Tag Archives: Colossians 3:17

Live to be forgotten?

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Whether it’s at a reunion celebration or a celebration of life service, most of us like to be remembered. In fact, we intentionally plan to be remembered by living a life of legacy that extends beyond our earthly years. While few of us will have large hospitals or libraries bearing our name, we hope to leave a legacy at our work, in our family, and in our church and community. After we’ve gone our legacy is based on our accomplishments, our character and the choices we made. That legacy is influenced largely by how we treat people, especially those who have no chance or power to advance our cause. Jesus said it is how we treat “the least of these” that matters greatly. Relationship are all we take to heaven.

And yet how quickly legacies turn from current memory to forgotten history. Do you remember the surge of national patriotism the days following the 9/11 attacks? And do you remember how quickly the unity dispersed and divisiveness again swept our country? Who will remember the history you experienced? Sacrifices made for just causes, values upheld in the face of persecution, faith in the middle of stormy life events, love and peace amidst the chaos of divisiveness.

The Israelites wandered in the desert for forty years. Some died and others were born in the desert, having no recollection of the miraculous way God rescued them from the Egyptians. They were exiled into Babylon for seventy years. Entire generations  lived to be born and die in captivity. They had no personal experience with life “back home.” Only the legacy of faithfulness sustained them in tough times.

When I die, I suppose there will be friends and family who remember me. Hopefully their memories will be ones of kindness, compassion, passion for living well, and other positive attributes. I hope they will carry those same attributes and pass them on as the legacy they leave.

But should we live to be remembered? Is that the primary goal?

Count Zinzendorf was evidently a wealthy religious and social reformer of his 18th century times. His theology was Christ-centered, and he emphasized a “radical” lifestyle of “living for Jesus.” He is quoted to have summarized the goal of life simply as:

“Preach the gospel, die, and be forgotten.”

Live and love with one solitary purpose, to preach the gospel, not only in words but in the harmonious ways Jesus guides our relationships with others. LI’ve, really live all out for Jesus and then die with the goal of being forgotten. Really? Why should be aim to be forgotten? It is so that every bit of pride may be swept away. So that when people remember you, what they really remember is how God moved through your life, how he helped and inspired others through you. It’s the outcome that follow’s John the Baptist’s conclusion that “He (Jesus) must become greater and greater, and I must become less.” (John 3:30) It is Paul’s message to each of us to consider the interests of others as greater than our own, love without grumbling, and consider everything we do as unto the Lord, for his purpose. (Philippians 2:2-16, Colossians 3:17)

So while our prideful self wants to remembered and our name to be preserved, how much better if what people remember most is God’s goodness revealed in our lives. His ways are higher than our ways and so leaving a legacy of God’s great love is our most prized goal. May your legacy and mine be marked by kindness, strong faith, persistent prayer, compassion for the needy, wholesome laughter, and quality time enjoying time with friends and family. Long after your name and mine are forgotten may the legacy that lives on be one of faith, hope, and love.

Especially love!

One word to change your prayers

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Do you find your prayer list filled with specific requests to make things better? Lord, fix this cancer. Help my friend get a good job. Sell my house. Ease this pain. Of course, there’s nothing  wrong with praying for specific needs. Jesus commends us to let our requests be known to God and promises that whatever we ask in his name (i.e. according to his will) will be granted. Jesus himself healed a number of people, not just to make their pain go away but “that the work of God might be displayed” in their lives. More often, Jesus prayed for eternal things: thy kingdom come, thy will be done, may they (his disciples – and us) be one just as he is one with the Father. Additionally, we often see the work of God displayed through the suffering of his saints, not the release from it,

 

The apostle Paul who experienced no shortage of serious physical and emotional sufferings prayed three times to have a “thorn in his side” removed. Other than that, he sets the same example of praying for eternal things, not the “temporary and light afflictions,” The secret of his prayers was in counting everything as loss except knowing Jesus and the power of his resurrection and participation in his sufferings. That’s not the stuff we find on our normal prayer lists.

 

So why do we focus our prayer on our “light and momentary afflictions” when we know that we should set our vision higher and pray for God’s mission to advance the gospel across the globe? And why are we so quick to pray away hardships when it’s the trials of life that cause us to mature and grow closer to Jesus?

 

God doesn’t waste pain. He uses our suffering to mold us to who we are meant to be. In John Piper’s little book, Don’t Waste Your Life, we’re commended to use all of our life for God’s purpose and glory. (Colossians 3:17) Not just the good times, but the painful ones too…the times when we feel least productive for the kingdom and perhaps least satisfied with life – and maybe with him. It seems none of us have the complete answer to all our questions about this. But I like Piper’s approach. Don’t waste the opportunities that God has allowed in our lives, as difficult and challenging as they may be.

 

Bronwyn Lea says it this way in her blog post “One little word that radically changed my prayers.”  Here it is:

“Instead of praying “God, make it better”, I need to pray “God, make it count.”

God, my friend is dying. Don’t just make it better, make it COUNT. If she can be better, let it be so, but don’t let this suffering have been wasted. Work it for good. Please show up and show your grace. Make it count.

God, I’m so busy and so tired. I so badly want to pray “make it better! Make it stop!”, but I’m going to pray “make it count, please,” instead. Let me learn grace under fire. Let me learn to say no to the bad and even the good so that there is time enough to say yes to the best. Show your strength in my weakness. Make it count.

God, thanks for a lovely, sweet season in my marriage. Rather than saying “thanks, keep it up, make it better”, please Father, make it count. Help us to be thankful and still work hard at our marriage, not leaving prayer for the tough times alone. Let this good season count.”

God, now that I think about it, please don’t just make it better. Not if it doesn’t count.

Please make it count, so that these light and momentary afflictions do the work of preparing us for a weight of glory that outweighs then all.

God, this is my life: in all it’s gritty, knotted and messy glory.

These are my loved ones.

These are my tears.

Please, please, please… Make it count.”

 

(Thanks Bronwyn. Powerful words for a powerful prayer life.)

“The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself in love.” Galatians 5:6

 

 

 

When “Is it right?” is the wrong question

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You’ve probably encountered many opportunities and asked, “Is this the right thing for me to do?” Should I buy this car? Should I accept that promotion? Should I look for another job? Should I remain friends with someone who always disagrees with me? The list goes on.

 

There are some things that, at least from biblical view, are plainly stated. Don’t murder, don’t commit adultery, don’t lie, or steal. Don’t bicker or cause unnecessary devisions. Avoid sexual immorality; in fact, flee from it! Don’t allow even a hint of immorality or greed to influence you. God says these are wrong. Period. End of discussion. But there are many other things that seem to lie in the “gray” area of our decision making. How should I dress for church – or at the beach?  Is it okay to buy eight pairs of shoes when my neighbor has none? Should I give above the “tithe?” Is this movie okay to watch? Should I “speak my mind” or “hold my tongue?” When we sift questions like these through the filter of “right vs wrong,” we often come up uncertain or at odds with others who disagree. In a land where we have so very many freedoms, is everything suddenly right?

 

Asking, “Is this right?” might be the wrong question. A better question for us might be, “Is this beneficial?” “Is this the BEST?”

 

“Everything is permissible for me—but not everything is beneficial. Everything is permissible for me—but I will not be mastered by anything” (1 Corinthians 6:12).

 

One way we can apply this question is to ask ourselves if what we are considering really honors God. As believers, our intent to honor and please him should outweigh our freedom to do whatever we want, even if it is legal and “permissible.” In good conscience, would THIS option honor God more than THAT option?

 

“And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him” (Colossians 3:17).

 

Another way to apply this truth is to ask ourselves how our decision impacts others. You might have the right to act however you want, to speak your mind, and criticize others, but would that be the most beneficial approach in this situation you’re facing? In some matters, HOW the decision is accomplished may be as important as the actual decision.

 

“…for God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.” 2 Timothy 1:7

 

Finally, another approach to applying this question is to consider what influence and control the matter has over your life. It may be permissible, but if it controls you, it’s not beneficial. Watching a certain TV series may be permissible but if it dishonors my spouse and family – if I become obsessed with it, it isn’t beneficial. Analysis may be permissible (especially if you call it “planning” – right?) but if it paralyzes you, it isn’t helpful. It’s not against the law to beat yourself up mentally, but if it controls your thinking, it’s not helpful. There’s a time for critical thinking but if it leads you to always criticizing and judging others, it isn’t beneficial. Avoiding conflict may seem helpful but if it alienates you from God or others, it may not be as beneficial as you think.

 

Enjoy your freedom today. Freedom from sin’s crushing rule. Freedom from legalistic do’s and don’ts. But don’t settle for what is simply permissible or “right.” Seek what is beneficial and BEST in your life, in your relationship with others, and in your relationship with God.

 

Is it a sin to waste food?

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Is it a sin to waste food?

 

When I was a kid, I was cautioned to eat all the food on my plate…because there were starving children in Armenia! Or maybe it was Africa. All I remember is that others would be most grateful for what I had so I should be thankful too and eat it. Well, truthfully I also remember making occasional snide remarks like, “Go ahead, send it to THEM!”

 

Actually, if not a sin, wasting food might be a CRIME. Seattle is fining citizens who throw food in the garbage. They’re trying to encourage composting and reduce greenhouse gasses. But their “public education” campaign to mark trash cans with “Scarlet Letter” notices so neighbors can see who is composting and who is not seems a bit like a sin smear. Yikes.

 

Waste poses both environmental and economic problems and maybe is morally reprehensible. But is waste a sin?

 

Dante’s Divine Comedy considered seven ‘deadly’ sins, including:

Gluttony — Wasting food through eating too much, turning away food due to preference, or not giving food to the needy. (Mom was right!)

Greed — Always wanting more while discarding other things.

Sloth — Laziness wastes the one resource we cannot renew, time! Sloth may also be complacency of our spiritual desires, neglecting to “love God with all one’s heart, all one’s mind, and all one’s soul.”

Pride – Pride is the sin that puts MY WANTS above OTHER’S NEEDS and even above God. Pride wastes everything that matters most in the pursuit of that which matters least.

 

Jesus taught that all sin is on the same level; cursing a brother is likened to murder, lusting is likened to adultery. He did specifically address the waste of food once, commanding his disciples after the miracle of feeding the 5,000.

“Gather up the leftover fragments, that nothing may be lost.” John 6:12

 

I think God hates waste. Consider all his warnings about:

Wasted wealth – Proverbs 29:3
Wasted possessions – Luke 16:1
Wasted treasures – James 5:1-6
Wasted life – 1 Peter 4:3-5
Wasted faith – Jonah 2:8
Wasted time – John 12:35-36; Ephesians 5:16
Wasted talents – Matthew 25:14-30
Wasted opportunities – Galatians 6:10; Colossians 4:5

 

I don’t think God would put scarlet letters on garbage cans so we can all see who is ‘sinning.’ I don’t think he’s keeping tabs of every morsel of food that goes to your trashcan – or compost. So what does God want?

 

God wants us to act with justice, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with him. (Micah 6:8)

He wants us to honor him in everything we say and do. (Colossians 3:17)

Above all, he wants us to have pure hearts. (Matthew 5:8)

 

I don’t know that we need to fall to our knees in confession every time we throw away a scrap of food, let water run down the drain, or sit idly. But let’s aim higher today to keep our hearts pure and not waste the life and treasures He has given us!

 

“How blessed are those who are pure in heart, because it is they who will see God!” – Jesus in Matthew 5:8