A SCARCITY OF THANKFULNESS?

The Thanksgiving holiday will be celebrated in many households throughout the United States in just a few days. Family and friends, young and old, from nearby and far away, people will gather together. There will be turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, and pumpkin pie. Some of us will not be able to resist the urge to eat far more in one day than we than we typically consume. In the “average” household in this nation, there will be no scarcity of good food, but I wonder – will there be a scarcity of thankfulness?

The reason I wonder about this is that I find that I have a great tendency to take for granted the over-abundance of blessings in my life. I confess – I take far too many things for granted, seldom expressing and too often not even feeling an attitude of thankfulness. I am this way even though the clear instruction of God is that I am to be thankful rather than thankless.

His word tells me that I am to be thankful in all circumstances, and for everything. (1Thes 5:18) (Eph 5:20)

I am taught that my prayers to God are to be presented with thanksgiving, (Phil 4:6) and that I am to be devoted to prayer, being watchful and thankful. (Col 4:2)

Colossians 2:6-7 shows me that as I continue to live my life in Christ, I am to be rooted in Him, and I am to be overflowing with thankfulness.

It’s crystal clear that my life should not be characterized by thanklessness. I suppose that it could be that I am the only one in whom there is a scarcity of thankfulness, but I think not. Some of you reading these words can relate, right? So what are we to do?

Certainly we must pay much greater attention to the word of God, as it is very evident that God expects us to be thankful. Additionally, from an “every day” perspective – not just on Thanksgiving day - here are some things we can do:

Can you see, hear, taste, touch, or smell? Is your heart beating and are you breathing? Give thanks to God, for He is the one who created you.

Are there people in your life who love you, support you, encourage you, help you, challenge you, or contribute to your life in any way? Give thanks to God for them and say “thank you” to them.

Is there a circumstance in your life that is testing you? This is a tough one, but here again, we are to give thanks. See 1 Thessalonians 5:8.

Friends, I encourage you to examine your life for evidence of thanklessness. if you find such evidence in your life, as I find in mine – resolve to cultivate an attitude of thankfulness. That is what God wants of us.

May it be so...

In Christ –

John

Soli Deo Gloria

The Truth Process, Session VII, Post 9

TIME

EIGHT HUNDRED AND FORTY YEARS of collective life experience.

There were fourteen of us gathered in the room at an Italian restaurant in the South Hills of Pittsburgh, all of us members of the Baldwin High School class of 1968 – all of us having crossed the threshold of 60.  Fourteen people with six decades of living behind us – eight hundred and forty years of collective life experience.

I can only imagine what would happen if we had the time, and the necessary courage to share collectively what life has taught us. I don’t mean the small and sometimes obvious lessons that we learn along the way – such as “it’s not a good idea to put an M80 firecracker in a toad’s mouth.”  (Yes, one of our classmates actually did that. The culprit shall remain nameless.¹) I mean the larger more important lessons about living – the lessons that address how, when, and perhaps most importantly – why.

Due to the gap in my relationship with these people – in most cases close to forty years – I am not aware of much of what has happened in their lives between the ages of 18 and 60. Each time we get together I pick up a little more information about some of them.

As one would expect of a group of people of similar age, there are certain commonalities. There are several with grandchildren, and it seems that the grandparents all speak in the same loving and adoring tones about these little ones that they “spoil, then give back.” A few speak of adult children who continue to worry and frustrate them because of the poor choices those children, or others in their child’s lives, have made, Of course there are the ubiquitous comments about failing memory, aging bodies, and gray hair. Life being what it is, I am certain that although unspoken, there are other commonalities in the experiences of physical, relational, and emotional pain in the challenges that life in a fallen world inevitably brings. Jesus did say that “in this world, you will have trouble.”

One of our classmates turned 60 about a week before our gathering, and one member of our group, whom she has known since age four, thoughtfully turned the event into a birthday celebration for her. (Interestingly, this thoughtful classmate is the same one who blew up the frog.) The “birthday girl” is a determined, intelligent, capable woman, and she celebrated her 60^th birthday while dealing with one of the most challenging examples of the kind of trouble this world can bring – that trouble is named “breast cancer”.

The average life expectancy of a 60 year old man is less than 20 years. For a woman it is a little over 23 years. The reality and the implications of these facts sober me, for I know how fast the last 20 years of my life have passed by. I also am acutely aware of how time seems to move faster as I age. The Bible speaks of our lives as “a mist that appears for a little while, and then vanishes”.(James 4:14) Psalm 90 advises us to “number our days aright” – and I am reminded that we tend to number or count the things we value. (Psalm 90:12) Ephesians 5 offers great insight, instructing us to “be careful how you walk (carrying double meaning for ‘seasoned citizens’) making the most of your time.” (Ephesians 5:14-17)

This perspective requires that we be looking forward, rather than backward. The past is just that – the past. God has taught me that it’s Important to remember history – my own, as well as that of our nation, and most critically His Story, which stretches back into eternity.  My focus however, must be on the present. The statistics may tell me that my life expectancy is about 19 more years, but the statistics offer no guarantee. God’s word tells me that I am to be making the most of my time, wisely understanding what the will of the God is.

During the evening with my high school classmates, there came a moment when I knew that I was making the most of my time by being there at the Italian Oven in the South Hills of Pittsburgh. That moment came when a few of us gathered in a corner of the restaurant and prayed with the “birthday girl”. We lifted her before the Lord, and asked for her to be granted courage, peace, strength, and healing. Our prayer reminded her that God is sovereign and in control – of everything, which of course includes her life. We acknowledged that each of us is mortal, and dependent upon Him. I believe that her heart was encouraged by our time of prayer, and I know that I was making the most of my time on that Monday evening in November, 2010.²

In Christ –

John

¹She was guilt-ridden for years over this, confessing it twice to two different priests. I think that “coming clean” in front of the group made her feel better.

I continue to pray for my classmate, and I ask that each of you who reads this do so as well.

The Truth Process, Session VII, Post 8

CHAOS

In 1972, fresh out of college, I started my first “real” job as a Health and Physical Education teacher and football coach at a high school in Beaver County. Those of you who are old enough to remember the 70’s will recall that this was a time of social turmoil, as the cultural shift in values that began in the 60’s was beginning to bring forth it’s fruit, and it was a bitter fruit indeed.

Even in this relatively small high school, made up of a combination of suburban, rural, and farm-family students, the cultural shift was evident. Some of the male students sported the “hippie” look – long hair, the occasional earring, thin, scraggly mustaches, and a sloppy, sometimes dirty manner of dress.  More than a few of these students were suspected of drug use, and at times their behavior justified the suspicion. The females had their own assortment of “hippie types”, suspected drug users, as well as those who had been captivated by the women’s liberation movement.

I was coming into this environment as an addition to the Boys Health and Physical Education Department, in anticipation of the opening of a new high school the following year. When I arrived, I was shocked at what I found…

The existing P.E. teacher had lost control. Students openly refused to obey his instructions, consistently came to class late, if at all, and spoke to him in a very disrespectful manner, sometimes referring to him as “old man”. Swearing was not at all uncommon among these boys, and the dreaded “F’” bomb was not off limits. There was no order. In a word, it was “CHAOS”.

I was unsaved in 1972, and the combination of little patience (for anyone and anything that was not the way I thought it should be), a quick temper, and a huge amount of pride drove me to restore order. What I did in the process back then would have cost me my job if done as a teacher today. God, in His grace saved me from myself – another story for another day.

A lack of order eventually descends into chaos. The lack of moral order in our culture has descended into a form of chaos, and here in the United States, the evidence is all around us – the out of wedlock birth rate among blacks is 72%, the divorce rate continues to hover around 50%, homosexuality is openly defended and promoted, many churches no longer preach the word of God and adopt the standards of the culture, partially born babies are aborted in a most gruesome manner. On any given day, our newspapers read of murders, rape, random shootings…

In 1993, Sen. Daniel P. Moynihan published one of the most important pieces of social theory entitled "Defining Deviancy Down." Moynihan started from Emile Durkheim's proposition that there is a limit to the amount of deviant behavior any community can "afford to recognize" (called the "Durkheim Constant"). As the amount of deviancy increases, the community has to adjust its standards so that conduct once thought deviant is no longer deemed so. Consequently, if we are not vigilant about enforcing them, our standards would be constantly devolving in order to normalize rampant deviancy.¹ This seems to be the trend within our nation, does it not?

The chaotic environment of my teaching assignment in 1972 was the result of the combination of cultural influences and a denial of authority. On a much larger scale, these same factors are at work in our country today – a denial of the ultimate authority – God, and the inevitable downward shift in cultural values.

I don’t know about you, but sometimes I get a bit discouraged about the state of affairs here in the United States of America. Sometimes I wonder if there is any hope at all! But the word of God reminds me that I must put my hope in God – the infinite, eternal, unchanging, all powerful God (Psalm 42:5).

The cure for the chaos that besets our nation is not found in political parties or charismatic, eloquent leaders. Any man-centric solution may appear to bring order, but it will be short lived and before we know it, chaos reigns once again. The cure is found in God and Him alone, and it is in Him we must place our hope.

May it be so…

In Christ –

John

¹Meta Filter Community Web Log, June 16, 2004

The Truth Process, Session VII, Post 7

AWESOME GOD

Our class discussion this past Sunday focused primarily on Question 4 of the Westminster Shorter Catechism – “What is God?” The answer reads as follows: God is a Spirit, infinite, eternal, and unchangeable, in his being, wisdom, power, holiness, justice, goodness, and truth.

Although the didactic nature of the catechism (a question and answer methodology used to instruct) may be unfamiliar to us, the words used to answer this question about God are very familiar to the believer – perhaps too familiar. Here is what I mean…

There are words that are part of the lexicon of Christianity that I have become accustomed to hearing. In close to four decades as a believer, I have heard or read these words hundreds, even thousands of times. Words like Spirit – infinite – eternal - unchangeable – wisdom -  power – holiness – justice – goodness – truth… For the most part, I seldom encounter these words outside of the context of Christianity, and I have heard and read them often. It’s probably just me, but I find that if I am not careful, these words become – well – just words. My mind gives brief intellectual assent to these words, but the true meaning fails to have full impact upon my heart. When I take the time to contemplate these words, my heart and mind are reminded that my Lord is indeed, “Awesome God”.

The answer to Question 4 of the Shorter Catechism tells me that God is “infinite”. What does this really mean? It means “extending indefinitely: endless; immeasurably or inconceivably great or extensive: inexhaustible. This aspect of God’s nature is often referenced in scripture. (See 1 Kings 8:27; Psalm 139:7-10; Jeremiah 23:24.) The Bible tells us what we are to believe about God, and here it tells us that He fills all of space and time and beyond. Now, what does this mean to me, his beloved son?

There have been times in my life when I have felt all alone. Maybe you have “been there” as well. The truth is, I am never alone – the infinite God is always near. The feeling that I am alone is a lie. The reality is that there is no place I can go where He is not present (Psalm 139:7-10). This is a comforting reality, as it reminds me that He is always with me. It is at the same time a sobering reality, as it reminds me that He is always with me, and when I sin, I sin in His presence. When I view “infinite” as more than a word in the lexicon of Christianity, and really contemplate the significance of His “infiniteness”, I am both comforted and convicted.

This is just one of the words used to describe the nature of God. If we would take the time to examine the meaning of each of these words we have become so accustomed to hearing, as well as the scripture that justifies their use, we would be in awe of the God who loves us.

May it be so…

In Christ –

John

From The Westminster Confession of Faith, Chapter II – Of God and the Holy Trinity:

There is but one only, living, and true God, who is infinite in being and perfection, a most pure spirit, invisible, without body, parts, or passions; immutable, immense, eternal, incomprehensible, almighty, most wise, most holy, most free, most absolute; working all things according to the counsel of His own immutable and most righteous will, for His own glory; most loving, gracious, merciful, long-suffering, abundant in goodness and truth, forgiving iniquity, transgression, and sin; the rewarder of them that diligently seek Him; and withal, most just, and terrible in His judgments, hating all sin, and who will by no means clear the guilty.

The Truth Process, Session VII, Post 6

A PURITAN PRAYER

I have nothing of my own to share with you this week. However, I do want to share this - a Puritan prayer that speaks to the "valley" we all find ourselves in from time to time. Your valley might be the valley of illness, the valley of depression, the valley of grief, or the valley of discontent.

In the deepest valleys, it seems that the sun no longer shines, and the way out seems impossible to find. But it is often from the deepest of valleys that we can most clearly see our Lord and Savior. The prayer is titled "The Valley of Vision". (1)

Lord, high and holy, meek and lowly,
Thou hast brought me to the valley of vision,
where I live in the depths but see Thee in the heights; hemmed in by mountains of sin I behold Thy glory.
Let me learn by paradox that the way down is the way up,
that to be low is to be high,
that the broken heart is the healed heart,
that the contrite spirit is the rejoicing spirit,
that the repenting soul is the victorious soul,
that to have nothing is to possess all,
that to bear the cross is to wear the crown,
that to give is to receive,
that the valley is the place of vision.
Lord, in the daytime stars can be seen from deepest wells, and the deeper the wells the brighter Thy stars shine;
let me find Thy light in my darkness,
Thy life in my death,
Thy joy in my sorrow,
Thy grace in my sin,
Thy riches in my poverty,
Thy glory in my valley.

May it be so...

In Christ -

John
Soli Deo Gloria

(1) Taken from The Valley of Vision: A Collection of Puritan Prayers & Devotions, edited by Arthur Bennett

The Truth Process, Session VII, Post 5

Transformation

A very good friend, whom I respect and admire, wrote the following in response to last week’s post:

The transformation of our heart that is so desperately needed is also one of the traps of Evangelical Christianity. There are not many Christians who disagree with the fact that the transformation is needed but many have believed the lie that this can be done through prayer, reading and studying on our own.  The thought is that if I read my Bible, have a regular prayer life, and attend a regular body of believers then this transformation will take place. We believe the lie that we are the ones that direct and control this transformation. What we have forgotten is that the mystery of spiritual transformation begins with surrender and depends on being in relationship/community with others. Somehow our transformation is found as we are in relationship with others. This ministry we see some evidence of the Trinity. I could go on but I need to work…Daniel

Daniel makes a good point. The possibility that any believer could somehow believe that spiritual transformation is dependent on actions the believer takes is representative of the sometimes paradoxical thinking of the redeemed who also continue to carry the sin nature. It’s obvious that just as we cannot save ourselves, we likewise cannot transform ourselves, and that prayer, and the reading and study of the Bible alone will not bring about transformation. So how does transformation take place? What IS transformation?  

In Romans 12:2, we find these words:

Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is-- his good, pleasing and perfect will.

The word translated “transform” is ”metamorphoo” in the Greek and it means to “change into another form, to transform, to transfigure.” The same word is used to describe Christ’s change in appearance on the mount of transfiguration. This word, from which we derive “metamorphosis”, implies gradual, substantial change. Think caterpillar into butterfly. How does this spiritual process take place? Romans 12:2 tells us that it is “by the renewing of your mind.” The word “renewing” could also be translated as “renovation”. Interesting…

Imagine that you own a house that is old, run-down, and decayed. It has been corrupted by the environment. You as the owner, have the power to renovate the house, by removing the old sections that have been corrupted and replacing them with new, according to your vision and design. A house in need of renovation needs a renovator. A house cannot renovate itself.

Unlike an inanimate object such as a house, God has given each of us a will. Unless a person’s will is surrendered to His will, the renovation that leads to transformation will not take place. Perhaps this is the surrender that my friend Daniel speaks of – that prideful belief that “I can do this” and that “If I read my Bible and pray enough, I will be transformed”.  

Daniel also emphasized the importance of being in relationship/community with others. God does the transforming, and the people he brings into our lives can be useful “tools” in the renovation process. When we are in relationship with fellow believers, we can sharpen one another (Proverbs 27:17). And since very few of us can hold ourselves accountable, we need others who are willing and able to do so.

So – does this mean that Bible study and prayer are of secondary importance? Absolutely not! We are instructed to “pray continually” (1 Thess 5:17). It is in times of prayer and meditation that we commune with our Heavenly Father and the Spirit leads us to discover those parts of our lives that are in need of renovation. His divinely inspired word tells us what we are to believe about God and what duties He requires of us.¹  These are two essentials for the believer. The most important relationship of all is that unique, mysterious relationship the believer has with God – Christ actually dwells within us (Galatians 2:20). This is a most intimate relationship. Does it not make sense that we know as much as possible about the one we are in relationship with, and what pleases Him?

Daniel has reminded us that transformation is not the work of man, the result of the actions we take. Far from it. Transformation is the work of God – and it begins at the point of salvation and continues as we learn to surrender all self-centered efforts and to surrender to Him – conforming to His will as the rule.²

May it be so…

In Christ –

John

Soli Deo Gloria

¹Shorter Catechism, Question 3: What do the Scriptures principally teach?A. The Scriptures principally teach, what man is to believe concerning God, and what duty God requires of man.

² It is acceptable, it is pleasing to God; that and that only is so which is prescribed by him. The only way to attain his favour as the end is to conform to his will as the rule. It is perfect, to which nothing can be added. The revealed will of God is a sufficient rule of faith and practice, containing all things which tend to the perfection of the man of God, to furnish us thoroughly to every good work, (2 Tim. 3:16-17)

(From Matthew Henry's Commentary on Romans 12)

The Truth Process, Session VII, Post 4

“GOD ACTUALIZATION”

Abraham Harold Maslow (April 1, 1908 – June 8, 1970) was a professor of psychology at Brandeis University who founded humanistic psychology and created Maslow's hierarchy of needs.  He is considered one the great "hidden" influencers of contemporary thought and culture, as many of the concepts he developed are promoted as fact, and are now all but taken for granted by the average person, including many in the body of believers.

Humanistic psychology is a perspective which rose to prominence in the mid-20th century, drawing on the work of people like Carl Rogers and the philosophy of existentialism. It adopts a holistic approach to human existence through investigations of meaning, values, freedom, tragedy, personal responsibility, human potential, spirituality, and self-actualization.

A central proposition of existentialism is that existence precedes essence, which means that the actual life of the individual is what constitutes what could be called his or her "essence" instead of there being a predetermined essence that defines what it is to be a human. Thus, the human being - through his consciousness - creates his own values and determines a meaning to his life. This belief system - and it is a belief system - stands in stark contrast to a Biblical view of man. According to the word of God, man’s essence is “imageo deo” – in the image of God (Genesis 1:27). Man’s essence is predetermined by his creator – God himself.

From 1937 to 1951, Maslow was on the faculty of Brooklyn College. In New York he found two mentors, anthropologist Ruth Benedict and Gestalt psychologist Max Wertheimer, whom he admired both professionally and personally. These two were so accomplished in both realms,  that Maslow began taking notes about them and their behavior. This would be the basis of his lifelong research and thinking about mental health and human potential. This hardly rises to the level of true scientific research, as Maslow readily admitted:

"By ordinary standards of laboratory research … this simply was not research at all. My generalizations grew out of my selection of certain kinds of people. Obviously, other judges are needed."  "My confidence in my rightness," he said, "is not a scientific datum."¹

Maslow created a visual aid to explain his theory, called the Hierarchy of Needs. My guess is that most of us have encountered this in the course of our education, and from time to time, we may encounter it in the business world. The Hierarchy of Needs is a 5- level pyramid depicting the levels of human needs. Physical needs are at the base of the pyramid, followed by safety, love/belonging, esteem, and self-actualization in ascending order. The top of his pyramid, self-actualization, has great appeal to man’s sinful nature.

The concept of self actualization encourages following one’s inner desires. Maslow believed that man is basically good, without any intrinsic instincts for evil. Just as the “existence determines essence” belief of existentialism is contrary to the Biblical view, this view of man is drastically different from God’s view of man.  God is keenly aware of man’s wickedness and the evil inclination of our hearts (Genesis 6:5).

So I wonder - how does a man’s theory, based on observation of a few people, with no objective proof, become so widely accepted and influential? It is likely that there are several answers to the question, but one that comes immediately to my mind is that it is a “useful point of view”. Here is what I mean...

Man, by his fallen nature is selfish, and does not want to give glory to God, who according to scripture is plainly seen (Romans 1:19-21). In fact, man is inclined to exchange the glorification of God for the worship of idols (Romans 1:23). The ultimate idol is man himself.  We worship and glorify the self – “magnify” the self – when we follow the inner desires of our hearts. It is a “useful point of view” indeed to be told that this is not only OK, but is desirable. This is exactly what the Hierarchy of Needs does! Self-Actualization sits at the very top of Maslow’s pyramid, and it is very dangerous ground.

What we in the body of Christ need is not self actualization, but “God actualization”. We must follow after the inner desires of God’s heart, not the sinful inclinations of our own. What we really need are transformed hearts, so that our inclinations may be like His. When we follow after the desires of God’s heart, we live like Christians – “little Christs” – are called to live.

May it be so...

In Christ –

John

Soli Deo Gloria

¹ Abraham Maslow, The Farther Reaches of Human Nature (New York: Penguin Compass, 1971), Chapter 3, "Self-actualizing and Beyond," 40-41.