Respect, Honor, Love and Fear

The Bible has a great deal to say about how we should treat others. Passage after passage instructs us how to interact with each other--exhorting us to care for one another, help one another, meet each others needs and value others above ourselves. Yet notice the specific detail provided in 1 Peter 2:17: Show proper respect to everyone: Love the brotherhood of believers, fear God, honor the king.

Some translations use the same word honor in how we relate to others, but the message is clear. We are to treat all people with respect and to show respect to those in authority, so clearly Scripture is teaching us that everyone has value and we should treat them accordingly as people created in God's image (Genesis 1:27). We are then called specifically to love other believers; meaning that we should treat the family of God with an even greater closeness and care--bearing each other's burdens (Galatians 6:2). The church functions more effectively when we function as the body of Christ, each one of us using our spiritual gifts to benefit each other (Romans 12:4-8) and bring honor and glory to Him.

Finally, we are to fear God--not be afraid of God---but give Him a place in our lives above anything else. Proverbs 3:7 tells us: Do not be wise in your own eyes, fear the Lord and shun evil. The fear of the Lord provides many benefits to us as believers: it is the beginning of wisdom and understanding (Psalm 111:10, Proverbs 9:10), it sustains us (Proverbs 10:27), it gives us a strong confidence and place of refuge (Proverbs 14:26) and is a fountain of life (Proverbs 14:27).
The fear of God and His perfect love casts out all other fear (1 John 4:18) and allows us to claim: Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me (Psalm 23:4).

Being Perfect

None of us would probably be bold (or foolish) enough to claim to be perfect. As believers, we know that our Lord Jesus Christ was the only perfect man who ever lived and his perfection was necessary to be the acceptable sacrifice for our sins. Yet listen to what Matthew 5:48 says: Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect. How in the world can we be perfect, especially like God?

The word perfect in this verse comes from the Greek word teleios, which means complete. What Jesus preached about here in the Sermon on the Mount was the process of becoming more like Him--a process called sanctification. From the moment we accept Christ until the time we breathe our last breath here on earth, God is in the process of changing our old sinful patterns and creating in us a new identity in Christ. While our status in God's family is instant, permanent and secure when we accept Christ, the process of becoming like Christ is a continuous journey for the rest of our earthly existence.

As believers, we can become easily frustrated as we battle sin in our lives; perhaps wishing that sanctification was as instant a process as our salvation. But remember that God does some of his greatest work through the sanctification of believers; drawing many more into His presence through what others can see in us. Hold fast to the words of Philippians 1:6: being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.

Trying to Make Sense of it All

Probably the biggest struggle believers face is trying to understand why a perfect, gracious, loving, merciful, everlasting, all-powerful, all-knowing God of all creation would allow His people to experience pain, suffering, hurt and broken-heartedness. Once again, this question comes to mind as one of the men on my ministry team, my friend, Matt Hall and his wife Katie have learned that their unborn child is now in Heaven--depriving them of the joy of raising their child here on earth. What makes this even more painful is that this is the second time this has happened to Matt and Katie--a husband and wife who love the Lord with all their heart, soul, mind and strength.

At times like these, words often fall woefully short of providing comfort and hope. The prayers and encouragement of friends and fellow believers do help, but they can't dry the tears. Verses like Romans 8:28, 2 Corinthians 12:9, Isaiah 41:10, Jeremiah 29:11 and Hebrews 4:15 are reminders of the love, care and hope we have in Christ, yet the pain is still all too real. While I can't begin to know or understand what our Heavenly Father's plan is in this or any other painful situation, I do find great encouragement and strength in the way His people respond to their suffering. Being able to praise Him during the storms of life provides hope to others who face their own difficulties.

In her personal blog, http://www.katielynnhall.blogspot.com/ Katie shares the wide range of emotions she's feeling: sadness, grief, confusion, anger, disappointment, defeat along with this powerful thought: "So I'm clenching tightly to something else..securing my grip on something that has and always will have me in the center of Grace and perfect and unending love." Matt posted this quote on Facebook from Francios Fenelon, which I know reflects his heart: "No one has ever developed a deep level of spirituality or holiness without experiencing a great deal of suffering. When a person who suffers reaches a point where he can be calm and carefree, inwardly smiling at his own suffering, and no longer asking God to be delivered from it, then the suffering has accomplished its blessed ministry, perseverance has finished its work."

Thank you, Matt and Katie for your powerful testimony and your faithfulness to the One who sustains us!

Lessons from Amanda

I couldn't adequately describe in a blog entry what a blessing my 5-1/2 year-old daughter Amanda (see picture to the right) is in my life. I've taught and written frequently on the role of being a godly father and it's an area where I all too frequently fall short. Yet as I look back on my brief time as a father, I recognize many occasions that God has used her to teach me. Here are some of the life lessons I've learned from Amanda.

1) God's love for us is deeper and more incredible than anyone could ever imagine: When Amanda smiles at me, when she draws a picture for me, when I see joy on her face, when she curls up in my lap to watch TV, when she gives me hugs and kisses, when we tell each other "I love you"---I'm reminded that God loved me so much that he sent His only Son Jesus to die on the cross, so that I could live with Him forever. That's a love that's beyond description.

2) God's creation is a wonder we should never take for granted: Amanda's first memory verse in Kindergarten is Genesis 1:1, but the reality is she's marveled at God's creation for quite some time. When she discovers something new or talks about things she's seen, she often reminds me that God made it and that He made us as well.

3) God takes great joy in our obedience: I love it when Amanda listens to me and does what I ask her to do. For those times when she doesn't and I get frustrated, I try to think about how God feels when I disobey Him. After Jesus was baptized, Luke 3:22 tells us how the Holy Spirit came upon Him and God's voice came from Heaven: "You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased."

4) God's grace, mercy and forgiveness are ours for the asking: One of the greatest gifts we can give our children is genuine honesty, which includes admitting when we are wrong and asking for forgiveness. Amanda is always quick to forgive me when I ask for it and it allows me to teach her the truth of 1 John 1:9, which tells us that if we confess our sins, God is faithful and just to forgive us and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

5) God desires our undivided attention and time alone with us: Amanda takes great joy in "Daddy time"--which could be playing together, reading together, watching a movie together, running errands, going to the playground---anything as long as we're together. This reminds me that God also desires time with me alone in His Word and in prayer and how much I am blessed when I spend quality time with Him.

Every night, I pray this prayer for Amanda when Cheryl and I put her to bed: "Protect her from evil, cover her with Christ's blood, fulfill Your purpose in her life." Teaching me is certainly one of those purposes.

Dead with Christ

What most people recall about Jesus' earthly ministry were the miracles and the people he healed. Often overlooked are some very important teachings as he went toe-to-toe with the religious leaders of his time. The Pharisees knew Scripture and meticulously followed the law, but they also added their own set of rules and standards to elevate themselves about others. We see in Mark 7:11-13 how they even ignored their own family responsibilities while pointing out how others failed to live up to the law. The apostle Paul even had to deal with this prevailing attitude in the early church: Since you died with Christ to the basic principles of this world, why, as though you still belonged to it, do you submit to its rules (Colossians 2:20).

Sadly, this notion of adding rituals and responsibilities to God's Word still surfaces in today's churches in the form of legalism. Scripture is very clear that our salvation is a free gift from God through faith in Jesus Christ and not of our own doing (Ephesians 2:8-9). Legalism chokes the life out of believers and drives non-believers away in droves--perhaps depriving them of ever hearing the life-changing message of the Gospel. Since the Gospel frees us from attempting to gain Heaven by self-effort, there is absolutely no reason to subject ourselves--or anyone else--to legalistic ordinances. Colossians 2:8 also warns us be on guard against deceptive philosophy based on human traditions that can distort the truth of God's Word.

Listen to Jesus' response to the Pharisees and their legalistic traditions: He replied, "Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you hypocrites; as it is written: "These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. They worship me in vain; their teachings are but rules taught by men. 'You have let go of the commands of God and are holding on to the traditions of men." (Mark 7:6-8).

Being dead with Christ means not only being free from the bondage of sin, but also the entrapment of following legalistic rules---allowing us to victoriously proclaim: I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. (Galatians 2:20)

Not Mine, But Yours

Advertising slogans and motivational speakers we've heard over the past few years have bombarded us with ideas like: "Have it your way", "You deserve it", "If it is to be, it is up to me", "Take the bull by the horns", "You can do it", and so on. Notice a theme here? The message is: It's all about me! Yet probably the biggest key to spiritual growth, which is essential if we are to be men of God, is the notion of submitting to God's will. This goes against our natural, human inclination to want things our way. It also reveals our level of trust in God that He will work all things for our good according to His purpose (Romans 8:28).

In the model prayer that Jesus gave to his disciples--the one we call the Lord's prayer--we find these words, "Your kingdom come, Your will be done on earth as it is in Heaven. (Matthew 6:10)" Our Lord very clearly teaches us that above all else, our desire should be that God's will be done, not our own personal wishes. When we wonder why our prayers appear to go unanswered, often James 4:3 provides the answer: "When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures."

Obedience to God's will always brings blessing, but it's not always easy. Notice the confidence of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego as they faced the extreme difficulty of following God's will: "O Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you in this matter. If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to save us from it, and he will rescue us from your hand, O king. But even if he does not, we want you to know, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up." (Daniel 3:16-18). Our Savior himself, knowing the agony of the cross that He was about to face to pay for our sins, lifted up this prayer: "Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done." (Luke 22:42)

Indigenous Sustainability

A core ministry value that I've adopted (courtesy of my old friend Rick Gray) is to encourage "Indigenous Sustainability". These are pretty big words that convey a rather simple and important concept. Indigenous is defined as "innate; inherent; natural", usually referring to characteristics that are native to a particular area. Sustainability is defined as "the ability to keep from give way as under trial or affliction" (source dictionary.com). Indigenous sustainability means having natural ability to move forward in spite of difficulties or obstacles. Or to borrow an old slogan, it means "Keep on keeping on."

We all know how the fallen world we live in makes it hard to keep on keeping on. Yet as servant leaders in our homes, we must strive towards indigenous sustainability because too much is riding on it. Our wives, our children, our friends and our co-workers depend on us. How much more do we reflect God's glory when we push on through difficulties; all the while praising Him for his mercy and goodness. Never forget the importance of encouraging a fellow brother in Christ to continue to press on to win the prize which God has called for us.

Remember this awesome promise from the source of our strength: "The LORD is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom. He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint." (Isaiah 40:28-31)

The Apostle Paul endured great persecution and difficulty in spreading the Gospel, yet notice his words in 2 Timothy 4:7-8: "I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day—and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing."

Keep on keeping on!