in-law that they were in imminent danger, they thought he was joking. His passion and urgency were ridiculous to them. His own daughters thought so little of him that they got him drunk and sexually violated him and themselves.
What had Lot been doing that had compromised his reputation so severely? Outwardly, all the “good reputation” trappings were in place. But something had gone woefully wrong. How could he have such a different opinion of himself than everyone else had?
Had he mistakenly used the people of Sodom as his measuring stick of righteousness, thinking he looked pretty good in comparison to them?
What were the “small” compromises he thought had gone unnoticed that had actually tarnished his reputation? A few lies … a crude joke … unkind comments about others? Perhaps it was as simple as always talking about himself, or talking too much, or ignoring people. Whatever unsavory acts he had done or qualities he possessed, others had taken note.
Looking back at Proverbs 21:1, according to God, our reputation is very important. A good name is worth pursuing more than financial success. How opposite that is to the business dealings we read of in newspapers and hear on nightly television. It is easy to get caught up in the wheeling and dealing of daily life, compromising our character as we go. In the busyness of life, we forget that people are watching and listening. When a young mother bends down to whisper threats to her disobedient toddler, others are watching her face and listening to her words. When a couple begin to argue “quietly” in a restaurant, those at nearby tables can see their expressions and often hear some of the words. When you bump into an acquaintance at the video store, they see what movie box you are holding. Those small moments are the very ones people tend to remember about us, and can then, unfortunately, define us in their eyes.
As children of God and brothers and sisters of Christ, we bear His name. Thus, our reputation is His reputation in the eyes of the world. What do people think about you and why? Take the time to ask someone and courageously receive their words, pray over them, and make the necessary adjustments to accurately bear the name of Jesus Christ.
Wednesday, July 22, 2009
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
Lessons from Lot - Adjusting to the Darkness
Standing on the edge of a large sewage tank, I try not to inhale as the murky liquid slowly churns. Eventually, I have to breathe and when I do, my stomach churns just like the liquid below me. All the while, my eyes scan the top of the goop looking for the reason I am here. I was told by several friends that somewhere in the tank are my favorite candy bars. I see one that has just floated to the surface. I slowly lower myself down into the tank, feeling the thick liquid surround my legs. I hesitate for a moment, thinking I probably should not do this, but the candy wrapper catches my eye and I continue. Soon I am up to my shoulders and swimming toward the candy bar. Never mind that I am covered in filth and stench. Never mind that I am exposing myself to disease in here. The candy is worth it, right?
“Oh, come on!” you are thinking. “Who would do that?”
Most people would – including Christians. Go back with me to the story of Lot in Genesis 19. God said, in chapter 18, that the sin of Sodom and Gomorrah was so grievous that the outcry had reached Him. God sent two angels to check it out, which is where we find Lot in chapter 19. He and his family lived in Sodom, an extremely sinful city. 2 Peter 2:7-8 tell us that Lot was a righteous man, “tormented in his righteous soul by the lawless deeds he saw and heard” while living there. But when we look closely at Genesis 19, we see a righteous man deeply compromised by his surroundings. Perhaps that was part of his torment. When the angels went to his house, ALL the men of Sodom surrounded the house, calling out for the angels so they could have sex with them. Lot expresses no surprise at that depravity but easily offers his daughters! When he tried to persuade his sons-in-law to leave the city, they did not take him seriously. God, in His grace, called Lot righteous, but his own family members thought he was a joke. When the angels tried to impress on him the urgency of getting out before destruction, he hesitated. He did not want to leave. He had become attached to the darkness, in the process losing his influence and almost his life. He did end up losing his wife.
Recently, a much anticipated movie was released, hitting almost instant “blockbuster” status. I knew of Christians who were giving it glowing reviews. My children wanted to see it, so I read a Christian movie review of it and was sickened. Without going into offensive detail here, it was labeled a “crass, sexualized sequel.” In the first film, the reviewers were dismayed by the film’s sexual content. In this sequel, they were appalled. “Barely there outfits,” “sexed up co-ed,” “sexual distractions,” “intent upon having sex,” were just a few of the phrases in the review. That does not take into account the list of profanity (including 15 or so misuses of God’s name) and disturbing violent content. Are we so immersed in and attached to our “Sodom” that we do not recognize sin anymore? Or is it that we dismiss it as unimportant? What impact is it having on us, our families, and our influence?
My heart breaks for God’s people who are more in love with our culture than they are with God Himself. Like Jeremiah, I am not judging. I am weeping. What awaits those who have deeply compromised?
If we truly want to love and honor the Lord with our lives, then Phil. 4:8 is our standard. “Whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable – if anything is excellent or praiseworthy – think about such things.”
“Oh, come on!” you are thinking. “Who would do that?”
Most people would – including Christians. Go back with me to the story of Lot in Genesis 19. God said, in chapter 18, that the sin of Sodom and Gomorrah was so grievous that the outcry had reached Him. God sent two angels to check it out, which is where we find Lot in chapter 19. He and his family lived in Sodom, an extremely sinful city. 2 Peter 2:7-8 tell us that Lot was a righteous man, “tormented in his righteous soul by the lawless deeds he saw and heard” while living there. But when we look closely at Genesis 19, we see a righteous man deeply compromised by his surroundings. Perhaps that was part of his torment. When the angels went to his house, ALL the men of Sodom surrounded the house, calling out for the angels so they could have sex with them. Lot expresses no surprise at that depravity but easily offers his daughters! When he tried to persuade his sons-in-law to leave the city, they did not take him seriously. God, in His grace, called Lot righteous, but his own family members thought he was a joke. When the angels tried to impress on him the urgency of getting out before destruction, he hesitated. He did not want to leave. He had become attached to the darkness, in the process losing his influence and almost his life. He did end up losing his wife.
Recently, a much anticipated movie was released, hitting almost instant “blockbuster” status. I knew of Christians who were giving it glowing reviews. My children wanted to see it, so I read a Christian movie review of it and was sickened. Without going into offensive detail here, it was labeled a “crass, sexualized sequel.” In the first film, the reviewers were dismayed by the film’s sexual content. In this sequel, they were appalled. “Barely there outfits,” “sexed up co-ed,” “sexual distractions,” “intent upon having sex,” were just a few of the phrases in the review. That does not take into account the list of profanity (including 15 or so misuses of God’s name) and disturbing violent content. Are we so immersed in and attached to our “Sodom” that we do not recognize sin anymore? Or is it that we dismiss it as unimportant? What impact is it having on us, our families, and our influence?
My heart breaks for God’s people who are more in love with our culture than they are with God Himself. Like Jeremiah, I am not judging. I am weeping. What awaits those who have deeply compromised?
If we truly want to love and honor the Lord with our lives, then Phil. 4:8 is our standard. “Whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable – if anything is excellent or praiseworthy – think about such things.”
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
Lessons from Lot: Three Commands
As I was studying the story of Lot anew, and came to a certain part about the angels, this memory sprang to mind. Actually, it comes to mind from time to time, having left a strong impression on me. I attended a Christian high school. Somewhere in the course of those years, I was in a group of kids hanging around one of the sports coaches. I do not remember the context of his comment but here is what he said, referring to an attractive girl, “Just because I’m on a diet (married), doesn’t mean I can’t look at the menu.” He and the boys all laughed. The Holy Spirit within me whispered, “That is not true.”
The more I pondered that comment and the ramifications of it, I was deeply saddened by his lack of understanding and the freedom he felt in passing that along to high school boys. The Bible says Job made a covenant with his eyes not to look at a maiden. Marriage is a covenant between two people who are to be faithful to each other in every way. A husband is to love his wife as Christ loves the church, sacrificially and purely. He is not to delight in other women.
What does looking at a menu do to a person who is on a diet? It causes them to crave things they should not have. It creates a hunger for the forbidden. It sets up the battle then to choose the right food while the mouth is watering for the wrong food. 1 John 2:16 refers to this as the cravings of sinful man and the lust of his eyes. Coach, I pray your words did not encourage those young men to justify their fleshly desires and ultimately harm themselves, their wives and their marriages.
Women, lest you think this does not apply to you, the Bible does not say that lust of the eyes is only a man’s problem. Lust can take many forms for both genders. Let us go to the story of Lot, chronicled in Genesis 19. Look with me at verse 17. As they were leaving Sodom, one of the angels gave these simple instructions, “Flee for your lives! Don’t look back, and don’t stop anywhere in the plain!” Pretty straightforward. Nothing confusing about that. If you don’t want to be destroyed, follow God’s simple instructions. What are they? When something is bad for us God says, “Flee, Don’t look, and Don’t stop.” Exposure to some things puts us at risk. God knows the power of visual stimulation and He knows the lure of what we are attached to. He wisely tells us not to look – period! Do not stir it up. Do not indulge the cravings. Do not create a battle within. Run away, do not look, and do not stop until you are safe.
Mrs. Lot looked and it cost her her life. Maybe she wanted to see something exciting or maybe she was already longing for what she was leaving – her house, her possessions, her friends. For whatever reason, and to her destruction, she directly disobeyed God’s instruction to not look. What are you looking at? What if it were to cost your life? Would it be worth it?
The more I pondered that comment and the ramifications of it, I was deeply saddened by his lack of understanding and the freedom he felt in passing that along to high school boys. The Bible says Job made a covenant with his eyes not to look at a maiden. Marriage is a covenant between two people who are to be faithful to each other in every way. A husband is to love his wife as Christ loves the church, sacrificially and purely. He is not to delight in other women.
What does looking at a menu do to a person who is on a diet? It causes them to crave things they should not have. It creates a hunger for the forbidden. It sets up the battle then to choose the right food while the mouth is watering for the wrong food. 1 John 2:16 refers to this as the cravings of sinful man and the lust of his eyes. Coach, I pray your words did not encourage those young men to justify their fleshly desires and ultimately harm themselves, their wives and their marriages.
Women, lest you think this does not apply to you, the Bible does not say that lust of the eyes is only a man’s problem. Lust can take many forms for both genders. Let us go to the story of Lot, chronicled in Genesis 19. Look with me at verse 17. As they were leaving Sodom, one of the angels gave these simple instructions, “Flee for your lives! Don’t look back, and don’t stop anywhere in the plain!” Pretty straightforward. Nothing confusing about that. If you don’t want to be destroyed, follow God’s simple instructions. What are they? When something is bad for us God says, “Flee, Don’t look, and Don’t stop.” Exposure to some things puts us at risk. God knows the power of visual stimulation and He knows the lure of what we are attached to. He wisely tells us not to look – period! Do not stir it up. Do not indulge the cravings. Do not create a battle within. Run away, do not look, and do not stop until you are safe.
Mrs. Lot looked and it cost her her life. Maybe she wanted to see something exciting or maybe she was already longing for what she was leaving – her house, her possessions, her friends. For whatever reason, and to her destruction, she directly disobeyed God’s instruction to not look. What are you looking at? What if it were to cost your life? Would it be worth it?
Thursday, February 12, 2009
To Be Like Peter – Absolute Need
What do you need? Aside from basic things that all people need, like adequate food, clothing, and shelter, what do you need? What passion drives you? What need creates that “I’m going to crawl out of my skin if I don’t get it” feeling? What desire distracts you so much that everything else you do is simply going through the motions?
After Jesus’ death and resurrection, He showed Himself to people, including the disciples. He did miracles. He popped in and out of rooms and had conversations. In fact, the scene in John 21 is the third time He appeared to His disciples. They knew He was alive so they surely rejoiced in that. However, their relationship with Him had changed and their situations were certainly not what they had hoped. They didn’t know He was teaching them how their new relationship with Him would work. They didn’t know those three years had been training for their great purpose yet to come. All they knew was that the One they loved and had loved them with a love they had never known, was no longer around as much. The hope and purpose for their future He had given them seemed to have vanished. The excitement and passion that had been awakened within them suddenly had nowhere to go. So what did they do? They did what we all tend to do when hugely disappointed, go back to the lesser – the normal and familiar. They went back to their jobs.
But when God has ignited a passion that isn’t being poured out, it creates a restlessness. The disciples fished that night but caught nothing. Peter was a fiery man so I can imagine him sitting in that boat, bored with the job, rocking back and forth with the waves, irritated that they hadn’t caught anything, and wondering what had gone so wrong. And, what would he do next? He couldn’t live like this, not without Jesus. His passion smoldered … with nowhere to go. If he could have crawled out of his skin, he would have. Anything to get relief.
God, in His mercy, brings us to that place so we will respond as Peter did. A Man appeared on the shore offering fishing advice. When his instruction proved successful, and John realized who it was, he turned to Peter and said, “It is the Lord!” Perhaps Peter had so welcomed the activity, to get his mind off his despair, that he hadn’t looked beyond the relief. But with John’s words, “It is the Lord!”, the smoldering embers caught fire once again. He plunged into the water and headed for shore, headed for Jesus. The others followed in the boat, but Peter couldn’t wait that long. His passion exploded when he realized that the only One who could meet his need was there, waiting for him on the shore. His need drove him to the One who could meet it. No hesitation, no questions, no self-consciousness. Peter needed. Jesus satisfied.
What need is burning within you? If you take it to Jesus you will find not only sweet relief, but a purpose for that need that will be satisfied nowhere else. God placed within us a driving need for Himself. Will you allow that need to take you to Him, no matter what? No hesitation, no questions, no self-consciousness. You need. Jesus satisfies.
After Jesus’ death and resurrection, He showed Himself to people, including the disciples. He did miracles. He popped in and out of rooms and had conversations. In fact, the scene in John 21 is the third time He appeared to His disciples. They knew He was alive so they surely rejoiced in that. However, their relationship with Him had changed and their situations were certainly not what they had hoped. They didn’t know He was teaching them how their new relationship with Him would work. They didn’t know those three years had been training for their great purpose yet to come. All they knew was that the One they loved and had loved them with a love they had never known, was no longer around as much. The hope and purpose for their future He had given them seemed to have vanished. The excitement and passion that had been awakened within them suddenly had nowhere to go. So what did they do? They did what we all tend to do when hugely disappointed, go back to the lesser – the normal and familiar. They went back to their jobs.
But when God has ignited a passion that isn’t being poured out, it creates a restlessness. The disciples fished that night but caught nothing. Peter was a fiery man so I can imagine him sitting in that boat, bored with the job, rocking back and forth with the waves, irritated that they hadn’t caught anything, and wondering what had gone so wrong. And, what would he do next? He couldn’t live like this, not without Jesus. His passion smoldered … with nowhere to go. If he could have crawled out of his skin, he would have. Anything to get relief.
God, in His mercy, brings us to that place so we will respond as Peter did. A Man appeared on the shore offering fishing advice. When his instruction proved successful, and John realized who it was, he turned to Peter and said, “It is the Lord!” Perhaps Peter had so welcomed the activity, to get his mind off his despair, that he hadn’t looked beyond the relief. But with John’s words, “It is the Lord!”, the smoldering embers caught fire once again. He plunged into the water and headed for shore, headed for Jesus. The others followed in the boat, but Peter couldn’t wait that long. His passion exploded when he realized that the only One who could meet his need was there, waiting for him on the shore. His need drove him to the One who could meet it. No hesitation, no questions, no self-consciousness. Peter needed. Jesus satisfied.
What need is burning within you? If you take it to Jesus you will find not only sweet relief, but a purpose for that need that will be satisfied nowhere else. God placed within us a driving need for Himself. Will you allow that need to take you to Him, no matter what? No hesitation, no questions, no self-consciousness. You need. Jesus satisfies.
Saturday, January 24, 2009
To Be Like Peter: Absolute Trust
As a child, I remember trusting my parents for specific things … to get me the bike they knew I wanted for my birthday, to defend me against a false accusation, to pick me up on the far side of town late on a school night when I should have called earlier, and to take care of me when I was extremely ill. Along with those kinds of specific events, I also trusted them for general maintenance … to feed me, house me, clothe me, take me to the doctor, get me to and from school, go to parent/teacher conferences, attend my events, and think I was wonderful. I can say with total sincerity that it never occurred to me that those things might not happen. I knew they would happen because I knew my parents.
In Matthew 14, we see Peter display the kind of absolute trust that comes from truly knowing someone. The disciples were out on the lake in the dark experiencing high wind and waves. Jesus came to them, miraculously walking on top of the water, when Peter asked to join Him. Most discussions of this story emphasize Peter’s lack of focus once he got out onto the water. Looking at the storm instead of at Jesus he became frightened and began to sink. While there are many life lessons from Peter’s failure, I would like to back up to his desire to get out of the boat.
Jesus walking on water makes an amazing story. But, we know He was (is) God and we accept that He could do miraculous things. What about Peter, though? I believe the story becomes astonishing when we consider what he did. No reasonable person would step out of a boat in the middle of a lake during a storm. That would be at best foolish and at worst suicidal. Peter, however, was neither of those things. But neither was he reasonable, for he risked everything to trust the One who called him to join Him in a humanly impossible situation. He could feel the strength of the wind, for he had been struggling against it. When he stepped out, he could feel the sting of water against his legs and the instability of the waves beneath him. He could probably hear the voices of his friends begging him to stop, pleading with him to stay where it was safe. Yet none of that stopped Peter.
Absolute trust moves us forward even when faced with opposition and seeming impossibilities. Trust enables us to risk, and thus experience true safety in the arms of the One who will never let us go. Is the wind pushing against you? Can you feel the sting of life? Are loved ones urging you to stay while the voice of the Lord calls you to come? Don’t be the one watching from the boat as someone else trusts God enough to live a miraculous life. Trust Him, and get out of the boat!
In Matthew 14, we see Peter display the kind of absolute trust that comes from truly knowing someone. The disciples were out on the lake in the dark experiencing high wind and waves. Jesus came to them, miraculously walking on top of the water, when Peter asked to join Him. Most discussions of this story emphasize Peter’s lack of focus once he got out onto the water. Looking at the storm instead of at Jesus he became frightened and began to sink. While there are many life lessons from Peter’s failure, I would like to back up to his desire to get out of the boat.
Jesus walking on water makes an amazing story. But, we know He was (is) God and we accept that He could do miraculous things. What about Peter, though? I believe the story becomes astonishing when we consider what he did. No reasonable person would step out of a boat in the middle of a lake during a storm. That would be at best foolish and at worst suicidal. Peter, however, was neither of those things. But neither was he reasonable, for he risked everything to trust the One who called him to join Him in a humanly impossible situation. He could feel the strength of the wind, for he had been struggling against it. When he stepped out, he could feel the sting of water against his legs and the instability of the waves beneath him. He could probably hear the voices of his friends begging him to stop, pleading with him to stay where it was safe. Yet none of that stopped Peter.
Absolute trust moves us forward even when faced with opposition and seeming impossibilities. Trust enables us to risk, and thus experience true safety in the arms of the One who will never let us go. Is the wind pushing against you? Can you feel the sting of life? Are loved ones urging you to stay while the voice of the Lord calls you to come? Don’t be the one watching from the boat as someone else trusts God enough to live a miraculous life. Trust Him, and get out of the boat!
Monday, January 5, 2009
. . . and a Happy New Year!
Here we are at the beginning of another new year with no way of knowing what it holds. Only God has that information. We assume, based on current events, that certain things will take place. We individually have plans, hopes, and maybe even dreams for this year. We look forward with anticipation. On the other hand, some of us might be dreading an event that seems guaranteed to happen – a financial loss, a divorce, a death.
With all the potential that awaits us in 2009, I am grateful that the responsibility for knowing how it will all play out is not mine. I am more than willing to let it be God’s and to simply trust Him one day at a time. Just because God is in control does not mean we are without knowledge, however. There are important things to know that give us confidence and purpose in this new year. Of the many I could list, there are three that seem especially poignant at this time. Would you embrace them with me, claim them as your own, and walk into 2009 on an unshakeable foundation … no matter what comes?
God is. Hebrews 11:6 tells us that anyone who comes to Him must believe that He exists. The first verse in the Bible says, “In the beginning God…” And when Moses asked God what His name was, God’s reply was simply, “I AM.” God is real. I am not alone here. There is Someone greater, higher and more powerful than I am holding everything together. So no matter what happens this year, it will not be random and it will not be without purpose. Almighty God is in charge and that gives me peace.
God loves me. He flies a banner over me that declares His love (Song of Solomon 2:4). His love is unfailing (Psalm 130:7). He takes great delight in me and rejoices over me with singing (Zephaniah 3:17). He loves me so much that He gave me Jesus (John 3:16). He gave me His most precious treasure – His Son. And because God initiated His love toward me and chose to love me, there is nothing I can do that will change that. So no matter what happens this year, I am loved beyond what I can comprehend. The God who abounds in loving kindness loves me and that gives me value.
God keeps me forever. John 10:28 assures me that God has given me eternal life and no one can snatch me out of His hand. When I received Jesus Christ as my very own Savior and Lord, I became a new creation. My spiritual DNA changed forever. I was adopted into His family and made His child in a permanent transaction. So no matter what happens this year, nothing and no one can separate me from my Father. Eternal God has sealed me as His own and that gives me security.
With those simple truths deeply embedded in our hearts and minds, we can welcome 2009 with confidence and eager anticipation.
With all the potential that awaits us in 2009, I am grateful that the responsibility for knowing how it will all play out is not mine. I am more than willing to let it be God’s and to simply trust Him one day at a time. Just because God is in control does not mean we are without knowledge, however. There are important things to know that give us confidence and purpose in this new year. Of the many I could list, there are three that seem especially poignant at this time. Would you embrace them with me, claim them as your own, and walk into 2009 on an unshakeable foundation … no matter what comes?
God is. Hebrews 11:6 tells us that anyone who comes to Him must believe that He exists. The first verse in the Bible says, “In the beginning God…” And when Moses asked God what His name was, God’s reply was simply, “I AM.” God is real. I am not alone here. There is Someone greater, higher and more powerful than I am holding everything together. So no matter what happens this year, it will not be random and it will not be without purpose. Almighty God is in charge and that gives me peace.
God loves me. He flies a banner over me that declares His love (Song of Solomon 2:4). His love is unfailing (Psalm 130:7). He takes great delight in me and rejoices over me with singing (Zephaniah 3:17). He loves me so much that He gave me Jesus (John 3:16). He gave me His most precious treasure – His Son. And because God initiated His love toward me and chose to love me, there is nothing I can do that will change that. So no matter what happens this year, I am loved beyond what I can comprehend. The God who abounds in loving kindness loves me and that gives me value.
God keeps me forever. John 10:28 assures me that God has given me eternal life and no one can snatch me out of His hand. When I received Jesus Christ as my very own Savior and Lord, I became a new creation. My spiritual DNA changed forever. I was adopted into His family and made His child in a permanent transaction. So no matter what happens this year, nothing and no one can separate me from my Father. Eternal God has sealed me as His own and that gives me security.
With those simple truths deeply embedded in our hearts and minds, we can welcome 2009 with confidence and eager anticipation.
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